1.2024 - From Resdients to Council re: alleywayMayor Lund and City Council Members: January 2024
Due to the installation of a new gas main this past summer, the city of Fridley has eliminated 3 out of 4 blocks
of the University Avenue West Service Drive and turned it into a 3-block one-way alley between Mercury
(Sylvan, Rainbow) and Sunrise, eliminating the width of one car lane for a future bike/pedestrian path.
Residents have been politely informed that all relevant departments have signed off on the plan, and the plans
for completion of the project in early spring will not change.
Unfortunately after a six-month trial of the one-way alley, the single lane is not favorable to the residents
whose homes face the alleyway, nor their yards, nor for any large vehicles attempting to turn onto the single
lane from any of the four local streets, without jumping the curb either to the right or to the left of their
vehicle. Those residents can no longer park a car in front of their homes, as anyone else in the city has that
privilege, nor can any service/repair truck park on the new alleyway without completely blocking all traffic. As
a matter of safety, regular school buses hauling unbuckled preschoolers portal to portal either jump the curb
or need to back up to attempt to complete their turn, twice a day for each bus. No drivers are happy with this
situation. And contrary to predictions, a fire truck has been observed jumping the curb as well. Not to
mention a garage fire on the alleyway where seven huge rigs lined up single file on Sylvan, and had to back
down the block from whence they came.
The south -bound slip -off entrance onto University from Satellite Lane, one block north of the new alleyway
has a much broader turning space and was rebuilt as it existed before being torn up for the gas line
installation.
Since the proposed bike/pedestrian lane would not be connected to any other paths at either end, a much
simpler and safer suggestion would be to repave the service drive as it had been for the last 70 years, and
simply paint stripes on the pavement for bikes/pedestrians exactly as exists on Main Street.
Reference is made to the Mpls Star attached article of November 4, 2023, (StarTribune: Bryant Av. reopens
after extra $2.5M fix) which in hindsight details very similar problems to this 3-block alleyway in Fridley, and
which required costs that would not have to be incurred in Fridley if reasonable minds made preemptive
decisions while the project completion is still in the planning stage.
Bob Hosman, Sylvan Lane'�/
�� � '' � , �rj' Lam. ,. L� )�..�� �:. �� .i�.`� �.— / I df. v� •'L
Alr�
the City Clerk
r�l
Clty cf FrEdiey s �1'�ce ®f �Date Received:
Forward To C ±
I ° Received By:
w
z
0
uu
w
a
u
u
O
a
0
V
W
z
a
m
a
F
a
F
y
Gc u � rVii � `� iri �' ro •d 7+ 1
p
PE
��bgwu= A2 ❑ pp o o s.0 �+
r cd �w C7 � yI � �
c0 C y emu. M
8�8 2A❑ °
a•� u �N N yN,�• cn
u N .— in 21) b �
.� 0
' N N 41 >� !•� - Q] Q
G cd CVJ G N '3 < m V W
> S7 C7c 0 GJ
C) G Sp, O N 1r
v C' .N vi •L�..°Jr -0� 3 y
i� 7 Gl ,O � •„may
❑ G u a G u 0
.0 Aegvuu mgb
.n a aa
N •� N
3
wyy > a� v au
�aaua°
o.o
0 .0 1
-0 -a! aOuG''�C
i!a yu°EnAv�
En
tat
8 a'� a � u y'�•�
O
Z 0y �+ s�
� .y .n � O � c,V. 1i .7 cC J
U
CL U Nb in-. N
f: N Qmt
> a sti0 aj 0
0 0 1NWff
� O V � N c3 Faj .0❑ N 9]
0 S
YVi �W_
v N nj N 0 N L{i
7� + 4! N o
V N row N C C1] y •5
(Ij'"� •y Q
04 0 cG U a+
O N bD o❑ y O
Ql ❑q 0 r d
4- 5 L CS , fcz ctG
V N .N ai L7r•1 FQ I U
O. c0
00 Cy
bll
•� CI N •n � N
A
g�.�
x u y3tio
paJ @J > �00�
w o �❑v
: AT ' 4 wQ aQi cyV
q a O � � w
a