WORKSHOP ITEM - Robert Therres, Public Services Manager/Assistant City Manager
Title
FUTURE TRAFFIC SIGNAL INSTALLATION
Background
Traffic signals are tied to the City’s overall Pavement Management program. While traffic signals are a small portion of this program, staff wanted to show the Council the current intersections that are programmed to be signalized. The City has identified ten future traffic signals being considered for installation when signal warrants are met or to be constructed with county led projects identified in their 5 year Capital Improvement Program. Nine of the ten signals are on County State Aid Highways and one is an intersection of two Municipal State Aid streets. The locations of the future traffic signals are numbered on the attached map to correspond to the following list:
1. 117th Avenue and Ulysses Street
2. Radisson Road (CSAH 52) and Xylite Street
3. 109th Avenue (CSAH 12) and Austin Street
4. Lexington Avenue (CSAH 17) and 112th Avenue
5. Lexington Avenue (CSAH 17) and Woodland Parkway/117th Avenue
6. Lexington Avenue (CSAH 17) and 122nd Avenue
7. 125th Avenue (CSAH 14) and Lever Street
8. 125th Avenue (CSAH 14) and Legacy Creek Parkway/North Lake Boulevard
9. Radisson Road (CSAH 52) and Cloud Drive
10. 109th Avenue (CSAH 12) and Ulysses Street
Each intersection listed has unique characteristics and the cost of traffic signal installation varies from $300,000 to $1,000,000 depending on the amount of street reconstruction required to construct the project. On June 2, 2005, the City Council approved a Policy on Cost Participation - Intersection Improvements that is attached. The policy stated that property owners shall be responsible for upgrades to intersections warranting increased traffic control improvements. If intersection improvements are warranted due to increase in development and area wide population growth, the cost of improvements could be shared between the property owners, County, and City.
1. 117th Avenue and Ulysses Street
This is an intersection of two Municipal State Aid (MSA) streets. With the existing and proposed commercial development on the east side of Ulysses Street and the proposed apartment complex in the southwest quadrant, this intersection will likely meet warrants for a traffic signal. MSA funds could be utilized to help fund this signal if warrants are met or the traffic signal cost could be assessed to adjacent properties.
2. Radisson Road (CSAH 52) and Xylite Street
This is an intersection that City Council has asked Anoka County to examine in the past to see if it meets warrants for a traffic signal. The County’s study of the intersection has shown that warrants have not been met to date. With new industrial development proposed in the area, the City Council asked staff to hire a consulting engineer to perform a traffic signal study. SEH is currently working on the study. Xylite Street is not a MSA street.
3. 109th Avenue (CSAH 12) and Austin Street
A portion of Austin Street will be constructed south of 109th Avenue with the proposed development of a 192 unit senior housing project in the plat of Lexington Meadows. Per Council’s 2005 policy, installation of a proposed traffic signal would be the responsibility of the developers on the north and south side of 109th Avenue. No development scenario has been submitted for the north side of 109th Avenue other than the concept drawings submitted to the City approximately ten years ago. Austin Street is not a MSA street.
4. Lexington Avenue (CSAH 17) and 112th Avenue
This intersection serves the plat of Sanctuary Preserve. This location was identified by the County as meeting the spacing guidelines for a traffic signal on Lexington Avenue. 112th Avenue is not a MSA street. Anoka County has a tentative schedule for widening Lexington Avenue from 4 lanes to 6 lanes in 2023. This traffic signal could be a part of the future County improvement project. The City would be financially responsible for approximately ¾ of the cost according to the County’s Cost Sharing Policy. Per the Council’s 2005 policy, installation of this signal would be the responsibility of the developers and was included in their development agreement.
5. Lexington Avenue (CSAH 17) and Woodland Parkway/117th Avenue
Signalization of this intersection has been asked for by the adjacent residents for several years. This will be one of two traffic signals that residents can use to cross Lexington Avenue to access the Blaine Wetland Sanctuary and the Lexington Athletic Complex. The Council’s 2005 policy stated that the signal cost would be a property owner responsibility but the development agreement with Gardenwood did not address these future costs. Anoka County has a tentative schedule to add a traffic signal at this location in 2019. The City would be financially responsible for approximately ¾ of the cost according to the County’s Cost Sharing Policy. Woodland Parkway is a MSA street.
6. Lexington Avenue (CSAH 17) and 122nd Avenue
This intersection serves the plats of Parkside North on the east side of Lexington Avenue and will eventually connect to Lakes Parkway on the west side. Anoka County has a tentative schedule for widening Lexington Avenue from 4 lanes to 6 lanes in 2023. This traffic signal could be a part of the future County improvement project. The City would be financially responsible for approximately ¾ of the cost according to the County’s Cost Sharing Policy. Per the Council’s 2005 policy, installation of this signal would be the responsibility of the developers and half the cost was included in the Parkside North development agreement. Lakes Parkway is a MSA street.
7. 125th Avenue (CSAH 14) and Lever Street
This intersection improvement was originally included in the Lever Street Project - Improvement Project No. 17-07. Anoka County has recently asked the City to participate in an improvement project on 125th Avenue east of Lexington Avenue and would include this traffic signal in their project. The City would be financially responsible for approximately ¾ of the cost according to the County’s Cost Sharing Policy. The County is looking at a 2019 project schedule. Lever Street is a MSA street.
8. 125th Avenue (CSAH 14) and Legacy Creek Parkway/North Lake Boulevard
Council has asked staff about the timing of installation of this traffic signal at past meetings. Anoka County has a tentative schedule for reconstructing 125th Avenue between Harpers Street and Lexington Avenue - design in 2020, right of way acquisition in 2021, and construction in 2022. The traffic signal would be included in this project. The City would be financially responsible for approximately ¾ of the cost according to the County’s Cost Sharing Policy. Per the Council’s 2005 policy, installation of this signal would be the responsibility of the developers and half the cost has been collected with development agreements on the north side of 125th Avenue. Legacy Creek Parkway and North Lake Boulevard are not MSA streets.
9. Radisson Road (CSAH 52) and Cloud Drive
This intersection has been studied by Anoka County and does meet warrants for a traffic signal. Per the Council’s 2005 policy, installation of this signal would be the responsibility of the property owners, County and the City. Cloud Drive is not a MSA route and no funding source has been identified to install the traffic signal.
10. 109th Avenue (CSAH 12) and Ulysses Street
When Ulysses Street was constructed in 2006, the City sent a letter to Anoka County asking for consideration of a traffic signal installation at this intersection. The County responded that it was too close to the intersection of TH 65 and 109th Avenue. This intersection will be included in the TH 65 and TH 65 Service Road study that MNDOT has currently out for Request for Proposals. Ulysses Street is a MSA street.
Recommendation
Staff will bring back to a future City Council Workshop a 5-10 year capital improvement plan for the Pavement Management Program, including traffic signal installation, for review and discussion.