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Home My WebLink About5F - (SHIP Grant for CR 21 Wagon Bridge Pedestrian Safety Study MEETING DATE: AGENDA #: PREPARED BY: PRESENTER: AGENDA ITEM: DISCUSSION: 4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake. MN 55372 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT SEPTEMBER 20, 2010 SF STEVE ALBRECHT, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS STEVE ALBRECHT CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING A STATE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (SHIP) GRANT FOR CR 21 WAGON BRIDGE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS STUDY AND A CITY- WIDE TRAIL NEEDS SURVEY Introduction The purpose of this agenda is for the City Council to accept a $10,000 grant from SHIP for a CR 21 Wagon Bridge Pedestrian Safety Improvements Study and a City-wide Trail Needs Survey. Historv The CR 21 Wagon Bridge is not anticipated to be reconstructed in the near fu- ture. Depending on structural condition it could be at least 15-20 years before it is reconstructed. Currently this section of roadway has a traffic volume of about 13,900 trips per day. That number is expected to grow to more than 32,000 trips per day by 2030. The impact of the CR 21 Extension Project scheduled for completion late 2011 or early 2012 is unknown at this point, but will most likely accelerate traffic volume increases which have somewhat stabilized during this period of growth slowdown. It should be noted that this roadway has the addi- tional pressures of serving as a primary link to Mystic Lake Hotel and Casino. Any growth at the Casino will also impact this roadway whether City growth is occurring or not. Currently there are several pedestrian and vehicle safety issues related to the existing bridge. The current roadway is immediately adjacent to the sidewalks reducing pedestrian safety. The roadway is undivided and the current roadway curvature on both approaches to the bridge tends to require lower speeds to maintain vehicle and lane control. A median would create a safer vehicle envi- ronment. Without removal of a sidewalk there is no potential for installation of a median on the current bridge deck. In addition to the above issue there is also a winter snowmobile safety issue. In order to move between the upper and lower Prior Lake, snowmobiles either need to make a very treacherous at-grade crossing of CR 21 at the Wagon Bridge or risk crossing thin ice under the bridge. In a normal year at least one snowmobile typically falls through the ice. City Staff believes that the opening of CR 21 to the north will most like exacer- bate the above safety issues. Because the bridge's condition will most likely not dictate replacement any time soon, the City and County should explore al- ternative means of addressing the safety issues which would allow the County to maximize the useable life of the bridge. R\Council\2010 Agenda Reports\09 20 10\SHIP Grant Agenda.doc Current Circumstances City and County staff have discussed the safety concerns and are recommend- ing a study that will address the following questions: 1) Can a pedestrian bridge be built adjacent to the existing bridge to allow sa- fer pedestrian travel? 2) If a pedestrian bridge can be constructecl, can the existing bridge be mod- ified to include median and enhanced safety improvements for the remain- ing sidewalk? 3) Can the concrete riprap currently under the bridge in front of the abutments be removed to provide safer snowmobile crossing? 4) What are the costs of items 1-3 above and what funding sources are availa- ble? Pedestrian bridges typically are very grant- or alternative-funding friendly and often, when warranted, have a high success rate in receiving funds that offset local costs. City and County staff have developed an action plan to complete the study. County staff will use existing planning funds to study the trail bridge location and include it in their regional trail p!lan making it eligible for a larger variety of funding sources. City staff would use existing bridge/roadway study funds (Engineering Operating Budget) and grant funds to fund the detailed cost portion of the study. Jane Kansier and Danette Parr have obtained a SHIP grant on behalf of the City in the amount of $10,000 to help fund the study. In addition to the Wagon Bridge safety improvements the grant funds will be utilized to facilitate a survey of trail needs within the City. The survey results will help staff prioritize trail projects such as the TH 13 corridor for City Council consideration. Conclusion City staff recommends the Council accept the grant funds and designate them for completion of the above studies in accordance with the grant application. Traffic volumes on CR 21 will continue to increase exacerbating the current safety issues. In order to make safety improvements on the Wagon Bridge, ad- ditional funding currently not available from the City and County is needed. Completion of this study is will allow the City and County to begin applying for grants and assistance to complete safety improvements. The total City costs for the study and survey are estimated to be about $14,000. The SHIP grant will cover $10,000 and the Engineering Department Profes- sional Services budget will be utilized for the balance of the costs. City staff has reprioritized Engineering Study needs and can allocate the required $4,000 to the study. SRF Consulting Group and WSB Associates will be utilized by the County and City to complete the various engineering components of the study. ALTERNATIVES: The alternatives are as follows: 1. Approve a resolution accepting the SHIP grant for the CR 21 Wagon Bridge Safety Improvements and City-Wide Trail Needs Study. 2. Table this agenda item for a specific reason. 3. Deny this agenda item for a specific reason and provide staff with direction. RECOMMENDED Alternati.(e #1 MOTION:/j l Reviewed bW Frank Boyles, City ISSUES: FINANCIAL IMPACT: 2 4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake. MN 55372 RESOLUTION 1 Q-xxx A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING A STATEWIDE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (SHIP) GRANT FOR A CR 21 WAGON BRIDGE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS STUDY AND A CITY-WIDE TRAIL NEEDS SURVEY WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, Motion By: Second By: Traffic volumes on County Road 21 are anticipated to grow to more than 32,000 trips per day by 2030; and Existing pedestrian, snowmobile and vehicular safety issues are anticipated be exacerbated due to the increase in traffic volumes; and The current bridge condition will most likely not require reconstruction in the near future; and The City and County Staffs believe interim improvements could be made to improve pedestrian and vehicle safety; and The City applied for and received a $10,000 grant for the study of the bridge pedestrian safety improvements and completion of a City-Wide Trail Needs Survey. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PRIOR LAKE, MINNESOTA as follows: 1. The recitals set forth above are incorporated herein. 2. The City Council accepts the SHIP Grant and directs use of the funds for completion of the CR 21 Wagon Bridge Pedestrian Safety Improvements Study and Trail Needs Survey. 3. Grant funds shall be deposited in the General Fund grant revenue account 101-33610. 4. Study and survey expenditures shall be recorded in the General Fund engineering professional services account 101-43050-303. 5. Both accounts shall be amended to reflect the additional $10,000 in revenues and expenditures. PASSED AND ADOPTED THIS 20TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2010. YES NO I Myser I Erickson I Hedber~ I Keeney I Millar Myser Erickson Hedber~ Keeney Millar Frank Boyles, City Manager R\Collncil\2010 Agenda Reports\09 20 10\SHIP Grant resolution.doc