Agenda - Council Work Session - 04/09/2013

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CC Work Session 2. 2. Meeting Date: 04/09/2013 By: Mark Riverblood, Engineering/Public Works Title: Acknowledge Pending Resolution Establishing No Parking Zones On Riverdale Drive, Rivlyn Ave and Tungsten Street; and Approve Letter to Affected Parties Background: For many years the Cites of Anoka and Ramsey have discussed the benefits of improved transportation connectivity, and most notably by trail via the Mississippi River Trail (MRT). A couple of years ago Ramsey and Anoka successfully collaborated in applying for Federal funding for this trail that will emanate from Anoka's Mississippi Community Park, across approximately one -mile of King's Island to Ramsey's side, then 'up the hill' to the terminus of Rivlyn Avenue. At Rivlyn Avenue the trail plan was to switch to an 6' to 8' foot on -road, stripped trail with corresponding No Parking on one side, then west to Tungsten Street (then north one -block), and then again westerly on Riverdale Drive. Near Sunfish Lake Boulevard, the on -street trail was to resume as a 10' foot bituminous trail within the ROW (seperate from the street). At this same point, Riverdale Drive's pavement width (the street itself) was to be narrowed as part of a 2013 street reconstruction project to provide for more ROW space for the trail together with boulevard trees. During the winter of 2013, at a City Council work session, the City Engineer and Staff presented an overview of the street maintenance program and the 2013 CIP relating to street construction and reconstruction - noting competition for limited State Aid funding between 2013 projects within the plan. Subsequent to the above discussion, the CIP was amended to remove Riverdale Drive's reconstruction (and narrowing), which then necessitated changes in the scope of work for the MRT relating to Riverdale Drive, and thus the subject of this work session discussion. Observations/Alternatives: One of the changes necessary following the removal of the narrowing of Riverdale Drive (from the 2013 CIP), was adding additional No Parking along the street at the west 1,300' feet of Riverdale Drive - as the ROW is not wide enough for a 10' foot trail given the existing street width. (Other changes include the removal of boulevard trees etc. from the MRT project.) An additional change in what was originally proposed for the MRT was revealed during the Project Memorandum preparation for Federal approvals associated with the grant; and that is that to meet Federal standards, bike lanes are strongly recommended in both directions for the on -roadway trail, and therefore a No Parking condition would be required on both sides of the streets that have the stripped bike path. Staff does not anticipate there to be any objections to theNo Parking on Riverdale Drive on the west end near the bowling alley and self -storage site. To the east however, theremay be concerns from the several residential properties on Rivlyn Avenue and perhaps also from a couple of businesses on Riverdale Drive who are observed to regularly park on the street. The No Parking zones are depicted in red in the attached exhibits. Staff will overview the MRT project from King's Island to Mississippi West Regional Park at the work session, and then 'zero -in' on the areas to be affected by the No Parking restrictions. Three points should be noted that will ultimately ameliorate concerns about both the trail constraints and the quality of experience (on -roadway, stripped trail versus a separated trail), and the temporary (a few to several years) of No Parking along a part of the MRT route: