Park Point Safety Letter to Mayor Larson and Mike Tusken, Duluth Police & Response

 Lt. Nagorski’s response:

Dear Residents of Park Point,

My name is Chad Nagorski and I currently serve as the East Area Commander for the Duluth Police Department, a position I have held since January of 2015.  My area of supervision includes the Park Point neighborhood.  The emails you sent to Mayor Larson and Chief Tusken were forwarded to me to address the speeding concerns you have described on Park Point.  Before I discuss some of the plans we have for the future, I would like to address some of the work we have done in the past.

Over the past couple of years I have had telephone and in person conversations with Park Point Community Club President Dawn Buck.  We have discussed resident concerns on the Point with speeding being one of the primary concerns.  I directed two of my Community Officers over the past two years to do increased traffic enforcement on the Point.  When I spoke to one of them today he estimated he spent 20 hours in 2019 and approximately 20 more hours since we returned from our COVID-19 schedule in July.  He wrote a number of citations for speed with the highest speed being 47 MPH in a 30 MPH zone (the speed limit on Park Point).  My other officer estimated he has spent approximately the same amount of hours doing traffic enforcement on the Point.  Both stated that the majority of people they have stopped for speeding have been either residents of the Point or work down there.  I estimate over the past two years I have spent approximately 2-3 hours a year down there myself with the maximum speed I’ve seen during that time being 38 MPH.  I have also directed patrol squads to do increased enforcement as time permits between regular 911 calls for service.  In 2020 during our Toward Zero Death Speed Enforcement wave we directed resources to the Point as well.

In the summer of 2018 based on speed complaints on the Point I had a covert speed study conducted in the 3500 block of Minnesota Ave.  During the approximate one week speed study, 10054 vehicles passed by that location with the average speed of the vehicles being 29.70 MPH, the 50^th percentile being 30 MPH and the 85^th percentile (this is what Traffic Engineers use to determine if a road has the correct speed limit) was 34 MPH.  During the summer I also directed Park Rangers to patrol the Point frequently to add another visual deterrent.  We also directed our bike patrol to do patrols on the Point with bicycles and one of our side by side ATV’s.

In the summer of 2019  a Park Point resident reached out to see if we could place our digital speed trailer in the 3600 block of Minnesota Ave where they agreed to keep the battery charged at night by plugging it in.  This trailer was left in this location for the majority of the summer with the review from the resident that they believed it made a difference in traffic speed calming.  After removing the speed trailer I had a bi-directional covert speed study conducted in the 3600 block for a week in July.  During that time for north bound traffic 6941 vehicles passed by the location with an average speed of 25.36 MPH, the 50^th percentile being 25 MPH and the 85^th percentile being 30 MPH.  For south bound traffic 6871 vehicles passed the location with an average speed of 24.5 MPH, the 50^th percentile being 25 MPH and the 85^th percentile being 29 MPH.  Just after the study our Traffic Engineer and I met with the Park Point resident who reached out to us to discuss the findings of this study who stated they would relay this info to other Point residents.  During the summer of 2019 I again directed Park Rangers to do extra patrol along the Point along with our bike officers.

In the spring of 2020 Chief Tusken used DWI forfeiture money to purchase the stationary mounted flashing speed signs to calm traffic and be a visual deterrent to drivers in specific areas of the city that we continue to get speeding complaints on.  Unfortunately COVID-19 slowed the process of placing one of the signs on Park Point and canceled our Park Ranger program for the summer.  Based on COVID-19 I was reassigned to a patrol crew for approximately 2 months.  When I returned to my regular position I reached out to the Park Point resident mentioned in the previous paragraph and Dawn Buck to discuss a location to place one of these signs.  Based on analyzing our previous speed studies, it appears that traffic travels at slightly higher speeds north bound on Minnesota Avenue.  We discussed placing the sign in the 3100 block of Minnesota Avenue to calm traffic approaching Lafayette Park where a large number of children play.  We mutually agreed that this was an acceptable placement but just prior to having the sign placed, Dawn brought to my attention concerns from neighbors in the 4100 block of Minnesota Avenue feeling that speeds in that location may be greater.  So in July of this year I had a bi-directional covert speed study conducted for a week in the 4100 block of Minnesota Avenue.  During that time for north bound traffic 6905 vehicles passed by the location with an average speed of 30.69 MPH, the 50^th percentile being 31 MPH and the 85^th percentile being 35 MPH.  For south bound traffic 5879 vehicles passed the location with an average speed of 28.29 MPH, the 50^th percentile being 28 MPH and the 85^th percentile being 32 MPH.  I relayed this information to Dawn Buck and asked that she speak with the groups on the Point who had concerns to help determine where the flashing speed sign should be placed that would make the most sense.  I am currently waiting for the consensus so we can place the sign.  I was informed by Chief Tusken recently that he was able to purchase a second flashing speed sign with DWI forfeiture money that can also be placed on Park Point.

I know this email is long and will take some time to read over and digest but I wanted to make sure you were all aware of the efforts the Duluth Police Department have taken to address your concerns of speeding on the Point.  Hopefully this information can be printed in the Breeze so the Park Point Community can work with us to determine the proper placement of these signs.  If you have follow up questions or would like to speak further about this, please email or call me.  I or one of my staff, will reach out to help address your concern/question.  We will continue to direct resources to the Point for the safety of the residents and visitors.

Respectfully, Chad

Lt. Chad Nagorski

East Area Commander

 City of Duluth – Police Department

2030 N. Arlington Avenue

Duluth, MN 55811

www.duluthmn.gov

cnagorski@duluthmn.gov

218-730-5656