5.4. SR 10-12-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~ity of MEMORANDUM Item #5.4. TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Mayor & City Council Pat Klaers, City Ad~rator October 12, 1998 Stop Sign Study: 3ra Street/Gates The City Council directed a stop sign study to be conducted at the 3ra Street and Gates Avenue intersection. This is a follow up to the study completed in April 1997. The result of this September 1998 study is consistent with the result from the April 1997 study whereby the warrants are not met for stop signs on Gates Avenue. There is no justification to stop the traffic flow on Gates Avenue because of a relatively minor traffic flow on 3ra Street. Regarding the number of accidents in this area, the Council should note that only three accidents have happened in the last two years. In this regard, it may be viewed that the traffic accident rate is getting better as people are being more careful at this intersection. Additionally, I am not sure how the engineering department calculates things, but it is amazing that the average delay during the peak hour on 3~a Street was only three seconds (Item 3.b.). As the Council knows, this intersection is skewed and not squared up. A solution for some traffic concerns may be if the city obtained property, either through purchasing or using its eminent domain power to condemn, and line this intersection up properly. This solution would significantly impact at least one property owner. Another option for the Council to consider is to close off 3ra Street on the east side of this intersection. This option raises a concern about having only one access into this area, which includes the Guardian Angels Complex, and all the traffic from this area would be directed to Main Street. Another issue to keep an eye on in this area has to do with a potential closing of Railroad Drive around the area of the American Legion and having more traffic funneled onto 3ra Street for access to/from Mork Clinic, the Post Office, and the surrounding commercial area. This could happen in conjunction with the Northstar Corridor project and something like this may change the 13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425