St. Louis County – Howard Gnesen Corridor Plan

Howard Gnesen Rd is an important transportation corridor in the cities of Duluth and Rice Lake that currently does not offer safe or comfortable options for walking and bicycling. St. Louis County received a grant from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to help the County prepare an Active Transportation Plan for Howard Gnesen Rd between West Arrowhead Rd and Martin Rd. “Active transportation” means biking, walking or rolling (e.g., using other mobility devices like scooters and wheelchairs) to get where you need to go. The Plan will compile input from people who live, work, go to school or travel along the road and identify alternatives to improve active transportation along or near Howard Gnesen Rd.

St. Louis County has a long-term vision to reconstruct Howard Gnesen Rd. This planning effort starting in 2023 is critical to begin forming a vision for the future of this corridor and is the first step in a multi-year process. Public engagement and input will continue to occur throughout the process of redesigning Howard Gnesen Rd.

We need your help

We need your help to brainstorm how we might make walking, biking, and rolling safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable along Howard Gnesen Road. We look forward to your input!

Drop a pin on our map with your ideas.
- What improvements would you like to see?
- Should various improvement types be made along this stretch of Howard Gnesen Road?
Ask us a question or submit a comment.

Example improvements could include:

Back-of-curb trail along roadway	Bike trail through wooded area
Shoulder bike lane	Separated trail along roadway
Pedestrian crosswalk with rectangular rapid-flashing beacon (RRFB)

We need your help

We need your help to brainstorm how we might make walking, biking, and rolling safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable along Howard Gnesen Road. We look forward to your input!

Drop a pin on our map with your ideas.
- What improvements would you like to see?
- Should various improvement types be made along this stretch of Howard Gnesen Road?
Ask us a question or submit a comment.

Example improvements could include:

Back-of-curb trail along roadway	Bike trail through wooded area
Shoulder bike lane	Separated trail along roadway
Pedestrian crosswalk with rectangular rapid-flashing beacon (RRFB)

Project Update

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This project is led by an advisory team that includes residents plus representatives from St. Louis County, City of Rice Lake, City of Duluth, Homecroft Elementary School, Duluth Aging Support, Cedar Ridge Neighborhood Association, Hartley Nature Center, Complete Auto Repair and Service (CARS) business, BikeMN, and the Duluth-Superior Metro Interstate Council. This Active Transportation Action Plan is funded through MnDOT’s Active Transportation Program.
The advisory team created a vision and set of goals for the project.
Vision:
Howard Gnesen Rd is an attractive, safe and comfortable roadway that serves the transportation needs of all users while respecting the function of the roadway within the regional transportation network.
Goals:
1. Safety for All: All transportation modes are purposefully incorporated into the corridor design, being mindful of their interactions, to promote safety for all users including pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicle drivers.
2. Connectivity: All users find that Howard Gnesen Rd is a corridor of choice for traveling to key destinations because it is inviting, comfortable and accessible.
3. Co-Created, Community-Centered: Public input is respected and purposefully included in the project development process.
4. Appearance: Howard Gnesen Rd meets the needs of the community and is viewed as an asset by its users and surrounding residents.
Project Update: January 2023

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St. Louis County will host a Public Input Event on Monday, February 6 for the Howard Gnesen Rd Active Transportation Plan located at the Homecroft Elementary School. The Public Input Event will include repeating workshops to provide a range of opportunities for people to attend and participate. The workshops will begin at 3:00 pm, 4:30 pm and 6:00 pm and are approximately 1 hour in length.
Below is a gallery of existing images from Howard Gnesen Road (taken June 2022).
Looking south toward Walgreens and Arrowhead Road
2 blocks N of Arrowhead Rd looking north
Sidewalk just south of old Kenwood School
Sidewalk continuing north just north of old Kenwood School
Sidewalk currently ends at 600’ north of old Kenwood School, 1/3 mile north of Arrowhead Rd
There are several streets connected to Howard Gnesen Road that are dead end roads, making Howard Gnesen the only biking or walking option for residents on these roads as well
Road has no shoulder (looking north from North Road)
Residents find vehicle speeding to be a frequent problem. Safety for mail delivery vehicle is also possible concern.
Photo on curve by Hartley Park (where the nearby “Guard Rail” mountain bike trail is named for this feature)
Straight stretch between Hartley Park (a residential area) and the Ridgeview golf course
Looking south at Homecroft Elementary School and Calvary Road intersection
Looking south just north of Calvary Road there is a bikeable/walkable shoulder for a short distance
Looking south alongside one of the cemeteries (note the cyclist traveling on the right side of road)