Update for everyone from January 11th meeting (by Mark Stanley)

Many thanks go out to all the folks who helped make the first meeting possible and all the work the LCC E & T traffic calming task force put in that has helped lead up to this.

About twenty people showed up at the Jan 11th planning meeting, including Minneapolis City Council Ward 12 councilperson Sandra Roy-Colvin, Mpls Park Board Commissioner Dean Zimmerman, and Officer Manhood from the Park Police, and special SafeWalk St. Paul guests Kirby Pitman and Tim Burkhardt.

________________Meeting Agenda and comments:

1. LCC update traffic calming- update from recent meetings with Park planner and Traffic planner and City Council person Kathy Thurber

2. Introductions

3. Officer Manhood- Mpls Park Police- Speeding enforcement update: 32 hours per week overtime - as part of a special enforcement detail that is self-supporting through part of the money collected for citations given out- New officer being trained in on recent long-range radar upgrades ($1,000 dollars each) One squad card designated just for this patrol. High ticketing average- one example was given: over 15 tickets given on a three hour period. Most tickets issued were about 40 MPH or over- far exceeding the 25 posted speed.

Special note: Officer Manhood mentioned he has now has a new Park Police horse to ride for patrolling- kindly donated by St. Paul-. The horse was renamed recently by school children to be known as "Radar". Suggestion came up from those present as to the great possibility of getting good press coverage with this story lead.

Councilperson Sandy Roy-Colvin suggested we have a simple, clear focus: "Create an Awareness of the Crosswalk Law on the Parkway, We expect Cars and Bikes to stop for a Pedestrian at any Intersection" Sandy also gave us samples of bumper stickers, posters and other info and ideas to get this rolling. We were pleases to have her aboard!

From SafeWalk St. Paul- Kirby Pitman and Tim Burkhardt: Report on St. Paul SafeWalk event Sept 13, 1999 3:30pm to 6:30pm time span

-Focus was on bringing attention to updated 1996 law increasing fine up to a misdemeanor and 30 days jail max
-Ideas: more involvement with Schools
-Churches were very helpful to get the word out
-St. Paul police helped and come out in force
-advise us to use Mpls speed wagon to alert passing motorist to their actual speed.
-St. Paul City council and Mayors office helped- and passed resolutions and proclamations
-Check to see if permit needed
-They had the help of a professional publicist - pro bono
-They were on TV news all day
-Both city Papers covered it- needed 1-7 months lead time
-They did not rally at uncontrolled intersections due to safety issues
-Goal is to not make drivers angry, to keep traffic flowing
-They did it at several intersections which helped spread out impact
-They will possibly have training workshop in March for other neighborhoods to learn from them
-They received a $1,200 grant from the MN Safety Council in 1999.
-They stresses courtesy on all parties involved
-They had 100 people, had signs up all day- "burma shave" sequential signs used.
-Local Churches announced event Sunday before it happened
- Custom T-shirts, stickers, flyers given out.
-It was grassroots demonstration…

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After presentations and discussions for the first hour, a smaller group of people stayed for a planning session and came up with these results:

Conclusions- Action items

• Get schools involved.

• We can focus on one message like "Share The Road" for signs or bumper stickers

• Choose 29th and 36th as the two intersections to start at.

• 29th and 36 streets are possible intersections for demonstrators. We could put up advance warning Signs 2 block before and after each direction.

• Check with Ilene at Park Board for special permit if needed 661-4800

• Other suggestions use slogan "CALM DOWN- it’s a Park"

• We set Feb 2nd, Wed 7-9 pm Brackett park as next meeting for group

• We set May 4th, 2000 as possible date for event, Sandy Roy-Colvin's office can check with PR person on the choice

• We can create it as a family, FUN event- with high particpation

• We need to define to people what crosswalk means…

• We can start by writing articles about the event in planning, and new crosswalk law

• Ask Park Board if they might be able to add Stripping along the parkway sides to visually narrow the lanes, and possibly paint the "zebra" stripes on the crosswalks. Also might update crosswalk signs to new bright yellow-green signs now appearing around the cities

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Thanks to these 1-11-00 Attendees and other Contacts: partial list for public posting

Mary Phillipson, Julia McGuire, Jennifer Tatsuda, Phil Duckert, Katie MacDonald, William Zimmerman, Cheryl Hemstock, Janet & Randy Newberg , Michelle Finstead Michelle

"Colvin Roy, Sandra K" <Sandra.Colvin.Roy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us> great help. City Council Ward-12 673-2212

John Lindell <jlindell@uswest.net> thanks for all the phone calling

Larry Hiscock <lhiscock@visi.com> Larry also took notes- thanks for his help

Kirby Pitman <kirby.pitman@state.mn.us> Thanks also to Tim Burkhardt, both gave great presentation on successful St. Paul's SafeWalk Sept 13,1999 event

Sherilyn Young <sherilyn.young@gofast.net> Our St Paul Safewalk contact

Brian Lieb <liebx002@tc.umn.edu> Thanks for coming to the meeting -possible location leader

Katie Simon-Dastych <Dastj02@aol.com> volunteered for assembling email lists & contacting Schools

"John Groos" <groos001@tc.umn.edu> thanks for taking notes and being at the meeting as part of the LCC E&T Traffic Calming task force.

Dean Zimmerman Mpls Park Board Commissioner (612) 722-8768

Park Police Officer Manhood 370-4777 park police desk

MnSafetyCouncil.org <msc@MnSafetyCouncil.org> (651) 291-9150 (800) 444-9250

For more information, or to volunteer, you may contact Mark Stanley at 612 722-2076 or reach him preferably at marks@4insight.com via email.

You can also reach Larry Hiscock, community organizer, at the LCC office, 612 722-4529, if you have any other questions.

Please return here for more links and updated information as the planning progresses....