Memo- Excelsior Boulevard Phrase ll Reconstruction Issues
e Public Works Department
Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Steven J. Stadler, Public Works Director (~)
Date: April 9, 1999
Subject: Excelsior Boulevard, Phase /I Reconstruction Issues
Staff has been working with Hennepin County on two issues regarding the subject
project. They are: 1) providing a new full access to a future Blake School 120 car
parking lot, and 2) obtaining County staff approval for a future north-south connector
linking Jackson Avenue on the north to Milwaukee Street on the south with a full
access signalized intersection at Excelsior Boulevard. Unfortunately, we have not
. reached agreement on either issue. The attached April 6, 1999 letter sumarizes
County staff position on proposals presented to them at a March 30th meeting and
requests County staff feedback on a three new alternatives.
At the worksession staff would like to brief Council on these two issues and discuss
with City Council the additional alternatives included in the attached April 6 letter.
These alternatives are shown as figures 3,4 and 6.
.
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cz-fopkins Public Works Departnzent
11100 Excelsior CJ31vd. . 'lfopkins, c:Jv[N 55343-3435 . Phone: 612-939-1382 . 'fax: 612-939-1381
.
April 6, 1999
Hennepin County
Transportation Department
1600 Prairie Drive
Medina, MN 55340-5421
Attn: Jim Grube. P.E.
Dear Mr. Grube:
Re: Hopkins Excelsior Boulevard Reconstruction, Phase 11
I appreciated being able to meet with you and your staff on March 30th to present some
optional roadway layouts for your consideration and comment. The input Jim Benshoof
and I received at the meeting was valuable. In this letter I'd like to summarize what I
understand to be your position on the layouts we presented at the meeting, respond to
your question regarding extending Tyler Avenue to the north and. finally, request
feedback on additional layouts. I was pleasantly surprised with your offer to review our
e goals along this segment of Excelsior Blvd and try to come up with other possible
options to consider. I hope that this additional information is useful in this effort.
This reconstruction project will improve pedestrian and vehicular movement and safety
and improve property setbacks and corridor appearance. The city has wo additional
goals for the project.
City Goal 1 : Design this segment such that a future full-movement intersection can be
provided to service the area of the city north of Excelsior Blvd beween Highway 169
and Tyler Avenue and also provide a better north-south link for SuperValu truck traffic.
City Goal 2: Provide safe access for Blake School students from Excelsior Boulevard
to a new proposed 120-car parking lot on Blake School property.
Regardin~ City Goal 1: The following are descriptions of layouts presented at the
March 30t meeting and a summary of Hennepin County comments.
Lavout Description: Figure 1, attached, is a north-south connector with a full-movement
75 degree intesection.
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cAn Equal Opportunity Employer
. Hennepin County position/comments: County staff expressed major difficulties with this
proposal. The intersection is within 200' of the Excelsior Blvd railroad grade crossing
and would require a complicated railroad preemption system. As such, it would be
extremely difficult to ensure the safety of vehicles using this intersection. This problem
is compounded due to very high projected left turn movements from eastbound CSAH 3
to northbound Jackson Avenue.
Layout Description: Figure 2, attached, is a similar north-south connector except the
existing St Louis Street (skewed intersection with Excelsior Blvd) would remain in order
to cut down on the high left turn counts described above and provide more direct access
to westbound CSAH 3.
Hennepin County position/comments: County staff also stated strong reservations with
this proposal for the same basic reasons as mentioned above. Although the left turn
projections would be reduced by maintaining the St Louis Street connection to Excelsior
Blvd, there would still be severe problems due to the close proximity to the railroad
grade crossing.
I would request your consideration and comments on two additional proposals for a
north-south connector to meet City Goal 1. The first is shown conceptually on the
attached figure 3. This is a north-south connector with a Jackson Avenue alignment. At
our March 30th meeting it seemed as though you would support this proposal as it shifts
e the intersection such that it is more than 200' from the railroad crossing. From the city's
standpoint this proposal is less desirable as it would require the taking of at least two
single-family properties south of Excelsior Blvd.
The second proposal is the attached figure 4 - this layout originally appeared in the
city's 1995 Excelsior Blvd corridor study. This proposal centers the existing railroad
grade crossing on the intersection.
Regarding City Goal 2 (to provide safe access for Blake School students to a future
parking lot) the following are descriptions of layouts presented at the March 30th . ,
meeting and a summary of Hennepin County comments.
Layout Description: Figure 5, attached, would open the raised center median at the
Tyler Avenue alignment in order to provide full access to the future Blake School
parking lot to the south.
Hennepin County position/comments: County staff expressed opposition to this
proposal. The comments centered on unacceptably close spacing of the adjacent
intersections and the resulting very shori (80' maximum) left turn lanes. There was
concern that during the peak traffic periods there would be a risk of left-turn queued
vehicles extending out into the through lane.
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. Lavout Description: Figure 6, attached, would provide a right-in/right-out only access at
Tyler Avenue to the south and would provide full movement access to a Blake School
access road via Harrison Avenue. The city presented this proposal for County
consideration after is became obvious that the previous layout option would not be
approved.
Hennepin County position/comments: County staff appeared more amenable to this
proposal. There was a point raised about the possible need for a right turn lane.
I would request that you further consider this proposal for Blake School access (Figure
6) and let me know if you would approve this additional limited access at Tyler Avenue.
You brought up the possibility of extending Tyler Avenue to the north. The thought
being that this would improve the opportunity to create a safe, full-movement
intersection, perhaps signalized, at Tyler and perhaps eliminate the need for the north-
south connector at Jackson Avenue to the west. The city is not interested in this option
as it contributes minimally to meeting City Goal 1 and there would still be a problem with
the distance to Harrison Avenue. We must maintain a full intersection at Harrison
Avenue.
Again, I appreciate your willingness to work with the City on these issues. I would be
very willing to meet again with you and Hennepin County staff, if you'd like. Please
e don't hesitate to give me a call at 939-1338 if you have any questions. I look forward to
hearing from you.
Steven J. Stadler
Public Works Director
Ene.
Cc: Craig Twinem
Bruce Polaczyk
Jerry Smrka
Tom Johnson
Luther Nelson
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