Minnetonka Street Traffic Calming Project
UPDATE - 2023: Traffic calming measures are now in place on Minnetonka Street between River Road and Riel Avenue.
Based on what we heard from the community, we:
- Installed all-way stop signs at Minnetonka Street and Riel Avenue
- Removed stop signs on Riel Avenue at Winslow Drive
- Installed all-way stop signs at Minnetonka Street and Woodlawn Avenue/Riverbend Avenue
- Removed stop signs on Minnetonka Street at Greendell Avenue
- Converted the westbound right turn channel at Minnetonka Street and Riverbend Avenue to a simple right turn
- Installed new accessible Transit stops at Woodlawn Avenue/Riverbend Avenue that connect to existing sidewalk
- Removed Transit stops at Millfield Drive and Greendell Avenue
- Installed four speed tables between Riel Avenue and River Avenue
- Installed curb extensions on Minnetonka Street between Woodlawn Avenue/Riverbend Avenue and River Road
- Map 1: Minnetonka Street (Riel Avenue to Riverbend Avenue) final design – construction in 2022 - UPDATED
- Map 2: Minnetonka Street (Riverbend Avenue to River Road) final design – construction in 2022 - UPDATED
- View the Community Engagement Report and appendices
Pre-study conditions
- Minnetonka Street is a two-lane, undivided, residential collector street.
- There is a sidewalk on the east side of the street south of Riverbend Avenue. There are no sidewalks on Minnetonka Street north of Riverbend Avenue.
- The speed limit is 50 km/h and there is also a reduced speed school zone south of Woodlawn Avenue to River Road, where a 30 km/h speed limit applies 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, September to June.
- Minnetonka Street is a transit route which serves Route 16 Selkirk-Osborne.
- The daily traffic volume on Minnetonka Street is less than 1,000 vehicles per day, which is low for a residential collector street, which typically accommodate up to 5,000 vehicles per day.
- In terms of land use, Minnetonka School is located on the east side of Minnetonka Street at the intersection of River Road. The school provides kindergarten to grade eight education.
- Parking is allowed on the west side of Minnetonka Street, however, in front of the school, parking restrictions are in place to provide a school-side loading zone on the east side of Minnetonka Street.
Need for traffic calming
Due to speeds in the reduced speed school zone, Minnetonka Street between River Road and Riverbend Avenue was identified as a high priority location through the City's Residential Area Traffic Calming Program.
Traffic data was collected in September 2020:
- Within the reduced speed school zone, the 85th percentile speed, which is the speed at which 85 percent of motorists travel at or below, was 39 km/h during the times of day that the 30 km/h speed limit applies.
- During the times that a 50 km/h speed limit applied, the 85th percentile speed was 45 km/h.
- North of the reduced speed school zone, between Riverbend Avenue and Riel Avenue, a 50 km/h speed limit applies and the 85th percentile speed is 47 km/h. Sidewalks are not provided on this section of Minnetonka Street, so pedestrians share the road with cyclists and motorists.
Traffic calming measures were installed to provide a consistent design along the corridor and help slow speeds.