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

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District to an Urban Residential District. The potential for different speed limits to be applied to Urban Residential Districts and Urban Business Districts also presents eoncerrfs about'uniformity of speed limits based on driving conditions. "Urban District" was found to be a reasonable method for describing urban area conditions requiring a lower statutory speed for most city roadways. The overall view of the Task Force was that the Urban District concept was understandable to the motorist (i.e., the motorist can recognize an urban zone and know that the statutory speed limit for that zone is 30 MPH). It was further recognized that for roadways that meet the general characteristics of the Urban District- but for which a higher travel speed is appropriate (e.g., collectors and arterials),. the agency should request a speed study; those types of roads should likely not be 30 MPH roadways. .The current definition of Urban District was deemed to be generally acceptable, with t11e exception that some agencies interpret the term "streets" to iriclude highways end others don't. The Task Force agreed that if conditions are the saix~e along a roadway (e.g., there is 100 ft. spacing), it is appropriate that the roadway, regardless of whether it is a highway or street, should fait under the same definition far the sake of , uniformity statewide. - 3.1,2. Urban. Districf Recorimended Text`- The Task Force recommendation is to modify the Urban District definition as shown below: Statute 169.01, Subd: S9. Urban district. "Urbazz district:' means the territory contiguous to and including any street or highway which is built up with structures devoted to business, industry, or dwelling houses situated at intervals of less than 100 feet for a distance of a quarter of a mile or more. 3.2 Rurai Residential District 3.2..1 Rural Residential District Discussion The question posed by the legislature regarded whether the current 55 MPH speed limit in rural residential districts within cities is appropriate. However, as the .Task Force explored this issue, it expanded to include other considerations relevant to this definition; thereview was not limited to areas within cities. In the current text of Minnesota Statute I69, the Rural Residential District definition does not appear in 169.01 DEFINITIONS, .but rather appears u~ 169.14. ~ The Task Force recommended moving the definition to 169.01 along with the following changes: Houses must be visible and fronting. the roadway; this is a .feature recognizable by the driver. • houses may be on both sides or anly an one side of the road. Page 14 -169-