Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout10 21 2013 EDA Report 8A attach 1 ATTACHMENT 1 Prior Lake South Downtown Study Summary On January 3, 2012 the City Council held a work session to discuss County Road 21 in the downtown area. The City Council reviewed several long term transportation alternatives for this area and directed staff to initiate a study of the south downtown to lead a process to determine the ideal street connections. The Council felt, in the interest of long term planning and to increase the involvement of downtown businesses and residents, that a study be undertaken now. The recommendations from this study are to provide the framework for future downtown development by defining proper street configurations for access/egress purposes so existing and new residents and businesses can plan with some degree of certainty. On April 2, 2012, the City Council approved a professional services contract with Bolton & Menk for the completion of the downtown south traffic study and on May 7, 2012 the Council provided direction on the study goals as follows: 1) Assemble the findings and recommendations from the previously completed projects, plans, and studies into one plan for the Downtown South Area. 2) Develop a plan for a future street network in the Downtown South Area that is consistent with the CH 21 Plan, provides connectivity and facilities for multiple modes (i.e. pedestrians, and bicyclists) between downtown and other destinations, provides access to downtown south businesses, and provides access for traffic between Duluth Street and the intersection of CH 21 and Arcadia Street. 3) Develop a street network for the downtown south area that reduces right-of-way acquisition and considers the City’s options for implementation. On October 8, 2012, the City Council held a work session to review the options. Progress had been made as identified road alternatives were reduced from 13 to 5. One of these options is the Baseline option, which includes the proposed changes at the intersections of Hwy 13/CH 21, Hwy 13/Duluth Ave, Hwy 13/Pleasant Street, and CH 21/Main Avenue, as consistent with previous studies, but does not include any plans within the downtown south area. Two additional options (9B & 9C) were added after comments were received from the Citizens and Business Group. Each of the seven alternatives are shown in the downtown south study report. An open house was held on November 27, 2012; comments from the public were included within the downtown south report appendix. On December 12, 2012 the City Council discussed the Downtown South Study. At the time, the Technical Evaluation Panel was recommending option 9C. The City Council felt additional information was needed before a decision could be made on the alignment and directed that staff identify what information remained to be collected based upon Council comments and how such information should be assembled. Understanding that several of the downtown south options changed access to TH 13, further study of TH 13 accesses was needed. On May 28, 2013 the City Council commissioned Bolton & Menk to perform an access management study along the entire length of Trunk Highway 13 from the city’s south boundary to County Road 42. The access study had three objectives: 1. Identify and evaluate access management scenarios showing access locations between CSAH 42 and CR 81. 2. Solicit public and agency input in developing the plan to ultimately gain support/buy in for a preferred corridor access vision from the public, elected officials, MnDOT and Scott County. 3. Provide a plan to guide future access vision along TH 13 to be used in the City’s downtown planning work, the Comprehensive Plan, and the Capital Improvements Program.(emphasis added) On August 15, 2013, the City held an open house regarding the access study. The open house was well attended as over 100 persons. The City Council reviewed the access study options at a work session on August 26, 2013. Segment 2 of the access study (TH13 between Panama Avenue and County Road 44) included five alternatives referred to as options 2A-2E within the downtown area and evaluated each as follows:  Options 2A and 2B - Adding a signal at Franklin Trail appears unlikely due to intersection spacing, signal warrants, and TH 13 mobility. Additional study of Franklin Trail would be needed to determine if it would meet signal warrants. Even if it met warrants, MnDOT has concerns with intersection spacing along TH 13 as it would reduce mobility through the corridor. Preliminary analysis shows delay of traffic through the corridor as a result of the added signal on TH 13.  Options 2C and 2D – Swapping the Duluth Signal for the Franklin Trail signal seems more likely. Additional study would be needed to determine if Franklin Trail would warrant a signal if Duluth Avenue would be converted to a three-quarter access. Intersection spacing would be offset due to the conversion of the Duluth Avenue signal. The removal of the Duluth signal could be perceived negatively by the existing businesses near this intersection. In reviewing traffic movements, the conversion of the Duluth intersection would restrict cross movement at Duluth and left turn movements from Duluth back onto TH 13. Vehicles traveling to these businesses would not be restricted by this conversion. However, vehicles exiting these businesses may require a modified route to achieve access back to TH 13. In addition to this change, pedestrian crossing at Duluth would not be allowed with the three-quarter access.  Option 2E – Approval by MnDOT of this option is most likely. The TAC for the downtown south study had recommended this option. This previous study included representation from MnDOT and Scott County.  Another option was discussed by the TAC at the latest meeting. This option involved modifying Option 2E to include a northbound left turn lane at the Franklin Trail intersection. This northbound left turn would allow westbound traffic to use Arcadia signal and avoid the TH 13 and CR 21 intersection.