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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-12-15 Minutes1 MINUTES OF CITY OF EDINA, MINNESOTA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION COMMUNITY ROOM DECEMBER 15, 2011 6:00 P.M. ROLLCALL Answering rollcall were members Bass, Bonneville, Braden, Janovy, Nelson, Schweiger, Schold Davis and Thompson. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA Motion was made by member Bonneville and seconded by member Thompson approving the meeting agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – REGULAR MEETING OF NOVEMBER 17, 2011 Motion was made by member Bonneville and seconded by member Schold Davis approving the minutes with the following addition, page 3, 44th Street add ‘20 mph limit when children are present.’ COMMUNITY COMMENTS Susan Keane, 5105 W. 56th Street, said at the Richmond Hills Park meeting discussion included sidewalk; however, staff was not recommending sidewalk and the neighborhood does not want sidewalk. She said she was told at the meeting that it was up to residents if sidewalk is included and to her knowledge only one resident wants sidewalk. She said further that she was told to attend this meeting because the project was being reviewed. Sheila Rerat, 4913 Payton Ct., said at 70th & 69th two arrows on overhead sign pointing up Normandale Rd; why not have one arrow? Requested crosswalk at 66th & Normandale Road; misleading sign on eastside says to TH100, pointing down one-way; requested no left turn sign so drivers know not to turn; 70th Street bike path ends at church, requested continuing up Normandale, to 66th to park (lots of kids); and requested lowering speed limit to 25 mph on Normandale as well as 66th; and is unhappy with proposal for a sidewalk on Normandale. Rachel Jerstad, 4904 Payton Ct., (written comment submitted by neighbor). I have two children, ages 14 & 8. They ride their bikes to the pool and park in the summer. There are many cars that drive very fast on Normandale Road and it is scary for the kids on bikes to turn on to 66th and to cross to the sidewalk. In addition, it would be safer if 66th speed limit was 25 mph. There are a lot of parks and walking paths. Let’s be safe in our community! Sheila Rzepecki, 6617 Normandale Road, said she understand that she is on a busy road because of its proximity to TH100 but have seen increase in traffic and is concerned for her son who has disability. She said 100 citations going 55mph on the frontage road have been issued; cars are traveling in the wrong direction on the one-way street; her mailbox have been knocked down and there have been several accidents; crossing 66th to get to the lake is very difficult; Cornelia Park of 66th had 2000 visitors in May and it is a death trap waiting to happen; and drivers are avoiding 70th and cutting thru. Robert Kane, 6629 Normandale Road, requested another ‘do not enter’ sign at 66th & Normandale on the eastside; asked what it will take to get a permanent speed monitor like the one on 70th. Sothy Namasivayam, 6641 Normandale Road, echoed what had been said previously including extending the bike path at up Normandale to 66th; requested a stop sign Payton and a crosswalk. 2 Emily Sever, 6713 Normandale Road, said there is no way to get to Cornelia and Normandale Park by foot or bike. They must drive to cross 66th. REPORT/RECOMMENDATIONS Neighborhood Street Reconstruction Review Richmond Hills Park Assistant city engineer Sullivan said an open house was held on November 29 by SEH (consultant that is designing and managing this project). He said the project include realignment to two intersections to minimize hard surface and create traffic calming. To date, there have been minimum correspondence from residents and some discussion by residents regarding a sidewalk on W. 56th Street. Discussion included the following:  750 cars is the threshold for sidewalk approval.  Staff is not recommending sidewalk because of threshold requirement.  Based on questionnaire results, residents opposes sidewalk 111 to 6; and it is not part of the pedestrian Comp Plan.  Sidewalk on 56th is a logical connection to Hansen to get to Garden Park.  Crosswalk and 70th type entrance islands requested but not enough interest at this point.  Road right of way width is 66 ft; enough city-owned property to include entrance island and crosswalk are doable.  Attempt to implement Living Streets when possible; however, residents want village-look and ETC should support this.  ETC charge with looking at City as a whole and should consider sidewalk for safety and pedestrian connectivity.  Resident at 5009 W. 56th Street said residents surveyed said no to sidewalk; not a lot of vehicles; parents are driving kids to park; no school; and is okay with kids being in the street.  Residents’ main concern was the assessment and sidewalk would add more.  Sidewalk assessment would be divided amongst all the properties.  ETC is advisory to Council and can make recommendation.  Resident said staff is not recommending sidewalk.  Believes in majority rule and if safety is not an issue, then no sidewalk.  Residents not in favor of sidewalk even if cost was not an issue; no safety concerns.  Residents okay with curb and gutter proposal.  Auto turn vehicle template used for intersection realignment and tested by school bus tested for effectiveness (it does encroach into opposing lane).  Concern that drivers will take wide turns and defeat calming effect; also, concern for pedestrians in road at this area.  Prefers bigger radius on low volume roads.  Goal is to have more people walking based on Living Streets concept.  Statistically, sidewalk saves lives.  No crosswalk treatment currently and none planned.  This is the only opportunity to put in a sidewalk for 20-30 years.  Countryside had clear path to a school for sidewalk but not same for this neighborhood.  Noted firm support for Living Streets. After discussion, the recommendation was to support the Richmond Hills Park Neighborhood Street Reconstruction as submitted with the intersection modification at Kent & Windsor and Warwick & Kent and not including sidewalk in this project. 3 Tracy Avenue: Vernon Avenue to Benton Avenue (Phase I) Assistant city engineer Sullivan said the size and cost are too much to do the roadway in its entirety at this time, therefore, Tracy Avenue to the fire station is scheduled for 2015 and a consultant is designing the Tracy Avenue and crosstown interchange with hopes of getting funding in 2012. Mr. Sullivan said Tracy Avenue is a concrete road, 36 ft. wide, parking on both sides, traffic volume of 3,500, and no accident along this stretch. An informational meeting was held on November 28 to share information and gather feedback from residents in the 35 homes. An open house is scheduled for December 19 to show residents the design which will include a 5 ft boulevard concrete sidewalk on the eastside only; curb line in the same location; and bike lane on both sides and parking only on one side. Discussion included the following:  No sidewalk on the west side because of impact to corridor and not many pedestrians.  Improved crosswalk at Hawkes.  Primary bike route for on city’s Comprehensive Bicycle Transportation Plan.  Road would expand to 40 ft with everything that is planned.  Staff believes intersection of Tracy Avenue and Benton Avenue is cumbersome and the right-of-way should be made clearer. Staff is meeting with school district tomorrow morning to discuss and get their feedback on an oval-about that will fit with bus movement. Intersection not currently used by buses because of difficulty.  Public hearing is being scheduled for February 17.  Comments by residents at informational meeting suggest they find the current configuration of the Benton/Tracy intersection safer because of unique design.  Support for sidewalk on the east and two bike lanes.  Support for everything but the reconfiguration.  What criteria was used for realignment of the Tracy/Benton intersection because generally want drivers to be uncertain so they are paying attention.  Buses cannot use the intersection as it is currently.  WSB & Associates is designing this project to be similar to the W. 70th Street project – concrete to asphalt; 11 ft travel lane; 8 ft parking lane; and 5 ft bike lanes.  12 ft driving lanes would be better and have bikes and parking share lanes, or eliminate parking.  Residents’ support included bike lanes, parking and sidewalk on east side.  Vernon Avenue is a county road and is not included with this project. Further discussion, including a review of written public comment and project details, to continue at a future ETC meeting. Bike Edina Task Force – Bike Routes Chair Janovy said the ETC should not put too much distinction on the primary and secondary bike routes. She said the top four routes to be considered for striping, per BETF recommendation, are: 1) 70th; 2) Cahill; 3) Valley View; and 4) 50th and if they concur with the recommendation it will be forwarded to Council. The Council would then, at their discretion, direct staff to perform a feasibility study. Discussion included the following:  Many things that Council would have to review and decide upon such as reducing speed limit to 25 mph.  Routes are already in Bike Plan.  Routes were identified by staff and BETF chair and co-chair and other BETF members ranked them.  Staff time to complete feasibility studies.  Some routes are easier to stripe than others, 50th being the most difficult. 4  No criteria were used to identify the routes except that they are in the Comp Plan and the perception is that they would be utilized; also, the roads are wider with little to no parking. After discussion, motion was made my member Nelson and seconded by member Bonneville to forward to Council for their approval, routes 1) 70th; 2) Cahill; 3) Valley View, including Antrim Road, for feasibility studies for possible striping. High School Traffic Chair Janovy said she has spoken with various individuals (school board member, assistant High School principal, police chief, and city engineer) regarding traffic issues at the high school. In addition to as many as 500 student vehicles, there are 150-200 parents’ drop-offs and 34 buses. She has suggested to the city engineer reviewing the crosswalk at Chapel Lane because of its proximity to the high school exit. Member Bass said busing and carpool is an issue and suggested that they look at traffic flow and also look at models around the country. She said for changes to be effective it must be the brain child of the students and she suggested that they could start with their passion for the environment and consider not driving to school for just one day. Chair Janovy said there are remote drop-offs and wondered if they had proper facility to accommodate students who become pedestrians. She asked about the number of motor vehicle accidents on school property and how are they handled. Questions/Updates from Student Members Member Schweiger asked how much is an average assessment per property. Mr. Sullivan said each property could be assessed $5,000-$6000 on the low end and $12,000-$13,000 on the high end. Regarding high school traffic, member Schweiger, a junior at the high school, said he drives alone to school every day, and while traffic is heavy it is manageable. He said it is dangerous to walk when school gets out. Working Group Updates Transportation Options Chair Janovy said member Schold Davis is not continuing on the ETC so may need to find a new chair for Transportation Options Working Group. Living Streets Chair Janovy said Living Streets held their first meeting. Member McKlveen is not continuing on the ETC but would like to continue to be part of this group. Member Thompson said at their first meeting the common theme was creating system of roads into structure to enhance active living and to create options for many modes as possible. Other topics discussed that could be used to guide a consultant as they develop the policy included having natural connections, green focus with storm water treatments, neighborhood identity or art for community feel, etc. A National Complete Streets Coalition Workshop is being scheduled for February and it will include a presenter that worked on the LA Living Streets design manual. The date is tentatively set for February 15, all day, and location still to be determined. Grandview Small Area Study Update Member Nelson thanked Mr. Sullivan for distributing to the ETC the transportation section of the draft report. He said suggestions are to eliminate some ramps off TH100 and replace with a split diamond; other alternatives being considered are making Vernon Avenue one lane of traffic and adding bike lanes; other transportation issues include inconvenience walking to Jerry’s from the Grandview Square Condominium. There is an interest is developing the Park N Ride soon. Comments are being taken until February. Chair Janovy asked if it would make sense to do a formal presentation to the ETC in January. Members Bonneville and Nelson agreed and suggested asking Jack Broz to do the presentation. 5 Bike Edina Task Force Update No report. CORRESPONDENCES/PETITIONS Normandale and 66th Street Discussion Councilmember Bennett said Council directed staff to prepare a feasibility study for a sidewalk on Normandale Road and for staff to look at all possible options. Staff said the area was re-signed yesterday at 66th Street including relocating the ‘do not enter’ sign; one-way signs updated; both legs are marked and signed correctly. Mr. Sullivan will check with MnDOT for clarification on the arrows on the traffic signal going northbound to TH100 vs going to Normandale Road to see if it can be made clearer. Mr. Sullivan said the dynamic speed sign on W. 70th is about $3500-$5000 and he is not sure if the cost would be assessed to residents since this was the first installation in the City. Residents were told to contact the police department to schedule use of the portable speed monitor. Mr. Sullivan will contact the police department to see if it could be used now since there isn’t any snow. Mr. Sullivan said the Normandale Road sidewalk feasibility study could include dynamic speed monitor and cross walk at 66th. Feasibility studies are being done also for the following sidewalk projects: Xerxes, School Road, and 42nd St. CHAIR AND COMMISSION MEMBER COMMENTS During discussion, a Normandale Road resident said a sidewalk is not necessary, instead he suggested that the bike lane that ends at 70th continue up Normandale and onto 66th, and install a stop sign at Payton to stop traffic in an effort to slow them down as they are going down the hill. Councilmember Bennett reiterated that the feasibility study for the sidewalk is to include all options. Chair Janovy handed out a proposed ETC priority list for the ETC for 2012. Chair Janovy said the proposed ETC priority list for 2012 include 66th Street. She said they need to do a better job of teaching drivers how to navigate the roundabouts. Councilmember Bennett said there is an educational video that could be posted to the web. Chair Janovy said the draft bylaws should be ready in January for review. Also being discussed is developing a work plan to identify priorities. Chair Janovy handed out a list of accomplishments for 2011 and thanked everyone for their involvement. In preparation for the work plan, she handed out a priority list for 2012 and explained that items could be added or deleted. Regarding the High School/Valley View area, member Bass suggested changing it to Safe Routes to School to make it a part of the comprehensive plan and making sure an ETC member is part of the discussion group. After discussion, consensus was reached that their top three priorities were: Living Streets, High School traffic (under the umbrella of Safe Routes To School), and France Avenue Corridor/Southdale Area transportation improvements. Further discussion of the proposed priorities planned for the January. 2012 ETC meeting schedule was handed out based on a requirement from the forthcoming bylaws that will require them to sign off on the meeting schedule. It may be necessary to reschedule October’s meeting and Mr. Sullivan will look into this further. The plan was to have the ETC sign off on the 2012 meeting schedule at the January meeting. 6 STAFF COMMENTS France Avenue Bridge Scope Change France Avenue Bridge re-scoping will be presented to the ETC in March. WSB is currently rewriting the scope and the cost is $20,000. TLC Grant/Bike Boulevards Approval was received today from MnDOT. Another open house will be scheduled. Living Streets Living Streets RFQ is not done due to workload. The plan is to get it out and by early January. The RFQ and submittals will be distributed to the ETC to be discussed at the January meeting. Council Actions/discussions related to transportation since last ETC meeting Mr. Sullivan said he thinks the assistant city manager should be getting these types of information to commissions, along with department heads. Chair Janovy asked to receive correspondences related to traffic and transportation that are sent to the City. She said residents might think their mail is being forwarded to the ETC. Member Thompson thanked everyone, including staff for a great first year. Member Bass suggested having the Living Streets RFQ on the January agenda for discussion. Member Bonneville said there will be a need for Grandview Small Area Committee and the ETC to discuss roadways being proposed. He thanked everyone for a great year and said the next meeting would be his last. ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m.