Support bikeways in the East 7th/Arcade project

For 3 years, MnDOT and the City’s Public Works Department have been discussing and planning an upcoming paving and partial reconstruction project on state Highway 61 on Saint Paul’s East Side that will be done in 2024-25. Specifically, it's East 7th Street from I-94 to Arcade Street and Arcade from East 7th to its north end at Frost. Organizations like the Saint Paul Bike Coalition have been asking MnDOT to consider 4-to-3-lane conversions of East 7th and parts of Arcade because traffic counts are under 20,000 cars per day on 7th and at or under 14,000 on Arcade. Both streets have very high pedestrian crash rates and they would benefit from a bikeway on E 7th to connect bike lanes on Kittson, Payne, Margaret and Bruce Vento to each other and to downtown Saint Paul.

MnDOT listened! They are offering to consider 4-to-3-lane conversions on these streets! Unfortunately, they are only giving the public until MARCH 1 to give feedback on the proposals. Check out the summary of design proposals.

Please take their survey on the project, support the proposed bikeways and suggest that they extend the proposed E 7th Street bike lanes in Section B west into section A to connect to bikeways on Payne Avenue and Kittson Street. Also, in Section C, suggest to them that they stripe bike lanes on Arcade Street up to York Avenue to enable cyclists to get to and from the Bruce Vento trail on Phalen Boulevard (via Neid Lane).

Fill out MnDOT’s survey by March 1!

Want to share feedback to MnDOT directly? Send an email to info@e7tharcade.com.

Want to learn more? Saint Paul Bicycle Coalition co-chairs, Andy Singer and Ian Buck, drafted this helpful document.