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City Council Agenda Packet 08-25-2014 SpecialAGENDA SPECIALWORKSHOP–MONTICELLOCITYCOUNCIL Monday,August25,2014–5:30p.m. BridgeRoom,MonticelloCommunityCenter Mayor:ClintHerbst CouncilMembers:LloydHilgart,TomPerrault,GlenPosusta,BrianStumpf Others:ShibaniBisson(WSB),ChuckRickart(WSB),BretWeiss(WSB), TransportationAdvisoryCommittee(TAC)members 1.CalltoOrder 2.PurposeofMeeting:DiscussdesignoptionsforTH25/CSAH75Intersection Improvements,CityProjectNo.10C009 3.Adjournment Infrastructure  Engineering  Planning  Construction 701 Xenia Avenue South Suite #300 Minneapolis, MN 55416 Tel: 763 541-4800 Fax: 763 541-1700 Memorandum To: Jeff O’Neill, City Administrator Shibani Bisson PE, City Engineer City of Monticello From: Bret A Weiss, PE, President Chuck Rickart, PE, PTOE, Transportation Engineer WSB & Associates, Inc. Date: August 20, 2014 Re: TH 25at Broadway Improvement Alternatives Background City of Monticello Project No: 1494-80 The City of Monticello, its residents and its downtown businesses are significantly impacted by TH 25 and the associated Mississippi river bridge. This river crossing is centered between crossings at TH 101, 14 miles to the east, and at Clearwater, 16 miles to the west. TH 25 is already very congested and traffic volumes are expected to increase from 33,000 today to more than 45,000 in 2030. The City of Monticello’s downtown has struggled to maintain business and will continue to do so until this intersection is properly addressed. The northeast quadrant and associated improvements were recently completed and has provided some relief to the area. The City has further invested in right of way purchases and is planning to relocate businesses in the southeast quadrant to allow for this project to be constructed. This project will complete the intersection improvements and allow the City to proceed with redevelopment efforts that are focused on reconnecting with the Mississippi River and Restoring downtown! To address the existing and future needs the City has prepared preliminary studies and designs to determine the appropriate level of intersection improvements required now and in the future. These improvements will not only improve the access for vehicles and pedestrians to the downtown area, but will significantly improve travel times through the City on TH 25. Currently the primary movements in the intersection that cause delays are:  Southbound TH 25 to eastbound CSAH 75 (Broadway) left turn  Eastbound CSAH 75 (Broadway) to northbound TH 25 left turn Both of these movements are proposed to be improved with dual left turn lanes. These improvements together with the improved operations with Flashing Yellow Arrow left turn phasing provides for an overall LOS D, with the projected 2016 and 2020 traffic conditions. By 2030, the overall intersection would be operating at a LOS F assuming no river new river crossing to relieve TH 25. TH 25 at Broadway Improvement Alternatives Update City of Monticello August 20, 2014 Page 2 of 4 The City has spent or will spend more than $2.5 million on already completed improvements and preparing for the future improvements including:  CSAH 75 dual right turn lanes, River Street improvement and additional right-of- way with Walgreens development.  Southeast quadrant right-of-way acquisition.  Project development / secured funding ($1.2 million in Federal STP and $506K in CIMS).  Design and construction services. One short term issue that has been a concern of the City is maintaining parking on CSAH 75 (Broadway) specifically west of TH 25. This parking is vital to the existing businesses adjacent to the roadway. The original concept plans were developed to accommodate as much parking as possible (i.e. maintaining parking on the south side only). This, however, resulted in only providing a single through lane for westbound CSAH 75 (Broadway). The results of the traffic analysis conducted for this concept concluded that the operations of the intersection would be at a satisfactory level of service (LOS D). Modifying the through movement on CSAH 75 (Broadway) from two lanes to one lane is the primary concern of Wright County Public Works staff. During the funding application process the County did support the project with the condition that two lanes in each direction be maintained. The City of Monticello and Wright County are partners in economic growth as there is benefit to both agencies. Additionally, the City has no desire to create issues with traffic in the downtown area and is actually spending significant funds to accomplish improvement that are a benefit to the transportation system. The analysis we have provided to the County shows that reducing to a single lane in each direction will accommodate current and projected traffic volumes and if the County has concerns in the future, we have provided a fall back corrective position. We have asked the County Board to allow the City to proceed with the single lane option with an agreement on terms that would require a change back to the original two lane option. This will continue to keep our businesses with on- street parking, while minimizing the width of the roadway section and will allow the City to maximize the intersection improvement funds that have been secured from the State and Federal process. Two primary improvement alternatives are being considered at this time, each is discussed below with the advantages and disadvantages 1. Short Term CSAH 75 One Lane w/Parking: This option would include providing the full improvements on TH 25 including the southbound to eastbound dual left turn lane. On CSAH 75, the approaches would be reconstructed within the existing roadway width to include (Figure 1):  Raised concrete median  Single through lane in each direction  Eastbound to northbound dual left turn lane  Parking on both sides west of TH 25 TH 25 at Broadway Improvement Alternatives Update City of Monticello August 20, 2014 Page 3 of 4 Should, traffic grow faster than projected an optional short term phase can be implemented. This phase would eliminate the parking on both sides of CSAH 75 (Broadway) and provide an additional through lane in each direction. This would strictly be a signing and striping change (Figure 2). It is anticipated that the northwest and southwest quadrants of TH 25 and CSAH 75 (Broadway) will redevelop in the next 10 to 20 years. When this redevelopment would occur, additional right-of-way can be secured to widen the roadway to accommodate two lanes in each direction with on-street parking, if desired at the time. In addition, improved pedestrian accommodations could be provided including a boulevard between the roadway and sidewalk. Advantages:  Maintains parking which benefits business on Broadway west of TH 25.  Provides most flexibility for future turn lanes (i.e. eastbound to northbound dual lefts). o Existing 261 left, 182 through and 66 right turn vehicles o Projected 313 left, 219 through and 79 right turn vehicles (assumes 1.1, 20 year growth factor) o Rule of thumb is that dual left turn lanes are needed with more than 300 vehicles in the peak hour period  Provides 420 feet (17 vehicles) of left turn storage vs 190 feet (8 vehicles) with existing or 315 feet (13 vehicles) with extending the left turn lane (Alternative 2).  If needed, converting from one through lane to two through lanes, can be accomplished by simply removing parking and restriping the roadway.  The overall intersection LOS is the same for one through lane or two through lanes with existing traffic conditions or future projections assuming no river crossing.  State and Federal funding is in place to construct improvements with little County participation. Disadvantages:  Removes an existing through lane.  State Aid variance may be needed to reduce the number of through lanes. 2. CSAH 75 Left Turn Lane Extension: This option would include providing the full improvements on TH 25 including the southbound to eastbound dual left turn lane. On CSAH 75, the single eastbound to northbound left turn lane would be reconstructed to extend the available storage to Walnut Street. No other improvements would be made to CSAH 75, maintaining two through lanes in each direction, single left turn lanes and parking (Figure 3). TH 25 at Broadway Improvement Alternatives Update City of Monticello August 20, 2014 Page 4 of 4 Advantages:  Maintains parking which benefits business on Broadway west of TH 25.  The overall intersection LOS is the same for one through lane or two through lanes with existing traffic conditions or future projections assuming no river crossing.  Provides 315 feet (13 vehicles) of left turn storage vs 190 feet (8 vehicles) with existing conditions. Disadvantages:  Provides no flexibility for future turn lane needs (i.e. eastbound to northbound dual lefts). The roadway would need to be reconstructed in the future to provide for dual left turn lanes.  Funding is in place for providing maximum intersection capacity. The cost that would be given up is approximately $650,000, and if not used would need to be replaced in the future when the dual left turn lane improvements are needed. That cost would then be the responsibility of the County.  Provides 315 feet (13 vehicles) of left turn storage vs 420 feet (17 vehicles) with dual left turn lanes (Alternative 1).  Eliminates the existing left turn from westbound CSAH 75 to southbound Walnut Street, creating a potential safety issue with left turn vehicles turning from a through lane. o existing 30 left turns crossing (conflicting) with 327 vehicles eastbound on CSAH 75 o projected 36 left turns crossing (conflicting) with 392 vehicles eastbound on CSAH 75 (assumes 1.1, 20 year growth factor) The alternative to extend the CSAH 75 eastbound to TH 25 northbound left turn lane through the Walnut Street intersection was also considered. This would provide an additional 160 feet (6 vehicles) of left turn storage. However, this has a significant impact on the existing landscaped median considered a transition between the commercial downtown area and the residential area to the west. This together with the safety concerns with traffic conflicts at Walnut Street it was determined that ending the turn lane at Walnut would function better. With these alternatives we met with County Staff. They were adamant that four lanes (two in each direction) needed to be maintained on CSAH 75. After an extensive discussion an additional option was discussed. It includes providing two through lanes for eastbound CSAH 75 by shifting the lanes and using the outside, future eastbound to northbound left turn lane, as a through lane. The impact of this option would be removing some parking on the south side of CSAH 75 just east of Walnut Street (approximately 2 to 3 spaces) and modifying the median on the eastside of TH 25. Westbound CSAH 75 would stay as a proposed one lane with parking (Figure 4). Infrastructure  Engineering  Planning  Construction 701 Xenia Avenue South Suite #300 Minneapolis, MN 55416 Tel: 763 541-4800 Fax: 763 541-1700 Memorandum To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Monticello Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) From: Bret A Weiss, PE, President Chuck Rickart, PE, PTOE, Transportation Engineer WSB & Associates, Inc. Date: August 21, 2014 Re: TH 25 at Broadway Improvement Update City of Monticello Project No: 1494-80 Staff has met with Wright County staff and the County Board (Committee of the Whole) to discuss the improvements at the TH 25 and Broadway (CSAH 75) intersection. These conversations have come to a point where direction is needed from the City Council and TAC on the preferred concept plan to move forward into final design and construction. The issues that have surfaced through our meetings with the County are: 1. Maintaining parking on Broadway (CSAH 75) west of TH 25. 2. Maintaining two lanes in each direction on Broadway (CSAH 75). 3. Construction of improvements to accommodate future growth. 4. Using the Federal and State funding secured for future improvements. With the current right of way constraints west of TH 25, not all of these issues are able to be addressed at the same time. The City’s primary concern is maintaining parking on CSAH 75 (Broadway) specifically west of TH 25; while the County’s primary concern is maintaining two through lanes in each direction. There are several options to address these issues including: 1. Short Term CSAH 75 One Lane w/Parking: This option would include providing the full improvements on TH 25 including the southbound to eastbound dual left turn lane. On CSAH 75, the approaches would be reconstructed within the existing roadway width to include (Figure 1):  Raised concrete median  Single through lane in each direction  Eastbound to northbound dual left turn lane  Parking on both sides west of TH 25 TH 25 at Broadway Improvement Update City of Monticello August 21, 2014 Page 2 of 3 This option would address 3 of the 4 issues including: Maintaining parking on CSAH 75, providing improvements to accommodate future growth and using the secured funding. 2. Optional Two Lane w/No Parking: Should, traffic grow faster than projected an optional short term phase can be implemented. This phase would eliminate the parking on both sides of CSAH 75 (Broadway) and provide an additional through lane in each direction. This would strictly be a signing and striping change (Figure 2). This option would address 3 of the 4 issues including: Maintaining two lanes in each direction on CSAH 75, providing improvements to accommodate future growth and using the secured funding. 3. CSAH 75 Left Turn Lane Extension: This option would include providing the full improvements on TH 25 including the southbound to eastbound dual left turn lane. On CSAH 75, the single eastbound to northbound left turn lane would be reconstructed to extend the available storage to Walnut Street. No other improvements would be made to CSAH 75, maintaining two through lanes in each direction, single left turn lanes and parking (Figure 3). This option would address 2 of the 4 issues including: Maintaining parking on CSAH 75 and providing two through lanes in each direction on CSAH 75. This option would not construct the needed dual left turn lanes and would turn back approximately $650K of the secured funding. 4. Two Lanes Eastbound w/Parking: This option includes providing two through lanes for eastbound CSAH 75 by shifting the lanes and using the outside, future eastbound to northbound left turn lane, as a through lane. The impact of this option would be removing some parking on the south side of CSAH 75 just east of Walnut Street (approximately 2 to 3 spaces) and modifying the median on the eastside of TH 25. Westbound CSAH 75 would stay as a proposed one lane with parking (Figure 4). This option would address 3 of the 4 issues fully and 1 partially including: Maintaining parking on CSAH 75, providing two lanes for eastbound traffic only, providing improvements to accommodate future growth and using the secured funding. Staff also agreed that the City would provide the County with a “Proposal” on the improvement option and the specific triggers that would cause parking to be removed and the second through lane be added. Below is a draft of this proposal to the County. In conjunction with the intersection improvements at TH 25 and CSAH 75 (Broadway) programed for 2015 construction, the City of Monticello is requesting that parking be maintained on CSAH 75 west of TH 25, by eliminating one through lane on CSAH 75 and providing a short term and ultimate contingency plan if issues arise requiring the second lane in each direction on CSAH 75 based on the following conclusions: TH 25 at Broadway Improvement Update City of Monticello August 21, 2014 Page 3 of 3  The loss of parking on CSAH 75 west of TH 25 and its impact on business outweighs any improvement gained by maintaining the second lane in each direction.  Constructing the CSAH 75 turn lanes today provides the most capacity where it is needed, with secured funding at a lower cost than in the future.  The City has a contingency plan that can easily be implemented by just removing the parking and restriping the roadway, if issues arise.  As development occurs west of TH 25, the additional width to provide parking and a second through lane can be provided. This can be completed one side at a time, if development occurs separately and determined to be necessary.  The City has invested and will be investing a significant amount of money in the downtown area including this intersection. The City is willing to consider committing to triggers to add the second lane in each direction and the cost associated with removing the parking and restriping the CSAH 75 approaches if deemed necessary. These triggers would include:  Traffic delay and queue backup during the average weekday periods (not recreational peak times) 3 to 4 times per week) impacts adjacent intersections.  Traffic queues from the left turn lanes on eastbound CSAH 75 approaching TH 25 during the average weekday periods (not recreational peak times) impact the through traffic lane for more than 3 to 4 times per week on average days.  Traffic safety is impacted with an increase in crashes associated with the lack of a second through lane (i.e. eastbound at Walnut Street) increase by more than three crashes per year.  By the year 2025 or 10 years from the completion of the intersection improvements.