Memo- Update on County Road 73 and 5 Task Force
I Office of the City Manager J
. Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Steven C. Mielke, City Manager ~
Date: November 6, 1998
Subject: Update on County Road 73 and 5 Task Force
The task force is nearly complete in its efforts to recommend action to the City Council
concerning the intersection of County Roads 73 and 5. The task force has been
meeting for the past several months in an attempt to provide a recommendation to the
City Council on potential redevelopment of this intersection and the areas surrounding
it.
I am please to report that the task force will be recommending changes that will provide
significant improvements to the area, especially in the area of pedestrian and bicycle
safety.
. Attached are copies of the guiding principles and the goals the task force is attempting
to answer. We have also received excellent work from Biko Associates, who have
assisted in the drafting of various scenarios for intersection improvements. Those plans
will be presented to the Council at the work session, since they are not complete and
ready for duplication at this time.
The task force representatives from the Bellgrove Association will be meeting prior to
Thanksgiving to review the work of the task force within the Bellgrove neighborhood. It
is also anticipated that a formal discussion of the task force recommendations will be
made at the December work session, along with the scheduling of an open house for
the community to review and comment on the proposed plans.
Council member Hesch and Mayor Redepenning have been actively involved in the
task force efforts, as well as representatives from the neighborhood and the remainder
of the community. This task force has made great strides in addressing the
neighborhoods concerns, as well as that of the greater community. It is hopeful that
these recommendations will be adopted, not only by the Council, but also by the City of
Minnetonka and Hennepin County. The plans. which you will see on November 10, are
a departure from standard intersection design, but are based upon sound engineering
principals and we believe, should receive a favorable review when presented to other
bodies. If these proposals can be adopted by other governmental agencies. this
intersection, which has been a site of controversy for decades, may finally be put to
. rest.
Ma yorccupda tecord 73
-------
. 73 & 5
Philosophy/Vision Statement
To develop a system of transportation alternatives that
accommodates vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles in a way that is
safe, efficient and effective in the movement of traffic while
enhancing the residential nature of the area.
.
. July I, 1991i
-- - -..--.-.--.-. -..
. 73 & 5
Issues to Address
1. Safety:
. Pedestrian
. Vehicular
. Bicyclist
. Resident Homesteads
2. Roadway Speeds:
· Co. 73
. Co. 5
3. Access Points to County Roads
e 4. Roadway Design/Ge0111etrics
5. Traffic Volumes~
. Increase/decrease
. 73 VS. 5
6. Property lIllpacts (land, trees, setbacks, etc.).
7. Funding of changes.
8. D0111ino affects along roadways.
. Widening, etc.
9. Jurisdictional issues~
. County
. Minnetonka
. July I, 1998
- -- - --- . - - -
. 73 & 5
Goals Statements
Neighborhood Goals:
. To eliminate neighborhood through-traffic.
. To make crossing the 73 & 5 intersection and Minnetonka Boulevard
safer for pedestrianslbicyclists.
. To improve the Aesthetics of the 73 & 5 intersection.
. To avoid neighborhood vs. neighborhood conflicts.
Traffic Goals:
. To decrease traffic volumes.
. Safer movements at intersections;
1. Pedestrian
. 2. Bicyclist
3. Vehicles
. Decrease speeds.
. Improve "level of service" to vehicles w/o increasing volumes or speeds.
. Correct the "confusion" of traffic movements at 73 & 5 intersection.
. To contain frequency and severity of accidents.
. To provide better access to roads by neighborhood residents.
. Improve visibility.
. To gain suppOli for Hopkins' "position" from other jurisdictions.
. To minimize Hopkins' costs.
. To minimize negative propeliy impacts.
Community Goals:
. To reduce the "stress" of moving through the intersection.
. To educate the community on the reasons for the Hopkins
position/actions.
. To support transportation needs w/o sacrificing the neighborhood.
e July 1. 1998
---------....