The transportation network of Hopkins, like the land development pattern, is established and has few opportunities for major restructuring. However, the planned light-rail transit (LRT) line to the center of the community represents one significant change. One LRT station is planned in Hopkins, immediately north of Second Street South near the new SuperValu warehouse facility, west of State Highway 169.
Issues
- What, if anything, should the City do in response to the LRT station?
- What will be the impact of the proposed reconstruction of Shady Oak Road?
- Several roadways, such as Highway 169, Excelsior Boulevard, and Highway 7, divide the community. What can be done to reduce the divisive effect of those roadways?
- Where should the LRT station planned west of Highway 169 be located, north of Third Street South? What would be the effect of this decision on land development and expansion opportunities for SuperValu?
- What should be the City's role and response in reducing congestion on the metropolitan highway system?
- How can access be improved to/from the SuperValu site and between the north and south halves of the SuperValu site?
- Should Second Avenue South be connected to Westbrooke Way?
The planned system of major roads in Hopkins is illustrated on the Transportation Systems Plan along with the light rail transit route and station site being identified by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority. No major changes to the road system are planned for Hopkins with the exception of the reconstruction and upgrading of Shady Oak Road and Excelsior Boulevard by Hennepin County.
- The City will continue to design and maintain its roads and review site plans according to the functional classification system of roads illustrated by the Transportation Systems Plan in order that they serve the needs of the community and enhance regional efforts to reduce traffic congestion.
- The City will monitor whether excessive non-local traffic uses residential streets and, if so, explore means to minimize it.
- When Hennepin County widens Shady Oak Road, the City will work with the County and the adjacent landowners to ensure that there remain adequate landscaped setbacks along its edge.
- Westbrooke Way is not planned to be connected to Second Avenue South because of the anticipated impact on a major wetland in that vicinity and because of the excessive traffic that would be added to Second Avenue.
Travel Demand Management Policies
Travel demand management (TDM) aims to increase the number and proportion of people who share rides and who travel outside of rush hours. These techniques are expected of communities in the metropolitan area served by congested portions of the metropolitan highway system and of cities that have regional business concentrations, both of which include Hopkins. It has been proven to be far more cost-effective to promote TDM and transit than to try to build more highway lanes.
- Hopkins will review the site plans of major new business developments to ensure that they contain provisions for preferential parking for ride-sharing vehicles.
- Hopkins has a mixture of low-and high-density housing and industrial and office businesses, which may help, reduce travel on the metropolitan highway system by allowing people to live near their place of work. The Land Use Plan continues that pattern.
- The City is in the process of working with Metro Transit to provide a new park-and-ride site. The site currently being studied is west of Highway 169. Access to the site will be from Fifth Avenue South. The current park-and–ride will be abandoned.
- Hopkins will urge the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MN/DOT) and the Metropolitan Council to conduct an ongoing educational program to encourage ride-sharing, staggered work hours, and off-peak travel. Such campaigns can be most effectively mounted at the metropolitan level.
Effective use of transit, which is defined as all forms of riding together, can make a significant difference in the level of congestion in certain corridors. Hopkins is currently served by Metro Transit regular bus routes, a 56-car MN/DOT park-and -ride lot along Excelsior Boulevard, demand responsive service for the elderly and disabled through Metro Mobility and Hopkins Hop-A-Ride, and the Minnesota Rideshare carpooling program. The Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) is planning to build a light rail transit route through Hopkins with one station in the community.
Hopkins is committed to fostering an environment supportive of transit and ridesharing because it recognized the benefits which good access can have on economic development and general quality of life in this community, not to mention the fuel savings and reduced air emissions.
- The City will encourage the HCRRA to construct the Minneapolis Southwest Corridor light rail transit line as soon as feasible, including the planned station in Hopkins. The LRT line is included on the Transportation Systems Plan. The City, through its representatives, will continue to participate actively in the system planning.
- The City supports the proposed locations for the light rail transit station in Hopkins and will work with the HCRRA on station planning and design. The station location is shown on the Land Use Plan on page 18. Once the station plan has been finalized the City will respond by amending the landscaping and sidewalk plans from the Excelsior Boulevard Corridor design to complement and support the LRT station area.
- The City will publicize the expected location of the LRT station in the community in order to promote the use of this new travel mode and also to make the general public aware of the easy access Hopkins enjoys to the central city (and from the central city outward)
- The City will attempt to maximize its benefits from the major LRT station near TH 169. Additional mid-and-high density housing is planned on the fringes of the Downtown near the LRT station. Also, sidewalks and bike trails are being constructed along Excelsior Boulevard that could connect to the station site as part of an overall improvement of that corridor.
- The City is part of a three-city study with Metro Transit to review the transit system and to implement changes. Each City will review the recommendations for changes in the fall of 1999. The recommendations are for both long and short term.
- The City has worked with the Metro Transit to create new or improved bus waiting stations along its routes through Hopkins, especially along Excelsior Boulevard and in the Downtown. Transit facilities will be implemented as part of the Excelsior Boulevard Corridor improvement project. Additional transit facilities are recommended in the transit study.
- The City will review major new developments for the inclusion of bus shelters and pullouts if such sites are along MTC bus routes.
- The City will coordinate its sidewalk plans for Excelsior Boulevard with bus waiting areas.
- The City will continue to do what it can to facilitate Metro Mobility and Hopkins Hop-A-Ride.
Bicyclist and Pedestrian Policies
Note: Bicycle and pedestrian trail information is also found in the Parks, Open
Space and Trails section of this plan.
- The City along with St. Louis Park is in the process of constructing a bicyclist and pedestrian path parallel to and just east of Highway 169 right-of-way from Second Street NE to Highway 7. This path will be built in an abandoned railroad right-of-way and will connect to a path to be built by the City of St. Louis Park.
- The City will continue to build sidewalks along certain minor arterial street such as Excelsior Boulevard and Blake Road.
- Hopkins will urge Hennepin County to build or maintain paved shoulders along Shady Oak Road, Minnetonka Boulevard, and Highway 7.
2020 Met Council TAZ Data
| TAZ | Population | Households | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2020 | 2020 | |
| 565 | 1,189 | 510 | 580 |
| 566 | 1,231 | 500 | 739 |
| 567 | 4,187 | 2,180 | 2,994 |
| 568 | 841 | 341 | 1,562 |
| 569 | 2,424 | 1,337 | 1,242 |
| 570 | 3 | 1 | 2,720 |
| 571 | 4,456 | 2188 | 1,158 |
| Totals | 17,000 | 8,200 | 13,235 |
