To Honorable State Representative David Dill:
Last year Minnesota’s only Scenic Highway (NEPA-4f) through Lake and Cook counties had rumble strips installed on Highway 61. The resulting noise greatly disturbed the families living within a onemile corridor on either side of the highway, both day and night. MnDOT responded to this noise problem by partially filling in some of the rumble strips. While this did reduce the noise somewhat, the abruptness of this type of noise still awakens people at night and disturbs the peacefulness of the day. The rumble strips even act as a catapult that launches rocks and hubcaps at pedestrians, bicyclists, and visitors (our economy depends on tourists) who all use this highway for health and recreation.
By October of 2013, 200 families (390 signatures) who lived in the Highway 61 corridor had signed a petition asking for the removal of rumble strips in Cook County. This was submitted to the Cook County commissioners and to MnDOT’s District 1 engineers for consideration.
Press releases from MnDOT early this year said that the rumble strips would be milled out and filled in with tar. Unfortunately, MnDOT’s latest official release is that the “partially covered” approach will be used on the remaining rumble strips, until a better solution is found. MnDOT’s message to Cook County is that rumble strips on Highway 61 are not going to be removed, so get used to them!
Representative Dill, without your help and intervention, the quality of life for the people of Cook County will never be the same. The fragile economy which depends upon tourist dollars being spent along Highway 61 will be reduced as incidents resulting from flying debris cause close encounters or actual hits to pedestrians, bicyclists, and dogs being walked along bicycle lanes, which were thought to be safe by visitors.
Please, Representative Dill help us have the rumble strips removed!
Charles Flickinger
Grand Marais
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