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CR 2004-042 Traffic Control Request r . ( '\ T Y 0 \ ",~, -, I C F, ,I I March 3, 2004 . ~ . Council Report 2004-042 HOPKINS . TRAFFIC CONTROL REQUEST ..19THAVENUENORTH/4THSTREETNORTII ' Proposed Action Staff recommends the following motion: '~Movetha:t Council approve staff's recomm~ndationto prohibit ' parking at the comer of 19th Avenue North and 4th Street North:' " . ., . , Overview At the October ,13,1998 City Council meeting, the Hopkins City Council approved staff's recommendation to install turn signs with advisory speed plates at the comer ,of 19th Avenue North and 4th Street North. A request has been made by the resident at 325 - 19th Avenue North that this recommendation be .revisited and further'.requests that ,a stop sign be installed at this intersection. A formal traffic study has not been prepared, . based on the research conducted in 1998 and the recent review ofthe circUl11sta~ces performed by city staff, sufficient information is available for the City Council to act, on this recommendation. ' Council may authorize a more detailed study, per Legislative policy 8A, if deemed necessary. ' ' , ' , PrimarvIssues to Consider . · Changes inthe neighborhoodsinee 1998 ." Stop Sign Warrants · Recommendations' ,Supportine: Information , . , · Council Report '98-1 68 , . Excerpt from the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control. · Map of area showing proposed area to restrict parking ., ~~ Jo .'. AodersonP:K Assistant City Engineer . FinanciaHmpact:. Budgeted: YIN . Source: Related Documents (CIP, ERP, etc.): Notes: , . i' Council Report 2004-42 Page 2 . Analvsis of Issues . Changes in the neighborhood since 1998 The Elder Homestead expanded its facility in 1999. The impact on traffic from this expansion was, projected to be minimal due to the limited number of residents who own cars. The largest impact to traffic appears to be on-street parking forthose attending meetings, which are currently being held at the facility three days a week, Tuesday'- Thursday from 7:00 am -:-9:00 am., Therehas been no parking in the Hilltop Park parking, lot. Staff is working' with the "resident director at the Elder Homestead and, potentially, the City, of Minnetonka to ,alleviate' this situation. Staff will present findings and a recommendation for action atthe March 16 City Council Meeting. . Stop Sign Warrants : , ' The Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control ,Devices (MMUTCD) lists fou:r~arrants fO,r placement of stop signs. A stop sign is warranted if any ofthe following conditions exist: 1. Intersection of a less important road with a main road where application of the normal right of way rule would not be expected to provide reasonable safe operation; . 2. Street entering a through highway or street; 3. Unsignalizedintersection in a signalized area; and! or 4. High Speeds, Restricted view, or crash records that indicate a needfor control by the Stop sign The manual goes on to give guidance that stop signs shouldnotbe usedJor speed control. The background submitted by the resident at 325 - 19th Ave. N. is that the following conditions exist: 1. During'the times of 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM cars are parked on both sides of 4th Street North and sometimes 19th Ave. N. as well as around the intersection. Drivers traveling through the intersection cannot see approaching vehicles due to parked cars 'and the house located at the southwest comer of the intersection. ' '2~ Vehicles travel through the interseetionand neighborhood at high speeds 3. Vehicles often have to drive in the center of the roadway to negotiate the curve at the intersection because cars are parked around the intersection 4. A lot of reckless driving is occurring in the neighborhood 5. A recent crash occurred at the intersection, which could have been prevented by a stop condition at the intersection. ' , ' Based on this anecdotal information the resi<ient would like to see a stop sign installed at the intersection pursuant to warrant number four listed above. Staff has visited the site and spoken with the director of the Elder Homestead facility; No new traffic counts have been performed at this point' . nor has a revised formal traffic study been performed. .. , . Council Report 2004-42 Page 3 . In analyzing the backgreund infermatien previdedby the resident aleng with our ebservatiens atthe site, we offer the fellewing ebservatiens en each as they relate to. warrant number feur: ' " 1. Ifparking were restrict~d attheintersectien this weuld alleviate ebstructiens to. drivers view and while theheuse en'thecemerdoes restrict view it does net fall within the visientriangleneeded ' fer traffic to safelynego.tiatethe co.mer. .' 2. Vehicle speed was net reco.rded to. be excessive in 1998 when the area was studied. There certainly may be a.few speeders, which c1eudtheperceptien that speeding is apreblem. The Minileseta Manual o.n Unifo.rm TrafficCentrolDevices is very specific in peintingoutthat sto.P signs are net to. be used as speed co.ntrol. 'Placement ef step signs are net recemmended as speed centrel because that is net their intended use and they are no.t effective in this ro.le. . ' , ,', 3. Ifparking were restricted at theinterseetion this weuldalleviate the need fer drivers to drive in the center ef the ro.adway at the intersectien. " 4. Step signs do. no.tprevent reckless driving and if someene cheeses to. ignere traffic laws then that persen is 'likely to. igno.re the step sigri.' ,If stop' signs were installed on either er bpth'legs o.f this, ,intersectio.n andlaw abiding mo.to.rist o.r pedestrian are relying en ethers to. ebeythese co.ntro.ls the, " ' intersecHo.n becomes mere' dangerous when reckless driving by o.thers o.ccurs. " \ " .. 5. The recent crash at the intersectio.n appears to. be the result o.f reckless driving and mest likely . Wo.uld no.t have, been prevented by it sto.P sign. Po.licerecords indicate this is the only accident at this Io.catien in the past 3 years. ,'.' Recommendations Staffrecemmends prehibiting parking at the intersectio.no.f19th Avenue No.rthand 4th Street Nerthas ". detailed in the attached sketch. Parkingo.n the nerthimd east side would be pro.hibitedwithin 30 feet o.f the east driveway entrance to the Elder Ho.mestead.Parking o.n the seuth ahd' west side Wo.uld be prohibited 30 feet seuth and west ofends'efthe curb radius. .