Hwy 14 and Broadway Ave. Intersection Safety Improvements

In fall 2023, we shared a design concept for the intersection. The design was based on input from the community earlier in the year.

During that time some Sunnyside residents expressed concerned about the proposed cul-de-sac. We partnered with residents and the City of Rochester to get more feedback. We sent a letter to residents, informing them of the cul-de-sac and asked their opinion. A neighborhood volunteer also distributed letters. Individuals shared their opinions through a survey or contacted us. Others also participated in one of three listening sessions in January and February.

Thank you to everyone from the Sunnyside neighborhood who provided feedback. Community members shared concerns about access and reducing through traffic in the neighborhood.

Many individuals who opposed the cul-de-sac shared that they use the 1st Ave. SE to access their homes. They sited congestion and driver behaviors on 3rd Ave. SE as why they find alternate routes. Those who favored the cul-de-sac felt it could help reduce through traffic on 1st Ave. SE.

MnDOT is currently developing an updated design based on this input from the community. This concept is undergoing review. We plan to provide and update to the community in fall 2024.

Sunnyside residents who missed this opportunity are encouraged to contact the project team.

View full-sized image

In fall 2023, we shared a concept design that was created based on comments heard from the community earlier in the year. Nearly 300 people shared their thoughts on this design concept and how it addresses the concerns we’ve identified across surveys and public meetings.

What we heard from the community:

• People are split as to whether the proposed design features address the concerns identified with the intersection, with equal parties in favor and opposed. Regardless of their thoughts overall, community members agree that the proposed removal of landscaping features and mounds in the intersection will improve visibility and safety.
• More people are in favor of removing free-right (or ramp-like) right turns in favor of two right turn lanes to slow traffic and improve safety. Those opposed feel that safety concerns with free-right turns can be addressed with landscaping removal alone preferring to keep these ramps. Increasing left turns to two lanes was very popular overall amongst those who completed the survey.
• Conflicting opinions on a potential roundabout remain. There is interest from many to transform this intersection with a traffic circle to improve traffic flow. Others shared concerns with safety, especially for non-local traffic, and with narrowing lanes to 11 feet.
• Safety for cyclists and pedestrians remains a top concern for the community. While proposed visibility improvements help, many believe that a bridge or separate route is necessary for those riding, walking and rolling. Additional comments shared concerns with the intersection design accommodating future bus rapid transit and bus expansion.

Thank you to everyone who participated in one of our in-person meetings or provided their comments online. We would also like to thank the various community groups who also gave us the opportunities to present about the project and provided their feedback. We are committed to continuing those conversations.

The project management team will use this input to advance the design of the project. This will include further evaluating the proposed cul-de-sac at 1^st Ave. SE, traffic signal operations and more. We will announce future feedback opportunities on this project website and through project email updates.

Earlier this year, we heard comments from community members who placed a pin on our project comment map. We have also had one-on-one conversations with local businesses and other stakeholders.

What we heard from the community:

• Safety for cyclists and pedestrians is a top concern for the community across modes of transportation. Safety concerns often cited poor visibility due to landscaping and hills, as well as high vehicle speeds and lack of protection. People suggested pedestrian crossing improvements, such as removing islands, removing turn lanes, and adding raised or underground crossings such as bridges or tunnels.
• While there is a common feeling of a need to slow traffic, there are differing opinions on how. Many comments mentioned the possibility of a traffic circle. More than two-thirds of those comments were in favor of a traffic circle, mentioning that it would help reduce speeds when turning while maintaining flow. Those against adding a traffic circle generally cited concerns with vehicle safety when entering.
• Many people shared concerns with vehicle back-ups and merging when turning at the intersection. Suggestions from the community included adding blinking yield turn lights, adding dedicated turn and merge lanes, and lengthening turn lanes.

MnDOT will use these comments to create an initial design concept for the intersection which will be shared with the community this fall.

Crash statistics:

• Every day, almost 50,000 vehicles use this intersection
• In 5 years (2018-2022) there were 152 crashes
• Most crashes were the kind where only damage to a vehicle or property occurred. However, there was one serious injury and 15 minor injuries.
• Of the 152 crashes, 122 crashes were rear-end collisions. This is when a vehicle runs into another from behind
• Most of the rear-end crashes occurred when one of the vehicles were taking a right turn