If you’re out and about, you’ll notice that work crews have installed temporary curb extensions in Two Harbors at the intersections of 7th Street and 4th and 5th Avenues. The temporary curb extensions and zebra crosswalks at those intersections grew out of local Safe Routes to School efforts and pedestrian/bicycle safety planning initiatives.
According to Lake County, these intersections were chosen for the demonstration project because many kids and families use them to get to Minnehaha Elementary School. These temporary changes are intended to make it safer for people walking and biking to cross the street and gauge public opinion on whether they should be made permanent.
Seventh Street is also a well-traveled route to downtown, and past studies and law enforcement reports identified a need for safety improvements in this corridor.
Lake County Public Health, Lake County Highway Department, and the City of Two Harbors are collaborating on this project with support from Minnehaha Elementary School leadership. The Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) provided funding for the project. SHIP is a Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) initiative. One of its priorities is creating safer routes for walking and biking across Minnesota. Grants are allocated to county public health agencies such as Lake County Public Health to address those priorities.
The concept of temporary demonstration projects gained widespread adoption in the late 2000s and 2010s. Municipalities began experimenting with “pop-up” street redesigns using paint, temporary bollards, and tape to show local residents how wide, dangerous intersections can be narrowed for safety without disrupting traffic flow.
The curb extensions will be removed before the snow flies so plows can get through. Based on community feedback from surveys distributed to residents and observation of how drivers respond, the temporary bumpouts may be installed again next year. They could eventually become a permanent part of the road when it is rebuilt.
To share your feedback or request a link to the survey, contact Lareesa Sandretsky, Community Health Educator at Lake County Health & Human Services, at 218-834-8378 or via email at lareesa.sandretsky@lakecountymn.gov.
