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INFORMATION MEMORANDUM w ~~ TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Justin Femrite P.E., City Engineer DATE: December 5, 201 1 SUBJECT: CR 12, CR 13, and Twin Lakes Road Intersection Review At the November 14, 2011, City Council meeting, staff was instructed to review the traffic volumes and accident history at the intersection of CR 12, CR 13, and Twin Lakes Road to determine if the intersection would meet warrants for a traffic control system. Traffic control systems are evaluated against eight different warrants as detailed in the Minnesota Manual on Traffic Control Devices. These warrants are really limits of high traffic or pedestrian volumes, delay, or accident history that would justify the consideration of a traffic control system. A full intersection evaluation was last completed on this intersection in 2006. Attached you will find a summary of the 2006 evaluation. In 2006, the intersection did not meet any of the prescribed warrants to justify a traffic control system. In 2008, the Sherburne County Public Works Department again reviewed the traffic movements at the intersection. It was shown through their counts in 2008 that the traffic volumes had decreased from the counts in 2006. This decrease in volume subsequently resulted in the county stopping the full evaluation because it was clear the traffic volume warrants would not be met for the installation of a traffic control system at that time. Staff reviewed the traffic volumes for the intersection with Sherburne County staff again. The counts reviewed were completed by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. These counts are completed every three years and were reported for 2007 and 2010. There was a slight (< 5%) volume increase on two of the legs of the intersection and a decrease on the other two. These minor changes are unlikely to change the results of the traffic or pedestrian volume warrants for the intersection at this time. Four motor vehicle collision accidents have been reported at this intersection over the last 12-month period. Only two of these accidents, including the accident on November 14, 2011, involved a motorist not seeing or failing to yield to another driver. Neither of those two accidents resulted in personal injury. The accident history at this intersection does not meet the warrant for the installation of a traffic control system. At this time staff is not recommending a change to the intersection control at this location. We will continue to watch the traffic levels and accident occurrences at this location to determine if something different should be considered in the future. If you have any questions on the above information please call me at 763-635-1051. N:\Public Bodies\Ciry Council\Council RCA\Agenda Packet\12-05-2011\Tnffic Warrants.docx