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153RD AVENUE CROSSTOWN ARTERIAL By: Steven Jankowski, City Engineer CASE #2 Background: Recognizing ~¢ n~ed to have a system of arterial streets to service collector and residential streets, the State of Minnesota allows communities with populations greater than 5,000 to designate 20% of the locally ~a~di~tained streets as Minnesota State Aid Streets (MSAS). The State provides funds to the munieil~ah'-' ~'"'.fibs for the construction and maintenance of this MSAS system through revenues collected fr0rfflfui~[ taxes and motor vehicle related fees. The first co~prohensive City plan was initiated in 1973, adopted in 1977, revised in 1980 and again in 199~' One of the chief deficiencies in the City's transportation network is the lack of arterial streot~trg~,ersing in an east/west direction. Existing County and City MSA roads service the north/south ~sportation needs of the entire City consistently at intervals of one mile or less. Conversely,: ~t~. fl~ is facilitated in east/west direction only by Trunk Highway gl0 on the south and less effusively on the north half of the City by the disjointed combinations of County Road #63, County l~oa~t~ i#27 and Trunk Highway #47. The eastern half of the City is also serviced by .County Road #1 ~6 which parallels Trunk Highway #10 at a distance of approximately one mile to ~ts north. In 1991, a 1.8~-mi!, extension of 153rd Avenue from County Road #5 to Ramsey Boulevard was constructed l~avi~ng only a 0.6 mile segment from 155th Avenue and Variolite Street to 153rd Avenue and ~strong Boulevard remaining to complete this roadway as a six mile continuous east/west arto~ali!s~treet. This arterial would service the middle-southern one-third of the City of Ramsey. It w~s e~Ontemplated that 153rd Avenue be a major collector at the time Whispering Pines Estates plats Wer~ ~ubdivided in 1974, as streets for that subdivision were designed such that no lots needed to ~ir~¢~tly access onto 153rd Avenue. The design,ation of the routing for this roadway was included ~ a:il~art of the transportation element of the City s Comprehensive Plan in 1980. On September 24,i 1991, separate meetings of the Budget Committee and the Road and Bridge Committee wge ~eld to discuss the completion of 153rd Avenue as a crosstown arterial. At that meeting, citi~en$1expressed opposition to the proposed alignment and suggested several alternatives be}coia$idered. The alternatives suggested by the citizens were reviewed and addressed at a subsequeOt naeet:ng held December 10, 1991. At that meenng, addmonal comments by citizens were made and one additional alternative suggested. The remainder oE t~his case will summarize the alternatives suggested at these two meetings. In addition, citiz~,ns[made comments regarding the project at those two meetings and a summary of the staff respoi!se~ io these comments are also included. ( , Alternative 1: Connect as per Thoroughfare Plan. This alternative Considers the alignment as proposed by the City's Comprehensive Plan and is ~llustrated ~n ~lt~rha~e 1. Cons~deranon of 153rd Avenue as an arterial has been contemplated since the earl~ li970 s. The design of the Whispering Pines Estates Subdivision which was recorded in 19y2~i$ such that no lot needs to front on 153rd Avenue, and a minimum number of lots are conttghoUs to 153rd Avenue. Selection of this route would follow through on planning efforts formUl~ed! ;lmost twenty years ago.