Agenda - Council - 03/10/2009 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CASE #5 CONSIDER PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF 142 AVENUE By: Steven Jankowski, City Engineer Background: Traffic issues surrounding the intersection of 142 Avenue and TH 47 and the neighborhood to its west have been discussed a number of times in recent years beginning in late 2004. In December of 2004 an open house was held to solicit input from the neighborhoods and businesses on both the east and west sides of the TH 47 and 142 Avenue intersection. At that time MnDot was preparing for a safety improvement project on TH 47 for the 2005 construction season. One of the primary issues discussed at this open house focused on alternatives to the closure of the TH 47 median at 142 Avenue which was proposed by MnDot as a safety improvement. Ultimately a compromise intersection modification was installed which allows left turns from TH 47 onto 142 Avenue but does not permit left turns from 142 Avenue onto TH 47. This alternative had a less severe impact on access to businesses. Other traffic related issues were brought forth by the surrounding neighborhood at this meeting. Since major traffic pattern changes were likely because of the TH 47 project in 2005 and the Bunker Lake Boulevard improvements in 2006, it was decided that time should be allowed for traffic patterns to stabilize after these changes. In September of 2008 staff presented the Public Works Committee with traffic volumes and the accident history of the TH 47 & 142 Avenue intersection since the completion of these highway projects. The daily traffic volumes of the highways and the Flintwood Hills neighborhood are presented on attached Figure 1. The accident history at the TH 47 & 142 Avenue intersection continues to be of concern. Since the completion of the TH 47 project in 2005 there have been a total of 20 accidents at this intersection with 13 of these involving the turning movement from or onto the west leg of 142 Avenue. The number of accidents at this intersection ranges from three to four times that which would be expected for this type of intersection based upon the state average rate of 0.3 accidents per million vehicles entering the intersection. The November 20, 2008 Public Works Committee ended with a recommendation to close 142 Avenue between the TH 47 frontage road and Argon Street. This would reduce some turning movements at this intersection and appeared to have the support of the neighborhood. The Committee recommendation was ratified by the City Council on December 9, 2008. A petition was delivered to the City on December 30, 2008 which contained some alternate suggestions and requested that the closure be delayed until these requests could be considered. The Council agreed to delay the closure at the January 13, 2009 Council meeting and referred the matter to the February 17, 2009 Public Works Committee meeting. —237—