Minikahda Vista Neighborhood Summary

Minikahda Vista Traffic Meeting Summary
I.
Meeting Description
At the request of members of the Minikahda Vista Neighborhood, staff met with a group of residents on Tuesday, December 3, 2013. The purpose of the meeting was to:  Listen to the resident concerns regarding traffic.  Provide information about past studies.  Go over the City’s Policy for Traffic Control requests What follows is a summary of the information that was discussed, as well as answers to questions that were posed by the people in attendance at the meeting. II.
Background Information
38th is a Municipal State Aid (MSA) Street, classified as a Minor Collector. The city receives state
gasoline tax revenues that are used to upgrade and maintain these streets to Municipal State Aid
standards. The roadway has been an MSA street since before 1970. The MSA system has only been around since 1958, it is likely that it has been on the system since it was first created. A.
MunicipalStateAid(MSA)Designation
Any improvements proposed to 38th Street could not prohibit a vehicle from traveling 30 mph. Therefore, chokers and speed tables (30 mph) would be allowed but traffic circles would not meet this minimum requirement. The MSA designation also means that truck traffic could not be prohibited from using the roadway The most significant implication of removing 38th Street from the MSA system is financial. If the MSA designation is removed from the roadway within 15 years of money being spent to complete a project, the City would need to pay back the MSA funding. A Mill & Overlay project was completed in 2007 (SAP 163‐283‐017). The 2007 project cost $197,057.87. The City would also then need to reallocate the MSA designation to another roadway in the City in order to maintain the same level of funding. Removing the MSA designation would not reduce traffic on the street. B.
TrafficVolumeData
Average Daily Traffic Volumes:  38th Street (west of Kipling Avenue) o Traffic in 1993 ‐ 6,600 vehicles per day (vpd) o Traffic in 2001 ‐ 4,500 vpd o Traffic in 2005 ‐ 2,750 vpd o Traffic in 2009 ‐ 2,900 vpd o Traffic in 2013 ‐ 2,850 vpd th
 39 Street (Natchez Avenue to France Avenue) o Traffic in 2001‐ Varying from 700 to 800 vpd (no speed data) o Traffic in 2006 – Varying from 286 to 873 vpd (85th % Speed – 21.5 to 29.1 mph) III.
Neighborhood Traffic Concerns
A.
TrafficVolumes
The Excelsior Boulevard Corridor Traffic Study was completed in 2001. This was a comprehensive traffic study that looked at traffic volumes and identified mitigation measures for the corridor. This study provided implementation guidelines for 38th Street should certain traffic levels be achieved. This information is on page 106 of the report or on ES‐14 provides a summary of these thresholds:  Capacity of roadway: 8,500‐10,000 vehicles per day  If traffic exceeds 5,000 vehicles per day, implement Chokers at intersections  If traffic exceeds 7,500 vehicles per day, implement speed table, traffic circle, or half closure. According to the most recent traffic numbers, the volume of traffic on this road has decreased since 2001. The traffic thresholds discussed in the 2001 report have not been met. While traffic volumes appear to have leveled off over the past 8 years, any additional changes on 38th Street to reduce the traffic volumes would likely increase traffic on other streets in the neighborhood. To fully understand the impacts, a significant traffic study involving extensive public involvement would be required. These processes can take many months. Since the potential to increase traffic on other streets is likely, it is important that any request for traffic management come from a representation of neighborhood property owners. To gauge interest, the neighborhood group should develop a more formal request/ petition that includes support from property owners on 39th and the north‐south streets in the neighborhood. B.
StopSignComplianceon38thStreet
The City Council approved the installation of stop signs at every intersection on the street in 1993 The neighborhood has contacted the City with concerns about stop sign compliance. The Police have been routinely monitoring traffic during rush hour and citing drivers that do not come to a complete stop. Observers indicate that the majority of drivers do not come to a complete stop at these intersections. Safety is the primary factor of consideration in stop sign placement. Generally, stop signs are placed to prevent crashes where there might be a question about who should have the right of way. Intersections with low stop sign compliance occur when there is no confusion about who should have the right of way because there is little or no traffic on the other legs of the intersection. The reduction from 6,600 vehicles per day in 1996 to 2,850 in 2013 indicates that there is a relationship between the implementation of stop signs at each intersection from Excelsior Blvd to France Avenue and the number of vehicles travelling on the road. We could assume that the increased travel time and difficulty to quickly navigate through the corridor has reduced the desire for motorists to use 38th Street as a passage between Excelsior Blvd and France Avenue. C.
SpeedTablesinCombinationwithStopSignRemoval
The group proposed the idea of removing every other stop sign along the corridor and implementing speed tables at the uncontrolled intersections to eliminate stop signs while still attempting to keep Minikahda Vista Traffic Meeting Summary Page 2 of 8 vehicle speeds and volumes low. To move forward with this process, the City could work with the neighborhood on a traffic study to determine whether the proposed changes would achieve the desired effect. A petition should be submitted to move ahead with this study. If we were to complete a study, we could install temporary speed tables to determine if there is an increase or decrease in traffic volumes and speeds on 38th Street. We would also need to collect data to ensure that there is no other adverse change in the neighborhood traffic patterns. Speed tables are similar to speed bumps in that they are intended to reduce vehicle speeds, but are more subtle and are designed to allow vehicles to remain traveling at the design speed if needed. The estimated cost of constructing this treatment is between $5,000 and $6,000 per speed table. An example is shown below: D.
VehiclesandPedestrianCrossingFranceAvenueat38thStreetor39thStreet:
This concern was met with reservations by many of the people at the meeting because they feel that if a traffic signal is installed to improve operations at either of these intersections, the cut‐through traffic will increase. This is a possibility since a reduction in delay for the movements entering and exiting the neighborhood could make the cut‐through more desirable for both Excelsior Blvd and France Avenue traffic. A traffic study would be required to evaluate the existing and future operations of the intersection prior to and following the implementation of a traffic signal. E.
SightconcernsatFranceAvenueand38thStreet:
An image of the sight line concerns is provided below: Section 24‐47 of the St. Louis Park City Code states: Minikahda Vista Traffic Meeting Summary Page 3 of 8 Walls, fences, structures, trees, shrubs, vegetation or other obstructions shall be permitted in any yard as regulated in this section except when it poses a danger to traffic by obscuring the view from any street, roadway or alley. o Visibility from any street or roadway shall be unobstructed above the height of 2.5 feet and below 5 feet within the triangle described as beginning from a point at the intersection of the extension of the existing curblines of the two streets, and extending a distance of 50 feet along the edge of each street. This defines two sides of the triangle. The third side is a line connecting the end points of the two sides described above. The trees and other landscaping are located within 50 ft of the intersection and are taller than 2.5 ft. Therefore, the trees could be considered a safety issue. We will refer the concern to the City’s Forester for review with the property owner to see what can be done to improve the line of sight for drivers. o
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F.
Cut‐throughtrafficonQuentinAvenue:
The concern about cut‐through traffic on Quentin Avenue and 40th Street was raised. The thought is that local streets are used to enter into the Miracle Mile through the back/side entrance. A visual representation of this route is shown below: MIRACLE
MILE
This allows drivers to avoid an additional traffic signal when entering into the west side of the Miracle Mile Parking Lot. The signal timing at this signal was discussed and it was determined that minimal green time is currently allotted for movements entering and exiting the Minikahda Vista neighborhood to reduce cut through traffic. Any further reduction to this signal timing would likely negatively impact the traffic operations of the intersection. G.
39thStreetatLynnAvenueIntersection:
The intersection has not experienced any crashes in the past 5 years, but the irregularity and skew are a cause for concern for some members of the neighborhood. The intersection is being evaluated in conjunction with the proposed 39th Street sidewalk project in order to better define the travel lanes and approaches in addition to lessening the pedestrian crossing distance. Due to low traffic volumes and no crash history stand‐alone improvements to the intersection are unlikely to be pursued until a street project is programmed or a petition is received from the neighborhood. Minikahda Vista Traffic Meeting Summary Page 4 of 8 H.
40thStreetat40thLaneatNatchezAvenueIntersection:
The configuration of the intersection of 40th Street at 40th Lane at Natchez Avenue was discussed. The eastbound travel lanes and existing traffic control/signage are not well defined. An aerial view and street view are provided below: Aerial View Street View (Looking Westbound) The intersection treatments and geometric improvements discussed at the meeting included: 
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IV.
Install a “STOP AHEAD” sign on the corner of 40th Lane at 40th Street to reinforce the presence of the stop sign located on Natchez Avenue. Realign W 40th Lane to intersect 40th Street at a 90° angle. 40th Street would then become the thru street with 40th Lane intersecting at a stop‐controlled movement. The intersection spacing between 40th Lane and Natchez avenue would not be ideal, but it would eliminate much of the confusion that develops with the existing configuration. Questions
1. CouldPedestriancrossingsbeimprovedat38thStreetand39thStreet?
The City boundary between St. Louis Park and Minneapolis runs down the middle of France Avenue at the intersection of 38th Street. Any improvements made to the intersection would require a joint effort and agreement with the City of Minneapolis. 2. Whatistheaccidenthistoryintheneighborhood?
The accident history of the Minikahda Vista neighborhood can be seen in the attached document titled, “Minikahda Vista Neighborhood Accident History (2008‐2012)”. Five years of data were evaluated to gain an understanding of trends and problem areas within the neighborhood. From the data, it appears that roadways experiencing the highest number of accidents are Wooddale Avenue, Quentin Avenue, and 40th Street. The previously identified roadways correspond with the highest volume roadways in the neighborhood. 3. Couldlawnsignsbeinstalledbyresidentswithmessagesfordriversto“SLOWDOWN”?
Various cities around the country have been studying the effects of allowing pedestrians to place signs in their yards with messages similar to “Slow Down, This Is Our Neighborhood”. The traffic committee Minikahda Vista Traffic Meeting Summary Page 5 of 8 will discuss the signs at the February meeting to see if there are any code issues with their installation. Links of existing signing programs are provided as a reference: 
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http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/ntcp_com.htm http://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/141759 4. Dowehavetrafficvolumesonotherstreetsintheneighborhood?
Traffic counts completed for the Excelsior Boulevard Corridor Traffic Study by URS in 2001 included many streets within the Minikahda Vista neighborhood. The daily traffic counts were completed in October 2000. Figure 5‐5 of this document is included. 5. Whatisthedesigntonnagefor38thStreet?
The road is constructed to a 9 ton design. 6. Whatisthetrucktrafficcounton38thStreet?
Counts performed in February 2013 indicated that the percentage of trucks on 38th Street is approximately 5% of the total traffic volume. This amounts to approximately 125 trucks during an average day between Kipling Avenue and Joppa Avenue and 90 trucks per day between Glenhurst Avenue and France Avenue. 7. Whatisthecutthroughtrafficonneighborhoodroads?
Traffic data was collected and evaluated within the 2001 URS Excelsior Boulevard Corridor Traffic Study. The study indicated that the majority of cut‐through traffic occurred in during the PM peak hour on West 38th Street where approximately 41% of eastbound traffic was cut‐through. Various other streets had high percentages of cut‐through traffic but this was largely because less local traffic was on the roadways. The following table is from the Report. In order to determine what current cut‐through traffic levels are today, a license plate survey would need to be completed. This study involves documenting the license plate of a vehicle entering the neighborhood and determining whether that vehicle exits another access/intersection to the neighborhood without stopping anywhere within the study area. Minikahda Vista Traffic Meeting Summary Page 6 of 8 V.
Additional Intersection/Traffic Control Treatments
Attendees of the meeting also requested that additional intersection/traffic control treatments be evaluated to determine whether they would produce a benefit. The following treatments were researched for effectiveness and cost: 1. Reflectorsonstopsigns(≈$30/each):
A study was completed by the Virginia DOT in 2008, which determined that there was no significant difference between driver compliance during the day or night, with or without the reflective panels, at two study sites. This same study also evaluated whether vehicles approached the intersection at a slower speed because of the reflective panels. It was determined that the panels had no significant impact on driver approach speeds at various distances away from the stop sign. 2. Crosswalksateveryintersection(≈$500/approach):
Residents at the neighborhood meeting asked if the installation of crosswalk markings on each approach of the all‐way stop intersections would improve stop sign compliance. We were unable to find any studies or reports that made the connection between stop sign compliance and crosswalk striping Crosswalk markings are installed to provide guidance for pedestrians who are crossing roadways by defining and delineating paths on approaches to intersections where traffic stops. At locations controlled by STOP signs, crosswalk lines should be installed where engineering judgment indicates they are needed to direct pedestrians to the proper crossing path(s). Since each of these intersections are square, there is little confusion on the path for pedestrians to cross, as a result, we would not recommend painting crosswalks at each intersection. One‐Way Street (38th Street & 39th Street) The idea of parallel one‐way roadways utilizing 38th Street and 39th Street was discussed. The following questions/responses developed from this discussion: Are one‐way roadways effective in reducing traffic volumes? One‐way streets are often implemented to better accommodate larger volumes of traffic. By implementing one‐way streets on 38th Street and 39th Street, it would be possible for a larger number of vehicles to be accommodated. The driver interaction and decision making process is made easier as vehicles driving on 38th Street would no longer be required to determine if an opposing vehicle at an intersection is turning or proceeding straight through. Vehicles entering and exiting the side‐streets would be reduced on 38th Street and increased on 39th Street because of the limitations placed on the vehicle movements. The collective traffic volumes on the two roadways would likely increase with a change from two‐way to one‐way traffic. The volumes and traffic patterns on the north south streets would also be impacted by this change. Would one‐way roadways help to increase stop sign compliance? The conversion to one‐way streets would eliminate conflicts between opposing vehicles and therefore display fewer characteristics requiring motorists to make complete stops at the 38th Street intersections. Studies have shown that one‐way streets often have higher speeds. This paired with the reduced conflicting turning movements at each intersection would potentially diminish stop sign Minikahda Vista Traffic Meeting Summary Page 7 of 8 compliance on 38th Street even further. A change from a two‐way to one‐way roadway is also likely to increase traffic volumes and vehicle speeds on 39th Street. Why do you implement one ways? ‐‐‐From: http://www.walkinginfo.org/engineering/roadway‐streets.cfm‐‐‐ “One‐way streets can simplify crossings for pedestrians, who must look for traffic in only one direction. While studies have shown that conversion of two‐way streets to one‐way generally reduces pedestrian crashes, one‐way streets tend to have higher speeds, which create new problems. If a street is converted to one‐way, it should be evaluated to see if additional changes should be made, especially if the street or lanes are overly wide. Also, traffic circulation in the surrounding area must be carefully considered before conversion to one‐way streets. As a system, one‐way streets can increase travel distances of motorists and bicyclists and can create confusion, especially for non‐local residents. One‐way streets operate best in pairs, separated by no more than 0.4 km (0.25 mi). Conversion costs can be quite high to build crossovers where the one‐way streets convert back to two‐way streets, and to rebuild traffic signals and revise striping, signing, and parking meters.” VI.
Next Steps
The intent of this document was to summarize the available information and provide answers to questions posed by attendees of the meeting. We hope that this comprehensive document answers many of the questions you may have had as well and bring to the surface any additional concerns regarding traffic in the Minikahda Vista neighborhood. At this point, we will begin working on putting together outreach information for stop sign education that can be shown on the city’s television channel and distributed to residents in and outside of the neighborhood. The Policy Concerning Requests for Traffic Controls is attached for your reference. We have gone over many items in this document. If the neighborhood would like to focus in on one specific issue or solution, we would need to follow the steps shown in the policy. If you have any more questions or need further clarification, please let us know. Minikahda Vista Traffic Meeting Summary Page 8 of 8 Minikahda Vista Neighborhood
Accident History (2008-2012)
COLLISION
W/ BICYCLE
Key Findings:
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•
•
•
42 Accidents occurred in the neighborhood from 2008 – 2012.
Accident Severity
o
- Non-Incapacitating Injury Crash (1)
o
- Minor Injury Crash (4)
o
- Property Damage Only (37)
Crash Type
o Collision with Motor Vehicle – 19 Accidents
o Collision with Parked Vehicle – 15 Accidents
o Collision with Bicycle – 1 Accident
o Collision with Object – 7 Accidents
Highest Number of Accidents Per Roadway
o Wooddale Avenue – 13 Accidents
o Quentin Avenue – 8 Accidents
o 40th Street – 7 Accidents