Agenda - Economic Development Authority - 02/11/2021

Home

V. Findings and Recommendations The County Road 116 Corridor Study was undertaken to evaluate existing and future transportation and access needs along the corridor and to develop a plan that addresses those needs and is supported by affected agencies and stakeholders to better prepare for the growth and development that will continue to occur. The study's findings and recommendations are summarized below. Study Findings 1. Anoka County is expected to grow at a significant pace, with approximately 65,000 new residents projected over the next 20 years. This growth will increase traffic demand on the area's transportation facilities, especially east -west traffic flow. 2. County Road 116 is currently identified as an A -Minor Arterial. It serves important east - west mobility needs, connects communities and it acts as a reliever to TH 10, TH 242 and CSAH 14. 3. Anoka County lacks continuous east -west corridors. Currently TH 242 and County Road 116 (spaced approximately one mile apart) are the only continuous east -west routes in central Anoka County. The next continuous arterial route (CSAH 22 — Viking Boulevard) is approximately 6.75 miles north of County Road 116. In developed areas, arterial roadways are generally spaced one mile apart. 4. The importance of County Road 116 to the region and to local communities will continue to increase if a new Dayton/Ramsey River Crossing is constructed and TH 10 is converted to a limited access freeway. 5. Traffic volumes on County Road 116 are expected to increase significantly over the next 10 years. Traffic volumes are currently between 4,000 and 16,000. Traffic volumes are expected to reach between 15,500 and 24,000 by Year 2025. 6. There is no existing transit service in the corridor. If transit service is provided, it is likely to have only a limited impact on operations in the corridor. Typically, suburban transit systems serve two to three percent of peak period trips. However, considerations should be given during the design process for bus stops and pull outs and park -and -ride locations. 7 Existing safety problems were identified at four locations in the corridor. Safety problems can be expected to increase as traffic volumes increase or if additional accesses are added. 8. Currently there are two traffic signals at the key intersections along the corridor. As traffic volumes increase, it is likely that the remaining key intersections will meet traffic signal warrants. 9. A majority of the intersections along the corridor currently function at a poor Level of Service (LOS). In the future, it is anticipated that a majority will function at a LOS F unless the corridor is expanded to four lanes and traffic signals are installed at half -mile intervals. SRF Consulting Group, Inc. - 51 - February 2004