Agenda - Council - 05/12/2009 - Laserfiche WebLink

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speed limit issues in consultation with local government. The major elements of the study were to include answers to the following questions: • 'Are the definitions of urban district, rural residential district and residential roadway appropriate? • Is 30 MPH in urban districts appropriate? • Are there locations. where 2S MPH is appropriate? Is 30 MPH in rural residential districts appropriate? • Is SS MPH in rural residential districts within a city appropriate? • . Are there rural residential district locations within cities where 30 MPH is appropriate? .Although HF 1909 was not enacted, Mn/DOT committed to conducting a study similar in scope to the study outlined in HF 1909. To facilitate the study process, in particular with regards to the .requirement that local governments be consulted, Mn/DOT worked with the Ciiy Engineers Association of Minnesota and the County Engineers Association to solicit member participation in the study process. - - ----- - .-- -.- .- - While this study-was being carried out, the 20Q8 Legislature enacted Laws of Mnness~ta-.. 200$, Chapter 287, Section 119 (see Appendix A-4), which directed Mn/DOT to complete a study with the same parameters as outlined in the proposed 2007 House File. This study fulfills the requirements of that legislation. 1.3 Work Plan and Conduct of the Study The goal of this study was to develop recommendations for possible changes to Minnesota Statute 169.14 that address the areas of concern raised in the Legislative direction to MnfDOT. To reach this goal, Mn/DOT conducted a process that included the following majortasks: • Conducting research and gathering information (through various methods) • Refining the defmitions found in speed Iimit statutes • Developing potential alternatives for speed limit statutes • Analyzing and evaluating the alternatives • Selecting recommended alternatives Throughout this process, Mn/DOT utilized a Task Force to direct the work of the study and to serve as a resource base for Mn/DOT. The Task Force membership was selected to provide broad and varied engineering representation. At the city level, the Task Force included- four representatives spanning from central core (St. Paul) to suburban (Minnetonka and Chanhassen) to cities with both rural and urban components (Andover), At the county level, two Task Force members provided perspective from both the metro/urban viewpoint (Dakota County) and the outstate/rural viewpoint (Houston. County). It should be noted that Dakota County has areas of rural character as well. The county engineering representatives were also able to provide information on township perspectives due to their periodic interaction with township representatives. The local Page 2 _~~~_