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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/09/2019 10 V i 06 000 seep 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 9, 2019 - 7:00 P.M. 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 14, 2018 Regular Meeting 5. Regular Agenda Items: A. 2018 Accomplishments B. Election of Officers 6. Informational Items A. Other Traffic Concerns Communicated to the City: 1. Police 2. Public Works B. Educational Issues 7. Adj ourn. NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS: Wednesday March 13, 2019 7:00 p.m. (Regular) Welcome to the Apple Valley Traffic Safety Advisory Committee meeting. The Committee is a forum to hear citizen concerns regarding traffic and parking on City streets, as well as pedestrian and bicycle safety issues. The Committee also evaluates proposals for traffic control devices, signage, and striping and considers citywide traffic education and communication programs. The Committee encourages residents to bring their concerns forward and appreciates your efforts to help make our City a safer community. Specific traffic solutions may also have unintended and potentially dangerous consequences as there are often engineering and liability issues involved with traffic controls and roadway designs to consider. When evaluating resident concerns, the Committee follows a process that looks broadly at multiple possible solutions and utilizes the City's engineering resources to help determine the most appropriate solution for identified problems: 1) The concern is received. 2) Options are identified to address the concern. 3) Additional analysis of the options to determine engineering, legal liability,and financial constraints or issues may be necessary. 4) A recommendation is made. We appreciate your participation in exploring the most appropriate solution for the problem in your area. Traffic Safety Advisory Committee City of Apple Valley November 14, 2018 7:00 p.m. Municipal Center Minutes 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chair Arthur Zimmerman. Members Present: Charles Grawe, Fred Puente, Matt Saam, Joe Shaw, Arthur Zimmerman Members Absent: Linda Dolan Consultants/Alternates Present: Brandon Anderson, City Engineer; Pete Matos, Police Sergeant Others Present: Ted Hansen, Michael McDermott, Ronald Olson 2. Approval of Agenda _ MOTION: Mr. Saam moved, second by Mr. Puente to approve the agenda as presented. Motion passed 5-0. 3. Audience Items Several residents expressed concern about on-street parking along Granite Avenue and obscured sight lines between the driveways for the Summerhill and Legends developments. Mr. Saam said that"no parking" signs posted by the Legends management might be creating confusion for visitors and deliveries, causing them to park on the street instead of the designated parking. The Community Development Department is working with the property owner to clearly mark the visitor and short-term parking. A second issue involves the curve of the roadway between the driveways. With cars parked on the street, it is very hard to see on-coming traffic when existing from the Summerhill driveways. MOTION: Mr. Grawe moved, second by Mr. Saam, to recommend installing "no parking" signs on the west side of Granite Avenue between the Summerhill driveways. Motion passed 5-0. 4. Approval of September 12, 2018 Minutes MOTION: Mr. Saam moved, second by Mr. Puente, to approve the Minutes of September 12, 2018. Motion passed 5-0. 5A. Galaxie Avenue at 153rd/Founders Crosswalk Concerns A visually impaired resident requested audible crossing beacons at the crosswalks along a path the resident frequently walks. Mr. Anderson said the Engineering Division would be looking at this request as part of its study of the Galaxie Avenue corridor. The Public Works Department is also looking at an Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA)review of the entire street infrastructure. Mr. Anderson said staff would look at the timing of the signal to possibly extend the crossing time along the resident's route. Brief discussion followed. 5B. Additional Signage Request on Everest Avenue Mr. Anderson received a request for a "check your speed" sign. Such signs are not supported in the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. As an alternative, he suggested including this location in the rotation of the mobile driver feedback signs. 5C. Driver Feedback Sign Review Mr. Anderson reviewed some of the data collected from the mobile speed signs throughout the year. The 851h percentile speed on 142nd Street near Scott Highlands Middle School was around 32 to 33 miles per hour, indicating a speed issue. The 851h percentile speed on 1441h Street near Diamond Path School was around 28 to 30 miles per hour. The 85th percentile speed on Dodd Boulevard near Eagle Bay Drive and Dunbar Avenue was around 43 to 44 miles per hour. The 85th percentile speed on 132nd Street between Johnny Cake Ridge Road and Flagstaff Avenue was around 32 miles per hour, indicating a speed issue. The 85th percentile speed on Garden View Drive near 136th Street(40 mile per hour zone)was around 41 to 42 miles per hour, indicating a speed issue. The 85th percentile speed on Palomino Drive (35 mile per hour zone)was 39 to 40 miles per hour, indicating a speed issue. The 85th percentile speed on Walnut Lane was 20 to 24 miles per hour. Brief discussion followed. 5D. MSA Traffic Count Updates Mr. Anderson said all the traffic counts have been completed except for the area around 1401h Street and Galaxie Avenue that was under construction much of the summer and will be counted in November. 5E. Set 2019 Meeting Schedule The 2019 regular meeting schedule would include January 9, March 13, May 8, July 10, September 11, and November 13. MOTION: Mr. Grawe moved, second by Mr. Zimmerman, to approve the 2019 regular meeting schedule as presented. Motion passed 5-0. 6A.Other Traffic Concerns Communicated to the City of Apple Valley Police Concerns Mr. Matos said there have been increasing issues with pedestrians in the Cedar Avenue medians at 1471h Street and 153rd Street near the transit stations. Public Works Concerns Mr. Anderson said there were no additional issues. 6B.Educational Issues and Grant Opportunities There were no educational issues. 7. Adjourn MOTION: Mr. Saam moved, second by Mr. Grawe, to adjourn. Motion passed 5-0. Meeting was adjourned at 8:10 p.m. bio 04,00 00*00 6004 004, City of Apple MEMO Administration TO: Mayor, City Council, and City Administrator FROM: Traffic Safety Advisory Committee DATE: January 9, 2019 SUBJECT: 2018 ACCOMPLISHMENTS The Traffic Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) held six meetings in 2018. The members of the Committee in 2018 included: John Bermel, Linda Dolan, Charles Grawe, Fred Puente, Matt Saam, Joe Shaw, and Arthur Zimmerman. Arthur Zimmerman served as Chair and Joe Shaw served as Secretary. Mr. Bermel retired in 2018 and his replacement was not named until 2019. Major accomplishments and/or undertakings by TSAC during its eighteenth year include: • Request for Stop Sign at Granite Avenue and 142nd Street: During the 2016 review of a nearby development proposal, staff identified a warranted stop condition at Granite Avenue and 142nd Street that lacked a stop sign. The Committee recommended installation of appropriate signage. In 2017 and 2018, a resident requested that additional stop signs be added on Granite Avenue, creating an all-way stop. The Committee did not support such an action, as warrants for an all-way stop were not met. The Committee did recommend installation of advisory signing due to the hill and curve of the street. However, 142nd is scheduled for an improvement project within the next two years. As part of that project scope, the Public Works Department agreed that the crest of the hill would be regraded and reconstructed to increase visibility and creating a safer condition that a stop sign on the crest of the hill would create. 140' and Granite Designated Right Turn Lane Request: The City received a request to install a right turn lane on 1401h Street starting at Granite Avenue. There are many similar intersection approaches in the community that do not have designated right turn lanes. The projected maximum daily number of vehicles attempting a right-hand turn at the intersection is 40. The standard minimum volume of turning traffic to warrant construction of a turn lane is 100 vehicles per day. The Committee recommended identifying and then prioritizing all similar intersections before moving forward with a turn lane project. • Granite Avenue Parking Concerns: The City received concerns about obscured sight lines from vehicles parked on Granite Avenue affecting vehicles exiting the Summerhill driveways. One issue was identified involving confusing "no parking" signage in the Legends parking lot, incenting guests and deliveries to park on Granite rather than the Legends lot. City staff are working with the property owner to clarify visitor and short-term parking to encourage guest parking on the property and not on Granite Avenue. A second identified issue is reduced visibility between the Summerhill driveways from a curve in the road. The Committee recommended installation of"no parking" signs on the west side of Granite Avenue between the Summerhill driveways. • Resident Concerns with Traffic on Garden View Drive North of 140th Street: The City received concerns about excessive commercial truck traffic on Garden View Drive between County Road 42 and McAndrews Road. Staff monitored the roadway following the complaint, but was unable to verify significant commercial truck traffic on the roadway. • Garden View Drive Traffic Concerns: The Committee continued to monitor traffic speeds and volumes on Garden View Drive. The aging signs are experiencing increasing technical failures and the Committee recommended that staff look at replacement in the near future. • Resident Concerns with Traffic on Palomino Drive: The City received concerns about traffic speeds and volumes on Palomino Drive and a request to expand the 35 mile per hour speed limit zone. The State, not the City, determines the speed limits and set the limits when Palomino Drive was reconstructed. The Committee recommended adding this roadway section to the rotation of the portable driver feedback signs. Palomino Deer Crossing Signage Review: The City receive a request for deer crossing signage on Palomino Drive. Many deer cross many different roadways within the community. The Public Works policy is to only install deer crossing signage at points where there have been abnormally high incidents of deer-vehicle accidents or other unique deer- related issues that justify the placement of a sign. The Committee continues to monitor this area. • Resident Request for Speed Advisory Signs on Pennock Avenue: During the Cedar Avenue reconstruction, the City located temporary speed advisory signs on Pennock Avenue to address concerns from detoured traffic using Pennock Avenue to avoid the Cedar construction activity. The signs were part of a Public Works program to deploy temporary speed advisory signs on a rotational basis during non-winter months on streets throughout the city with traffic speed concerns. The signs were rotated to other locations. A resident requested the return of the signs on a permanent basis to Pennock Avenue. The Committee recommended continuing to use the temporary signs, but to return them to Pennock Avenue when not needed in other locations. The rotational signs were in high demand by many neighborhoods around the city. The Pennock Avenue location is particularly challenging because of the lack of places that police can position a squad to safely conduct speed enforcement. The Committee discussed altering the speed advisory sign policy to allow seasonally permanent speed advisory signs in areas where enforcement may not be feasible due to roadway configuration. • Stop Sign Request at Pennock Avenue and 138th Street: The City received a request to install a top sign at this T-intersection. Currently, one leg of the T leads into a cul-de-sac and has a stop sign for vehicles exiting the cul-de-sac. Vehicles on 1381h Street or Pennock Avenue do not have a stop sign and vehicles proceed through the intersection as if it was a 90-degree curve in the roadway. Committee continued to monitor traffic speeds and volumes on Garden View Drive. The intersection traffic volume does not meet warrants for an all- way stop, but the Committee asked staff to review if other advisory signage may be warranted due to the unusual nature of the intersection. • Crosswalk Request at Pennock Avenue near Wallace Park: The City received a request to install a mid-block crosswalk to the park. The traffic volumes on Pennock Avenue do not meet the minimums required to warrant a striped crosswalk at a nearby intersection. Due to the proximity of the park to the intersection with 1381h Street, the Committee requested staff review crosswalk options when evaluating advisory signage for Pennock Avenue and 138th Street. • Galaxie Avenue at 153`'d/Founders Crosswalk Concerns: The City received a request from a visually impaired resident for audible crossing beacons at the crosswalks frequently walked by the resident. The Public Works Department will be evaluating this request within both the context of its Galaxie Avenue corridor study and Americans with Disabilities Act review of street infrastructure. The Committee requested staff look at extending signal timing at those intersections as an interim solution. • Resident Concerns with On-Street Parking on 142nd Street East of Cedar Avenue: The City received complaints about vehicles parking on both sides of 142nd Street when Fred Largen Park is used for soccer games. The park shares a parking lot with the education center. Staff determined that"no parking" signs had been erected without authorization in the shared parking lot, discouraging parking by park users. The unauthorized signs were removed, opening the parking lot to park users. • Resident Concerns about Speeding on 142nd Street between Johnny Cake Ridge Road and Pilot Knob Road: The City received concerns about traffic speed on this roadway that is a popular route for summer waterpark users. The Police Department agreed to increase enforcement efforts. The Committee recommended adding this roadway section to the rotation of the portable driver feedback signs. • Resident Concerns about Speeding on Walnut Lane: The City received concerns about speeding and traffic volume on Walnut Lane. The Committee reviewed the area, but found no motive for outside traffic to use the roadway as a cut-through route. The Police Department agreed to increase enforcement efforts on the roadway. • Review One-way Street Designation on Eastchester: The City Engineer raised a concern about a small segment of public roadway within a larger network of private streets built to lesser width standards than typically required by the City. It was not clear why a small segment was accepted as public roadway by the City given its non-standard construction. The roadway does not have adequate width to allow two-way traffic, which presents traffic flow issues on the surrounding private streets. Staff continued to look at possible solutions for this issue. • Review 14025 140th Court for Additional Cul-De-Sac Signage: The City received concerns about traffic entering the cul-de-sac, turning around, and exiting the cul-de-sac. The residents requested signage identifying the cul-de-sac as not a through street. The Committee had extensive discussion on this topic because the motivation for the drivers to turn around is unknown and the cul-de-sac is visually identifiable. The Committee recommended installation of a rider style "dead end" sign on the street signs at the entrance to the cul-de-sac. • Review 14113 Garden View Court for Additional Cul-De-Sac Signage: The City received concerns about traffic entering the cul-de-sac, turning around, and exiting the cul- de-sac. The residents requested signage identifying the cul-de-sac as not a through street. The Committee had extensive discussion on this topic because the motivation for the drivers to turn around is unknown. The cul-de-sac is less visually identifiable due to its length. The Committee recommended installation of a"dead end" sign at the entrance to the cul-de-sac. • Resident Concerns about Parking in Regents 2nd Neighborhood from Quarry Point Park Activities: The City received concerns about park users parking on neighborhood streets to the west of the park. This type of parking activity occurs on many streets near park areas, especially with game fields. • Resident Concern over Speeds and Signage on Harmony Way: The City received concerns about sight line issues on a curve on Harmony Way. The curve radius met the criteria for an advisory sign. The Committee recommended installation of appropriate signage on the curve. • Resident Concerns with Heavy Truck Traffic on County Road 46: Residents continued to express concern with the volume, speed, and engine-braking noise generated by gravel mining trucks on County Road 46. There is no court-approved noise-measuring device for this situation, so noise ordinance enforcement isn't applicable. The City is not able to prohibit the use of a vehicle safety system. The Police Department had an officer certified as a commercial vehicle inspector (CVI) in 2016. In many cases, vehicle noise increases because of a non-compliant or malfunctioning component. Identifying and correcting non- compliant and malfunctioning components and encouraging haulers to check their vehicles more frequently can help to reduce noise on the roadway. The CVI officer has to perform at least 120 inspection each year. • Speed Concerns at 8283 131st Street: The City received concerns about traffic volumes and speeds on 131" Street, particularly in a section with a tight, graded curve with heavy adjoining vegetation. Residents requested a lower speed limit and "children at play signs". The speed limit is already at the State minimum and the requested signs are not supported in the uniform manual on traffic control devices. The Committee recommended staff work with the adjoining property owners to trim vegetation that creates sight line problems and that staff study the area to determine if curve speed advisory sign is warranted. • Driver Feedback Sign Review: The Committee continued to receive many requests for the rotational driver feedback signs. Due to the popularity of the signs, the Committee asked staff to seek funding for additional sets. The Committee reviewed data collected at sites in 2018. The 85th percentile speed on 142nd Street near Scott Highlands Middle School was around 32 to 33 miles per hour, indicating a speed issue. The 85th percentile speed on 144th Street near Diamond Path School was around 28 to 30 miles per hour. The 85th percentile speed on Dodd Boulevard near Eagle Bay Drive and Dunbar Avenue was around 43 to 44 miles per hour. The 85Th percentile speed on 132nd Street between Johnny Cake Ridge Road and Flagstaff Avenue was around 32 miles per hour, indicating a speed issue. The 85Th percentile speed on Garden View Drive near 136Th Street(40 mile per hour zone) was around 41 to 42 miles per hour, indicating a speed issue. The 85Th percentile speed on Palomino Drive (35 mile per hour zone) was 39 to 40 miles per hour, indicating a speed issue. The 85th percentile speed on Walnut Lane was 20 to 24 miles per hour. • 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 continues to receive requests for the addition of flashing yellow arrows at additional signal locations, including 140th Street and Garden View Drive. There is a significant capital expense required to upgrade the controllers for the signals. Public Works is planning for future signal upgrades in the Capital Improvements Program. • The City received a request for a four-way stop sign at Dodd Road and Eagle Bay Drive. The intersection did not meet warrants for a four-way stop. • The City received a request to form a separate pedestrian safety committee because the resident believes that traffic is causing a public health concern. • The City received concerns about vehicle noise on 160th Street over several years. As there is no court-approved noise-measuring device for this situation, the Police Department does not have a mechanism to enforce vehicle noise ordinances. The Committee recommended removing existing "noise ordinance enforced" signage because it creates confusion for residents who are led to believe local governments have the ability to enforce vehicle noise ordinances. • The City received concerns about speeds on Gabella Street at 147th Street. • The City received a request for "check your speed" signs on Everest Avenue. Such signs are not supported in the manual on uniform traffic control devices. The Committee recommended using mobile driver feedback signs as an alternative. • The City received concerns about stray golf balls hitting vehicles on 140th Street adjacent to the par-three golf course. • The City received concerns about continued violations of the one-way streets at Founders Way and 153rd Street. The Committee discussed possible engineering solutions to discourage wrong-way traffic. • The City received concerns about speeding on Embry Way near Pilot Knob. • The City received concerns about pedestrians in the Cedar Avenue medians near the 147th Street and 153rd Street transit stations. • The City conducted traffic counts on many streets as part of the Municipal State Aid funding process. • Educational Outreach Efforts: In its seventeenth year, TSAC continued to focus on its educational outreach efforts. Some educational outreach efforts included the following: • The Police Department's Commercial Vehicle Inspector participated in numerous individual vehicle inspections as well as several saturation events help in Apple Valley. • A member attended the Toward Zero Death's Conference to learn about new and emerging strategies to increase traffic safety and shared the conference information with the rest of the Committee. The Traffic Safety Advisory Committee welcomes direction from the City Council as well as any recommendations, questions, or concerns.