Agenda - Council - 01/12/1988 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

SAFETY REVIEW OF COUKTY ROAD NUMBER 56 Traffic Volume The traffic volume on County Road No. 56 is approximately 2,000 vehicles per day on the north end, and 6,500 vehicles per day on the south end, which indicates that the majority of the traffic on the road is from the local area. Speed Limits County Road 56 was last studied for speed limits in 1977. At that time the existing limits were authorized. Anoka County does not study or authorize speed limit changes. The establishment of speed limits is a responsibility of the Commissioner of Transportation. A new study of the area can be instigated by a request from the City Council to the County Highway Committee of the County Board. Caution is necessary in evaluating the desire to have an area restudied because if.a ne~ study huthori~es a higher limit, (which has occurred on some segments of the County Highway system following a restudy), the higher limit must be posted and becomes the legal limit. Highway Design The design of the highway exceeds the current standards for a 2-lane roadway with shoulders. A 2-lane highway with shoulders is considered an adequate design for the existing and projected (20 year) traffic. Highways of similar design in the County carry up to 20,000 vehicles per day. The roadway does have some areas where the sight distance is insufficient to permit vehicles to pass and these areas are marked with the appropriate warnings. The roadway has some curves designed for less than 50 mph and they also are marked accordingly. Signalization Anoka County installs signals on the basis of a warrant system published by the Federal Highway Administration and adopted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation for a uniform system of traffic control devices. These warrants consider traffic volumes, pedestrian volumes, school crossings, accidents and delays. At the present time, there are no known locations on CR #56 which meet any of these warrants. If a specific location is thought to possibly WLrrant signalization, we ~re ~illing ~o review that site. Stop Signs T~e installation of stop signs is also based on warrants and again no locations on Ch #56 are known to meet these warrants. Sidewalks/Walkway/Bikeway Sidewalks and walkway/bikeways are the best method for providing pedestrian safety along the highway. However, this is a municipal expense, they will encroach on the yards, possibly require tree or fence removal and could require additional right-of-way. As with lighting, the City must determine if the residents are willing to fund this safety feature. Crosswalks The County installs crosswalks on the County Highway System. Crosswalks are installed at locations where significant pedestrian crossing activity occurs. The crosswalk installations consist of pavement markings and crosswalk signs. An appropriate location for a crosswalk may be at the Tom Thumb store. ~