Minutes - Public Works Committee - 09/21/2004

Home

was adamant about keeping the speeds up on the county roads. He is concerned this will be difficult to do. The best they could do in the situation with the school was flashing lights to at least enforce the speed limit better. Ms. Johnston stated they have dealt with a lot of changes on Baugh Street. The county widened the road, and even then the traffic was not bad. The majority of the traffic is coming from Elk River. They are expected to deal with a lot of change, and they have. She stated people have lived there for over 30 years. It maybe time that the county reassesses some of their values and ideas. This is just not safe. They are living in developing cities and a 55 mph speed limit in a more or less residential area is just not safe anymore. She cannot believe the City and county would put their safety at risk. Councilmember Elvig stated he thinks there is quite a bit of traffic along this road. A lot of people from Ramsey travel to Elk River for services. Highway 10 is loaded every day, and one way out is the back road though this area. His thought would be to have the county come up and . - read the trips per day and get a better handle on the traffic counts. Councilmember Cook stated he does not think it is the county that was wrong, he thinks the City was wrong in allowing 16 houses to flow onto a county road, rather than having a road behind there. The county roads are to get through the City. CR 63 is getting really busy, but the City should be developed not to have houses feed onto county roads. He agrees with Councilmember Elvig that the county will not likely reduce the speed limit for 8/1 0 of a mile. Chairperson Zimmerman suggested the petition should be forwarded to the county. He noted they may be able to apply some of the thought on Ramsey Boulevard by Town Center, which is reduced to 50 mph. Ms. Johnston stated she has seen lower speed limits on county roads in industrial areas than what . they have in their neighborhood. Chairperson Zimmerman suggested the Johnstons may want to be present when the Anoka County Public Works Committee discusses the petition. j Public Works Director Kapler indicated staff will inform the Johnstons when the petition will be discussed by the county. Ms. Johnston stated she would appreciate that. She stated their property values have depreciated a lot. Motion by Councilmember Elvig, seconded by Councilmember Cook, to recommend that City Council forward the petition requesting a reduction in the speed limit along Baugh Street from CR 63 (1731tl Avenue) to CR 22 (18pt Avenue) from the current speed limit of 55 miles per hour to 35 miles per hour to the Anoka County Publics Works Committee for consideration. Public Works Committee/September 21, 2004 Page 6 of 10