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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/08/2006 • • . Traffic Safety Advisory Committee City of Apple Valley November 8, 2006 7:00 p.m. Municipal Center Minutes 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. Uy Chair Arthur Zimmerman. Members Present: Dick Asleson, Harald Eriksen, Charles Grawe, Neal Heuer, Michael Marben, Arthur Zimmerman Members Absent: Linda Dolan Consultants/Alternates Present: Tom Sohrweide Others Present: 2. Approval of A eg nda MOTION: Mr. Grawe moved, second by Mr. Asleson, to approve the agenda. Motion passed 6— 0. 3. Approval of SeUtember 13,2006 Minutes MOTION: Mr. Marben moved, second by Mr. Erilcsen, to approve the minutes as presented. Motion passed 6—0. . 4. Audience Items There were no audience items. 5. Resident Request for Parking Restrictions on Redwood Drive Mr. Heuer said there was a parking-related concern on Redwood Drive. Mr. Heuer said that parking is prohibited along the east side of Redwood Drive, adjacent to Red��vood Park. There are concerns about parking on the west side of Redwood Drive near the intersection with County Road 42. The Public Works Department studied the area: Mr. Heuer reconunended the City implement parking restrictions on the west side of Redwood Drive between the south edge of the pathway on the south side of County Road 42 and a point 40 feet south of the pathway. Mr. Heuer noted that this would generally be consistent with the parlcing restriction 30 feet in front of the stop sign. • • TSAC Meeting Minutes - November 8, 2006 Page 2 MOTION: Mr. Zimmerman moved, second by Mr. Marben, to recommend the City Council implement parking restrictions on the west side of Redwood Drive Uetween the south edge of the pathway on the south side of County Road 42 and a point 40 feet south of the pathway. Motion passed 6=0. 6. Resident Concerns Over Traffic Speeds on Oriole Drive Mr. Heuer said he received a complaint on vehicle speeds on Oriole Drive. The resident said that a dog was hit by a car and requested the installation of speed humps. Mr. Heuer noted that this complaint was raised in the recent past and that no residents fron� the neighborhood appeared before TSAC to explain the issues in more detail. Mr. Heuer conducted traffic counts and found no significant changes in volume as the area surrounding the street has been developed for many years. Mr. Heuer noted that the street design in the area is rather unique and volumes vary along different intersections on the street. The volumes ranged from 400 to 900 average vehicle trips per day at the various intersections. These volumes are within the capacity of the road's design. Mr. Heuer noted that the average vehicle speed was below 30 iniles per hour, probably due to the need for many vehicles to make a turn within a short distance. Mr. Heuer found no traffic volumes or speeds that were unusual when compared`to other neighborhoods in the City. Mr. MarUen said he was unable to tind any new conditions from a police and enforcement standpoint. He noted that as neighborhoods age, there tends to be a cycle of the age of residents living in the neighborhood. The general area cunently seems to be experiencing a new generation of homeowners that might have more young drivers than have lived in the neighborhood in the recent past. Mr. Marben said that the average vehicle speeds betow 30 miles per hour would not justify the use of the Special Enforcement Team. He also was not able to find any recent records of accidents in that area. Mr. Heuer said that given that staff was unable to find evidence of speeds or accidents that were outside of the normal when compared to other city streets, he does not recommend any action at this time. He also noted that he does not recommend the use of speed humps due to their negative impacts on emergency vehicles. 7. Resident Concerns over Traffic near Falcon Ridge Middle School Mr. Sohrweide said there are a number of issues near the intersection of Johnny Cake Ridge Road and County Road 38. The first concern involves southbound vehicles on Johnny Cake Ridge Road attempting to mal<e a left-hand turn into the Falcon Ridge School parking lot. School staff has reported difficulty making the turn due to the heavy traffic volumes. There have not been recorded accidents at that location. The second concern involves pedestrians crossing Johnny Cake Ridge Road south of the intersection with County Road 38. The School buses children who live on the west side of Johnny Cake Ridge Road. However, some children still choose to walk to school and cross Johnny Cake Ridge Road. Falcon Ridge School is interested in possibly obtaining Safe Route to � • � . • TSAC Meeting Minutes November 8, 2006 Page 3 � School Funding to provide a safe crossing. As a result, Mr. Sohrweide proposed to conduct a study of the pedestrian delay to determine if there is a crossing issue. The third concern involves the crosswalk on the east side of Johnny Cake Ridge Road as it crosses the intersection with County Road 38. The concern is that the crosswalk is very close to the right northbound driving lane. The edge of the crosswalk bows toward\the center of the intersection by approximately three feet from the extended curb line. The crosswalk area could be relocated approximately three feet to the east to line up with the pathway. This would create approximately six feet distance between the crosswalk and the driving lane. Due to the temperatures at this time of year, the painting would not be done this year, but Mr. Heuer said he expects to address it next year. He said the planned change would expand the "zebra" striping and create a stop bar that runs parallel to the drive lane. Mr. Asleson expressed concern about the crossing study. He noted that he did not want to encourage students to walk and cross the street if the School's policy was to bus them for safety reasons. He was not sure of the benefit of the pedestrian gap study if policy was to encourage students to use the bus. Mr. Heuer noted that pedestrians might also cross the street to use the nearby City park or the School facilities after school hours when bussing is not available. Mr. Heuer said that if the study does not reveal a safety issue, then no action would be tal<en. If a safety issue is discovered, then he would examine options to improve the safety of the area. Mr. Asleson expressed concern that if no safety issues were found, the roadway is still very busy and a pedestrian accident in the future is possible when not crossing at the signalized intersection with County Road 38. Mr. Asleson also expressed concern over the expense of an improvement if a safety issues was identi�ed. Mr. Heuer said there is a grant available that could cover potentially identified improvements. Mr. Asleson asked what types of improvements might be recommended if an issue is identified. Mr. Sohrweide said the proposed study would determine if a problem exists and the degree of improvement that would be necessary to address that problem. Potential improvements could be in a wide range possibly including a marked crosswalk, signage, establishment of a school speed limit with flashing lights, a median installation, or a signalized intersection. Mr. Marben expressed concern that given the wide stretch of roadway witlzout traffic controls between 140`�' Street and County Road 38, a marked crosswalk alone may not be effective at this location. Mr. Asleson asked if a pedestrian underpass was a possibility. Mr. Heuer said an underpass?would be difficult due to drainage patterns on the adjoining properties. Mr. Marben noted a median is used in a similar situation near Greenleaf Elementary SchooL Mr. Heuer said he would like to conduct the study to determine if there is an issue. If an issue is identified, he would then approach the Committee about possible solutions and the grant application. Mr. Sohrweide noted that the School would need to be a party in the grant � application, but that if a safety issue is identified, the improvement would benefit all pedestrians crossing, including those crossing for non-school functions. Mr. Asleson expressed concern over any crossing that was not at the signalized intersection,but supported the study. MOTION: Mr. Grawe moved, second by Mr. Asleson, to table the issue until the proposed study was completed. Motion passed 6—0. � + . TSAC Meeting Minutes . . November 8, 2006 Page 4 8. Other Traffic Concerns Communicated to the Citv a) Police Concerns—Mr. Marben distributed a copy of an article on State Patrol traffic stops and citations issued. The article noted that approximately 38 percent of the stops in the studied time period resulted in citations. Mr. Marben said that there is a similar roughly three-to-one ratio of traffic stops to citations issued for the Apple Valley Police Department. He explained that increased enforcement activity should result in a reduction in traffic accidents. Mr. Marben distributed a sheet on Apple Valley traffic statistics showing a reduction in the number of personal injury crashes, but an increase in the number of crashes with property damage. The number of arrests for Driving Under the Influence was up significantly. He noted that this may be due to increased commercial development that creates more drinking establishments in the area. He also distributed a sheet on the Dakota County Traffic Safety Project Totals. Multi�le law enforcement agencies within Dakota County pooled their resources and focused on primary traffic corridors for this project. Mr. Asleson suggested the Police Department could hold a demonstration on the number of drinks and the impainnent impacts that could be publicized with the local media. b) Public Works Concerns—Mr. Heuer said he received a concern regarding the intersection of Johnny Cake Ridge Road and 142nd Street near Scott Highlands Middle School. The specific complaint was that the stop signs on Johnny Cake might be concealed when a large truck is in the right traffic lane, potentially leading to drivers running through the stop sign. Mr. Heuer noted that the signs at the intersection are oversized and are posted on both the left and right sides of the roadway, so at least one sign should be visible to drivers even if a vehicle was blocking the view through the other traffic lane. He said that the stop bar was missing, so he was scheduled to have that element added to the intersection. Mr. Heuer also noted that the signs were implemented to correct a problem with frequent crashes and the data indicates that the installation of signs has been successful in achieving that correction. Mr. Heuer said he received a request for speed humps on Redwood Drive. He said he does not support or recommend the use of speed humps due to the negative impacts on emergency vehicles. Mr. Marben noted that the average speeds on that section of roadway are cu�ently below 30 miles per hour. c) Other Concerns — Mr. Zimmerman asked the stahis of the reconvnended parking prohibitions along the west side of Lowell Drive between Ramsdell Drive and Baldwin Drive. Mr. Heuer said the recommendation was approved by the City Council on consent. Mr. Zimmerman asked about results from recent traffic counts along Garden View Drive. Mr. Heuer said counts were conducted, but part of the time overlapped with the Minnesota Education Association conferences when school was not in session, so he plans to conduct new counts. Mr. Zimmerman asked if there had been any recent speed studies on Garden View Drive. Mr. Heuer said the driver information signs had not • . • • TSAC Meeting Minutes November 8, 2006 Page 5 revealed any significant change in the speed pattern, but acknowledged that no radar studies had been done recently. Mr. Ziinmerman asked about the Parks and Recreation meeting regarding the area around Ridge View Drive and Walnut Drive. Mr. Heuer said the discussion centered on activity in the park. He noted that the Public Works Departinent conducted traffic counts and found an average speed of around 25 miles per hour. Mr. Heuer said counts were taken in'April and September, but the Council has now requested new counts during the season fi-om May to August to gauge impacts from park users. 9. Education Issues There were no new educational issues. 10. Ad:o� iirn MOTION: Mr. Eriksen moved, second by Mr. MarUen, to adjourn. Motion passed 6 — 0. Meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m.