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Politics & Government

Richfield Pkwy. North Connection Inching Along

The Richfield Transportation Commission continues to discuss options for the parkway connection; criteria prioritizing was on the agenda.

The Richfield Transportation Commission prioritized its concerns Wednesday night in order to take one more step toward finalizing the plans for the Richfield Parkway North Connection project.

aims to increase the connectivity of Bloomington Avenue access, to and from, Highway 62.

Jupe Hale, an outside consultant, was in attendance again to help out the commission.

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“Our main goal tonight is to fill the worksheet in,” Hale said.

The "worksheet" prioritzed the criteria the commission hopes to meet with the building project, including: Safety, trail crossing, meeting the vision of the Richfield Parkway, impact to residential properties, impact to local traffic patterns, connectivity throughout the area and transit opportunities.

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There are four options the commission is considering:

  • The No Build Option: This option does nothing to the Richfield Parkway and routes traffic around Taft Park and into Cedar Point Commons. This meets the City’s legal responsibilities to the businesses in the commons.
  • The Four-Way Stop Option: This option would put four stop signs at the intersection of Bloomington Avenue and 63rd Street. A small road would be constructed to connect the area with Cedar Point Commons.
  • Curve Options: Two options exist under the "curver" heading. The options would both curve traffic from Bloomington Avenue unto 63rd Street without stopping and maintains the construction of the road proposed in the four-way stop option. The differences between the two would be the speed limit; either 15 or 25 mph.

All options would impact homes and could possibly mean the relocation of those living in at least two homes, according to Hale. In addition, there are safety concerns regarding back-out driveways that open onto the parkway.

“Jeff [Pearson] and I both visited the three houses that were indicated as potential impacts,” said Kristin Asher, commissioner.“[One wasn't interested and] the other two would rather not move if they don’t have to move. The problem with them is no matter which alternative is picked, they’re impacted.”

Hale said that during a recent open house held to gather community feedback regarding the proposed building option, most people favored the curve options. Twenty-eight attendees signed in at the public open house, he said, and five written comments were received.

"General feedback seemed to favor the curve option, but I wouldn’t say there was a consensus [at this point],” he said.

Discussions will continue at the next meeting March 2. For more information, visit the commission's webpage on the City of Richfield website.

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