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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11 09 2015 Agenda Item 1 Duluth and TH 13 Phone 952.447.9800 / Fax 952.447.4245 / www.cityofpriorlake.com 4646 Dakota Street SE Prior Lake, MN 55372 CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION REPORT MEETING DATE: NOVEMBER 9, 2015 AGENDA ITEM: 1 PREPARED BY: LARRY POPPLER, CITY ENGINEER/INSPECTIONS DIRECTOR PRESENTED BY: LARRY POPPLER AGENDA ITEM: HIGHWAY 13 AND DULUTH AVENUE INTERSECTION DISCUSSION: Introduction At the last City Council meeting the City Council tabled action on the Highway 13 and Duluth Avenue project and directed that staff work to find resolution to access concerns on the project. History The City uses the Capital Improvement Program to schedule projects. In this case the intersection of TH 13 and Duluth Avenue has been identified for several years and is now shown in the 2016-2020 Capital Improvement Program. MNDOT has also been planning for the signal replacement at Highway 13 and Duluth Avenue for several years. Duluth Avenue approaches to the signal could be better configured to improve operation of the signal. This project would reconstruct portions of Duluth Avenue to better align with the signal system. Dedicated lane configurations (raised medians) could be adjusted for better signal efficiency. Access points on Duluth Avenue are in close proximity to the intersection and are affecting operations. On September 8, 2014, the City approved a professional services contract with WSB & Associates for the Duluth Avenue Intersection Project. A portion of the work includes the preparation of a feasibility report. At the January 26, 2015, City Council meeting, the City Council approved concept 2 for construction with no median north of TH 13. At the February 9th City Council work session, the City discussed the financing of all City projects for construction in 2015. The costs associated with these projects have an impact on the tax levy. Considering the high costs, the City Council directed staff to review the possibility of reducing the scope of the Duluth Avenue project and the impacts of a scope reduction. On February 23rd, the City Council reviewed a report which discussed design modifications to reduce the scope of the project. The outcome of this meeting was to shift the project from construction in summer of 2015 to summer of 2016, however the City continued to complete the design and start the right of way acquisition process. 2 Current Circumstances The Feasibility Report discusses the operation of the Duluth and TH 13 signal. Currently the signal operates at a Level of Service (LOS) C (On a scale of A-F) and has experienced three crashes in the last four years. LOS C means that the intersection is beginning to feel more restricted and queues develop behind turning movements. The intersection operation is projected to degrade to a LOS F in the next four years. Level of Service F means that vehicle demand exceeds the capacity of the intersection. Additionally, Holiday Station Stores has communicated that the store located at Duluth and TH 13 is a top 5 producing store of 500 for their company. In 2012, the City studied local road connections through south downtown. The long term configuration of the Duluth Avenue intersection is the same for all options which were reviewed during the study process including 9C. The tax levy impacts of capital improvement projects continue to be a concern for the City Council and the community. The estimated tax levy impact for the next ten years is estimated to be $83,000 per year. The City Council may be inclined to eliminate this project from the capital program for 2016. If the City Council elects to remove this project, MNDOT would re-assign the funds to another project. Because of how MNDOT plans their projects, they may not have funding for improvements at this intersection until after 2020. In the future MNDOT may elect to simply replace the signal and charge the City for our half ($207,540). If after this signal replacement, the City desires to widen Duluth Avenue for better operations on our local street system, MNDOT would not participate in the cost to re-build the traffic signal. As indicated in the feasibility report, the current level of service of this intersection is LOS C. Utilizing a growth factor, the intersection moves to a LOS F within four years. If the City were to wait an additional 4 years to complete the improvements it is projected to cost an additional $150,000 considering construction cost index. Unless something changes, MNDOT has communicated that they would not have funds available to participate in this project until after 2020. In other words, the City would need to pick up MNDOT’s portion of the signal ($207,540) if the Council desires to complete the project in 2019 or if MNDOT funding isn’t available when the City desires completion of the project. The City has expended $150,000 to date for the feasibility study, design, appraisals, and soil exploration. If the City Council decides to abandon this project the City would be unable to use bonding or state aid funds to pay these costs. General fund reserves or tax levy would need to be utilized to fund these expenditures. Because bonding would not be appropriate to pay these current expenditures, these costs would not be spread out over a ten year period and may impact the 2016 or 2017 tax levy amount. City Staff have inquired about the placement of signal poles now in anticipation of future widening of Duluth Avenue. The City consultant and MNDOT have offered the following challenges with placement of signal poles now: 3  Costs – Both the City consultant and MNDOT believe that costs will be significantly large with the future conversion of the intersection if the poles were simply completed now. Cost additions relate to ADA pedestrian facilities, grading, signal circuitry, changes in standards between now and the future, and redesign costs,  No Guarantee – Both MNDOT and the City consultant believe that no matter the due diligence, there is no guarantee and a strong possibility that the poles would need to moved or replaced in the future.  Timing – MNDOT does not believe a signal pole project can be delivered in time to utilize MNDOT funding which pushes this option to the 2020 timeframe.  Liability – Due to liability concerns, both the interim signal and the future signal must be built to meet standards. The City staff has met with MNDOT and a few options exist to provide a change of access to the Village Lake Mall area. MNDOT is seeking an answer from the city no later than this December. The City consultant continues to charge time to this project as we explore these options. The options will be shared with local businesses in a meeting scheduled for later this week. Considering the limited options available, it is likely that none of the options possible will be acceptable to all parties. Tonight the City Council should discuss the following questions:  Considering the ten year tax levy impact of this project ($83,000 for 10 years), does the City Council wish to continue to proceed? Should the staff approach the business on their willingness to financially participate in this project to complete it now?  If the City Council wishes to abandon the project, where should funding be provided to pay the $150,000 in current expenditures?  If the project is abandoned, what will be the impetus for completion of a project in the future? Do we simply slide the project four years hence based upon consultant projections and re-evaluate when the time comes?  Considering the current expenditures on this project and potential for abandonment after design has already been completed, how can City Staff better support the City Council in making CIP decisions or decisions to proceed with design?