The Purpose

The purpose of the Hwy 252/I-94 Project is to improve the safe and reliable movement of people and goods across multiple modes on and across Hwy 252 and I-94 between Hwy 610 in Brooklyn Park and North 4th St. in Minneapolis.

The Need

The cities of Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, and Minneapolis; Hennepin County; and MnDOT have identified several factors justifying the need for the Hwy 252/I-94 Project. The transportation needs for the Hwy 252/I-94 Project include vehicle safety, vehicle mobility, and walkability/bikeability.

Why is this project focusing on improving Hwy 252 and I-94?

Hwy 252 and I-94 need improvements for people driving, walking, biking, and taking transit.

Safety for people driving in vehicles

• The full length of Hwy 252 and I-94 within the project area have a demonstrated crash problem.
• Hwy 252 experienced a total of 1,512 crashes in 2016-2019 with an average of 378 crashes per year.
• The average annual crash cost at intersections on Hwy 252 was between $500K and $1.7M totaling $6M in 2016-2019.
• The average annual crash cost on segments along Hwy 252 was between $7M and $8M in 2016-2019.
• The total average annual crash cost on Hwy 252 was between $13M and $14M in 2016-2019.
• I-94 experienced a total of 914 crashes in 2016-2019 with an average of 229 crashes per year.
• The average annual crash cost on I-94 was between $7M and $8M totaling $30M in 2016-2019.
• Both Hwy 252 and I-94 exceed the state's critical crash rate.

Improvements for people walking and biking

• Safety and mobility for walking, rolling, and biking in the corridor is a top priority. The existing and planned pedestrian and bicycle network within the corridor is fairly extensive.
• Crossing Hwy 252 can be difficult due to number of lanes, crossing distances, and busy intersections.
• I-94 has disproportionate crossing distances and poor-quality crossings (i.e. narrow sidewalks and no ADA accommodations).
• Between 2016-2019 there were eleven reported pedestrian/bicycle crashes along I-94. No fatal crashes were reported.

Mobility for people driving in vehicles

• Hwy 252/I-94 in the project area have a mobility problem based on multiple hours of congestion, reduced vehicle speeds, increases in delays, and poor travel time reliability.
• Intersections along Hwy 252 operate poorly during peak hours.
• Segments on I-94 between I-694 and the Lowry Tunnel are congested during peak hours.
• There is a 12% increase in ridership forecasted for Hwy 252 and 4% increase for I-94.

Improvements for people using transit

• Without any transit improvements, transit ridership along Hwy 252 is expected to increase by 700 riders in total by 2040.
• According to fall 2019 data, transit ridership on express buses operating on I-94 is also expected to reach 16,300 by 2040.
• 10 percent of morning transit riders along the corridor experience off-schedule trips due to congestion.
• 20 percent of afternoon transit riders along the corridor experience off-schedule due to congestion (Fall 2019).

Connections

• Crossings influence transit riders as many must cross the highway to reach their bus stops and park and rides.