Agenda - Public Works Committee - 01/18/2000

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Steve Jankowski, P.E. - 12 - January l4, 2000 As shown in Table 4, for both alternatives, the intersection of Ramsey Boulevard and TH 10 will continue to operate at unacceptable LOS F in 2005 with the construction of the recommended improvements. The unacceptable level of service is due to the southbound to eastbound left-turn from Ramsey Boulevard to TH 10. In the p.m. peak hour, traffic traveling from the employment based land uses in Section 28 to the metro center (Minneapolis-St. Paul) results in the high left- turn volume. Therefore, as more industrial land uses are added to Section 28 (Alternative Two), the left-turn volume and delay at the Ramsey Boulevard/TH 10 intersection increases in the p.m. peak hour. The poor level of service during the a.m. peak hour is due primarily to the existing and proposed residential land uses north of TH 10 traveling to the metro center. Construction of additional through lanes on TH 10 would improve level of service at the Ramsey Boulevard/TH 10 intersection to acceptable LOS D or better in 2005 for both peak hours of Alternative One (Technical College) and the a.m. peak hour of Alternative Two (Light Industrial). However, the p.m. peak hour of the Alternative Two will continue to operate at LOS F with the construction of additional through lanes on TH 10. According to BRW, Inc. (who is currently preparing a corridor study of TH 10) the construction of additional through lanes on TH 10 is currently considered as a possible long-term improvement and therefore not place by 2005. Neighborhood Street Connections An assessment of the potential connections between the Section 28 development and the neighborhood streets to the north was also performed. Traffic was distributed between the Section 28 development and the neighborhood streets to the north assuming the recommended intersection traffic controls and geometries. The traffic volumes expected to travel through the neighborhood via 149th street resulted in approximately 1 percent of the total site generated traffic. This traffic was primarily from the medium density residential developments north of County Road 116. The area of highest impact is on 149th Street west of Ramsey Boulevard. Daily .traffic volumes at this location are expected to increase by 375 vehicles per day at this location. This results in an estimated ADT of approximately 1,000 vehicles, which is consistent with guidelines for residential streets. The elimination of the connections between the 149th Street and County Road 116 does not impact level of service results at the County Road 116/Ramsey Boulevard and County Road 116/Armstrong Boulevard intersecti'ons. However, if future traffic volmnes on Ramsey Boulevard and Armstrong Boulevard increase to the point that it becomes difficult to make left- tums out of 149th Street, neighborhood traffic may need to divert south to the signalized intersections on County Road 116.