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Home > Our Community > Environment Environment There are many resources available to help care for our environment here in Union Park. Find out about about trash and recycling, compost, protecting our water system, gardening and planting trees, and more. For more information, see the Environment and Parks committee page . Recycling The City of Saint Paul has a contract with Eureka Recycling to pick up residential recycling, including apartment buildling recycling. Please put your recyclables out on the street curb by 7:00 a.m. each Monday (for most residences in Union Park). No need to sort the items; all recyclable items can be mixed. For details on what can (and cannot) be recycled, download Saint Paul's Guide to Recycling . If you have any questions about your recycling schedule or missed pickups, please call Eureka Recycling's Zero Waste Hotline at 651-222-7678. Recycling Changes The City of Saint Paul has rolled out wheeled carts for recycling! Weekly collection at all single family and smaller multi-unit buildlings (through 11 units) is now done in 64 gallon wheeled, lidded carts placed where trash is collected. More acceptable materials will be included in this new service, including paper tubes (from paper towels), paper food tubes (Pringles™), refrigerator boxes (like butter boxes). All multi-unit dwellings have an opportunity to recycle, so talk with your landlord about recycling if your building isn't set up to recycle. Check out more information about the City's recycling program here at stpaul.gov/recycle . You can also call (651)-266-6199. Trash On October 1, 2018, the City launched citywide garbage service, a new coordinated garbage collection system where each street/alley has one designated residential garbage hauler and prices and services are consistent across Saint Paul. For more information, visit their website . Still have questions? Call (651) 266-6101 or email garbage@ci.stpaul.mn.us . Disposing of Other Items The City of Saint Paul coordinates Citywide Drop-Off Events where residents can dispose of a wide variety of items including appliances, mattresses, construction waste, and more. If you can't wait for a cleanup, you can call the Ramsey County Solid Waste & Recycling Hotline 24/7 at 651-633-EASY (3279) or visit Ramsey County's helpful website to learn how to dispose of bulky or hard-to-recycle items. Rethink Recycling, a guide for waste and recycling in the Twin Cities, has information on reducing waste and recycling a wide range of items at www.rethinkrecycling.com . Many electronics and small appliance items can be recycled at Tech Dump . You are also encouraged to sell or give away reusable items on sites such as Facebook , Craigslist , or at our local Goodwill . Composting The nearest composting site run by Ramsey County is at 1943 Pierce Butler Route, St. Paul, MN 55114. The site takes both compostable yard waste and kitchen organics. Union Park residents are encouraged to dispose of household organics at the Macalester-Groveland Organics Recycling Drop-off Site . If you'd like to collect compost at home, the Recycling Association of Minnesota sells compost bins at low cost each year. For more information, visit RecycleMinnesota.org . Adopt a Storm Drain Storm drains in Saint Paul drain to local lakes and the Mississippi River. The Adopt a Drain program asks residents to adopt a drain in their neighborhood and commit to keeping it clear of leaves and other debris to reduce water pollution. Visit adopt-a-drain.org to learn more! Capitol Region Watershed District Union Park is part of the Capitol Region Watershed District, a local unit of government dedicated to protecting, managing and improving water resources. CRWD works across geographic and political boundaries to protect the health of the District’s wetlands, lakes, streams and river. Through research, planning and action, CRWD helps solve and prevent water-related problems within the 40 square-mile District. Learn more at www.capitolregionwd.org . Minnesota Water Stewards Developed by Freshwater Society in 2013, the Minnesota Water Stewards program is a volunteer program designed to equip community members with the knowledge and skills needed to improve water health at the grassroots level. Stewards are certified by participating in a broad training curriculum designed by experts in the fields of hydrology, stormwater management and groundwater health, water policy, community-based social marketing, landscape assessment, and installation of clean water practices. At the end of the certification process, all Stewards complete a capstone project that improves the health of local water while involving and educating their community. Stewards then become a point of knowledge and influence in their communities. Learn more at minnesotawaterstewards.org Boulevard Gardens and Rain Gardens Residents may plant gardens in the boulevard areas. There is no permit fee required for these gardens. Residents may also create boulevard rain gardens . Rain gardens require a completed form and may also require permits. Planting Trees in Your Yard or Boulevard In your yard: A permit is not required for planting trees on private property. However property owners should consider the following when planting a new tree: planting location, tree type, size at maturity, cold hardiness, maintenance requirements, etc. Remember to have utilities located by Gopher State One Call before you dig. In your boulevard: Property owners are encouraged to plant trees to help beautify Saint Paul. If you apply for a permit to plant a tree, forestry staff will provide tree species and planting location recommendations. A list of suggested tree species is available . Please follow these steps if you would like to plant a tree in the boulevard: Apply for a free permit and submit the permit to Forestry via email, fax, or mail. Consult Forestry: Forestry staff will review the permit, assess the boulevard, and contact you with the planting location and tree species selection information. Requests will be denied if the boulevard does not meet the minimum planting criteria. Locate Utilities before Planting: Contact Gopher State One Call before you dig so that underground utilities can be located. There is no cost for this service. The city of St. Paul has more information here . Pollinators Bees Learn about bees from the University of Minnesota's Bee Lab . Pollinator Gardens Learn more about how your garden can attract bees and other pollinators here . Ramsey County Master Gardeners Have any kind of gardening question? Get it answered by a Master Gardener ! Emerald Ash Borers ​ Emerald ash borers (EAB) are a destructive insect pest that attacks and kills all species of ash trees native to North America. Learn more at the city website .

Home > Our Community Our Community Union Park is an urban community located near the geographic center of the Minneapolis/Saint Paul metropolitan area, south of Hamline-Midway and north of Macalester-Groveland. The community is largely residential, with a 50/50 mix of renters and homeowners. The area is home to many large and small retailers whose presence makes this a vibrant, walkable community. It also includes light industry, a large number of nonprofits, many public schools, and three universities within or adjacent to its boundaries. Find more information about the resources and amenities in the neighborhood below! Neighborhoods Get Around Businesses Education Community Gardens Parks Environment Elected Officials Health & Safety Housing Community Plan Other Resources

Home > Our Work > Committees > Transportation > Past Topics Past Transportation Committee Topics City Council approves Ayd Mill Road with new bike/ped trail On August 1st the City of St. Paul began the repaving and redesign of Ayd Mill Road. In the fall of 2019, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announced that Ayd Mill Road will be resurfaced into a “complete street” as part of a mill-and-overlay project in 2020. On April 22, 2020 the City Council voted 4 to 3 to fund the $7.5 million project. The city's plan as approved and currently under construction will retain two lanes of southbound traffic and convert the northbound lanes into one lane for vehicles and a two way separated trail for bicycles and pedestrians. The project also includes major sewer work, improved left turn lanes, improved lighting, and a mill and overlay of the road. At its meeting on December 4, 2019, the Union Park District Council (UPDC) voted unanimously to support Mayor Carter’s plan for Ayd Mill Road. The Mayor’s plan was also supported unanimously by our Transportation Committee and by community members who completed a preference ballot at the Transportation Committee meeting on November 11, 2019. The full resolution passed by both committees can be read here . A timeline of Ayd Mill Road going back to the 1960's can be found here . Current and historical traffic volumes can be found here . Additional relevant information can be read here . St. Paul Healthy Transportation for All This initiative aimed to support the creation of an environmentally sound and economically efficient multimodal transportation system that will be equitable and improve public health. UPDC continues to be active in this group, participating in and facilitating dialogues between city staff, politicians, advocates, and other District Councils. City-Wide Pedestrian Safety UPDC is consistently involved in efforts to enhance our streetscape for people who walk and improve compliance with laws that protect pedestrian safety. In Minnesota, every intersection is a crosswalk, and vehicle drivers must yield to pedestrians at any intersection! (Minnesota Statutes § 169.21) On March 17th, UPDC kicked off a series of pedestrian safety events as part of the new Stop for Me campaign. Stop For Me is a yearlong effort to improve safety for people who use St. Paul’s sidewalks and cross our streets. The campaign is organized by St. Paul’s 17 District Councils, St. Paul Smart Trips , and the St. Paul Police Department. On average, a pedestrian or bicyclist is hit in St. Paul every other day. Last year, six people were killed while crossing St. Paul streets. These injuries and deaths are preventable. No one wants to be involved in a crash. Look for pedestrians at every corner, and stop for them every time. It's the law. Check out this video to learn more . Watch for our future events and stay connected to the new campaign by visiting the Stop for Me website and reading the news coverage below: St. Paul launches effort to change the city's driving culture - by enforcing pedestrian laws St. Paul Police Department launches 'Stop for Me' Campaign St. Paul Police step up pedestrian safety law enforcement St. Paul launches safety campaigndays after woman was hit crossing street St. Paul launches campaign to keep cyclists, pedestrians safe Stop for Me seeks to improve crosswalk safety As St. Paul police prepare safety campaign, pedestrian death devastates family Crystal woman identified in Tuesday's fatal car-pedestrian collision in St. Paul Southbound lane of MRB converted to temporary bike and pedestrian use In April, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announced road conversions for 2021 on four popular roadways throughout the city. Lanes on selected roads have been converted from motor vehicle traffic use to pedestrian and bicycle use to increase recreational opportunities and promote social distancing. Mississippi River Boulevard (MRB) — from Ford Parkway to Pelham Boulevard — is included in the conversion. The southbound traffic lane is closed to motorized vehicles, while the northbound vehicle lane remains open to vehicular traffic and driveway access. The closure started in mid-April and lasts through mid-July. In addition to MRB, the following streets were converted: Como Regional Park: East Como Lake Drive from East Como Boulevard to Lexington Parkway Phalen Regional Park: East Shore Drive from Johnson Parkway to Arlington Avenue Cherokee Heights: Cherokee Heights Boulevard from Baker/Chippewa to Annapolis Street. Earlier this year, the Transportation Committee of Union Park District Council held a public engagement process soliciting feedback from residents, including those who live on or near MRB, about a future lane conversion on the roadway. Opinions ran strongly both for and against lane conversion, though conversion was favored by a majority of the more than 200 respondents, including the Desnoyer Park Improvement Association. UPDC sent a letter to the city in late April summarizing the engagement process but making no recommendation. “Now more than ever, safe outdoor spaces for recreation and exercise are critical to our collective health and wellbeing,” Mayor Carter said in a statement. “We invite our residents, workers and visitors to join us in utilizing these spaces as we move through these challenging times together.” For more information about Union Park’s MRB engagement process, contact info@unionparkdc.org . Potential medians along Snelling through Union Park The Union Park Board endorsed the concept of adding medians along Snelling Avenue between Selby and Summit Avenues, and authorized additional community engagement on the idea. Similar to the stretch south of Grand Avenue, the medians allow through-traffic and left turns at every other block (likely at Selby, Laurel and Portland), while providing pedestrian refuge and blocking through-traffic and left turns at alternate blocks (likely at Hague and Ashland). No parking along Snelling was lost as a result of the median installation. 2020 Transportation Committee Work Plan The Transportation Committee approved its 2020 Work Plan in February of 2020 as part of UPDC's Community Engagement Contract with the City of Saint Paul. The 2019 Work Plan was approved by the Board of Directors in March and can be read here . St. Paul Pedestrian Plan The City of Saint Paul recently created its first-ever plan to support safe walking in Saint Paul. The plan will address citywide walking needs like filling in gaps in our sidewalk system, safer ways to cross streets, and education and enforcement programs to support safe walking. The Steering Committee has completed their community outreach and the results are available here . The City of Saint Paul released their Draft Pedestrian Plan here . The offical public comment was from December 14, 2018 - January 25, 2019. The plan was presented to the Saint Paul Transportation Committee on November 19, 2018; it was presented to the Planning Commission on December 14, 2018 to request a formal draft plan release. The UPDC Board voted in favor of supporting the Pedestrian Plan with two caveats, you can read UPDC's position here . Permit Parking Area Neighbors living in and near Parking Permit Area #8 are sought an expansion of the permit parking area as a response to concerns about current parking availability and the future impact of the Allianz Field Stadium. The committee requested data on the availability of parking and impact of nearby businesse on residential parking. The outcome can be found here . Snelling Ave. signal time changes Mike Klobucar, from City of Saint Paul Public Works Department, presented on light interval changes at intersectins along Snelling. New traffic signal timings will be tested at intersections between St. Anthony and Selby Avenues; optimization of traffic signal timings on certain roadways is required every 5 years by state statute. The changes will include removal of the flashing yellow arrows onto Concordia & St. Anthony during peak times, reduced cycle lengths at Selby, Concordia and St. Anthony, and removal of the automatic walk signal at Snelling & Selby (pedestrians will be required to push the button). If these changes are effective, they will remain permanently. The committee asked Public Works to attend the November Transportation meeting and present on their findings after the changes have gone into affect. Starbucks Transportation Committee -- along with the Committee on Land Use and Economic Development and the full Union Park Board -- has submitted multiple resolutions (read here and here ) to the city requesting that the drive-through be closed unless and until the persistent right-of-way obstructions created by queueing vehicles are resolved. City staff were in negotiation with Starbucks for months on the creation of an acceptable site plan that would provide for adequate vehicle queueing space on the site. The Committee and Board reviewed the revised site plan and UPDC maintains its opposition to the conditional use permit that allows Starbucks to operate a drive through at this location, which can be read here . The City of Saint Paul Planning Commission approved the modified Starbucks site plan (234 Snelling Avenue North). The Harper If you have further questions or comments on the Harper please contact Ryan A+E, Inc. at joseph.peris@ryancompanies.com or thomas.rehwaldt@ryancompanies.com . You can find Ryan Companies final Traffic Demand Management Plan (TDMP) to the City of Saint Paul here . Permit Parking Changes On February 12, the Committee hosted city staff to present on the city's permit parking study and recommendations. The city currently maintains 27 permit parking areas to make it easier for residents to find on-street parking near their home, many of which lie within the Union Park boundaries. In those areas, residents must purchase permits to park on the street, and parking by non-permit holders is not allowed, during certain timeframes. The city embarked on the permit parking study with an eye toward streamlining the system and making the areas more consistent. Cretin Ave Working Group The Transportation Committee formed a working group to address pedestrian safety concerns on Cretin Avenue from I-94 to Summit. The group consisted of residents who live near Cretin, as well as interested Committee members and St. Thomas representatives. They met with city traffic engineers, Ward 4 staff, and other stakeholders to identify the primary issues, and hosted broader community discussions on the issues. Their goal was to arrive at cost-effective, shorter-term solutions that could be implemented to enhance pedestrian safety along the corridor. The city had applied for grant funding from MnDOT to support the addition of sidewalks on the west side of the Cretin Avenue between I-94 and Marshall, adjacent to the Town and Country Club. That proposal was not funded. The results and suggestions from this working group that were sent to the city can be read here . Suggestions to MnDOT can be read here . Summit Bridge The City of St. Paul replaced the Summit Avenue bridge over the Short Line Railroad and Ayd Mill corridor in 2018. The bridge was at the end of its useful life, and the opportunity for redesign will allow the city to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety in the area. Transportation committee members and residents had an opportunity to ask questions about two possible design options and offer feedback on design and proposed detours. Hamline Ave The committee has discussed safety and traffic concerns along the Hamline Avenue corridor between University and Summit Avenues. Among the numerous issues identifed are pedestrians crossing mid-block, traffic speeds, congestion created by left-hand turns, excessive "lane jockeying," and the need to accommodate bicycle facilities in the future. The committee will continue to work on this issue and coordinate with city staff to plan for some cost-effective shorter-term improvements, especially near the Target store driveway. Pelham Bikeway The City has implemented biking improvements along Pelham after much community engagement, including a final presentation to our committee on Monday, March 13, 2017. Part of Saint Paul's Grand Round, Pelham received a two-way, in-street protected bikeway. The City Council held a public hearing on the project on Monday, June 7 before implementing the final proposal. St. Anthony Ave Traffic Calming A group of residents worked with Public Works Transportation Planners to address concerns about vehicle traffic speed along St. Anthony Avenue between Snelling and Prior Avenues. They analyzed traffic and parking data, and reviewed various options to achieve traffic calming along the variety of roadway widths presented there (the image below illustrates one of the options along the widest stretch). Because St. Anthony Avenue is part of the City's bike plan, and because St. Anthony can provide an important connection to the site of the future soccer stadium, bicycle facilities were incorporated into the traffic calming solution. While some of this project was implemented in fall 2017, the remainder of it was installed in spring 2018. If you have questions or comments about this project, check out the city's project page and contact Reuben Collins , the St. Paul Transportation Engineer working on the project. Pedestrian Safety at Snelling and Selby The Committee has frequently discussed ways to address resident concerns around pedestrian safety at Snelling and Selby Avenues. It advocated for the implementation of Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPI) there, which allow pedestrians a few seconds to begin walking before parallel vehicle traffic gets a green light. Saint Paul had been piloting LPI at intersections elsewhere in the city, recognizing that there is a tension between adding time for pedestrians and increasing vehicle wait time (and congestion) and possibly pushing more traffic into neighborhoods. We have received positive feedback from residents on the LPI at Snelling and Selby. Relatedly, as part of the Vintage project, the bumpout in front of Whole Foods was expanded to shorten the pedestrian crossing distance there. A right hand turn lane has been installed on Selby at Saratota to allow westbound vehicles to access northbound Snelling by using Saratoga and avoiding the Snelling/Selby intersection.

Home > Our Community > Health & Safety Health and Safety Union Park’s committees are made up of dedicated and engaged volunteers from our community. They meet once a month and work on issues including transportation, land development, parks improvements, community building and more. They provide a forum for community discussion, inform residents, and make recommendations to the Board and city decision-makers on community issues. Committee meetings are open to the public, and we welcome residents to attend – and to join. It's easy and rewarding to get involved in the community by serving on a committee. For more information, feel free to contact us, or just show up! ​ Health Resources Search for free or low-cost health options at Bridge to Benefits . Find out if you qualify for Minnesota Medical Assistance . Look for health care coverage through MNSure . Learn about lead content in drinking water, including how to get your household tap water tested for free, at the city of St. Paul website here. Learn about radon, and get information about low-cost radon testing kits, from Ramsey County here . Crime & Safety Information There are many ways to stay in informed and be proactive about crime and safety in Union Park. Our community is part of Saint Paul’s Western District . You can follow the Western District on Facebook , and join them for monthly community meetings on the third Tuesday of each month at both 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. at 389 North Hamline Avenue. Vacation Watch Vacation Watch is a free service provided by the Saint Paul Police Department. If you are going to be away from home for 2-30 days, you can register to have Reserve Officers check on your home. If there is any evidence that your home has been tampered with, it will be treated as a possible burglary in progress. Call the Community Services Unit at (651) 266-5485 to sign up. Premises check Another free program provides residents with a security premise evaluation. A Reserve Officer will evaluate your home and discuss lighting, locks, security systems, windows, and other security measures you could take to improve your home’s safety. Some insurance companies provide premium discounts to residents participating in the security audit. Call the Community Services Unit at (651) 266-5485 for more information. Online police reporting You should always call 911 in an emergency or if you are observing suspicious activity in process. However, the Saint Paul Police Department also offers an online police reporting system that allows you to file online police reports for certain incidents that: are non-emergencies occurred within the city of St. Paul have no known suspects did not occur on an interstate freeway are not motivated by bias Burglary of a detached garage, damage to property, fraud and forgery, harassing phone calls, illegal dumping, lost property and theft from automobiles are examples of crimes that can be reported. Once you submit the information, it is reviewed by a police officer, entered into the records management system and assigned a case number. You’ll be emailed a copy of the police report, which can be used for insurance purposes.

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