Engagement summary – October 2026

From June 29 to August 5, we engaged the community to understand what needs and opportunities exist to help inform future projects along Snelling Ave. and Montreal Ave. in St. Paul. We are planning a resurfacing project along the road between 2030 and 2031.

This first phase of the study focused on asking community members about their general use, challenges and comfort level in the study area. During the two months, the study team received 881 comments from people who live or travel in the study area.

Engagement included a survey, an online comment map, an in-person public meeting, a virtual public meeting and two pop-up events. These events were promoted with the website, study emails and through social media.

Engagement activities

Survey
June 29 - Aug. 5

The study team developed a survey asking about general use, challenges and comfort level along the study area. The survey garnered 443 responses, including 6 responses from businesses.

A bar graph showing the answers to the survey question “Where do you feel most uncomfortable walking along Snelling Avenue and Montreal Avenue? Select all that apply.” The survey options had the following responses: Dayton Avenue to Grand Avenue 209, Saint Clair Avenue to Ford Parkway 159, Grand Avenue to Saint Clair Avenue 137, None I feel comfortable 132, Snelling Avenue to West Seventh Street 114, Ford Parkway to Montreal Avenue 99.

A pie chart showing the answers to the survey question “What challenges do you observe along the study area? Select 3.” The survey options had the following responses: Speeding or aggressive driving 364, near misses between people walking/bike with vehicles 293, vehicle turning left and right 212, vehicle congestion 131, lack of landscaping and vegetation 76, other 38.

A bar graph showing the answers to the survey question “What would most improve crossing safety and comfort? Select 3.” The survey options had the following responses: lower traffic speeds 199, pedestrian refuge island such as medians 196, shorter crossing distances such as fewer lans 173, bump-outs at intersections 161, more enforcement of traffic laws 113.

Comment map
June 29 - Aug. 5

An interactive comment map allowed participants to drop a pin on locations in the study area, with the following categories: biking/rolling issues, walking issues, driving issues, transit accessibility issues, crossing issues, other issues, ideas/improvements and what is working well. After identifying a location, users could also provide a comment on each pin. The map garnered 230 responses from 72 participants.

Public meetings
In-person at Macalester College, 5-7 p.m. on Wed, July 22
Virtual, 6-7 p.m. on Wed, July 29

We hosted two public meetings, one in-person at Macalester College and one virtual. Both meetings included a presentation followed by an open house-style conversation. The in-person meeting had boards, a mapping activity and information on other projects near the study area. Approximately 35 people combined attend the public meetings. Watch a recording of the virtual public meeting.

Pop-ups
Dayton Ave. and Snelling Ave. transit station, 4-6 p.m. on Tue, July 7
Highland Water Tower open house, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sat, July 18

We staffed informational booths at a Meto Transit bus stop and community event along Snelling Ave. We had conversations about the study with a total of 148 people, asking them what improvements they would like to see. Participants at the pop-up events were invited to leave comment cards and vote on their most pressing concerns with an interactive sticker activity, which resulted in 121 “votes”.

A bar graph showing the answers to the survey question “What makes crossing Snelling Ave. and Montreal Ave. uncomfortable for you?” The survey options had the following responses: traffic speeds 23, lack of crosswalk markings 21, signal timing/crossing time 15, bike infrastructure 15, turning vehicles 14.

General themes

During public engagement, several recurring comments emerged:

  • People do not feel comfortable traveling on Snelling Ave. and Montreal Ave. because they believe vehicles speed or are otherwise too aggressive.
  • Many people felt especially unsafe crossing Snelling Ave. and want to see pedestrian infrastructure improvements such as pedestrian median islands, rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) and bump-outs.
  • There is also interest in improving biking experience since people feel unsafe biking along Snelling Ave. and Montreal Ave. and find it inconvenient to bike along parallel routes.
  • Many people felt that vehicle turning movements at intersections were unsafe for other drivers and pedestrians alike.
  • There is support for improved bus infrastructure.

Overall, the most frequently mentioned locations along Snelling Ave. were at the following intersections:

  • Dayton Ave. - Pedestrians and bus riders feel unsafe crossing here and that aggressive driving is a concern.
  • Selby Ave. – Pedestrians feel unsafe because of turning vehicles, and high traffic volumes conversely drivers feel frustrated due to long wait for left-turns.
  • Grand Ave. – Pedestrian volume is very high here; making turns (right and left) is complicated.
  • Randolph Ave. – Pedestrians feel unsafe here; many mentions of pedestrian-driver turning conflicts.
  • Jefferson Ave. – Desire for better pedestrian signals and improved bike infrastructure along Jefferson Ave. bike boulevard.
  • Palace Ave. – Pedestrians desire safer crossing to access Mattocks Park.
  • Ford Pkwy. – Dual left is confusing and makes it difficult to see pedestrians.
  • Montreal Ave. – Concerns regarding slip lane.

Next steps

Using the current conditions of the road and the public input we received, we’ll develop solutions to address the needs and opportunities. These solutions will be shared with the public for additional feedback later this winter.


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