Agenda - Public Works Committee - 01/19/1999

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ONSULTING GROUP, INC. Transportation ,iCivil · Structural · Environmental · Planning · Traffic · Landscape Architecture · Parking SRF No. 0982960 MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Steve Jankowski, P.E., City Engineer City of Ramsey Dennis R. Eyler, P.E., Principal James R. Dvorak, P.E., Principal January 7, 1999 TH 47 AT 142ND AVENUE On January 5, 1999, Peter Fausch and Dennis Eyler of SRF met with Allan Pint, Traffic Engineer for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) Metro Division, to discuss the issue of signal warrants and signal justification at this location. A1 basically restated Mn/DOT's po,Sition that the existing traffic volumes on 142nd Avenue are not sufficient to meet signal warrant. He also stated that Mn/DOT's position on the traffic that SRF calculated that could be added to lthe intersection in the future from new development and changed patterns of existing traffic, was somewhat speculative. He said that Mn/DOT believes that an acceptable and safe alternative route would be available via the proposed signal at Xkimo and TH 47. Mn/DOT also .feels that the one-fourth-mile spacing between the three signalized intersections of CSAH 116, 142nd Avenue and CSAH 5/Xkimo will be too close. The close spacing will adversely affect the flow of through-traffic to the point that they feel their department will be likely to receive complaints from the drivers on TH 47 about the "unneeded" signal at 142nd Avenue if it were to be installed with such low existing traffic flows. SRF performed a signal operations analysis that showed that on a system-wide average, per vehicle, there was little difference in Capacity and delay on TH 47 with three signals rather than two. The delay for vehicles on TH 47 did increase slightly. He also stated that there are very few locations on the Trunk Highwfiy system in the Metro area outside of the central cities where signals are spaced at one-fourth-mile intervals. (Dermis Eyler notes that this excludes diamond interchanges.) Over the last: few years there have been traffic counts made by Mn/DOT and SRF at this intersection. The most recent count was made by Mn/DOT in November of 1998 and showed an increase in through-traffic on TH 47 over earlier counts, but also showed a reduction in traffic on 142nd Avenue when compared to the earlier counts. One Carlson Parkway North, Suite 150, Minneapolis, MN 55447-4443 Telephone,(612) 475-0010 · Fax (612) 475-2429 · http://www, srfconsulting.com An Equal Opportunity Employer 5