Safety Improvements in Birchwood

Ian Harding

Thank you to the city of Birchwood Village, which recently made some good safety improvements along the Lake Links Trail based upon input from Birchwood Village residents and the Lake Links Association. Funding was from the State of Minnesota bonding bill.

1) All trail segments (on shared quiet residential streets) in Birchwood Village now have 20 mph speed limits (matching the City of Mahtomedi residential street speed limit). This will calm traffic and make the roads in Birchwood Village safer for all users.

2) A new pedestrian crossing has been established at the intersection of County Road F and Wildwood Ave / E. County Line Road. Trail users coming south up the hill from South Shore Boulevard now have a painted crosswalk to aid in crossing Wildwood Ave. The existing stop sign on Wildwood Avenue also has a stop bar indicating the correct place to stop short of the new marked pedestrian crossing. All users please use caution at this intersection since it is a three-way stop (traffic coming up the hill from South Shore Boulevard does not have a stop sign).

new painted crosswalk on Wildwood Avenue looking west with stop bar

new painted crosswalk on Wildwood Ave. looking South from South Shore Blvd.

If you have a safety improvement suggestion, please let us know so that we can start discussion with the relevant local government authorities to make a safer trail for all.