Agenda - Council - 05/12/1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

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:l 153RD AVENUE CROSSTOWN ARTERIAL By: Steven Jankowski, City Engineer CASE # I I I I I I I I I I I "l I I I Background~ Recognizing ~e need to have a system of arterial streets to service collector and residential streets, the State of b~lnn~ota allows communities with populations greater than 5,000 to designate 20% of the l°C~ally .~aai~ained streets as Minnesota State Aid Streets (MSAS). The State provides funds to the muni~il~ali~i,~s for the construction and maintenance of this MSAS system through revenues collected fr~fue~ taxes and motor vehicle related fees. The first cora ~reh~nsive City plan was initiated in 1973, adopted in 1977, revised in 1980 and again in 199C Ohe of the chief deficiencies in the City's transportation network is the lack of arterial strcett~itrav~ersing in an east/west direction. Existing County and City MSA roads service the north/soht h transportation needs of the entire City consistently at intervals of one mile or less. Conversely, l~iaffi~ is facilitated in east/west direction only by Trunk Highway #10 on the south and less effe¢fiv¢l~y on the north half of the City by the disjointed combinations of County Road #63, County l[Oad #27 and Trunk Highway #47. The eastern half of the City is also serviced by County Rofid ~g116'which parallels Trunk Highway #10 at a distance of approximately one mile to its north. In 1991, a 1-,1! rn~'~'l} extension of 153rd Avenue from County Road #5 to Ramsey Boulevard was con'structed~l,i~avl/~g only a 0.6 mile segment from 155th Avenue and Variolite Street to 153rd Avenue an~ i~rms~trong Boulevard remaining to complete this roadway as a six mile continuous east/west ar~te .-iai ~;treet. This arterial would service the middle-southern one-third of the City of Ramsey. It"s ~s ~ .6ntemplated that 153rd Avenue be a major collector at the time Whispering Pines Estates plats veret subdivided in 1974, as streets for that subdivision were designed such that no lots needed ~t¢ directly access onto 153rd Avenue. The designation of the routing for this roadway was included ~s a part of the transportation element of the City's Comprehensive Plan in 1980. On Septemb~x 24~, 1991, separate meetings of the Budget Committee and the Road and Bridge Committee:v~ere~ ,held to discuss the completion of 153rd Avenue as a crosstown arterial. At that meeting,, citizeti~ expressed opposition to the proposed alignment and suggested several alternativ~!b ~ e°t~sidered. The alternatives suggested by the citizens were reviewed and addressed at a subsequ~mt:.meeting held December 10, 1991. At that meeting, additional comments by citizens Were nad~ and one additional alternative suggested. The remaind,:r 0f~ this case will summarize the alternatives suggested at these two meetings. In addition, citi::ens !made comments regarding the project at those two meetings and a summary of the staff reSp4>nse,~ to these comments are also included. Alternative111r Connect as per Thoroughfare Plan. This alternative Considers the alignment as proposed by the City's Comprehensive Plan and is illustrated In!Alternate 1. Consideration of 153rd Avenue as an arterial has been contemplated since the early.Ii,970 s. The design of the Whispering Pines Estates Subdivision which was recorded ~n ~j721~s such that no lot needs to front on 153rd Avenue, and a minimum number of lots are co~guo~s to 153rd Avenue. Selection of this route would follow through on planning efforts form~ated almost twenty years ago. 9/