Agenda - Council - 02/09/2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CASE # ~] . O.~'I CONSIDER REQUEST FOR SIDEWALK INSTALLATION ALONG 150TH LANE NW By: Tim. Himmer, City Engineer . Background: A concerned resident e-mailed a request to Ramsey Elementary School requesting that a sidewalk be installed along 150th Lane NW from Nowthen Boulevard to Helium Street. It was their feeling that parents parking along both sides of this .street during afternoon pick up of students created poor visibility for pedestrians walking in the street, which is exacerbated during the winter months when snow piles accumulate and there isn't an open area available to walk along the road edge. They felt the installation of a sidewalk or limiting parking for improved visibility would be worth exploring for increased safety. This request was then forwarded to the City for consideration. This item was discussed at the Public Works Committee on .January 19, 2010, and the recommendation was to bring it forward to the next available City Council meeting as a separate case for discussion. The Committee felt that this sidewalk segment was warranted and deserved the attention and consideration of the entire Council. They requested staff to investigate and report on potential funding options, and to contact the school to discuss a concern related to internal traffic circulation within their property. Observations: The main crosswalk from the school crosses Nowthen Boulevard at 150th Lane. Once on the east side of Nowthen Boulevard pedestrians can go north or south along the existing bituminous trail that currently runs from Alpine Drive to Lord of Life Church. Anyone that chooses to proceed east through the neighborhood along 150th Lane must do so in the street or boulevard area as no sidewalk or trails exist. Staff has applied for a federal grant through the Safe Routes to School program in the past, but was unsuccessful in our attempt. This .area was targeted for some improvements to serve the neighborhood to the east. The bituminous trail segments along the east side of Nowthen Boulevard from Alpine Drive to 150th Lane and Sunwood Drive to Lord of Life Church, in addition to the crosswalk at Alpine Drive that were part of this grant application have since been installed using developer escrow dollars supplemented with the City's trail fund. Future Safe Routes to School project solicitations are contingent upon the next Federal Transportation bill and are therefore unavailable at this time. Staff contacted MnDOT to inquire whether any future grant awards could be used for reimbursement, should the City choose to install any improvements at this time, but the answer was that since the grant utilizes federal dollars which are subject to strict parameters no work could be reimbursed that was not previously authorized prior to distribution. Staff has been linked to the program website server and will receive notification if and when this program becomes available in the future. Discussions were also had with representatives from the school but due to budget cuts, priorities, and policies the school does not have any funds to contribute to this project.