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Minnesota Notes

Started by Mdcastle, April 18, 2012, 07:54:36 PM

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flan

Awesome, thank you. Funnily enough I've been on MN 3 between I-94 and MN 5, but not the six blocks between MN 5 and the river. And I'm glad I got MN 222 last year, just in time.


J N Winkler

The Web Archive still has the jurisdictional realignment study PDFs.  Here are links for the live website that can be used to retrieve snapshots:

Final report (July 2014):

https://www.dot.state.mn.us/stateaid/programlibrary/jrp-final-report.pdf

Guide to identifying misaligned segments (June 2014):

https://www.dot.state.mn.us/stateaid/programlibrary/jrp-guide.pdf

"Final Report" (!) for an earlier phase testing the procedure for compiling a register of misaligned segments in Districts 4 and 6 (still on the live website) (November 2012):

https://www.dot.state.mn.us/d6/atp/pdf%27s/jurisdictional-realignment-final-report.pdf
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

Papa Emeritus

The Minneapolis Star Tribune has an OT article that will still be interesting to some people here:

Airline employees are concerned about taking light rail between the two terminals at MSP due to homeless passengers, dirty rail cars, and other concerns. Here's a link:

https://www.startribune.com/msp-airport-employees-fearful-about-taking-lrt-between-terminals/600192556/

The article doesn't say it, but the concerns mentioned in the article apply to the entire line from downtown Minneapolis to Mall of America. A friend who works for Delta says he feels the line has become a "rolling homeless shelter".

Pre-George Floyd, if I was going to / from MSP during daylight hours, I'd take the bus from my house in the west metro to downtown, then light rail the rest of the way. Now, though, I take Uber or drive and use Park and Fly at the airport, even though Uber and Park and Fly are more expensive than transit is.

TheHighwayMan3561

#1528
Quote from: Mdcastle on July 25, 2022, 07:59:09 AM
If you're thinking about the 2014 Jurisdictional Alignment Project study, I just looked, and yeah it appears to be gone.

The statewide map I clipped and used in this page:
https://www.northstarhighways.com/?page_id=598

Some thoughts (disclaimer: I cannot immediately verify the constitutionality of some of these):

-I'm surprised at some of the longer haul corridors being eyed for handover, like MN 6 north of US 2 which is a fairly significant link in northern Minnesota. Turning over the northern half of MN 38 probably makes sense, with it being feasible that someday it takes a left turn at Marcell, eats MN 286, and ends at MN 6.

-Some of the map's segments don't line up with the data table - the intended portion of MN 23 to be turned back is the segment through Sandstone between the I-35 junctions, not the entire 65-mile segment between Sandstone and Duluth. As I also understand it, I-35 now technically enters Sandstone to satisfy CR 1, so 23 can be turned back between Exits 191 and 195 with no legal issues.
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Molandfreak

#1529
I think there are a couple DOT-owned rest areas between Sandstone and Duluth on 23 that are part of the Veterans Evergreen Scenic Byway, so that's off the table to turn-back unless the counties don't mind taking over those.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 05, 2023, 08:24:57 PM
AASHTO attributes 28.5% of highway inventory shrink to bad road fan social media posts.

TheHighwayMan3561

Quote from: Molandfreak on July 25, 2022, 05:49:38 PM
I think there are a couple DOT-owned rest areas between Sandstone and Duluth on 23 that are part of the Veterans Evergreen Scenic Byway, so that's off the table to turn-back unless the counties don't mind taking over those.

123 has been on the kill list for ages. I expect eventually 123 gets axed, 23 gets rerouted onto 35 between Exits 191 and 195, and 18 gets extended the half-mile east to a new terminus at I-35 Exit 195.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

Molandfreak

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 26, 2022, 06:39:04 PM
Quote from: Molandfreak on July 25, 2022, 05:49:38 PM
I think there are a couple DOT-owned rest areas between Sandstone and Duluth on 23 that are part of the Veterans Evergreen Scenic Byway, so that's off the table to turn-back unless the counties don't mind taking over those.

123 has been on the kill list for ages. I expect eventually 123 gets axed, 23 gets rerouted onto 35 between Exits 191 and 195, and 18 gets extended the half-mile east to a new terminus at I-35 Exit 195.
Oh yeah, I meant between exit 195 and Duluth. It's not very significant, but I wouldn't think it would be on the agenda to turn back because of the wayside rests/overlooks, the part in Wisconsin since Wisconsin's county roads are notoriously poor-quality, and because there is a law on the books limiting the amount of advertising signs on that stretch of the road that couldn't be enforced as easily if it were turned back.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 05, 2023, 08:24:57 PM
AASHTO attributes 28.5% of highway inventory shrink to bad road fan social media posts.

Papa Emeritus

St Louis Park's police chief stopped by our block yesterday for National Night Out, and he confirmed what we've discussed a lot here: the stretch of MN 7 between Texas Ave and 169 is VERY accident prone, especially westbound, when traffic goes up the hill west of Louisiana at near-freeway speeds, then has to slow down quickly if the traffic signal at Texas is red. He says that a lot of accidents on that stretch of road don't get reported, and, as all of us know, there's really no easy way to make it safer.

It would be really nice if, the next time Knollwood Mall gets redeveloped, MN DoT could buy some of the land on the north side of MN 7, put in service roads and overpasses, and eliminate the traffic signal at Texas....but that would probably be prohibitively expensive.

OT, he also said the biggest crime areas in St Louis Park are the Louisiana Court apartments on the west side of Louisiana north of 28th street, and Knollwood Mall.

TheHighwayMan3561

Noticed some gore-point signs with exit numbers have gone in on MN 62, at minimum between Shady Oak Road and Tracy Ave, but I was unable to verify if they went further than that today.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

Molandfreak

It seems like the MN/DOT tradition of putting the exit arrow underneath the exit number is gone. That's a shame, it really made the signs look neater, especially with a 3-digit exit number.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 05, 2023, 08:24:57 PM
AASHTO attributes 28.5% of highway inventory shrink to bad road fan social media posts.

TheHighwayMan3561

Quote from: Molandfreak on August 03, 2022, 08:30:26 PM
It seems like the MN/DOT tradition of putting the exit arrow underneath the exit number is gone. That's a shame, it really made the signs look neater, especially with a 3-digit exit number.

I don't know if I'm understanding. The only signs in the state that I know of which don't follow that format are the handful of weird Texas-style ones on US 52 south of the metro with the exit number tacked on top of the gore sign. Occasionally I'd see more of a Wisconsin-style one with the arrow next to the number, but that was only for single-digit numbers, and I don't think I've seen one in a while.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

Molandfreak

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 04, 2022, 01:39:16 PM
Quote from: Molandfreak on August 03, 2022, 08:30:26 PM
It seems like the MN/DOT tradition of putting the exit arrow underneath the exit number is gone. That's a shame, it really made the signs look neater, especially with a 3-digit exit number.

I don't know if I'm understanding. The only signs in the state that I know of which don't follow that format are the handful of weird Texas-style ones on US 52 south of the metro with the exit number tacked on top of the gore sign. Occasionally I'd see more of a Wisconsin-style one with the arrow next to the number, but that was only for single-digit numbers, and I don't think I've seen one in a while.
The new ones on 52 in the metro are the Wisconsin-style, or at least one or two I was paying attention for.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 05, 2023, 08:24:57 PM
AASHTO attributes 28.5% of highway inventory shrink to bad road fan social media posts.

TheHighwayMan3561

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 03, 2022, 04:34:33 PM
Noticed some gore-point signs with exit numbers have gone in on MN 62, at minimum between Shady Oak Road and Tracy Ave, but I was unable to verify if they went further than that today.

Shady Oak Road: 104
US 169: 105A/B (which leads me to believe the "second chance" ramp from westbound MN 62 to US 212 will be unnumbered)
Gleason Rd: 106B (leaves the 62/212 split to be 106A)
Tracy Ave: 107
MN 100: 108A/B
Valley View Road: 109A
France Ave: 109B
Xerxes Ave: 110A
Penn Ave: 110B
I-35W South: 111A
I-35W North: 111B (previously numbered)

Exits beyond remain unnumbered.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

DJ Particle


andarcondadont

Quote from: DJ Particle on August 04, 2022, 11:56:31 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 04, 2022, 11:03:00 PM
I-35W South: 111A
I-35W North: 111B (previously numbered)

Exit 111A was previously numbered westbound.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.8905206,-93.2899328,3a,75y,261.2h,86.52t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ss1FupG08-9WqbK9tUkOygg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Notice that as early as 2018; I wonder what motivated MnDOT to assign this exit number upon replacement of the original BGS, but without retrofitting other BGS with exit numbers.

Computer Science and GIS student at the University of Minnesota.

TheHighwayMan3561

Quote from: andarcondadont on August 05, 2022, 12:07:36 AM
Quote from: DJ Particle on August 04, 2022, 11:56:31 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 04, 2022, 11:03:00 PM
I-35W South: 111A
I-35W North: 111B (previously numbered)

Exit 111A was previously numbered westbound.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.8905206,-93.2899328,3a,75y,261.2h,86.52t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ss1FupG08-9WqbK9tUkOygg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Notice that as early as 2018; I wonder what motivated MnDOT to assign this exit number upon replacement of the original BGS, but without retrofitting other BGS with exit numbers.

MnDOT went on a specific mission of replacing/upgrading left exit signage throughout the metro. The left exit from US 10 eastbound to I-35W northbound getting an exit number as far as I know is still the only numbered exit on the entire US 10 freeway from Anoka to Blaine.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

Molandfreak

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 04, 2022, 11:03:00 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 03, 2022, 04:34:33 PM
Noticed some gore-point signs with exit numbers have gone in on MN 62, at minimum between Shady Oak Road and Tracy Ave, but I was unable to verify if they went further than that today.
US 169: 105A/B (which leads me to believe the "second chance" ramp from westbound MN 62 to US 212 will be unnumbered)
It might also be numbered as if it were a 212 exit.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 05, 2023, 08:24:57 PM
AASHTO attributes 28.5% of highway inventory shrink to bad road fan social media posts.

jakeroot

Need help here if anyone can assist.

I was watching Better Call Saul, and there is a sequence that I'm 99% sure was filmed in Minnesota based on the design of the traffic signal, which looks like the design used in Minnesota. The signal is a flashing yellow arrow although the yellow portion is not lit in my photo.

Just trying to see if either (A) anyone can confirm that this is Minnesota, and possibly (B) if it is Minnesota, where it might be. Thanks 😊


Better Call Saul S6 Ep12 by Jacob Root, on Flickr

Here are the shots before/leading up to that screenshot:


Better Call Saul S6 Ep12 by Jacob Root, on Flickr


Better Call Saul S6 Ep12 by Jacob Root, on Flickr

froggie

It does look like a Minnesota design but I can't tell where just from three screenshots.

jakeroot

Quote from: froggie on August 12, 2022, 01:17:14 PM
It does look like a Minnesota design but I can't tell where just from three screenshots.

For sure. It could literally be anywhere. I'm just hoping someone recognizes the stretch of road off-hand. Tracking down the location using clues is possible, but would take a very long time.

For additional detail, the road behind the car and the road in front of the car are the same stretch of road.

froggie

I figured that was the case...the bus also shows up in 2 of your screenshots.  But it's impossible to make out details or signs.

TheHighwayMan3561

The one business I can make out is an O'Reilly Auto Parts (photo 3), but that does little to narrow the location.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running


jakeroot

HOLY HOLY MOTHER OF



Well found!!!!

Thank you for taking the time to locate this scene. Hugely helpful.

TheHighwayMan3561

#1549
I actually don't think I've been through there (I only drove US 63 long after it was rerouted off Broadway, no pun intended for theater geeks). I actually just started looking at possible O'Reilly locations. It's tough to see but I could see hills in the background of the picture with the O'Reilly sign, so I looked at some suburban strip crap in Hermantown/Duluth and Cloquet first, tried Hibbing's location, tried some more southern locations in Winona, Hastings, and Red Wing where the terrain is a bit hillier, and for whatever reason had a sudden thought it might be Rochester, though I don't know why.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running



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