Title
Lakes Parkway Intersection Control Evaluation Studies
Background
The Traffic Commission and Blaine Police Department (BPD) have recently received multiple questions/concerns from residents regarding certain intersections on Lakes Parkway. The resident concerns generally focus around speeding vehicles on Lakes Parkway, visibility issues, vehicles not stopping for pedestrians at crosswalks and the desire for stop signs to be installed at certain intersections along the corridor. The major intersections that have been frequently mentioned by residents are the following:
• Lakes Parkway and South Lake Boulevard
• Lakes Parkway and West Lake Boulevard
• Lakes Parkway and North/South Lake Boulevard
• South Lake Parkway and Aspen Lake Boulevard
The BPD has set up speed monitoring equipment on Lakes Parkway in the vicinity of West Lake Boulevard and the 85th percentile speeds were 36 mph eastbound and 39 mph westbound, both of which are within 5 mph of the posted speed limit of 35 mph. The data indicates there is not a significant speeding problem, but the BPD will continue to monitor the issue and engage in enforcement as appropriate.
Any sight visibility issues on the Lakes Parkway corridor are likely due landscaping in the medians or on the boulevard. The landscaping maintenance is the responsibility of the Lakes Association.
In 2017, an intersection control evaluation (ICE) was done for the Lakes Parkway and West Lake Boulevard intersection and the Lakes Parkway and North/South Lakes Boulevard intersection. At that time warrants were not met for multi-way stop signs at those intersections and no stop signs were installed.
Since it has been five years since the last ICE studies and corridor sight visibility evaluation, staff is recommending that the City hire a traffic engineering consultant to complete new ICE studies for the four intersections mentioned above and do a visual corridor inspection to evaluate sight visibility on the corridor and at intersections and make any recommendations needed to correct sight visibility issues.
Recommendation
Staff is recommending that the Traffic Commission recommend to the City Council that a traffic engineering consultant be hired to complete intersection control studies for the intersections of Lakes Parkway and South Lake Boulevard, Lakes Parkway and West Lake Boulevard, Lakes Parkway and North/South Lake Boulevard and South Lake Parkway and Aspen Lake Boulevard. In addition, a sight visibility evaluation should be done along Lakes Parkway from Radisson Road to North/South Lake Boulevard.