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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/11/2009 • • Traffic Safety Advisory Committee City of Apple Valley March 11,2009 7:00 p.m. Municipal Center Minutes . 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:04 p.m. by Chair Arthur Zimmerman Members Present: Dick Asleson, Todd Blomstrom, Linda Dolan, Harald Eriksen, Charles Grawe, Jon Rechtzigel, Arthur Zimmerman Members Absent: Consultants/Alternates Present: Tom Sohrweide,Office Doug Baird Others Present: Bill Bosch, Bert Brost, Mike Burns, Sue Burns, Julia Fried- Devine,Debra Foxen, Thomas Foxen, Kimsong Kouch, Kate Glode, Roger Wagner 2. A�proval of A eg nda The Police Deparhnent School Educational Collaborations item was moved up the agenda following the Approval of Minutes. MOTION: Mr. Rechtzigel moved, second by Mr. Eriksen,to approve the agenda as amended. Motion passed 7-0 3. Approval of January 21, 2009 Minutes MOTION: Mr. Blomstrom moved, second by Mr. Grawe, to approve the Minutes of January 21, 2009. Motion passed 6-0. Mr. Eriksen abstained. 4. Police Department School Educational Collaborations Officer Baird serves as the School Resource Officer(SRO) at Eastview High School. He gave a brief summary of some of the traffic safety initiatives held at the School, including the Respect My Ride program and the Mock Crash which is conducted every other year. He said the SRO's speak with the students at the driver's education classes and the areas of focus in the high schools have been on using seatbelts and not using cell phones while driving. The Police Department is able to conduct checks for these activities when the drivers are leaving the parking lot. Other topics covered by the SRO's include demonstrations of alcohol impairment using"drunk goggles", discussions s • about road rage, and working with sports teams to educate athletes on the d�ngers of using other chemicals. Officer Baird said that changes in student behaviors often occur as the warmer spring weather arrives. The School gives out small prizes to students leaving the parking lot and showing good driving behaviors as a positive reinfarcement. There are some issues relating to the large volumes of traffic that leave the school parking lots at one time. There have also been issues with students attempting to exit and parents who have parked in driving lanes waiting to pick up their children. 5. Audience Items There were no audience items. 6. Resident Request for Sidewalk Installation alon� 132°a Street Between Pilot Knob Road and Emmer Place Mr. Blomstrom briefly recapped the issue and discussion at previous meetings. He said that at the last meeting, staff was asked to investigate sidewalk options with the County as the County has permitting authority within the Pilot Knob Road right-of-way. He presented the sidewalk options discussed at the previous meeting to the Dakota County Traffic Engineer. As the County has permitting authority within its right-of-way, the County has established standards for these types of improvements located within the right-of-way. These standards resulted in four points regarding any potential improvements: 1) Any sidewalk connecting to the pedestrian ramp should not lead directly into the back of the guardrail along Pilot Knob Road. 2) The location of the guardrail along Pilot Knob Road will not be modified to accommodate a sidewalk. 3) The sidewalk alignment must deviate to either the north or the south when interseeting with the pedestrian ramp so as not to direct pedestrians into ` the guardrail. 4) There are also design standards that apply to the curvature of the sidewalk as it intersects with the pedestrian ramp. The County may consider a 50 foot radius curvature,but would generally prefer a 100 foot radius. Mr. Blomstrom reviewed four options for the site: 1) Make no changes. 2) Accept the Traffic Consultant's previous recommendation to establish a bike and pedestrian lane along the north side of 132"d Street. The Consultant proposed a revision to widen the landing of the pedestrian • � ramp from 5 feet to 18 feet to allow pedestrians to leave the curb further away from Pilot Knob Road and at a flatter angle. 3) Install a sidewalk with a 50 foot radius that directs pedestrian traffic northward as they approach the pedestrian ramp so that they are not directed directly into the guardrail. However, this option can not be constructed within the existing right-of-way and additional construction and permanent easements would be required. 4) Install a sidewalk that curves southward as it approaches the pedestrian ramp so that pedestrians are directed into the intersection of 132"d Street and Pilot Knob Road. This proposal has several issues and exceeds the 5 percent ADA grade standard. But more importantly,by directing pedestrians into the intersection, it fails to resolve the original concern motivating the sidewalk request in which a child's bike was going towards the intersection. A sidewalk curving into the intersection would only make that scenario more likely in the future. Mr. Blomstrom said he discussed the options with the property owner and the owner is unwilling to sell easements rights for the sidewalk. In order for the City to install a sidewalk, it would need to acquire the property through the eminent domain process. There are significant legal requirements limiting how cities can use eminent domain authority. The process is also quite expensive,with estimated legal fees of around $25,000 for this issue. Additional costs for actual land acquisition, construction, and utility relocation would also be incurred. Mr. Blomstrom also clarified that sidewalks are designed and intended far pedestrian traffic, not bicycle traffic. A wider recreational pathway would be required for bicycles. Mr. Blomstrom also clarified that even if a sidewalk design fits within the existing right-of-way or easement, eminent domain would be required to acquire the temporary easement allowing workers and equipment onto the private property during construction. Some of the residents expressed disappointment in the County's standards. There were some who offered support for sidewalks throughout the neighborhood. A concern was raised about signage adjacent to the ramp obscuring visibility of pedestrians for southbound vehicles on Pilot Knob Road. Mr. Blomstrom said this signage could be relocated to increase sight visibility from Pilot Knob Road. One of the residents said that the property owner had granted them permission to walk on the grass area on the back side of his property when walking to the pedestrian ramp as he did not want a sidewalk. The resident requested the installation of a curb cut and cement ramp leading up to the grass easement to make walking on the easement easier for pedestrians with strollers. Mr. Blomstrom said he would need to investigate the legal and engineering issues involved in installing a ramp into a grass area,but noted it would be highly unusual. Another resident felt the paint striping designating the proposed ! • pedestrian/bike lane should be yellow instead of white. Mr. Sohrweide explained that the law prescribes where yellow lines are allowed. Mr. Blomstrom confirmed that the law very strictly prescribes where yellow lines are appropriate. One of the residents questioned the property owner as to why he would grant a construction easement for the previous plan that would have extended the pedestrian ramp to the catch basin,but would not grant an easement for the sidewalk curving to the north. Mr. Grawe noted that the property owner has the right to decide under what conditions he will sell or grant use of his private property and the Committee is not an appropriate forum to question a property owner about the reasons for the decisions to which he has a right. He also noted that the Committee encourages residents to bring forth their concerns and to articulate perceived problems. Due to the legal, technicaU engineering, and financial implications that are often involved in improvements, the Committee does not encourage residents to advocate solely for one particular solution. Instead, the Committee encourages residents to allow the professional engineering staff to examine and wide array of possible solutions and recommend the solution(s) that most appropriately and best address the problem. Mr. Grawe also reminded all of those in attendance that at the end of the day,we all still live in the same community as neighbors and we should keep that in mind as we discuss these issues. Mr. Sohrweide said that signage warning bicyclists of a steep hill could also be installed along 132°a Street. MOTION: Ms. Dolan moved, second by Mr. Asleson, to accept the traffic consultant's base recommendation presented to the Committee establishing a designated bicycle and pedestrian lane as well as the addition of signage as described by the City's traffic consultant. Motion passed 6 - 0 with Mr. Eriksen abstaining. The Committee also gave staff general direction to review the legal and technical issues involved in installing a curb cut and pedestrian ramp that leads directly into a grass area with no sidewalk or pathway. 7. Request for Review of Pennock Avenue at 7802 1315t Street Relating to Crash Historv Mr. Blomstrom explained that a vehicle had left the roadway along Pennock Avenue and knocked down a portion of fence in the back yard of the property at 7802 131St Street. There have been two such incidents reported to the City�ne in 2002 and the most recent in 2008. In both cases, the vehicle left the scene. As discussed in previous meetings, guardrails can also pose a hazard and could even cause injuries. There was some unconfirmed information that two vehicles may have been racing along Pennock Avenue when one of them hit the fence. The City's traffic consultant recommended signage modifications to help warn motorists of the curve in Pennock Avenue. � • MOTION: Mr. Grawe moved, second by Mr. Rechtzigel,to accept the traffic consultant's recommendation for signage modifications. Motion passed 7 - 0. 8. Safe Route to School Grant Program A�lication Mr. Rechtzigel said the City had not received any updates regarding the status of the grant application. 9. Other Traffic Concerns Communicated to the City of Apple Vallev Police Concerns Mr. Rechtzigel redported a hit and run accident involving a pedestrian at Cedar Avenue and 153r Street. Public Works' Concerns There were no other concerns reported. 10. Education Issues Pedestrian and Bike Safet.�pai�n Mr. Rechtzigel said the City received a grant from AAA and he would distribute a draft of the program outline to the Committee members via e-mail. 11. Adj ourn MOTION: Mr. Grawe moved, second by Mr. Asleson, to adjourn. Motion passed 7 - 0. Meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m... � ,