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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/08/2025 *00 *see 00000 000* Meeting Location: Municipal Center City of Apple 7100 147th Street West Valley Apple Valley, Minnesota 55124 TRAFFIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING TENTATIVE AGENDA January 8, 2025 1. Call to Order 2. Approval of Agenda 3. Audience - 10 Minutes Total Time Limit - For Items NOT on this Agenda 4. Approval of Minutes of November 13, 2024 Regular Meeting 5. Re ulg ar Agenda Items: A. Request for Animal (White Squirrel) Crossing Signage near Upper 147" Street West B. 2024 Annual Report C. Elect Officers 6. Informational Items A. Other Traffic Concerns Communicated to the City: 1. Police 2. Public Works B. Educational Issues 7. Adjourn. NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS: Wednesday March 12, 2025 7:00 p.m. (Regular) Traffic Safety Advisory Committee City of Apple Valley November 13, 2024 7:00 p.m. Apple Valley Municipal Center Minutes 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Arthur Zimmerman. Members Present: Greg Dahlstrom, Linda Dolan, Charles Grawe, Dave McKenzie, Matt Saam, Joe Shaw, Arthur Zimmerman Members Absent: Consultants/Alternates Present: Evan Acosta, Brandon Anderson Others Present: Kyle Kurbondski, Jeff McCormick, Lauren Nengebauer 2. Approval of Agenda MOTION: Ms. Dolan moved, second by Mr. McKenzie, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion passed 7-0. 3. Audience Items Mr. Kurbondski expressed concern over vehicles not stopping before the crosswalk when approaching trailway crossings along major roadways. He requested consideration of signage at the intersections. 4. Approval of September 11, 2024 Minutes MOTION: Mr. Dahlstrom moved, second by Mr. McKenzie, to approve the Minutes of September 11, 2024. Motion passed 5-0 (Ms. Dolan and Mr. Saam abstained). 5A. No Parking Request on Energy Way Mr. McCormick and Ms. Nengebauer raised concerns about semi tractor trailers parking on Energy Way. The large trucks obscure sight lines at intersections and in some cases, prevent other trucks from turning into business driveways. Truckers have also been observed doing vehicle maintenance while the trucks are parked on the roadway. Mr. Anderson presented a number of options for striping and signage changes to Energy Way that would discourage street parking. MOTION: Ms. Dolan moved, second by Mr. Grawe, to recommend striping to create wider drive lanes with fog lines several feet off the curb and initially installing no parking signs near Mr. McCormick's driveway, but consulting the adjoining neighboring property owners before installing no parking signs along the remainder of the roadway. Motion passed 7-0. 5B. Request for Crosswalk Enhancements at 157"' St W& Hallmark Way Mr. Acosta said a resident requested a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) crossing at the intersection. About 30 crossing take place for school each day. The intersection does not meet warrants for an RRFB, but does meet the criteria for a crossing enhancement. MOTION: Mr. Saam moved, second by Mr. McKenzie, to recommend installation of enhancements including two bump-outs and crosswalk striping. Motion passed 7-0. 5C. Review of Lighting along 140t" St W from Garden View Drive to Hayes Mr. Acosta explained the area along 140' Street does not have much lighting. The Engineering Division had an initial concept of three coach lights along the trail on the north side of the road and a cobra head light at 140th Court. A final recommendation will appear on a future agenda. 5D. Approval of 2025 Meeting Schedule The proposed schedule is January 8, March 12, May 14, July 9, September 10, and November 12. MOTION: Mr. McKenzie moved, second by Mr. Saam, to adopt the proposed meeting schedule. Motion passed 7-0. 6A.Other Traffic Concerns Communicated to the City of Apple Valley Police Concerns Overnight parking prohibition signage was added on streets in the area of the Central Village. Public Works Concerns The City received a request for a stop sign at Gunflint Path and 134rh Street which does not meet warrants for a stop condition. The City received a request for crosswalks on Johnny Cake Ridge Road at intersections with Ellice Trail and 131st Street. This issue will be studied over the winter of 2024-2025. 6B.Educational Issues There were no educational items. 7. Adjourn MOTION: Mr. Saam moved, second by Mr. McKenzie, to adjourn. Motion passed 7-0. Meeting was adjourned at 8:39 p.m. City of MEMO Administration TO: Mayor, City Council, and City Administrator FROM: Traffic Safety Advisory Committee DATE: January 8, 2025 SUBJECT: 2024 ACCOMPLISHMENTS The Traffic Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) held six meetings in 2024. The members of the Committee in 2024 included: Greg Dahlstrom, Linda Dolan, Charles Grawe, Dave McKenzie, Matt Saam, Joe Shaw, and Arthur Zimmerman. Arthur Zimmerman served as Chair and Dave McKenzie served as Secretary. Major accomplishments and/or undertakings by TSAC during its twenty-fourth year include: • Request for Stop Sign at Griffon Path and Granada Avenue The City received a request for a stop sign at the intersection. The traffic counts at the intersection were very low and similar intersections in the surrounding area did not have traffic controls and rely on the right of way rule. However, the Committee noted that Granada is a potential cut-through route between County Road 46 and 157th Street, with higher traffic volumes during the morning and evening commute periods. The Committee recommended installation of stop signs along Granada at the intersections of the northern leg of Gooseberry Way, the southern leg of Gooseberry Way, and Griffon Path. • Stop Sign Enhancements at Walnut Lane and Garden View Drive The City proposed enhancements to a stop sign on Walnut Lane at the intersection with Garden View Drive after a driver failed to yield while making a left turn onto Garden View and struck a pedestrian. The pilot enhancements included an LED lighted sign. The Committee recommended the installation of the enhancements on a trial basis with the potential to add similar enhancements at other intersections with school crossings. • Request for Do Not Block Intersection Signage on Hayes Road The City received a request for signage on Hayes Road near Apple Valley High School, just north of 145th Street. The issues stems from stacking of vehicles on Hayes Road waiting to turn into the Apple Valley High School parking lot in the morning. The vehicles stacked on Hayes Road prevent vehicles on 143rd Street from turning either left or right onto Hayes and prevent vehicles on 144th Street from turning left. The signage is allowed under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The Committee recommended installation of the requested signage to improve the turning conditions on 143rd and 144th Streets. • Request for Signage at School Bus Stop on 140th Street and Fountain Court The City received a request for signage for a bus stop on 140th Street. Generally, the school district avoids bus stops on four-lane road like 140th Street. Due to the on-street parking occurring on Fountain Court, the bus is often unable to turn around at the end of the Fountain Court, so the stop was moved onto 140th Street. The students board and off-board on the north side of 140th Street and do not cross it. However, the bus driver has noticed that traffic in the eastbound lanes of 140th is often failing to stop for the extended bus stop sign. Since the vehicles are typically two or three lanes away from the bus, the bus camera is unable to capture images of the violators. The request was for signage for eastbound lanes advising drivers of the bus stop. The requested signage was not supported by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Engineering staff recommended the safer solution is to relocate the bus stop off of 140th Street, as the obscured visibility of the bus stop arm across multiple lanes of traffic is likely to increase the risk of rear end collisions for eastbound traffic. The Committee recommended denying the sign request and discussing relocation of the stop onto Fleetwood Avenue with the school district. • Concerns Regarding Parking Along Dutton Lane The City received concerns over on-street parking along Dutton Lane. Dutton is a parkway with a large center median, constructed by a developer with lane widths less than the City standard. Due to the narrow lanes, when vehicles are parked on the street, there is not enough room for a school bus, fire truck, or other large vehicle to use the roadway. Dutton was scheduled to undergo modifications to accommodate the County’s greenway trail. The Committee recommended that additional modifications be done at that time to reduce the center median width and increase the drive lanes to at least 20 feet in width. • Review Flagstaff Ave and 157th Street Intersection The City Committee reviewed an engineering evaluation of the intersection. Flagstaff is a four-lane undivided roadway with a 40 mile per hour speed limit. The 85th percentile speed is 42 miles per hour and daily traffic volume is about 5,600 vehicles. 157th Street has traffic volumes of 1,500 on the west side, but 3,500 on the east side. The intersection has a significant crash rate, but the accidents have generally not been severe. Engineering staff recommended trimming vegetation to improve sight lines and to consider a lane reduction on Flagstaff when road improvements are done in the future. • Request for Stop Sign at Hamburg and Pennock Avenue The City received a request for a stop sign at the intersection. There were no existing stop signs at the intersection. As Pennock is a minor collector and stop signs are typically installed at intersections with minor collectors, the Committee recommended installation of the stop sign. • Request for Crosswalks on Ellice Trail The City received a request for a crosswalks on Ellice Trail. • Request for Blind Driveway Sign at 15029 Dundee Avenue The City received a request for a sign informing drivers of the driveway in close proximity to the intersection of Dundee and County Road 42. The sign is not supported by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The Committee recommended denying the request for the sign, but working with the County to address a median extension from County Road 42 that makes backing out of the driveway challenging. • Request for No Parking Signs on Energy Way The City received a request for parking prohibitions along Energy Way in response to frequent semi tractor trailers parking on the street. The tractor trailers obscure sight lines and in some cases, have actually prevented other trucks from being able to turn into business driveways. The Committee recommended striping the street with narrow fog lines to eliminate the sense of a parking lane and to post no parking signs on the street near the requesting business and potentially along the remainder of the street if the other neighboring businesses agree. • Request for Four-way Stop at Fleetwood and Findlay The City received a request for a four-way stop sign at this intersection. The current condition has stop signs for Findlay, but not for Fleetwood traffic. The intersection has extremely low traffic volumes and does not meet warrants for a four-way stop. However, vegetation was creating sight issues. The Committee recommended denying the request for a four-way stop, but recommending trimming the vegetation to improve sight lines. • Request for Crosswalk Enhancements at 157th St W and Hallmark Way The City received a request for a crossing enhancement at the intersection. The Committee recommended installation of bump-outs and crosswalk striping. • Review of Lighting along 140th Street W from Garden View Drive to Hayes The City is studying lighting improvements along 140th Street. Both coach lighting and cobra head lighting is being considered. This study extended into 2025. • Driver Feedback Sign Review: The Committee continued to receive many requests for the rotational driver feedback signs. The Engineering Division sought grant opportunities to purchase additional signs. Fernando Avenue had 85th percentile speeds of 26.35 and 24.05 miles per hour, below the 30 mile per hour limit. Havelock Trail had 85th percentile speeds of 22.39 and 22.36 miles per hour, below the 30 miles per hour limit. Flagstaff Avenue had 85th percentile speeds of 40.87 and 41.87 miles per hour, above the 40 mile per hour limit. Pennock Avenue had 85th percentile speeds of 33.17 and 36 miles per hour, above the 30 mile per hour limit. • Reviewed Traffic Concerns Communicated to City: At each meeting, TSAC reviewed traffic concerns/issues brought to the Police and Public Works Departments during the month. • The City received concerns over vehicles not stopping before the crosswalk when approaching trailway crossings along major roadways. • The City received concerns over speeding on Havelock Trail. The Engineering Division scheduled deployment of the driver feedback signs for the area. • The City Council requested MNDOT to conduct speed studies on County Road 42 and County Road 38. Due to the long waiting list for MNDOT studies, these studies will be done several years in the future. • The City received concerns over accidents on Flagstaff and 157th Street. Engineering staff suspects that the accidents may be more of a function of the four-lane road design and vehicle speeds than intersection marking. The Engineering Division scheduled deployment of the driver feedback signs for the area. • The City received concerns over wrong-way driving on Founders Lane. • The Police Department reported an increase in traffic stops and issuance of traffic citations, largely due to filling of staffing vacancies which allows more officer time for traffic enforcement. • The City received concerns about access onto Pilot Knob and McAndrews Roads from the Applewood Pointe development. These are County Roads and the concerns were forwarded to the County. • The City installed ADA signage on the Founders Trail roundabout and will be installing audible crossing push buttons next year. • The City received a request for a stop sign at Gunflint Path and 134th Street. The intersection does not meet warrants for a stop sign. • The City received requests for crosswalks on Johnny Cake Ridge Road at the intersections with Ellice Trail and 131st Street. This issue will be studied further in early 2025. • Educational Outreach Efforts: In its twenty-fourth year, TSAC continued to focus on its educational outreach efforts. Some educational outreach efforts included the following: • The addition of an analyst in the Police Department helped patrols to better identify specific locations where traffic issues are occurring. The Traffic Safety Advisory Committee welcomes direction from the City Council as well as any recommendations, questions, or concerns.