This is a great way for us to document problems and work towards solutions!

Here'a an example: Raymond Avenue and University, dragracing, 1:00 AM, July 1, 2006.

drag racing 2:00 AM night of July 21-22, 2006. Sounds like it is on Energy Park.

Tuesday July 25 abut 9:00am a Cemstone cement mixer (truck #779) jake-braked through the Raymond/Energy Park intersection doing about 40MPH heading east toward the Cemstone plant. I was in the pedestrian crosswalk at the time. Driver was yawning, seemed inattentive.

A comment about the hot rod show on the State Fair Grounds last weekend:
There were hundreds of hot rods cruising up and down Raymond all weekend, usually slowly but sometimes very fast. The main problem with these shows (2/year at least) is noise from souped-up engines and tailpipes. We had family staying for the weekend and were driven indoors because of the constant rumbling of exhaust pipes. I think that the MHRA should have to apply for noise variances whenever they run these shows.

We asked sometime last year for a stop sign to be put at Eustis and Chilcomb as cars come over that hill going at high speeds and this is dangerous for us coming out of our driveway. We are one of the units that is between the german emersion school and the temple. Also we asked for a pedestrian crossing down close to the school on Eustis and Valentine. I am disapointed to see that nothing has happened with this. We would like a safe street. Where is this at?

I've experienced 3 near-misses in the last week alone near the intersection of Raymond Ave and Energy Park Dr on the curve under the rail bridge. Drivers cross over the median ALL the time and I would suggest placing some markers along the median under the bridge to help keep vehicles on the proper side of the street.

I second the request for a stop sign at the intersection of Eustis and Chilcombe (on Eustis to stop the traffic heading north). Another issue at this corner (and my original reason for writing) is the habit of vehicle owners to park very close to the Eustis/Chilcombe intersection. It is very difficult to see oncoming traffic from Eustis when turning right onto Eustis from Chilcombe. This forces drivers to breeze right through the stop sign on Chilcombe in order to see the oncoming, northbound traffic. At a minimum, there needs to be a "No Parking within 30 feet" sign on Eustis and this needs to be ENFORCED. We requested this in the past and instead the sign was put on Chilcombe.

Coupled with the speed with which drivers head north on Eustis, this is truly an accident waiting to happen.

LOUD drag-racing last night from 12:45 a.m. - 1:45 a.m. (at least), I think on 280. At 1:30 I called and reported to the non-emergency police line and was transferred to State Troopers. The ST said I was not the first to call last night and they would "try" to increase patrol in that area. They said previous weekend they had received complaints as well. -- E. Siqveland

- August 24 Cadillac Escalade truck (pearly white with magenta flames on hood) seen driving very fast, weaving through traffic eastbound on Larpenteur and then southbound on Raymond. Had to be doing at least 45 mph. Passed cars on one-lane residential streets in on-coming traffic. W'04 bumper sticker; older driver wearing a big cowboy hat.

- August 25 8:30 am Cemstone truck #443 rushed through Energy Park/Raymond intersection and jake-braking

- August 27 about 1:30am - very loud drag racing on city streets moving toward 280.

- August 27 Cemstone snorkel truck racing south on Raymond and intermittently jake-braking for several blocks

- August 28 Cemstone truck sped and jake-braked through Raymond/Hampden intersection. Cemstone called.

- August 29 Lorenz bus #008 speeding southbound on Raymond and intermittently jake-braking for several blocks

- Observation that state fair traffic is heavy and fast from Cleveland and Larp to University. Have seen countless traffic violations (speeding, x-walk violations, noise, drag-racing) on a daily basis (too many to count). Night-time traffic is especially bad after the grandstand show ends, with lots of drag-racing and speeding on southbound Raymond to University. Mulpile calls made to SPPD, Falcon Hts PD, State Fair PD with no police action taken.

Thursday August 31: Three guys in the alley behind Mix's house were loudly yukking it up at about 3:15 am. They had a "pocket" bike (motorcycle) that they raced through the alley and up and down Raymond for about 30 minutes. This morning there are broken beer bottles in the alley. This is the second time that we've seen this in about two weeks.

September 13 a big pick-up and a small sedan sped through a red light about 5:00pm at Energy Park Drive and Raymond

September 13 a semi drove southbound on Cleveland toward Como jakebraking and at a fast speed. Was followed by a SPPD squad car that took no action.

9/7/06 1:00pm RC Construction cement truck - crosswalk violation

9/8/06 10:30 pm drag racing on Territorial

9/29/06 11:00pm. Very fast motorcycle southbound on Raymond, speed estimated > 60mph. This is the third such incident in the past week (this might be a local resident). Have also noted that St. Paul Fire Department fire trucks often jake-brake when approaching the Hampden- Raymond intersection southbound. Was working at home today and estimated trucks jake-braking on average every 10-20 minutes at Raymond and Hampden (C-Base semi-trailers, Old Dominion trucks, many big dump trucks and St. Paul fire trucks).

Some of you may have seen the horrible accident on the crosswalk on Raymond by Brewster/Gordon (crossing from the Alden Square side to the Langford/SAP school side of Raymond). A woman was crossing the street with her baby in a stroller, and a car went through at HIGH speed hitting the mother and stroller. Luckily, while the baby and mom both went flying, the baby wasn't hurt. The mom is in the hospital with possible multiple fractures. The car was seriously dented and witnesses/police say that they were very lucky not to both have been killed. This is an ongoing problem of people traveling at very high speeds on Raymond Ave from Como to University.

Motorcycle racing up and down Raymond very early (about 5-6am) Sunday July 8 2007. Speeds had to be >60 mph.

6:15 am Saturday August 4 I saw a green compact car lLic # PVY 956 careening at high speed around Hampden Park, tires squealing. It stopped on Cromwell; a young impaired white female left the car running and went into the house at 965 Cromwell. A badly impaired young white male fell out of the passenger's side door and explained that the driver was "wasted." She returned to the car and off they sped at high speed toward Raymond. St Paul Police were called.

First day of traffic after the I-35 bridge collapse. I walked from Hampden/Raymond to the St Paul campus during morning and afternoon rush hours. EXTREMELY HEAVY TRAFFIC, often bumper-to-bumper and stalled for blocks. No traffic enforcement observed whatsoever. Observed many violations (speeding, crosswalk violations, passing on the right, etc etc.). Very difficult to cross Raymond at any crosswalk. Traffic all weekend was heavy on Raymond. St. Paul Police were called and enforcement was requested.

10:30 pm. Still heavy traffic tonight, very fast. Most cars are north-bound every few seconds. I'm guessing that most are in the 35-40 mph range. Traffic has picked up since 10:00pm. WCCO-TV reports that traffic on T.H. 280 is free-flowing and light. Looks like many drivers have chosen to use Raymond instead of 280.

Traffic backed up heading north on Raymond from Como to Hampden around 2:00.

1:30 p.m. - Very heavy traffic from Cleveland and Hendon all the way past Energy Park. Lots of left turners onto Como and Energy Park. Intersections completely blocked. I've never seen it this busy during the Fair.

Northbound on Raymond approaching the Energy Park intersection at around 12:45 pm, I counted six traffic signal cycles from the point where the signal becomes visible on the bridge over the train tracks. We were inching through three or four cars at a time; the cycle before mine only let one through. I noticed drivers on Energy Park seemed to be flowing right through the right-on-red lane onto Raymond, with drivers on Raymond, oddly enough, letting them in. Need a traffic cop at that intersection?

I too was on northbound Raymond approaching Energy Park at about 12:45. I was heading to our home on Brewster. I had to stop with traffic just to the south of the bridge. From there it took me exactly 20 minutes to get home! A driver from the right-on-red lane of Energy Park tried to inch in ahead of me once I got through the intersection, but I didn't let him. He was furious and honked at me. I have never seen fair traffic that bad.

With all of the changes to 280 after the bridge collapse I have noticed an increase in traffic along Eustis south bound from Como. It seems like delivery trucks are using it as a short cut to Raymond / University. There is also an increase in cars and motorcycles speeding on Eustis, there are several blind intersections along this street and Eustis is a favorite walking and biking route. Can we get some stop signs, can people slow down?

The traffic along Como and Raymond seems to run in ebb/flow cycles. We've learned over the last several years, if you don't like the traffic wait 15 minutes or half an hour and then go out. Usually it works - certainly did for me yesterday afternoon. Ya just get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time sometimes. - geesh, have a little patience.

It will be interesting to see what Raymond is like after the fair and after the work on 280 is completed. I suspect the city won't take complaints too seriously until then.