FAQs

Intersection control will change from signalized operation, to two-way stop controlled, as shown below. Stop signs will be placed on the 12^th Avenue approaches, so drivers arriving from the north and south will need to yield to east/west (86^th Street) drivers.

As diagramed above, a crosswalk will be provided on the east side of the intersection. That crosswalk will include high visibility signs and pavement markings, as well as a raised center median island, in conformance with best practices for crosswalks.

Street lighting at the intersection is currently provided atop the traffic signal, which is being removed. Staff are working with Xcel Energy to add new lights at the intersection and crosswalk.

Road construction will begin in the spring and signal removal will occur near the beginning of the project.  Schedule details will be provided as construction work commences.

Safety: Traffic signals that do not meet any of the criteria included in the signal warrants can increase crashes (over other forms of intersection control) and increase overall vehicle delay.

Age: Traffic signals age and degrade just like any infrastructure. They require ongoing maintenance, and eventual replacement. Those significant public expenses are not  justified for non-warranted intersections, when other means of control can be used.

Upgrades: As part of roadway improvements, public agencies upgrade signals and intersections to bring them into substantial compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) rules to ensure that the transportation system is accessible to all. Those important investments are not justified when the signal is not warranted or expected to remain in place long-term.   

The City of Bloomington removed a traffic signal at 90^th Street and Old Cedar Avenue last year (2023). Hennepin County removed a traffic signal at 82^nd Street at Portland Avenue in 2018/19.

After construction wraps up, staff will monitor a number of conditions in the area, including:

• Crashes
• Delay (vehicles and non-motorized users)
• Traffic patterns and volumes, including changes in adjacent streets
• Complaints or problems identified by drivers and residents

Staff will adjust and modify traffic control as problems are identified or patterns emerge, and always welcome feedback from the public.

The existing pedestrian signal is well past its useful life and would require extensive rehabilitation to remain in service. Using red, yellow, green vehicle indications is not a recommended treatment for a crosswalk in the circumstances any longer, and there are more effective and cost effective treatments available.

The proposed treatment has been developed based on state and national standards for creating safe crossings, based on the specific traffic conditions along this segment of 86^th Street. For more information on those standards, see the report from the Federal Highway Administration.

Street lighting for the crosswalk is currently provided above the traffic signal, which is being removed. Staff are working with Xcel Energy to add new lights at the crosswalk.