For the past decade, most Saint Paul skyways have opened by 6AM and closed no earlier than 2AM, making the system useful to everyone from early-morning walkers to thousands of workers to evening diners and entertainment seekers (and providers).
Now some folks are proposing that we close the system at midnight or even earlier. Their argument is that few people use the skyways late at night, and increasing security and maintenance costs are unfairly harming building owners and their tenants.
In fact, virtually everyone else seems to like the hours as they are, and some would like the skyways open 24/7.
We're all in agreement, however, that skyways need to be better maintained and protected from unruly kids, sleepers and others who sometimes make the system unpleasant or even unsafe. If we can't do that, perhaps shorter hours are the only answer that makes sense.
But we're still in the beginning stages of intense efforts to improve skyway security and attractiveness; shouldn't we wait and see the results of these efforts before reducing hours, and hence the usefulness, of the skyway system?
A revised skyway ordinance, including an updated code of conduct, is expected to be approved by the City Council in August, clarifying what is and is not acceptable in the system and making enforcement easier. Building owners are in the process of determining what they should do to provide better security downtown, and hopefully they will have new systems in place by next year. Also, community organizations are working tirelessly to find housing and mental health services for the homeless and positive activities for youth.
So let's give these efforts time to succeed before we retrench by reducing skyway hours. If all goes as planned, there will no longer be any advantage to shorter hours, and we will have retained maximum utility from our skyway system.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Public/Private Skyway Partnership: Blessing or Curse?
Saint Paul's skyway system is very different from that of Minneapolis, which is privately owned and controlled by building owners.
The Saint Paul version was paid for mostly with public funds, but there had to be easement agreements with building owners since pathways through private buildings were required to make it work. This allowed for a more coordinated system with standardized hours and signage. But is this public/private partnership a blessing or a curse?
Easement agreements stated that skyway passages are publicly controlled, similar to outdoor sidewalks. Since being connected to the skyway system greatly enhances the value of a building, owners agreed to pay for maintenance and security of the system, and when a building is sold the new owner is required to take on those responsibilities.
While this plan seems to make sense on the surface, it hasn't worked out all that well lately. First of all, the easement agreements were too vague regarding what was required of building owners and how they should handle cost-sharing.
Secondly, times have changed and so has the behavior of some skyway users, which can range from annoying and rude to disgusting and even dangerous on rare occasion. This has burdened building owners and Police with significantly higher costs than anticipated.
Finally, the population of downtown Saint Paul has grown significantly in recent years, including residents and transit riders making connections at Central Station, the light rail stop in the central business district. Growing numbers mean more incidents of crime, more homeless folks sleeping in skyway-connected buildings, more wear and tear on skyways and more "quality of life" complaints.
This is not to say that Saint Paul's skyways are unsafe or unpleasant overall. Those who have visited other cities, including Minneapolis, generally say that Saint Paul's downtown is comparatively delightful. But challenges do exist, and many of us are working on solutions to head off problems before they get worse.
The first key to making improvements has been to identify who makes decisions regarding skyway issues and getting those people together to design solutions. The Skyway Vitality Work Group mentioned in the previous post is the result, and six months in the group is almost ready to forward recommendations for changes in the skyway ordinance to the City Council for approval (scheduled for August). The group is now looking into maintenance issues, with the lack of public restrooms top of the list.
Another key to success will be having building owners cooperate to provide better security downtown. The BOMA organization is currently choosing a consultant to advise them on steps to take, after which they hope to move forward with a plan.
These solutions are not instantaneous, but they never are for complex challenges like the ones faced in our skyway system. A final key for success will be the patient and determined persistence of downtown residents and other stakeholders in moving this process along. If we keep going in the right direction, we should have a better skyway system and a better downtown to show for it.
So, is the public/private nature of our skyways a blessing, or a curse? The answer is probably some of each. In any case, that's how the system was designed and those are the cards we've been dealt. The real question is how we are going to play our hand.
The Saint Paul version was paid for mostly with public funds, but there had to be easement agreements with building owners since pathways through private buildings were required to make it work. This allowed for a more coordinated system with standardized hours and signage. But is this public/private partnership a blessing or a curse?
Easement agreements stated that skyway passages are publicly controlled, similar to outdoor sidewalks. Since being connected to the skyway system greatly enhances the value of a building, owners agreed to pay for maintenance and security of the system, and when a building is sold the new owner is required to take on those responsibilities.
While this plan seems to make sense on the surface, it hasn't worked out all that well lately. First of all, the easement agreements were too vague regarding what was required of building owners and how they should handle cost-sharing.
Secondly, times have changed and so has the behavior of some skyway users, which can range from annoying and rude to disgusting and even dangerous on rare occasion. This has burdened building owners and Police with significantly higher costs than anticipated.
Finally, the population of downtown Saint Paul has grown significantly in recent years, including residents and transit riders making connections at Central Station, the light rail stop in the central business district. Growing numbers mean more incidents of crime, more homeless folks sleeping in skyway-connected buildings, more wear and tear on skyways and more "quality of life" complaints.
This is not to say that Saint Paul's skyways are unsafe or unpleasant overall. Those who have visited other cities, including Minneapolis, generally say that Saint Paul's downtown is comparatively delightful. But challenges do exist, and many of us are working on solutions to head off problems before they get worse.
The first key to making improvements has been to identify who makes decisions regarding skyway issues and getting those people together to design solutions. The Skyway Vitality Work Group mentioned in the previous post is the result, and six months in the group is almost ready to forward recommendations for changes in the skyway ordinance to the City Council for approval (scheduled for August). The group is now looking into maintenance issues, with the lack of public restrooms top of the list.
Another key to success will be having building owners cooperate to provide better security downtown. The BOMA organization is currently choosing a consultant to advise them on steps to take, after which they hope to move forward with a plan.
These solutions are not instantaneous, but they never are for complex challenges like the ones faced in our skyway system. A final key for success will be the patient and determined persistence of downtown residents and other stakeholders in moving this process along. If we keep going in the right direction, we should have a better skyway system and a better downtown to show for it.
So, is the public/private nature of our skyways a blessing, or a curse? The answer is probably some of each. In any case, that's how the system was designed and those are the cards we've been dealt. The real question is how we are going to play our hand.
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
First Post: Inaugural CRC Public Forum
Welcome to The Skyway INSIDEr! My name is Andy Flamm, and I am the owner of Cedar Printing in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. I currently serve on the CapitolRiver Council (CRC) board of directors and am chair of the Skyway Governance Advisory Committee (SGAC), which I represent on the Skyway Vitality Work Group (SVWG). More on those organizations in a bit.
The purpose of The Skyway INSIDEr is to bring together news and views regarding the Saint Paul skyway system so that downtown residents, property and business owners, employees, visitors and others can keep up with skyway-related issues and how they are being addressed, as well as to give readers a voice in resolving those issues.
For example, the CRC hosted the first of a series of quarterly public forums called Downtown Live on June 26 in the Jerome Hill Theater at 180 E Fifth St. Moderated by Twin Cities Public Television personality David Gillette, this inaugural forum focused on "The State of the Skyways" and featured panelists representing the City Council, Saint Paul Police, the Department of Safety and Inspections, the Building Owners and Managers Association and myself.
After a half-hour of informative comments by the panelists, the floor was opened up to questions and comments from an audience of around 120 people, mostly downtown residents. Some of the most common concerns included:
-Feeling unsafe in certain areas, mainly near Central Station
-Ugly, smelly messes left by "sleepers"
-Street access doors locked in early evening
Councilmember Rebecca Noecker explained that revised skyway ordinance language, including an updated code of conduct, is being finalized and should be ready for Council approval in August. The new regulations will allow Police to better manage unruly people in the skyways as well as ensure that all skyway doors are locked at closing time. Community organizations that work with homeless individuals are being consulted regarding humane treatment for those ejected from the skyways for sleeping. While buildings cannot be required to keep doors unlocked after business hours, attempts will be made to ensure that skyway access is available as widely as possible during open hours.
Speaking of skyway hours, which are currently 6AM to 2AM, most of the attendees indicated they like the hours as they are, while some said closing at midnight would be a good idea. Most were against closing earlier than midnight, while a small number made a pitch for the skyways to be open 24/7.
You can watch video of the event here. The next Downtown Live public forum will be announced soon and posted on the CRC website.
Now, about those organizations I mentioned in the opening paragraph. Cedar Printing is a 34-year-old digital printshop on the skyway level of the Securian 401 Building at 401 N. Robert St.; we emphasize friendly, knowledgeable service coupled with fast, high-quality printing at competitive prices. The CapitolRiver Council is one of 17 district councils in Saint Paul and includes the downtown area; the CRC represents all stakeholders and advises the City Council on issues from development plans to community events. The Skyway Governance Advisory Committee was created by the City Council to advise on skyway-related issues such as permitting, hours and special events; the eight-member committee is appointed by the CRC board for two-year terms.
The Skyway Vitality Work Group is a bit different, having been established early this year by Councilmember Noecker and Deputy Mayor Kristin Beckmann as a way to bring together city departments, building owners and community organizations to coordinate solutions to skyway issues. The efforts of this group will pay off in the coming months as the skyway ordinance is updated, new maps are installed throughout the system and maintenance issues are addressed (including public toilets!).
The Saint Paul skyway system is a remarkable asset to the city, but it is also surprisingly complex to administer due to its public/private nature (more on that later). After years of neglect, however, our community is pulling together to spiff up the system and meet the challenges it faces after 40 years of service. Please consider joining us in that effort.
The purpose of The Skyway INSIDEr is to bring together news and views regarding the Saint Paul skyway system so that downtown residents, property and business owners, employees, visitors and others can keep up with skyway-related issues and how they are being addressed, as well as to give readers a voice in resolving those issues.
For example, the CRC hosted the first of a series of quarterly public forums called Downtown Live on June 26 in the Jerome Hill Theater at 180 E Fifth St. Moderated by Twin Cities Public Television personality David Gillette, this inaugural forum focused on "The State of the Skyways" and featured panelists representing the City Council, Saint Paul Police, the Department of Safety and Inspections, the Building Owners and Managers Association and myself.
After a half-hour of informative comments by the panelists, the floor was opened up to questions and comments from an audience of around 120 people, mostly downtown residents. Some of the most common concerns included:
-Feeling unsafe in certain areas, mainly near Central Station
-Ugly, smelly messes left by "sleepers"
-Street access doors locked in early evening
Councilmember Rebecca Noecker explained that revised skyway ordinance language, including an updated code of conduct, is being finalized and should be ready for Council approval in August. The new regulations will allow Police to better manage unruly people in the skyways as well as ensure that all skyway doors are locked at closing time. Community organizations that work with homeless individuals are being consulted regarding humane treatment for those ejected from the skyways for sleeping. While buildings cannot be required to keep doors unlocked after business hours, attempts will be made to ensure that skyway access is available as widely as possible during open hours.
Speaking of skyway hours, which are currently 6AM to 2AM, most of the attendees indicated they like the hours as they are, while some said closing at midnight would be a good idea. Most were against closing earlier than midnight, while a small number made a pitch for the skyways to be open 24/7.
You can watch video of the event here. The next Downtown Live public forum will be announced soon and posted on the CRC website.
Now, about those organizations I mentioned in the opening paragraph. Cedar Printing is a 34-year-old digital printshop on the skyway level of the Securian 401 Building at 401 N. Robert St.; we emphasize friendly, knowledgeable service coupled with fast, high-quality printing at competitive prices. The CapitolRiver Council is one of 17 district councils in Saint Paul and includes the downtown area; the CRC represents all stakeholders and advises the City Council on issues from development plans to community events. The Skyway Governance Advisory Committee was created by the City Council to advise on skyway-related issues such as permitting, hours and special events; the eight-member committee is appointed by the CRC board for two-year terms.
The Skyway Vitality Work Group is a bit different, having been established early this year by Councilmember Noecker and Deputy Mayor Kristin Beckmann as a way to bring together city departments, building owners and community organizations to coordinate solutions to skyway issues. The efforts of this group will pay off in the coming months as the skyway ordinance is updated, new maps are installed throughout the system and maintenance issues are addressed (including public toilets!).
The Saint Paul skyway system is a remarkable asset to the city, but it is also surprisingly complex to administer due to its public/private nature (more on that later). After years of neglect, however, our community is pulling together to spiff up the system and meet the challenges it faces after 40 years of service. Please consider joining us in that effort.
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