2009 Hopkins Downtown: Bridging the Historic Mainstreet with the Future of Light Rail Greta Alquist, Andrew Guthrie, and Cole Hiniker GretaHubert Alquist, H. Humphrey Andrew Institute Guthrie, of and Publi Colec Affairs Hiniker Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs 5/5/2009 5/5/2009 0 | P a g e TABLE OF CONTENTS BEST PRACTICES ....................................................................................... 29 CASE STUDIES .......................................................................................... 31 DIAGNOSIS ............................................................................................. 1 A VISION FOR HOPKINS ........................................................................ 34 PROBLEM STATEMENT ................................................................................. 1 PICTURE THIS: A NARRATIVE OF THE FUTURE ................................................. 34 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN .............................................................................. 34 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ................................................................................. 2 TROLLEY SERVICE ...................................................................................... 36 STREETCAR/BUS CIRCULATOR SCOPING STUDY .................................................... 4 MIXED USE ZONING .................................................................................. 36 PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE CIRCULATION STUDY ................................................... 4 MIXED USE ZONING DISTRICT STUDY ................................................................ 4 A PLAN FOR ACTION............................................................................. 38 STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS ................................ 5 STRENGTHS ................................................................................................ 5 COMPONENTS OF THE ACTION PLAN AND THEIR LINK TO THE VISION STATEMENT . 38 WEAKNESSES ............................................................................................. 6 BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ACTION PLAN ....................................................... 39 OPPORTUNITIES .......................................................................................... 8 RECOMMENDATION ONE: SHARED SPACE TREATMENT ..................................... 39 THREATS ................................................................................................... 8 RECOMMENDATION TWO: BICYCLE TRAIL CONNECTION ..................................... 42 STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS .............................................................................. 9 RECOMMENDATION THREE: ADJUST SIGNAL TIMING AT EIGHTH AND EXCELSIOR FOR PEDESTRIAN & BICYCLE CIRCULATION SCOPING STUDY .................................... 11 HIGHER PEDESTRIAN LEVEL OF SERVICE ........................................................... 43 EXISTING CONDITIONS - PEDESTRIAN ............................................................. 11 BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN STEPS .................................................................. 44 BEST PRACTICES ........................................................................................ 12 TRANSIT ACTION PLAN .............................................................................. 45 CASE STUDIES........................................................................................... 15 CIRCULATOR ROUTE 1 ................................................................................ 47 EXISTING CONDITIONS - BICYCLE................................................................... 17 CIRCULATOR ROUTE 2 ................................................................................ 49 BEST PRACTICES ........................................................................................ 17 CIRCULATOR ROUTE 3 ................................................................................ 51 STREETCAR/BUS CIRCULATOR SCOPING STUDY............................................... 18 CIRCULATOR BUS FEATURES ........................................................................ 53 EXISTING CONDITIONS ................................................................................ 18 STREETCAR ROUTE .................................................................................... 54 SOUTHWEST LRT CHANGES ......................................................................... 20 STOPS AND SIGNAGE ................................................................................. 58 BEST PRACTICES ........................................................................................ 21 MIXED-USE ZONING ACTION PLAN .............................................................. 60 CASE STUDIES – RUBBER TIRES..................................................................... 23 RECOMMENDATIONS/OBJECTIVES ................................................................ 60 CASE STUDY—STEEL WHEEL ON STEEL RAIL ..................................................... 25 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................ 63 SUMMARY ............................................................................................... 26 MIXED-USE ZONING SCOPING STUDY ........................................................... 28 REFERENCES ......................................................................................... 64 EXISTING CONDITIONS ................................................................................ 28 1 DIAGNOSIS mainline. By 1905, high-speed electric, PROBLEM STATEMENT interurban streetcar service – part of The City of Hopkins seeks the tools necessary to maximize the potential Twin City Rapid of the downtown light rail transit (LRT) station on the proposed Transit's line to Lake Southwest Transitway, especially in terms of: Minnetonka – had also reached Redevelopment around the station and Hopkins.2 As a result Connecting the station area to downtown/Mainstreet of its initial development as a late-nineteenth century railroad town, rather than a The city intends the downtown station, and the planning efforts mid-twentieth century suburb, Hopkins developed as a compact, full- connected with it, to provide opportunities for redevelopment and the service community, centered on a “Mainstreet” business district. attraction of visitors, as well as to enhance the existing downtown experience. During the mid and late-twentieth century, much more automobile- oriented bedroom suburbs grew up around Hopkins and now surround INTRODUCTION the community on all sides. Hopkins' own transportation infrastructure is now primarily road based as well, with Trunk Highway 7 - north of Hopkins, Minnesota is an incorporated city of roughly 18,000 people, downtown, US Highway 169 - immediately to the east of downtown, and and occupies an approximate area of four square miles in the Excelsior Boulevard - immediately to the south of downtown. These southwestern portion of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Unique routes form the primary regional transportation infrastructure of within the inner-suburban areas of the metro, Hopkins developed long Hopkins. Of the three railroads which once served Hopkins, only a before being captured into the metropolitan orbit of the Twin Cities. A truncated, single-track shadow of the Milwaukee Road main remains product of late-nineteenth century railroad building, Hopkins grew up active as the Twin Cities and Western Railroad. (The Minneapolis & Saint along a major rail corridor as a traditional Midwestern small town along Louis' and Great Northern's rights-of-way have been converted to branches of the Minneapolis and Saint Louis Railroad and the Great Northern Railroad, as well as what would eventually become the Chicago, Milwaukee, Saint Paul, and Pacific Railroad's transcontinental 1 Totten & Timken, ed. 1965. 2 Isaacs, 2005. 1 | P a g e 1 regional multi-use trails.) The last streetcar ran to Hopkins in 1951, PROJECT DESCRIPTION though its route is largely duplicated by Metro Transit bus routes.2 In terms of transportation, the City of Hopkins may soon come full circle, Today, downtown Hopkins survives as a vibrant center of commerce and thanks to the proposed Southwest Transitway. Currently nearing the end entertainment for the city. The relatively new Center for the Arts, of the Alternatives Analysis phase of the Federal Transit Administration featuring a 750-seat theatre, art gallery, and educational and meeting (FTA) New Starts funding process, the options under consideration for space, is a growing regional destination located right on Mainstreet. the Transitway have been narrowed to four generally similar route Unusual in having a well-preserved small town Mainstreet relatively 3 options. All of the remaining options feature LRT and all would run close in to the heart of the metro, downtown Hopkins has become through Hopkins on the former Minneapolis & St. Louis right-of-way something of a unique regional entertainment destination. In addition to currently owned by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority retaining its vibrancy and importance, downtown Hopkins retains much (HCRRA). Three stations are planned for Hopkins, one each at Blake of its traditional built Road, Downtown Hopkins, and Shady Oak Road. This project focuses on form, with classical the Downtown Hopkins station, located at the intersection of Eighth