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DRAFT November 21, 1995 INTRODUCTION • The general purpose of a transportation plan is to begin with an existingtransportation g P system, forecast future changes in land use, social and economic conditions, and determine how the transportation system must be revised or enhanced to accommodate these changes. Different types of development environments require different focuses for the transportation planning process. The planning needs of a fully developed metropolitan area are different from those of a commercial/industrial center projecting a growth mode, or a growing suburban "bedroom" community. The needs of one might focus on maintenance of infrastructure and solutions to isolated system deficiencies, while another might need to identify new road corridors and upgrading of existing facilities. The City of Elk River is a free-standing community just outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. It is the economic center of Sherburne County with a well established core business district. At the same time, it's proximity to the Twin Cities allows for commutes by Elk River residents to other nearby employment centers. Because of this, the population growth of the City of Elk River is not solely dependent on commercial and industrial growth within City borders. Elk River is served by three major arterials: Trunk Highways 10, 169 and 101. T.H. 10 passes east-west directly through the heart of the central business district. It is a major highway traversing southeast to northwest across the State, from the Twin cities through • St. cloud to Moorhead. As such, it caries a considerable amount of long distance traffic through Elk River. T.H. 169, which traverses the City south to north, also carries significant volumes of thru traffic, particularly recreational traffic traveling north to the Lake Mille Lacs area and beyond. T.H. 101 provides an important connection between T.H.'s 10 and 169 in Elk River and Interstate Highway 94, approximately seven miles to the south. The major geographical features affecting Elk River's transportation system are water features. The Mississippi River forms the southern border of the City. Two bridges cross the river from Otsego to Elk River. The Elk River and Lake Orono form a natural barrier separating the western area from the rest of the City. This river is also spanned by two bridges, one on T.H. 10 and the other on Main Street. II. TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS Figure 1 is a flow chart of the transportation planning process. It assumes that the scope of the study is comprehensive (i.e. a city-wide long range transportation plan). The flow chart identifies the process from data collection through replication of the existing transportation system usage, travel demand forecasting, and finally, creation of a transportation plan. The following sections describe in detail the process that was followed to develop a comprehensive transportation plan for the City of Elk River. • CTP-230.156 -1- 230-156-80