4.8. SR 12-11-2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. . . " HIGHWAY 10 CORRIDOR COALITION STATEl\1ENT OF PURPOSE AND PROPOSED PROCESS BACKGROUND: The section ofTH 10 traversing the cities of Coon Rapids, Ramsey, Anoka & Elk River is one of the most highly congested and rapidly developing main traffic corridors in the Twin City Metropolitan Area. TH10 provides the main outlet to the communities developing in Northern Anoka County and to the cities in the Elk River service area. In addition it provides a traffic conduit to other cities along the route to the St. Cloud area which is also becoming one of the most rapidly developing areas in the State of Minnesota. Further, TH 10 parallels the proposed North Star Commuter Rail Corridor that runs from Rice to downtown Minneapolis. TH 10 is expected to serve as the main feeder route to bring passengers to the respective transit stations in the corridor. THE PROBLEM: TH 10 traffic volumes are already at capacity at several locations. The number of "at- grade" intersections reduces the ability to move vehicles- passenger, transit, commercial and emergency services, especially during the morning and evening rush hours. With the continuing surge of new economic growth and housing development in the corridor, congestion wil1 become even more severe as the so called "rush hours" are extended further into the day. If no action is taken, along with increased congestion, increased pedestrian and vehicle crashes, increased air pollution and declining qual ity of life for corridor residents can be anticipated. Looking forward 10 years, completion of the proposed new river crossing between Ramsey & Dayton will also put more pressure on the ability ofTH 10 to accommodate that future traffic capacity demand. THE GOAL: Local government leaders in the TH10 Corridor believe that early intervention is needed to avoid the otherwise inevitable impacts in the corridor. They believe that a collaborative process will lead to the desired outcome: "A comprehensive and coordinated vision for development in the TH10 Corridor that provides the framework for and agreement on the scope and scheduling oftransp0l1ation infrastructure and workforce housing investments. Further, the leaders desire to establish and maintain a community based coalition that provides the long term energy and commitment needed to accomplish the desired investments" .