Proposed Final Design Layouts

November 2022

Proposed design layouts by sections

Project map for East 7th St. and Arcade Street showing the project segments

  1. Section A: East 7th St. - I-94 to Mounds Blvd.
  2. Section B: East 7th St. - Mounds Blvd. to Arcade St.
  3. Section C: Arcade St. - East 7th St. to York Ave.
  4. Section D: Arcade St. - York Ave. to Geranium Ave.
  5. Section E: Arcade St. - Geranium Ave. to Wheelock Pkwy.
  6. Section F: Arcade St. - Wheelock Pkwy. to Larpenteur Ave.
  7. Section G: Arcade St. - Larpenteur Ave. to Parkway Dr./Frost Ave.



Section A: East 7th Street between I-94 and Mounds Blvd.

What we heard:

  • People are interested in more bike connections from downtown Saint Paul to the east side.
  • People supported removal of the dedicated, free right-turn lane on eastbound East 7th St. to Mounds Blvd. Some feel removing the dedicated right-turn lane will increase traffic congestion.
  • People raised concerns about traffic speed and would like an alternative that prioritizes pedestrians and bicyclists and other traffic calming measures.

Technical Findings:

  • Adding bike lanes will require narrowing the road. A traffic study showed narrowing the road will impact the incoming traffic from the I-94 on-ramps, causing traffic congestion in this section of the road.
  • Removal of the dedicated right turn lane from eastbound E. 7th St. to Mounds Blvd. will increase walking distances for pedestrians crossing at this intersection and impact turning movements for vehicles making a right turn. The dedicated right-turn lane from eastbound E. 7th St to Mounds Blvd. will remain in place.
  • There is a lot of vehicle movement from the eastbound I-94 ramps/northbound Mounds Blvd. to westbound East 7th St.

Proposed final design improvements:

  • Pedestrian safety: Addition of curb/paved median
  • Reassignment of turn lanes for northbound Mounds Blvd. that includes two dedicated left-turn lanes to westbound E. 7th St., and one dedicated right-turn lane to eastbound E. 7th St.
  • Green space: Boulevard (vegetation) will be installed outside the sidewalk, separated from the roadway
  • Enhanced signaling: Reconstruct/replace signal at Lafayette Rd. and Mounds Blvd. intersections
  • Redesign of bus pullout on eastbound East 7th St., east of Lafayette Rd.
  • Moving in the curb for westbound E. 7th St. From Lafayette Rd. to John St. to make the road width consistent and widen sidewalk.

On East 7th Street between Interstate 94 and Mounds Boulevard there are two vehicle lanes in each direction with a 10-foot center left turn lane; wider sidewalks on either side between 5.5 and 6 feet with some grassy boulevards; signal improvement at Lafayette Road and Mounds Boulevard intersections and bus stop improvements on eastbound East 7th Street east of Lafayette Road. At the Mounds Boulevard intersection there is a reassignment of turn lanes for northbound Mounds Boulevard that includes two dedicated left-turn lanes to westbound East 7th Street and one dedicated right-turn lane to eastbound East 7th Street.


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Section B: East 7th St.between Mounds Blvd. and Minnehaha Ave.

What we heard:

  • Businesses along this section rely on on-street parking, as most businesses do not have off-street parking options for employees and customers. It was important to businesses to keep on-street parking in front of their buildings.
  • People were interested in having protected bike lanes to provide connections to the existing adjacent bike trails.

Technical findings:

  • A parking study showed on-street parking in this section was mainly used during weekday and weekend business hours (61 spaces of approximately 105 spaces used).
  • Some blocks are currently under-used (Eichwald St. to Hope St.), while others are overused (Maria Ave. to Bates Ave. and Maple St. to Eichenwald St.). Overall, parking use is 58%.
  • While looking into parking and adding bike lanes, it was found that only one of the two were possible with the limited space.

Proposed final design improvement:

  • Parking will remain on both sides of the road, with wider parking lanes
  • Lane reduction: Four-to-three lane conversion, with two-way left turn lane
  • Enhanced signaling: Signals at Maria Ave., Hope St., and Arcade St. will be replaced or reconstructed
  • Pedestrian safety: some bump outs are being added; additional bump outs may be considered and will be based on whether it is possible to add more while staying within the pavement rehabilitation scope
  • Bike lanes are not included in the proposed final design: There is Iimited space to provide safe, buffered bike lanes. The City of St. Paul is currently updating the Saint Paul Bicycle Plan. Learn more and provide your comments through the St. Paul Bicycle Plan website(External link).
  • Additional restriping will occur per request from the City of St. Paul on E. 7th St. between Minnehaha Ave./Mendota St. and Forest St.

On East 7th Street between Mounds Boulevard and Minnehaha Avenue there is a 4- to 3-lane conversion with one 11-foot travel lane in each direction and a 12-foot center, two-way left-turn lane. The corridor also includes 11-foot parking lanes, 6- to 5-foot paved boulevard, and a 6-foot sidewalk on both sides of the road. Some bumpouts at intersections are included. There are no a bike lanes added to this section. Additional restriping is added at and around the East 7th Street and Minnehaha Avenue intersection.


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Section C: Arcade St. between East 7th St. and York Ave.

What we heard:

  • People preferred a four-to-three-lane conversion with one lane in each direction and a center left-turn lane.
  • People suggested adding protected bike lanes with a physical barrier.

Technical findings:

  • Most businesses in this section have dedicated parking lots, and a parking study showed no on-street parking was used during all counting periods.

Proposed design improvements:

  • Lane reduction: four-to-three lane conversion with two-way middle turn lane
  • Pedestrian safety: Wider boulevards added in many locations Enhanced signaling: Reconstruct/replace signals at E. 7th St. and Neid Ave.
  • Accessibility: Pedestrian ramps proposed at many locations

On Arcade Street between East 7th Street and York Avenue there is a 4- to 3-lane conversion with one 11-foot travel lane in each direction and a 12-foot center, two-way left-turn lane. There is also a 4-foot shoulder, a 10-foot grass boulevard, and a 6-foot sidewalk on both sides of the road.


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Section D: Arcade St. between York Ave. and Geranium Ave.

What we heard

  • Businesses preferred to keep on-street parking for their customers
  • People suggested implementing a four-to-three lane conversion in this section.
  • People suggested more traffic calming measures, better road signage to distinguish parking lanes from driving lanes, and more trees and landscaping.

Technical findings:

  • This section of the street is narrower than the rest of the corridor, especially between Sims Ave. and Case Ave.
  • A parking study showed on-street parking in this section was used at above 50% for all counting periods during weekday and weekend business hours.

Proposed final design improvements:

  • Pedestrian safety: Curb extensions at several locations
  • Accessibility: Several pedestrian ramps proposed
  • Enhanced signaling: Reconstruct/replace signals at Case Ave. and Magnolia Ave.



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Section E: Arcade St. between Geranium Ave. and Wheelock Pkwy.

What we heard:

  • Safety for people walking, biking, and driving are important.
  • People were generally in favor of the four-to-three-lane conversion with one lane in each direction and a center left-turn lane.
  • Parking was essential for the businesses in this section, particularly on the northwest corner of Maryland Ave. and Arcade St. intersection, as most businesses do not have alternative parking for employees and customers.

Technical findings:

  • Limited right of way in this section; no room for bump outs
  • A parking study showed on-street parking was mostly used on Saturday afternoons. From Maryland Ave. to Hawthorne Ave., on-street parking was mostly used on the west side (2-7 cars in 10 spaces at all periods) and not used at all on the east side (0 cars in 6 spaces).
  • Between Hawthorne Ave. and Wheelock Pkwy., a parking study showed no on-street parking was used during all counting periods.
  • Removing parking around the Maryland Ave. intersection would improve safety for pedestrians, transit users and drivers; there is sufficient parking for businesses available in adjacent parking lots.
  • A traffic study indicates a four-three-lane conversion is feasible along this stretch of the project corridor.
  • The City of St. Paul and St. Paul Public Schools would prefer that pedestrians cross at the intersection of Clear Ave.

Proposed final design improvements:

  • Lane reduction: Four-to-three lane conversion
  • Median refuge: Median added at Hawthorne Ave. intersection; and extended median added at Clear Ave. to discourage mid-block crossing between Ivy Ave. and Clear Ave.
  • Accessibility: Several pedestrian ramps proposed
  • Enhanced signaling: Reconstruct/replace signals at Ivy Ave. and Wheelock Pkwy.
  • Parking maintained around the Geranium Ave. intersection but removed around the Maryland Ave. intersection.
  • Bus pull outs added at Ivy Ave. intersection



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Section F: Arcade St. between Wheelock Pkwy. Larpenteur Ave.

What we heard:

  • People are interested in a trail connection from Wheelock Pkwy. to the Gateway State Trail stub at Frost Ave., and a need to improve pedestrian crossing at this intersection.
  • People were in favor of removing on-street parking in this section due to low use.

Technical findings:

  • A parking study indicates few to no cars park in this segment.
  • The City of Saint Paul developed design alternatives for the intersection of Arcade St. and Wheelock Pkwy.

Proposed design improvements:

  • Pedestrian/cyclist safety: New sidewalk on west side and grade-separated, multi-use trail on east side; new pedestrian crossing at Arcade St. and Larpenteur Ave. intersection
  • Green space: Wider grass boulevards on both sides of the street
  • Lane reduction: One lane in each direction with a center, left-turn lane
  • The city-led redesign of the Arcade St. and Wheelock Pkwy. intersection is included in the proposed final design, which includes realignment of the intersection, narrower intersection and better connection to trails.


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Section G: Arcade St. between Larpenteur Ave. and Frost Ave./Parkway Dr.

What we heard:

  • Many people supported having a multi-use trail and suggested narrowing/reducing traffic lanes to improve safety and calm traffic.
  • People suggested improving intersection crossings at Larpenteur Ave. and Parkway Dr./Frost Ave.

Technical findings:

  • A parking study showed no on-street parking spaces was used at all counting periods.

Proposed design improvements:

  • Pedestrian/cyclist safety: Grade-separated, multi-use trail on east side of the street to create a connection from the Ground Round at Wheelock Ave. to the Gateway State Trail north of Frost Ave.
  • Green space: Wider grass boulevards on both sides of the street until Phalen Dr.
  • Accessibility: Several pedestrian ramps proposed
  • Drivers: Removal of northbound dedicated right-turn lane at Frost Ave.
  • The city-led redesign of the Arcade St. and Phalen Dr. intersection is included in the proposed final design, which realigns Phalen Dr. and parking lot connection.

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