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CR 2000-147 Approve South Hopkins Traffic Control 1 y 0 ~ \ (, ,(- m /~7 1- '" August 31, 2000 0 P K \ " Council Report 2000-48- . Approve South Hopkins Traffic Control Proposed Action. Staff recommends adoption of the following motion: Move that Council approve re- striping of 11th Avenue South to four lanes from iust north of 6th Street South to iust south of 7th Street South. Overview. The City's traffic engineering consultant has recommended that in order to improve the capacity of 11th Avenue South it be re-striped to four lanes in the 600 block. This recommendation was included in the traffic study for the SuperValu perishable warehouse expansion project. The re-striping was recommended because it would improve the 11 th A venue/6th Street intersection level of service (average vehicle delay time, A = best, F= unacceptable) from the current "E" level to an expected level of "C". By increasing the 11th A venue vehicle capacity we may also help reduce the neighborhood cut-through traffic problem in south Hopkins. Primary Issues to Consider. e . What has been the neighborhood input? . Impacts of the re-striping . 11th Avenue South business & property owner input. . Schedule and funding Supportina Information . Benshoof (SuperValu) Traffic report excerpts . Diagram showing present and proposed changes .~.. Steven 1. Stadler Public Works Director Financial Impact: $ ~ Budgeted: _ nf a Source: J!ffi Related Documents (CIP, ERP, etc.): Notes: Re-striping costs will be paid by SuperValu per the CUP conditions . ,,- " . Council Report 2000-147 Page 2 Analvsis of Issues . What has been the neighborhood input? Police Chief Craig Reid and Public Works Director Steve Stadler held a public meeting regarding the south Hopkins neighborhood cut-through traffic problem on August 9. Twelve residents attended the meeting. Staff presented the factors that cause and influence the traffic problem and discussed several options to address the issue. The consensus of the group was to wait on further action until after the 6th Avenue closure. The residents agreed with the proposed 11th Avenue South striping changes. . Impacts of the striping change The re-striping will create two through lanes in each direction. By so doing, the existing parking on the west side of 11th Avenue north of 7th Street must be removed. This parking change will have negligible impact as vehicles rarely park in this area, Another impact will be the improved level of service at the 6th and 7th Street intersections. . . 11th Avenue South business and property owner input Staff spoke with Mr. Jim Tholen and Mr. Richard Gay, owners of the buildings along the west side of 11 th A venue between 6th and 7th Streets. Both owners were not in favor of the proposed 11th Avenue changes. While neither felt that parking was an issue, they were concerned about facilitating more traffic on 11 tit Avenue. Mr. Gay was concerned about being able to safely use the driveway access for his buildings with a four lane road. It is true that right turning vehicles, and certainly trucks, will have to turn outside the right lane to enter the building parking areas without having rear wheels hit the curb. This is not an unusual situation on four lane roads with narrow driveway access. The southernmost building parking area has rear access from ill Street South. In addition, this section of 11th Avenue is scheduled for improvements in 2002, At that time, the owners could have access improved by widening the driveway aprons. . Schedule and funding The signage and striping would be done this month, The cost of the striping and signage, which shouldn't exceed $1,500, will be reimbursed by SuperValu, per the CUP conditions. . ------ .------ . ANALYSES In order to effectively analyze all traffic impacts of the proposed SuperValu perishable warehouse expansion and the possible closure of 6th Avenue between 3rd Street and 5th Street, we have carefully analyzed each of the issues identified earlier in this report. The analyses are addressed in the following order: I . Impacts on 11th Avenue . Effects Caused by Through Traffic Using Neighborhood Streets . Truck Traffic Impacts on Neighborhoods I . Emergency Vehicle Access for Neighborhoods . Convenience of Access for Neighborhoods . PedestrianlBicycle Access for Neighborhoods I . Traffic Volumes and Speed Impacts on 5th Street for Nearby Homes ;; . Safety and Other Traffic Impacts at the 6th Street/10th Avenue Intersection . Impacts on 5th Avenue at Excelsior Boulevard and 3rd Street . Impacts on 3rd Street, Washington Avenue, and Milwaukee Avenue IMPACTS ON Urn AVENUE . 11th Avenue was examined from the railroad bridge to the intersection with 7tJ-. Street. I Under the railroad bridge, the piers limit the width of 11 th Avenue. Currently, the road ] has a 38 foot width, providing two northbound lanes and one southbound lane oftraveI. These geometries are sufficient to handle the existing volume on 11 th Avenue and are expected to continue to provide adequate operation for future volumes on 11 th Avenue. r I , f The three intersections in this area with 11th Avenue were analyzed to determine the t I; effects of the proposed expansion, with and without the 6th Avenue closure, on traffic ~ I: operations. In order to better understand how each intersection operates from an overall i traffic capacity standpoint, a capacity analysis was performed using the methodology I presented in the Highway Capacity Manual. Capacity analysis results are presented in . r , ! terms of level of service, which ranges from A to F. Each letter grade represents a I: specific range of traffic operation based upon the average delay experience by a vehicle. Level of service A represents the best intersection operation, with very little delay for i, each vehicle using the intersection. Level of service F represents the worst intersection r~ operation, with excessive delay and large queue lengths. A level of service D or better is !i usually considered acceptable. , II I i . , , , ' City of Hopkins -23. Traffic Study for SuperVa1u Warehouse Expansion ~. 11th Avenue and the SuperValu Perishable Warehouse Truck Access The intersection of 11th Avenue with the SuperValu Perishable Warehouse Truck Access - was analyzed during the a.m, peak hour to determine to the existing and expected post- development levels of service. The p.m. peak hour was not examined since there are significantly fewer trucks using this access at that time. It is important to note westbound vehicles exiting on this driveway are prohibited from turning south onto 11 th Avenue, Under existing conditions, all movements in the intersection are operating at a level of -- service B or better. Under 2005 post-development conditions with 6th Avenue open, there is little change in volumes and all movements in the intersection are expected to continue to operate at a level of service B or better. Under 2005 post-development conditions with 6th Avenue closed, all movements are expected to operate at a level of service C or better during the a.m. peak hour. -- During collection of the turn movement counts, observations were also made of the operation of southbound traffic. It was noted that when a southbound semi-truck was attempting to turn left, one of two options would occur. Vehicles would either pass the semi-truck on the right, making use of the wide lane and shoulder, or a small queue would form behind the truck. It was further noted that the occurrence of a queue was rare. On a daily basis, the total conflicts between trucks using the perishable warehouse i ~ truck access and vehicles on 11 th A venue would be about the same if 6th A venue remains open. As discussed previously, this is due to the operation changes that have reduced ,,'. SuperValu trucks using this access that balance the increase in trucks due to the warehouse expansion. If 6th Avenue is closed, total conflicts would be slightly higher due to the increase in volumes on 11th A venue. In either case, we would not expect queuing or safety problems to arise at this access drive. However, given the limited ~ width of 11th Avenue under the railroad bridge and the potential seriousness if problems were to arise, we would recommend a contingency plan be established by City staff and SuperValu representatives. The principal feature oftrus plan would be commitments by SuperValu to develop and implement satisfactory mitigation measures, subject to approval by the City, if problems arise. -.- ,- Finally, we examined the existing width and corner radii of the perishable warehouse access road and found them to be adequate. ,-- Intersections of 6th Street and 7th Street with 11th Avenue These intersections were analyzed to determine the impact of the proposed SuperValu I ~ ':"-:1 expansion on traffic operations. Table 3 shows the level of service results for these intersections during both peak hours and under existing and post-development conditions with or without 6th Avenue open. This table shows the average level of service for the ~ entire intersection, encompassing all approaches, and the level of service for the worst individual movement, such as a left turn movement. .. , ~ . - -- City of Hopkins -24- Traffic Study for SuperValu Warehouse Expansion .::~ TAllLE3 . EXISTING AND 2005 POST-DEVELOPMENT LEVEL OF SERVICE RESULTS FOR THE INTERSECTIONS OF nTH AVENUE WITH 6TH AND 7TH STREETS AJv1 Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Worst Individual Intersection Worst Individual Intersection Intersection - Scenario Movement Average Movement Average 11th Avenue & 6th Street Existing D C F E 2005 Post-Dev - 6th Ave Open D C F E 2005 Post-Dev - 6th Ave Closed F D F F 11 th Avenue & 7th Street ~~M C C F F 2005 Post-Dev - 6th Ave Open C C F F 2005 Post-Dev - 6th Ave Closed C C F F Upon determination of the level of service difficulties, the post-development traffic ~ volumes were compared to the peak hour signal warrant volume thresholds as a possible mitigation option. The peak hour signal warrant compares the major street and minor c_ street volumes with a set volume level, which is based on the number of approach lanes ,;;.= provided. If the volume level is met, a signal may "be considered for the intersection. In this case, the peak hour signal warrant was not met for either intersection during the ~ . weekday a.m, or p.m. peak hours with or without 6th Avenue open. As a second mitigation option, the existing geometries were examined at both intersections. As mentioned earlier, 11th Avenue has a 38 foot width under the railroad bridge. Just south of the railroad bridge, 11th Avenue tapers to a 48 foot width. This width continues through the intersection with 6th Street. South of 6th Street, 11 th Avenue decreases to 44 feet in width and continues through the intersection with 7th Street. With these widths, we recommend re-striping 11th Avenue to provide two through lanes for both the northbound and southbound directions. The current roadway widths would support this change from just north of the 11 th Avenue/6th Street intersection to just south ~;:" of the nth Avenuel7th Street intersection, Parking would need to be restricted on both .-;;., sides of 11th Avenue through this segment. Figure 13 shows the existing and proposed ;i,~ conditions fo~ 11th Avenue from the railroad ?ridge to)ust .south q~the inte~section ~ith ~;~ 7th Street. With the recommended two lanes In each dIrectIOn, the mtersectlOn of 11 ",; Avenue and 6th Street would accommodate either 2005 post-development volumes at a level of service B, with all individual movements expected to operate at a level of service C or better during the a.m. peak hour. During the p.m. peak: hour, this intersection would be expected to operate at a level of service C, with all individual movements also operating at a level of service C or better, under either 2005 post-development scenario. The intersection of 11 th Avenue and 7'11 Street would be expected to operate at a level of service B, with all individual movements at a level of service B or better, during the a.m. peak hour with the new additional traffic lanes and either 2005 post-development . volumes, During the p_m. peak hour, this intersection would be expected to operate at a level of service C, with all individual movements at a level of service C or better, under either 2005 post-development volumes. City of Hopkins -25- Traffic Study for SuperValu Warehouse Expansion --- -- - N EXISTING LANES AND PARKING t PROPOSED LANES AND PARKING RESTRICTIONS RESTRICTIONS -. NOT TO SCALE - ~ SUPERVALU ~ SUPERVAlU ~ DRIVEWAY DRIVEWAY - ~ ~ NO PARKING it it CORNER TO HERE ~ ,1'_...... 6TH ST ,- ~ F - ,r RIGHT LANE MUST TURN RIGHT NO PARKING THIS SIDE 1i ~ w OF SIGN ::> z .. !lii ~ ::> z w I- ~ :r: l- T'" T'" ~ 7TH ST .-<.; 3~r- -' r ~ r ~r ~ TRAFFIC STUDY FOR FIGURE 13 CITY OF HOPKINS SUPERVALU EXISTING AND PROPOSED . PERISHABLES LANES AND PARKING W BENSHOOF & ASSOCIATES, INC. WAREHOUSE RESTRICTIONS FOR 11th TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS EXPANSION AVENUE It... ~It... ~~ ~ --.--.-------- , I~ ;. .~. ,~,f~ .~~ \ ~ ~~i~1V~~~ . L,O'a.:, ;'-<{ ;u,1.- ''''1/''''~ "t1~ ~./J'~~' " . I I- . '- -~ -------- ----- :> -I -- .-/ 891.1 ,j''- 0 x89O.9 x 889,8 890 . , , ~.- -S... S I -t-- , 91.500 + E 492,000 + E 492,500