Streets
The Street Division is responsible for maintenance, repair and snow plowing on 80 miles of local streets and cul-de-sacs. The division maintains a program of bituminous spot-overlays, seal coating and concentrated patching and crack sealing. It is also responsible for maintaining street and regulatory signs, storm sewers, pavement markings, and for tree trimming along public right-of way.
All county roads are the responsibility of Ramsey County; all state and interstate highways, the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Traffic signs and signals are maintained and operated by the agency responsible for the adjacent roadways.
Block Party Permit
Block Party Permit Information →
Damage to Sod and Sprinkle Systems
Driveway markers can help protect sod from damage. If you want to protect your yard from possible damage from snow plowing, the Public Works Department suggests that you stake out your yard along the curb line with flexible driveway markers. These stakes can be purchased at any local hardware or home improvement store. It is recommended that you buy markers with reflectors so that they can be seen in the dark. By doing this, you will help the plow operators in locating the curb line.
Despite the plow operator's best efforts, sod along the edge of the road occasionally may be damaged during snow removal activities. In general, the City will repair boulevard sod damaged by a snowplow or truck. The City will NOT be responsible for damage to underground irrigation systems and landscaping within the City right-of-way.
Fire Hydrants
In the event of a fire emergency during the winter, could firefighters find the hydrant near your home? Or does it get buried under a pile of snow? The City encourages residents to clear the hydrant area near their home and keep it clear throughout the winter season. This will ensure hydrants are visible and will greatly speed the response time in case of an emergency.
Mailbox Policy
Is your mailbox designed to stand up to the rigors of the winter plowing season? What happens if your mailbox is damaged by plowing activities? The answer depends on how the damage occurred. If your mailbox is actually struck by a City snow plow, the City will repair or replace the mailbox, providing it is a standard design that conforms to U.S. Post Office specifications for minimum height and setback. Damage to non-standard mailbox assemblies will be reimbursed $25.00. Some examples of non-standard mailboxes include: brick planters, mailboxes with custom lettering, custom designing or larger than standard installations.
Mailboxes should be installed and maintained to withstand snow coming off the end of the plow. If damage occurs due to snow discharge or snow storage, the City will not be responsible for repairs. City staff investigates each complaint. If an inspection shows that the mailbox was hit by a plow or other piece of equipment, a temporary mailbox is installed. In the Spring, repairs are made to conforming installation. If no signs of impact are evident, the resident is provided information about possible reasons for the problem. These may include inadequate construction or materials, needed maintenance, or other sources of damage.
Tips for Homeowners
In order to avoid problems with your mailbox during the winter season, residents are encouraged to follow these guidelines:
Make sure your mailbox conforms to postal and city standards. That means the bottom of the box is 48 inches above the street, and the mailbox is mounted so the door, when closed, does not extend beyond the back of the concrete curb.
In general, avoid installation of paper boxes, flower planters, or other attachments beneath the mailbox. If you do install these items, be sure they are set back at least 10 inches from the front of the mailbox. The City will not be responsible for damage to these items from snow discharge.
Conduct regular inspections and perform routine maintenance on your mailbox, just as you would for other parts of your property.
Clear snow away from the mailbox area after each plowing. Snow that remains in front of the mailbox will get compacted by post office vehicles and make subsequent plowing less effective.
Pavement Management Program
Shoreview's Street Renewal Policy (and resulting Pavement Management Program) was created in 1985 and most recently amended in 1996. The intent of the program as stated in the policy is "to create a permanent program to manage, finance, and implement the reconstruction or rehabilitation of the streets within the City of Shoreview." The policy also directs that the City maintain a "detailed inventory of all City streets, which shall measure and document the condition of all streets and assist the evaluation by the City Engineer of anticipated street improvements." Further, the policy directs that the inventory be updated every three years, and that the revised information be used in the development of the Capital Improvement Program.
Conceptually, cost effective pavement management can be described as doing the right thing to the right street at the right time. Our pavement management program groups streets into three general classifications: 1) those which benefit from continued minor maintenance (i.e. seal coating, crack filling), 2) those which are appropriate to mill and overlay or reclaim, and 3) those which should be totally reconstructed prior to performing any minor maintenance. The classification of streets is based upon their Pavement Condition Index (PCI), which is a score on a scale of 1 to 100 with 100 representing a new pavement (1 to 3 years old) with no flaws. The average PCI of all of the streets in the City over time is a good indicator of how well we are keeping up with the natural deterioration of the pavements.
With our current pavement management program, we can predict how pavements deteriorate, and determine which rehabilitation strategy is appropriate. Severe pavement rehabilitation strategies such as total reconstruction are costlier per mile than seal coating, overlays, etc.; our approach to pavement management will reveal when it may be time to let a bad street go, and spend those same dollars on more appropriate strategies elsewhere on the street system. The software we are utilizing also helps ensure that maintenance strategies are utilized at times when they will actually extend the life of pavement and make the best use of your tax dollars.
Similar to any automated management system, our Pavement Management Program is intended to assist City staff in the decision making process. Many factors beyond pavement condition can influence the timing of street maintenance or rehabilitation, including drainage, sewer or water needs, existence of curb and gutter, available funding and location. Staff considers the information from the PMP when recommending modifications to the Capital Improvements Program and for setting current/future funding levels.
Street Repair
Patch and Repair: The repair of the typical pothole or other similar small isolated section of structural failure. It involves removal and repair of the street section.
Crack Seal: Bituminous or blacktop pavement by design is flexible to accommodate the freeze/thaw cycle of our climate. Subsequently, cracking will occur in relatively new pavement and continue throughout its life due to age, traffic, weather, etc. Crack filling is the placement of a liquid asphalt emulsion into the void, coating the newly exposed internal surface of the pavement to limit further deterioration. Crack sealing is the placement of a rubberized sealant in the crack that will provide a protective coating and seal out water.
Sealcoat: The surface application of an asphalt emulsion followed by the placement of small graded aggregate. This coating is wear-resistant and protects pavements from oxidation and the effects of moisture.
Mill and Overlay: This process includes grinding the old surface to make the pavement uniform, then adding a new hot-mix overlay. An overlay is a structural improvement which renews the street surface and extends the life cycle of the original pavement.
Reconstruction: All existing asphalt pavement is removed through a full-depth milling process, pulverized to a specific gradation, reclaimed and recycled with the existing aggregate base. Then a new full-depth hot-mix asphalt pavement is installed. It may also involve soil corrections and removal of aggregate base.
Pavement markings and Signage
The City maintains and staffs a limited sign repair facility, and typically addresses larger or specialized sign requests through contractual arrangements with vendors or other agencies.
Pavement markings are provided through a combination of City efforts and contractual arrangements with outside vendors and Ramsey County Public Works.
Center and edge line markings on major Shoreview roadways are painted on an annual basis. The month of May is the typical application period. City crews apply pavement messages such as crosswalks throughout the summer season.
Potholes
Potholes are created in a number of ways. When water seeps into cracks on the road's surface and is combined with the vibration of traffic it causes the asphalt to fail. This is why there are more potholes after it rains. Potholes are also created when trucks and buses stress the roadway causing a movement of the subsurface. Once there is a weak spot, every car that travels over it worsens the problem, and eventually a section of the material will fail. The most common cause is the freeze/thaw cycle. The ice/snow melts during the day filling cracks with water. At night the water freezes and expands, popping out the asphalt.
Potholes and other roadway failures are repaired by the Street Division in order of priority. The goal is to respond to all potholes within 24 hours of being notified. The problem is corrected initially by installing a temporary patching material. Then areas needing repair are prioritized by size, number and street traffic volume to see if more extensive roadway repairs are warranted.
More information regarding larger projects such as reconstruction, mill and overlay, or the annual seal coat project may be found under Road Construction Projects.
Snow and Ice
Street maintenance personnel is primarily responsible for snow removal and ice control, with utility maintenance personnel assisting as required.
Roads adjacent to schools and primary streets are generally cleared first. Residential streets and cul-de-sacs are cleared next. The city's goal is to have the primary roads cleared before the morning and evening rush hours and complete plowing and de-icing of all city streets and cul-de-sacs within five hours. Under most conditions, the five-hour goal for completing plowing can be achieved. With snow accumulations greater than six inches, the time it takes to complete the plowing will increase.
Occasionally, primary roads will require de-icing or plowing that is not needed on residential streets. This may occur during a light snowfall with less than a two-inch accumulation. In these instances, traffic can maneuver safely on streets with low volumes of traffic, but roads with high volumes of traffic need the extra attention.
Snow Removal Violations
Pushing, blowing, shoveling or storing snow onto or across public roadways is a direct violation of Shoreview City Code 211.060 (D) and Chapter 412.221, Subd. 6 of the Minnesota State Statute. Residents are encouraged to contact the city if this type of activity is noticed and to remind any private contractors they must adhere to our City codes.
Street Lights
The City owns or leases a majority of the light fixtures located within the public right-of-way, and is responsible for periodic rewiring and replacement of the lights. The City is also responsible for electrical costs attributed to the municipal street light system.
Street Light Utility Billing Information
Each resident's utility bill contains a charge for operating/maintaining a street lighting system throughout the community in support of safe vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The City's street light system includes lighting owned by the City or leased from Xcel Energy.
The city conducts an annual street sweeping program that involves the removal of the residual sand resulting from snow and ice control maintenance. All curbed streets are swept full width, typically in April.
The city encourages residents to deposit any sand that has accumulated on the boulevard into the street near the curb prior to sweeping activities commencing on their street. This allows the street sweeper to remove the material and make spring clean up easier for the residents.
In areas where construction activities are not fully completed, the Engineering Division arranges for the streets to be swept on a regular basis by the project developer. In addition to the spring sweeping, Shoreview's goal is to sweep all city streets two additional times throughout the summer months.
Traffic Counts
Streets under City of Shoreview jurisdiction are classified as either collector streets or local residential streets. Streets are classified according to their original intended function, and are further described in the City's Comprehensive Plan. Part of the management of the City's street system includes collecting and analyzing traffic volumes and trends. The City regularly counts traffic on collector streets, which can reflect daily traffic volumes anywhere in the range of 500 to 5,000 vehicles per day. Local or residential streets typically have lower traffic volumes, usually in the range of 100 to 1,000 vehicles per day. Due to limited resources, the City does not typically count traffic on lower volume residential streets.
For the most recent traffic counts on Shoreview's street system, check the city map at the MN/DOT website. It shows the traffic counts for all of Shoreview's county state aid highways, county roads, and municipal state aid roads.
Contact Information
For more information, contact streets@shoreviewmn.gov or call 651.490.4671.