Agenda - Council - 12/13/2016 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The project is the first phase of a larger project that will result in the removal of multiple parcels west of Ramsey Boulevard will provide an opportunity for the community to address future stormwater needs on a regional basis for a higher return on investment. Currently,requirements of the Lower Rum River Watershed Management Organization (LRRWMO) require volume reduction in the form of infiltration of the first one (1) inch of rainfall. However, four (4) municipal ground water wells in the area prohibit infiltration in the Drinking Water Supply Management Area (DWSMA) 10 Year Capture Zone. These competing factors require the City to address this rate reduction requirement off site. The area created by the construction of the Ramsey Boulevard Interchange is a prime location for this site. This will also create an opportunity to create a groundwater recharge area. Regional planning documents from the Metropolitan Council indicate that the groundwater supply in the area continues to decrease. Iv. Improve the resilience of a transportation asset or the transportation system Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties. The proposed project will improve the resilience of CSAH 56, and ultimately US 10 with Phase II,by separating the vehicle operations from the difficulties the rail operations present at the existing intersection. This will allow the roadway to continue to function at a high level regardless of the number of trains passing through or their speeds. The proposed project will also improve the transportation network's ability to serve emergency responders in both daily and unusual events such as natural disasters by removing barriers to access that portion of the community south of the rail crossing. Safety I. Crash Reduction According to the Anoka County 2030 Transportation Plan and Minnesota Department of Public Safety Crasb Records 2002-2006,there have been several serious injury crashes in the vicinity of the project area and this area is considered a relatively high incident crash location. II. Elimination of Highway/Rall Grade Crossings The BNSF Railway runs parallel to US 10, approximately 400 feet north of the intersection of US 10 at CSAH 56. The close proximity of the railway crossing results in vehicle queues that often encroach onto US 10 during peak travel times,which is a significant safety concern. This also creates major operational issues at the US 10 and CSAH 56/Ramsey Boulevard intersection because trains regularly interrupt traffic flow for up to several minutes at a time. When trains travel through the area,motorists on CSAH 56/Ramsey Boulevard can wait for several minutes before they are cycled back into the traffic flow. This can have a dangerous negative effect on emergency response times, as the nearest reliable alternative route to get to the south side of US 10 in the immediate vicinity is CSAH 83/ Armstrong Boulevard located over one-mile to the east. Presently the BNSF line has approximately 57 freight, 12 Northstar Commuter Rail,and 2 Amtrak trains each day. If a train is coming, emergency vehicles are forced to wait for the train to get through the intersection. The nearest reliable alternative route to get to the south side of US 10 in the immediate vicinity is CSAH 83/Armstrong Boulevard located over one-mile to the east. Please refer to Figure 3 which shows the location of emergency responders,railroad crossings and the closest hospital. US 10/CSAH 56 FAS LANE Application 21 City of Ramsey