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Engineer & Police Report- Re: "No Parking" Signs W side of 18th Ave NPROPOSED "NO PARKING" ON 18TH AVENUE NORTH The City Council received a petition from residents on the west side of the 300 block on 18th Avenue North to post the west side of this block for "NO PARKING The request was referred to the Police and Engineering Depart- ments for their study and report. The curb to curb width of this street in the 300 block is 33 feet. This width permits, under favorable conditions, parking of passenger cars on both sides and one moving lane in each direction. This condition is workable because of the low volumes of traffic, mainly due to the fact that the street is a dead -end at the north end (former Chicago NW RR R /W). With higher volumes of traffic on a residential street, 36 feet is a minimum 44 feet being desireable such as State Aid streets. However, as snow conditions take over, all streets tend to decrease in width. This is partly due to the inability of plows to always get the snow plowed curb to curb. Also drivers tend to park their cars further from the curb because the snow banks make it difficult to open doors on the passenger side. The result can be that a street becomes too narrow and the width avail- able is not enough for two cars to meet and pass. If cars are parked solid on both sides one car must either find a driveway to give additional width, or backup to Third Street. The attached sketch shows the approximate placement of homes and garages in the block. There is an alley for access to properties on the east side but the west side does not have an alley so all access except for house #300 is by driveways off 18th. There are four double bungalows on the east side and one double bungalow on the west side. The houses on the west side have driveways which permit parking of several cars because of the length of the driveways along the houses. The main off street parking for the east side is off the alley, but this is somewhat restricted for the doubles because the garages are so oriented that space must be provided in front of the doors to permit cars to enter and exit the garages. The commercial building and the fence on the east side of the alley is on the property line which further restricts the ability to use this parking space and probably discourage the use of the off street parking in favor of on street on 18th. From the standpoint of the Public Works Department, the posting of one side of any street is desireable and permits easer access for sweeping and garbage removal (the west side of the street requires front pickup because of the non -alley condition). Emergency vehicles would have easier access, especi- ally during snow conditions. There are no sidewalks on either side of the street which requires pedestrian use of the street also. CONCLUSIONS There is a high demand for on- street parking in this block. The dead end situation further complicates the situation. With cars parked on both sides, it makes the entrance and exit from driveways more difficult. If the parking is removed from one side of the street, there is probably insufficient parking off street, especially when non- resident parking,such as visitors,also is re- quired. The "No Parking" would force the use of Third Street or other nearby streets in the area for the parking needs. If the parking is to be prohibited, one alternative would be to limit this restriction to the months from November thru March for a trial period. This appears to be the time when the problem is the greatest and would permit parking on both sides during non -snow months. Letters have been sent to every home in the block requesting comments or attendance at the meeting of November 16, 1982. The Police Department has prepared a report and comments. Respectfully submitted, John J. Strojan City Engineer 11 -12 -82 ”vRict 1010 FIRST STREET SOUTH HOPKINS, MINNESOTA 55343 612/935 -8474 MEMORANDUM CITY OF HOPKINS DATE: November 12, 1982 TO: Bill Craig, City Manager FROM: Butch LaBerge, Police Supt. SUBJECT TRANSMITTAL STAFF STUDY ON "NO PARKING, 18th AVE. N." Sgt. Cal Johnson's recommendations in this matter, adequately represent the opinion of the Police Department. November 4, 1982 TO: Ovide L. LaBerge, Supt. of Police 0 FROM: Calvin C. Johnson; Traffic Sgt. SUBJECT: Petition from residents of the west side of 18th Avenue North, 300 block, to erect No Parking signs. (See copy at rear) 1. PROBLEM Attempt to determine if there is a need for a No Parking zone on the west side of 18th Avenue North in the 300 block. II. ASSUMPTIONS A. There was 90 inches of snow over the winter of 1981 -82. It may be fifty years before we have that much snow again. B. The petitioners refer to snow in two of the four items mentioned on their petition. We can assume, apparently, that the major portion of the problem, as the petitioners see it, is when snow is on the ground. III. FACTS BEARING ON THE PROBLEM A. There are eight dwelling units on the west side of 18th Avenue North in the 300 block. One of these buildings is a double bungalow, #332 324. The other six buildings are single family hones. B. There are twelve dwelling bits an the east side of 18th Avenue North in the 300 block. Four of these are double bungalows. The four doubles are 319 321, 325 327, 331 333, and 335 337. The other four units on the east side are single dwelling units. C. There is no alley to the rear of the dwelling units on the west side of 18th Avenue North in the 300 block. This is the side of the street the petitioners live on. D. There is an alley to the rear of the dwelling bits on the east side of 18th Avenue North in the 300 block. E. The first petitioners on the list, Mr. Mrs. Engelkes, live at 336 18th Avenue North. Their house is directly west of the four double bungalows on the east side of the street. F. 18th Avenue North is 33 feet wide in the 300 block. G. No vehicle, including fire trucks and ambulances, can be more than eight feet wide, according to state law. H. With two vehicles parked at the curb (each vehicle eight feet wide) equalling sixteen feet, there should be seventeen feet of road left open to the use of any vehicle that desires to travel there. Page 2 I. With snow at the curb and piled, plowed, or blown into the street, the width open to the public for parking and driving will be reduced, of course. J. Cliff Robinson, Street Sanitation Superintendent, told me that the plows usually plow in the 300 block of 18th Avenue North between 0 80 0 and 1200. K. 18th Avenue North dead ends in the 300 block; this may hinder plowing it properly. DISCUSSION A. I had a personal conversation with Mr. 19 82 His comments were: Englekes at his home on October 30, curb because the plow does not get 1. "Cars are parked too far from cm the the snow away from the curb.' 2. "The people from the doubles across the street cause the problem, many of than have two cars and won't use their alley ways or shovel out a spot adjacent to their alleys 3. "A lot of the people from across the street, park on the west side." B. I talked with Street Superintendent Cliff Robinson about this, and he said, "The plows got through. but could not do a good job because of cars from the double bungalows. (doubles on east side) V. CONCLUSIONS A. There probably was a snow plowing and space problem in the 300 block of 18th Avenue North_ last winter. The prob]ems .were 1. A record snowfall, about 90 inches. 2. Two days in mi.d- January, about three days apart, totalled about 30 in- ches of snow. Because of all this snow, I am concluding that the people who live in the doubles on the east side of 18th Avenue North gave up trying to shovel and plow out their parking spots at the rear of their buildings and used the street because that was the easy way out. B. If No Parking signs are posted an the west side of 18th Avenue North in et 300 block, it will present a hardship for those who want to park on th e east side. If residents of the west side of the street want to have company of any kind, there are going to be less spaces to park in. This will be even more acute in the winter time, with snow on the street. Page 3 C. The street department and the police department are easily contacted by phone. There is no reason that I can think of that the street department could not plow this area, unless cars are blocking their way. D. If cars are bloating the way of the plows, the plow driver should call the police and ask us to tag and /or impound any vehicles interfering with snow p lowing. E. If the conditions become as acute as described in the petition, any of the residents on the petition should notify us immediately. F. Mr. Engelkes told me that he did not communicate the problems described in the petition to the street or police department last winter. He did canplain to the snow plow driver once, he said. W. ACTION RECOMNIENV D A. That the request for the No Parking zone on the west side of 18th Avenue North, in the 300 block., be denied for the following reasons: 1. We have ordinances, impounding procedures and plowing techniques, in existance to alleviate the problems described in the petition. 2. If approval of this petition is granted, it might start other similar re- quests. 3. It is my feeling that with proper enforcement, plowing, and communication to the street and police departments by the petitioners, the snow problem can be alleviated without the No Parking zone. Annex A A copy of the petition Annex B A copy of a plat map of 18th Avenue North area (2 We the residents October, 1982 would like a no parking restriction for the West side of the street on the basis of: 1. Street too narrow for an ambulance or fire truck to get through when both sides have cars. 2. Last winter, there were at least several days the snow plow didn't get through. 3. Both sides facilities. 4. 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