Past Engagement

Design Engagement Phase 1 (February - August 2022)

From February through August, MnDOT hosted we hosted two in-person public meetings, virtual public meetings, put out an online survey, met with agency partners, schools, and community organizations, organized three targeted business meetings, hosted several informational tables at community events, and conducted door-to-door business outreach along East 7th St. and Arcade St.

We engaged with residents and businesses and gathered feedback on the proposed design alternatives for each of the sections along East 7th St. and Arcade St. between I-94 and Roselawn Ave. The community shared their preferences for each of the sections and provided suggestions for improving the road for people walking/rolling, using transit, biking, and driving. Comments collected during this engagement helped us narrow down the design options.

Go to the meetings page to view the community engagement activities and the public meetings conducted between February 2022 and August 2022. An overview of the engagement and feedback we heard from February to August 2022 will be available in September.

Community conversations in 2020-2021

What we heard from the community

To prepare for construction in 2024, the project team began conversations with the community in March 2021 that will set the foundation for a continued dialogue as MnDOT plans future improvements. In total, MnDOT received input from more than 850 individuals through a community survey, an online comment map, two virtual public meetings, and virtual meetings with nine different organizations and government entities.

In our conversations with community members, we heard safety and accessibility concerns about the condition of the roads today and ideas for the future. Key topics of interest included:

Improving and adding sidewalks
Adding more places to safely cross the street
Adding lighting
Consider adding a protected bike lane
Reducing vehicle speeds

Overall, people expressed support for safety and accessibility improvements throughout the corridor. Many agreed that the existing conditions in the corridor needed improvement – particularly the sidewalks and vehicle speeds. MnDOT’s planned improvements seek to address those primary concerns.

These comments and community engagement activities have been compiled into a public report. For a copy of the full report, please contact us. A short overview of the feedback we heard during the virtual open houses and other community engagement activities can be viewed in the Hwy 5/East 7th St. and Hwy 61/Arcade St. Summary Report (PDF).