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Shared-Use Path Pavement Condition Report (2020) Trail Conditions Research Report 2020 Saint Cloud Metropolitan Area Shared-Use Path Pavement Condition Survey PREPARED FOR Saint Cloud Area Planning Organization BY Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota About the Parks & Trails Council Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to acquiring, protecting, and enhancing critical land for the public’s use and benefit. Founded in 1954, the Parks & Trails Council acquires threatened and critical parcels of land, advocates at the Minnesota Capitol, supports volunteers, and produces original research on issues and trends facing Minnesota’s parks and trails. More information about Parks & Trails Council is available at www.parksandtrails.org. Acknowledgments Special thanks to the dedicated staff of the Saint Cloud Area Planning Organization for their guidance, assistance, support and patience with this project: Brian Gibson, Vicki Johnson, Fred Sandal, Alex McKenzie, and Amber Blattner. The Research Bike was made possible by support from Erik’s Bike Shop. Author: Andrew Oftedal Cover: Mississippi River Walk near the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center. Photo by Andrew Oftedal. This report was designed using resources from FreePik.com. Published September 2020 Trail Conditions Research FINAL REPORT September 2020 Saint Cloud Metropolitan Area Shared-Use Path Pavement Condition Survey PREPARED FOR Saint Cloud Area Planning Organization 1040 County Road 4 Saint Cloud, MN 56303 Prepared BY Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota 275 East 4th Street, Suite #250 St. Paul, MN 55101 Table of Contents Index of Figures and Maps v Executive Summary vi Introduction 1 How to Understand Our Ratings 3 Shared-Use Path Pavement Condition Ratings 5 Pavement Condition Reference Maps System Overview ......................................................................................................................................7 Saint Cloud ...............................................................................................................................................8 Saint Joseph ..............................................................................................................................................9 Sartell and Sauk Rapids ......................................................................................................................... 10 Sauk Rapids and Saint Cloud ..................................................................................................................11 Waite Park and Saint Cloud ................................................................................................................... 12 Saint Augusta and Rockville .................................................................................................................. 13 Segment-by-Segment Ratings Benton County ........................................................................................................................................ 14 LeSauk Township .....................................................................................................................................15 Saint Cloud ............................................................................................................................................. 16 Saint Joseph ............................................................................................................................................25 Sartell ......................................................................................................................................................27 Sauk Rapids ............................................................................................................................................34 Stearns County ....................................................................................................................................... 37 Waite Park ..............................................................................................................................................39 Appendix A: Detailed Methodology 42 Appendix B: The Research Bike 45 Index of Figures and Maps Figure 1 Saint Cloud MPA Shared-Use Paths ..........................................................................................2 Figure 2 Research Bike on the Lake Wobegon Trail ................................................................................2 Figure 3 How the Trail Roughness Index Works .....................................................................................3 Figure 4 Trail Roughness Index Rating Classifications ...........................................................................4 Figure 5 Summary of Saint Cloud Metropolitan Area Shared-Use Path Pavement Conditions ...........5 Figure 6 Shared Use Path Conditions by Type .........................................................................................5 Figure 7 Shared Use Path Conditions by Jurisdiction .............................................................................6 Figure 8 Concrete Path Expansion Joints ...............................................................................................43 Figure 9 Limitations of the Trail Roughness Index .............................................................................. 44 Map Locator: System Overview .............................. 7 Saint Cloud ....................................... 8 Saint Joseph ...................................... 9 Sartell and Sauk Rapids ................. 10 Sauk Rapids and Saint Cloud .......... 11 Waite Park and Saint Cloud ............12 Saint Augusta and Rockville ...........13 Executive Summary Project Background: Well-maintained active transportation facilities — such as bicycling and walking paths — are vital components of healthy, sustainable communities. As part of a larger active transportation planning process, the Saint Cloud Area Planning Organization contracted with the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota to survey the existing pavement conditions of the metropolitan area’s shared-use paths. Gathering such data is essential to understand existing facilities, identify re-investment locations and anticipate future needs. Summary of Shared-Use Path Map of Shared-Use Path Pavement Conditions: Pavement Conditions: Very smooth Very Smooth 38.3 miles Smooth Smooth 26.0 miles Fair Rough Fair 19.9 miles Very Rough Rough 8.1 miles Very Rough 11.1 miles 10 Pavement conditions as percentage of overall system: 37 25 19 8 11 23 Very Smooth Fair Rough Very 94 Smooth Rough Pavement Photo Examples: 23 10 94 15 North Very smooth Fair Very rough Healthy Living Trail 15th Street South Whitney Park 0 3 miles Waite Park Sartell St. Cloud Methodology: All the data was collected by the , an electric-assist bicycle outfitted with sensors and cameras to collect data on the user experience of paved bicycle paths. The Research Bike uses an accelerometer in an iPhone to measure how rough (or smooth) the pavement is to ride and takes photos at regular intervals to document and rate pavement conditions. All data was collected in May 2020. Introduction In 2020 the Saint Cloud Area Planning MPA currently has 103.6 miles of paved shared-use Organization (APO) contracted with Parks & paths. The purpose of this project, which is just Trails Council of Minnesota (P&TC) to study the one component of the APO’s active transportation conditions of the Saint Cloud metropolitan area’s planning process, was to understand the pavement shared-use path network. The APO is responsible surface conditions of the APO’s existing shared-use for coordinating surface transportation planning paths. Specifically, project goals included: for the Saint Cloud Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA), including the cities of Saint Cloud, Saint • Gather surface roughness data for every mile of shared-use paths within the APO’s planning area Joseph, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, and Waite Park; Le Sauk Township; and portions of Stearns, • Identify needed re-investment locations so that Benton and Sherburne Counties. The APO serves rough pavement can be rehabilitated approximately 130,000 people. This report contains • Compile a comprehensive database of photos the results of P&TC’s pavement condition survey of documenting existing pavement conditions the area’s shared-use path network. Collecting this data is important not just for Project Background and Purpose characterizing current conditions, but also to Active transportation facilities — such as bicycling serve as a foundation to develop models projecting and walking paths — are vital components of future conditions; monitor how conditions change healthy, sustainable transportation networks. over time; develop treatment recommendations, Communities with robust active transportation schedules, and cost estimates; and analyze the networks tend to be healthier by having performance of different pavement designs. cleaner air and encouraging physically-active lifestyles. Active transportation facilities can Project Scope also stimulate economic growth by creating This project was limited to paved (i.e., asphalt vibrant, interconnected neighborhoods with or concrete) shared-use paths within the Saint ample recreational opportunities that promote Cloud MPA (Figure 1). Shared-use paths are entrepreneurship, increase property values, spur off-road facilities on exclusive right-of-way tourism and attract skilled workers. and with minimal cross flow by motor vehicles. Shared-use paths are designed for a wide range Recognizing the importance
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