Title
TRAFFIC CONCERNS ON 121ST AVENUE AND 7TH STREET EAST OF UNIVERSITY AVENUE
Background
The City Council and staff have received complaints in this area about speeding vehicles, parking issues on 121st Avenue due to the proximity of Happy Acres Park to the south and the need for a midblock crosswalk on 121st Avenue.
The Crescent Ponds neighborhood started developing in 2006 and connected to the existing street stub on 7th Street to the south. 121st Avenue will connect to Jefferson Street in the future with development of the last vacant parcel south of 125th Avenue. 121st Avenue is a Municipal State Aid (MSA) route that connects the surrounding residential area to the adjacent County Road system.
In 2012, the City Council authorized seasonal parking restrictions on the north side of 121st Avenue between 3rd Street and 7th Street, from 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM, Monday through Thursday, May 1 to July 31, except for legal holidays. The seasonal parking restrictions were requested by the neighborhood due to activities held in Happy Acres Park. There is a parking lot at the south end of the park, but some park goers prefer to park on 121st Avenue due to the close proximity to the northern ball fields.
The City has received a complaint from a resident on 121st Avenue that there are events held at Happy Acres Park that fall outside of the seasonal parking restrictions. The City Council forwarded this complaint to the Traffic Commission for consideration of year round parking restrictions in place of the existing seasonal restrictions.
The City has also received complaints of speeding on 121st Avenue and 7th Street. Traffic counts and speeds were recorded on 121st Avenue east of 3rd Street in 2009. There was 938 vehicles per day and the 85th percentile speed was 29 MPH. Traffic counts and speeds were also checked in 2015 on 121st Avenue, both east and west of 7th Street. There were 1336 vehicles per day on 121st Avenue west of 7th Street and the 85th percentile speed was 31 MPH westbound and 30 MPH eastbound. There were 474 vehicles per day on 121st Avenue east of 7th Street and the 85th percentile speed was 30 MPH westbound and 29 MPH eastbound. During the same days as the 2015 counts on 121st Avenue, 7th Street was monitored for traffic counts and speed. The results on 7th Street south of 121st Avenue were 1133 vehicles per day and the 85th percentile speed was 27 MPH.
One additional request was received by the City for a midblock crosswalk to be striped where a pedestrian crossing is signed on 121st Avenue between 3rd Street and 7th Street. The signed crossing goes from the sidewalk on the north side of 121st Avenue to a trail that enters Happy Acres Park to the south. The City has a Crosswalk Policy that discourages midblock crosswalks because they are generally not expected by motorists and should only be considered where special circumstances warrant their creation. The policy does state that locations adjacent to public parks or along designated trail systems may warrant marked pedestrian crosswalks. The Minnesota Statutes states that a pedestrian must not enter a crosswalk if a vehicle is approaching. Whether or not the Traffic Commission recommends a painted midblock crosswalk, pedestrians are urged to cross with caution in any street crossing, marked or unmarked.
Recommendation
By motion, direct staff to mail notices to the neighborhood to invite them to the next Traffic Commission meeting on August 9th, take public comment, and make a recommendation to the City Council.
OR
By motion, make a recommendation directly back to the City Council.