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2001 Comprehensive Plan Amended February 26, 2002 The level of service (LOS) provided by TH 10/169 and TH 47 can be characterized using a letter grade system. A LOS letter grade can be assigned to a facility based upon the ratio of traffic volume to traffic capacity. LOS A represents low congestion and LOS F represents conditions where traffic demand exceeds traffic capacity. The existing LOS grades for these two roadways were determined based on the 1996 traffic volumes shown in Figure VI-1 and the roadway capacity calculations for LOS D conditions as found in the Anoka County 2015 Transportation Plan. TH 10/169 performs at LOS D or better along its entire length through Ramsey. TH 47 performs at LOS D north of CSAH 5 and at LOS E between CSAH 5 and CR 116. These level of service ratings indicate that TH 10 and TH 47 presently are operating near their capacity limits within the City of Ramsey. This condition principally is due to trips generated from outside the City limits and, furthermore, outside the current seven county Metropolitan Area. C Analysis of Roadway System Needs Planned Changes to Roadway System Ramsey is a rapidly developing community. New additions to the public street system are expected, primarily in the form of local and collector streets (see Figure VI-2). The only new arterial expected to be constructed is the extension of CR 116 westward from its present terminus at Armstrong Boulevard. Other expected additions to the roadway system include the extension of 167th Avenue between Variolite Street and Nowthen Blvd., 153rd Avenue between Variolite Street and Armstrong Blvd., and various sections of Sunwood Drive connecting St. Francis Blvd. to Armstrong Blvd. These additions to the system are important to provide an effective system to move people through the community in an east-west direction. There are two potential roadway extensions into neighboring communities, which would require the mutual consent of Ramsey and the affected communities. These include the westward extension of 173rd Avenue into Elk River and the eastward extension of McKinley Street into Anoka. The likelihood of either extension is low, particularly for the McKinley Street extension, which is opposed by the City of Anoka. The 173rd Avenue extension would primarily duplicate the current function of 181st Avenue. If Elk River constructs the north-south arterial link in its Fillmore Street and Jarvis Street corridor as shown in Elk River's comprehensive transportation plan of November 1995, the 173~d Avenue extension would offer Ramsey residents a connection to this corridor for use as an alternative to CSAH 83. Extending McKinley Street into Anoka would provide Ramsey with a second means of access to the grade separated crossing of the BNSF railroad tracks on Thurston Avenue. Access to this crossing is already available via Industry Avenue (CR 116). A corridor study prepared in 1988 for TH 10/169 recommended that a frontage road system be established along both sides of TH 10/169. Ramsey has constructed a frontage road along the south side. Plans for a frontage road on the north side still need to be developed. The corridor study also recommended the closure of median breaks and driveway access points along TH 10/169. The Anoka County Highway department favors upgrading TH 10/169 to freeway standards with limited access and 2001 Ramsey Comprehensive Plan Page 171-5 Amended February 26, 2002