5.4. SR 10-12-1998~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
nature of the traffic flow in the neighborhood so a stop sign may be more
warranted.
I know that this intersection is of concern to at least one Councilmember, but
the warrants are clearly not met and staff believes that the installation of
stop signs where they are not warranted causes more problems than they
solve. A stop'sign on northbound Gates could even back up traffic to Main
Street during peak periods. Based on the data collected in 1998 and in past
studies, staff concurs with the findings of the stop sign study and
recommends that no stop sign be installed on Gates Avenue. The
background material referred to in this report is not attached as it is quite
lengthy, but is available for Council review at their request.
\\elkriver\sys\shrdoc\council\sssgatos.doc
Howard R, Green Company
CONSULTING ENGINEERS
September 18, 1998
File: 804910J-0325
CONSULTING EN~GINEER~
Formerly MSA
Consulting Engineers
Mr. Pat Klaers
City Administrator
City of Elk River
13065 Orono Parkway
Elk River, MN 55330
RE: 3RD STREET/GATES AVENUE STOP SIGN WARRANT STUDY
Dear Mr. Klaers:
As requested by the City Council, we have recently completed a multi-way stop sign warrant
study for the intersection of 3rd Street and Gates Avenue. As you are aware, a similar study
was done in April 1997, and the conclusion at that time was that a multi-way stop sign was not
warranted. For the most recent study, traffic counts were taken from Tuesday, August 25th,
through Thursday, August 27th. The actual counts are attached to this report.
Warrants for multi-way stop signs are found in the Minnesota Manual of Uniform Traffic Control
Devices (MMUTCD), and are as follows:
Where traffic signals are warranted and urgently needed, the multi-way stop is an
interim measure that can be installed quickly to control traffic while arrangements
are being made for the signal installation.
A traffic signal is neither warranted nor urgently needed at this intersection, therefore this
warrant is not met.
An accident problem is indicated by five or more reported accidents in a twelve-
month period of a type that could be rectified by a multi-way stop installation.
Such accidents include right and left turn collisions, as well as right angle
collisions.
On September 2, 1998, Jon Anderson at Mn/DOT Office of Traffic Engineering,
responding to our request, sent us a list of all reported accidents at this intersection for
the past three years. The summary can be found on the attached pages.
Over three years, there have been seven accidents at this intersection. The majority of
accidents occurred between May 30, 1995 and May 30, 1996. Three of these accidents
were right-angle accidents, and the fourth was a rear-end accident. Because there have
not been five or more accidents in a twelve-month period, correctable by a four-way stop
control, this warrant is not met.
O:\PROJ\804910j\910-1808.sept.doc
1326 Energy Park Drive · St. Paul, MN 55108 ° 612/644-4389 fax 612/644-9446 toll free 888/368-4389
Mr. Pat Klaers
September 18, 1998
Page 2
3. Minimum Traffic Volumes:
a) The total vehicular volume entering the intersection from all approaches must
average at least 500 vehicles per hour for any 8 hours of an average day, and
there were 8 hours in the day when the number of vehicles entering the intersection
was at least 500. There are at least 500 vehicles entering the intersection between
11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
b)
The combined vehicular and pedestrian volume from the minor streets or
highway must average at least 200 units per hour for the same 8 hours, with an
average delay to the minor street vehicular traffic of at least 30 seconds per
vehicle during the maximum hour, but
there was only one hour, 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., when the total approach volume on
3rd Street was 200 or greater. Pedestrian counts were done for four of the eight peak
hours, and these volumes were not high enough to bring any of the other hourly
volumes above 200. The counts were found on the attached pages. The highest
volume of pedestrian traffic was 11 pedestrians between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
The average delay for the peak hour, 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., was 3 seconds,
therefore this warrant was not met.
c)
When the 85th percentile approach speed of the major street traffic exceeds 40
mph, the minimum vehicular volume warrant is 70 percent of the above
requirements.
The speed limit on Gates Avenue is 30 mph, so 100% of the warrants must be met.
Based on the fact that none of the warrants for the multi-way stop control are met at this
intersection, it is our recommendation that stop signs not be added at northbound and
southbound Gates Avenue at this time. For your information, we have attached a complete
copy of the April 1997 multi-way stop sign warrant study.
If you have any questions, please call.
Sincerely,
Howard R. Green Company
Terry J. Maurer, P.E.
TJM/st
Enclosures
Howard R, Green Company
O:\PROJ\804910j\910-1808.sept.doc CONSULTING ENGINEERS