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8.0. SR 12-10-2001Item 8. December 6, 2001 File: 230000M-0325 Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Elk River 13065 Orono Parkway P.O. Box 490 Elk River, MN 55330-0490 RE: TRANSPORTATION ISSUES Dear Council Members: As you are aware, a number of transportation issues that were scheduled to be discussed at last week's City Council meeting were postponed until Monday, December 10, 2001. This letter is intended to provide you with a list of items and some brief background on them for Monday's City Council meeting. Items that staff would like to discuss with the City Council are as follows: A. PAVEMENT REHABILITATION REPORT Please bring with you the draft Pavement Rehabilitation Report that was included in last week's City Council packet. This draft report lays out the framework for the pavement rehabilitation program that staff has been discussing with the City Council for some time. Monday, I will briefly go through the report and some of the issues that staff needs direction from City Council on in order to complete and finalize the document. It would be staff's intent that the document be finalized in early 2002 and that the first pavement rehabilitation project be started by spring 2002 with construction planned for the summer of 2003. B. COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN This is an item that the City Council has indicated they would like to discuss relative to whether or not the City needs to update their Transportation Plan. The previous plan prepared several years ago had a specific focus on corridor preservation for transportation routes around the core city. A portion of that plan was actually implemented with the construction of Tyler Street. Staff would like to hear from City Council as to what they feel needs to be addressed with an update of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan. I will be available to discuss with the City Council typical items that are included in such a study. With the ongoing TH 169 and TH 10 Interregional Corridor Studies, there is some available information in traffic forecasting and modeling which could be used as a basis for a City Comprehensive Transportation Plan. C. 175TH AVENUE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT As I reported to the City Council previously, we have the environmental documents which are necessary for the federal funding completed and approved by MnDOT. Plans for the road Ltr 12-05-01 Council.doc Honorable Mayor and City Council December 6, 2001 Page Two improvements are 95% complete and have been initially reviewed by MnDOT. The two issues that remain to be resolved on this project are land acquisition and utility issues. First, on land acquisition, I have met with the majority of property owners along the project and discussed the need for land acquisition. In each individual meeting, I am providing the property owner a written offer based on tax value of their property along with easement documentation. This is required by Federal law associated with the TEA-21 grant. Thus far, the only easement that has been fully executed is for the Klein property. One property owner talked to me just this week and indicated they would like to take the City's offer of money and, in fact, have asked for slightly more than the amount offered. The property owner was offered approximately $1,350 for the easement. They have come back and asked for $2,000. Based on this, I am looking for direction from the City Council as to how to proceed with land acquisition. Would the City Council like me to continue to push to have the easements signed at no cost in anticipation of a road improvement with no assessments to abutting property owners, or would the City Council want to pursue a strategy of paying for and/or condemning property along 175th Avenue, assuming that the street improvement would be assessed to the abutting property owners? The second issue is whether or not to include sanitary sewer and watermain with the project. The proposed Park Pointe project will be coming forward to the City Council on December 17th. At that time, we believe there will be a petition from the Developers of that project requesting sanitary sewer and watermain be included in 175th Avenue. A decision on whether or not to include sanitary sewer and water in the project can certainly wait until the petition is received or later. D. ZANE AVENUEIMPROVEMENTS This is the Cooperative Agreement project that would realign Zane Avenue near the NAPA Auto Parts Store and Saxon Motors. along with connecting the road to the new road in the Mississippi Ridge development, allowing the access onto TH 10 to be permanently closed. We have recently heard back from MnDOT that they do have funding available to participate in this project. They have earmarked approximately $160,000 for their contribution to the road improvement. As we discussed previously, at this point the City Council should consider whether or not to order a feasibility study for the extension of sanitary sewer and water laterals to serve NAPA Auto Parts, Saxon Motors, and the Americlnn. Attached for your consideration is a resolution which would authorize such a feasibility study. E. WACO STREET/TH 10 SIGNALIZATION MnDOT has approved the Signal Justification Report for the signalization of this intersection. We have prepared preliminary plans and have had them reviewed by MnDOT. At this point, we are waiting for direction from the City Council on how and when to proceed with this project. One issue is should any of the adjacent property be assessed for the signal and if so, how much. The second issue is one of timing, when to proceed with the construction of the signal. The City could initiate the construction of the signal or wait until a request comes forward for the signal from the adjacent properties. Ltr 12-05-01 Council.doc Honorable Mayor and City Council December 6, 2001 Page Three F. TEA-21 PROJECT SOLICITATION MnDOT is initiating the annual project solicitation for TEA-21 projects in fiscal year 2004. Staff thought it may be appropriate to submit a project for intersection improvements at TH 10 and Main Street. The City of Elk River previously had received an ISTEA grant for an improvement project here back in the early 90s. However, the City Council at that time chose not to proceed with the project due to the issue of land acquisition and business relocation. Since the City is trying to acquire Boelters' property, it may be an appropriate time to pursue another grant to make intersection improvements at this location. G. MnDOTANNUALTOUR The annual tour with MnDOT staff had been planned for the fall of 2001; however, due to the state workers' strike, the tour was unable to be scheduled. I have recently heard from MnDOT that they are interested in doing a winter tour and have suggested the dates of Monday, January 28, or Wednesday, February 6, 2002. These tours normally involve a brief meeting with MnDOT staff at City Hall followed by a tour of the City, showing them projects recently completed or anticipated in future years, followed by a lunch at a local establishment. Tours normally start around 9:30 a.m. and are complete by approximately 1:30 p.m. If the City Council is interested in having such a tour, I would be happy to coordinate the event with the MnDOT staff. H. MAIN STREET/OLD CSAH 13 LEFT TURN LANE As requested by the City Council sometime ago, we have prepared a drawing of how the left turn lane at the intersection of Main Street and old CSAH 13 could be enlarged. We have also prepared a cost estimate for this work. In addition, we have done some traffic counts on old CSAH 13 to determine how many vehicles are simply using the route as a shortcut (between Tyler Street and Main Street). I will be prepared to share all of this information with the City Council on Monday evening. If there is any other information you would like to have me prepare for Monday evening, please call. Sincerely, Howard R. Green Company Terry J. Maurer, P.E. TJM:tw Ltr 12-05-01 Council.doc RESOLUTION 01- A RESOLUTION FOR THE CITY OF ELK RIVER A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ELK RIVER ORDERING A PRELIMINARY FEASIBILITY REPORT IN THE MATTER OF THE ZANE AVENUE STREET AND UTILITY IMPROVEMENT OF 2001 WHEREAS WHEREAS the City has determined that it should consider improving certain property by extending sanitary sewer and water, reconstructing and realigning Zane Avenue, connecting the street to Mississippi Ridge, and closing the northerly access of TH 10 (the improvement); and Council must first secure a preliminary feasibility study in order to consider making the improvement; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Bk River, Minnesota: This matter shall be referred to Howard R. Green Company who is requested to provide to the City Council a report advising, in a preliminary way, whether the proposed improvement is feasible and whether the improvement should thus be made as proposed or in connection with some other improvement and the estimated cost of the improvement as recommended. Passed and adopted this lOth day of December, 2001. ATTEST: Stephanie A. Klinzing, Mayor Sandra A. Peine, City Clerk C:\windows\TEMP\RESOLUTION 12-05-01.doc MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: DATE: Mayor and Council Pat Klaers, City Adm r December I 0, 2001 T SUBJECT: Transportation Comprehensive Plan Item 8. In addition to the material from the city engineer regarding transportation issues, attached to this memo is part of the city comprehensive transportation plan. It should be noted that a number of our most significant city transportation issues are inter- related with MnDOT (Highway 10 and 169) and Sherburne County (county road system). Accordingly, the city cannot independently address many of our most pressing transportation issues. Additionally, it should be noted that a number of the transportation improvements identified in this comprehensive transportation plan have been accomplished. On the other hand, some of the improvements identified in the plan are no longer realistic and need to be amended. Finally, it should be noted that staff review of all development plats and proposals are made with the city long-range transportation plan in mind. II ! Il !l Il Il II II CITY OF ELK RIVER COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN NOVEMBER 1995 ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL APRIL 27, 1998 !l CTP-230.156 230-I 56-80 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1 II. TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS ...................................................... 1 III. III. CTP-230.156 General Data Collection ............................................................................... 1 Socioeconomic Forecasts ............................................................................. 3 Travel Demand Modeling ............................................................................ 4 Trip Generation ................................................................................ 7 Trip Distribution .............................................................................. 9 Netwvork Assignments .................................................................... 10 ao Replication ......................................................................... 17 Ultimate Forecast ............................................................... 17 D. Development of Transportation Plan ......................................................... 18 Functional Classification ............................................................... 18 System Deficiencies ....................................................................... 20 Remedial Actions ........................................................................... 24 ao Improvements to Existing Roadways ................................ 24 Roadway Additions ............................................................ 27 PROPOSED TRANSPORTATION PLAN ........................................................... 30 IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................................... .~4 230-156-80 ge roadway network, with existing roadway capacities. As the figure shows, the area where demand exceeds capacity is in the commercial and industrial core of the City. T.H. 10 is deficient through the entire length of the downtown district. Another significant problem area is Proctor Avenue north from T.H. 10, through the intersection with School Street and northwest along County Road 1 to the Elk River Industrial Park, and School Street east from the Proctor Avenue intersection to Jackson Avenue. T.H. 169 is deficient from the T.H. 10 interchange north to Main Street, as in County, Road 13 from Tyler Street to the T.H. 169/Main Street intersection. Upland Avenue is deficient from T.H. 10 north to Meadowvale Road, and although it doesn't appear on the map, Meadowvaie Road has the potential for congestion from Upland Avenue west to 192nd Avenue. Other isolated problem areas are on Jackson Avenue and School Street, both to the west from T.H. 169, and Main Street west from T.H. 10 to downtown Elk River. These areas identified as deficient are roadway segments where forecasted travel demand exceeds existing roadway capacity in an all-or-nothing ultimate assignment. They are not guaranteed to be the only problem areas as the City grows, but they are the most likely areas for congestion to develop. Remedial Actions In this section, each roadway segment that is deficient in the ultimate development travel demand forecast is examined individually to identify improvements within the right-of-way that will likely be necessary. This is followed by descriptions of proposed additions to the roadway network and their impact on the remainder of the network. As a general introductory note, when the issue of congestion on a roadway comes up, the first place to look is its intersections. Traffic will generally flow smoothly on any roadway segment if there are not interruptions. The addition of access points, on-street parking, lane drops, etc. can have serious adverse effects on traffic flow. But intersections are the most critical features affecting traffic movement on a roadway. Improving traffic control and channelization at intersections will often do more to increase roadway capacity than any other measure. This is particularly true when two congested roadways intersect. a. Improvements to Existing Roadways Trunk Highway 10 Ultimate travel demand forecasts suggest that T.H. 10 will become an extremely high volume arterial, with ADT's well over 50,000 through the central business district. Aside from increases in thru traffic, there are two primary internal causes for the heavy volumes: the filling in of areas zoned commercial in the CBD, and a large increase in commercial/industrial trip generation in the southeast comer of the City. T.H. 10 is currently accessed nearly every block between Upland Avenue and Main Street. Many of these intersections will -24- CTP-230.156 230-156-80 need to be removed. A frontage road along the south side of the highway is recommended, with highway access limited to Upland Avenue, Proctor Avenue, Jackson Avenue and Main Street. Traffic signals should be coordinated to provide the best possible arterial level of service without doing too much harm to cross street movements. T.H. 10 is likely to need a third thru lane in each direction between Upland Avenue and the T.H. 169 interchange. The T.H. 10/T.H. 169 interchange will most likely need to be reconstructed as a free-flow interchange with diverging and merging ramps for every movement. T.H. 10 will be one of the greatest beneficiaries from some of the roadway additions proposed later in this section. Proctor Avenue Proctor Avenue between T.H. 10 and School Street will ultimately carry the highest traffic volumes of any minor arterial on the system. School Street, Proctor Avenue itself and Coun~ Road 1 all dump traffic into this stretch of road. The latter two will carry a considerable amount of traffic generated by the fully developed residential areas to the north. Proctor Avenue will need channelization improvements, with left and right turn lanes at its intersections with T.H. 10 and School Street. The traffic signal at T.H. 10 will need to be revised to provide eight-phase operation. A new traffic signal is proposed at the School Street h~tersection. It will be coordinated with the T.H. 10 signal. Access points along Proctor Avenue between T.H. 10 and County Road 1 should be consolidated or eliminated wherever possible. Proctor Avenue stands to benefit more than any other street by some of the roadway additions proposed later in this section. School Street School Street will need turn lanes on its approach to the Proctor Avenue intersection. Recently, it was improved to provide two thru lanes in each direction from T.H. 169 to just west of Jackson Avenue. In the future, it will most likely need two thru lanes in each direction between Proctor Avenue and Jackson Avenue. The recent improvements also signalized the intersection of Jackson Avenue and School Street, eliminating a four-way stop condition. This street will also benefit considerably from proposed roadway additions. T.H. 169 T.H. 169 will not be quite as congested as T.H. 10, but it will still carry heavy traffic volumes. Additional access points directly to the highway should not be permitted. Some existing access points may need to be closed. This should be examined on a case-by-case basis, and will depend on where the displaced traffic will access the CTP-230.156 -25- 230-156-80 CTP-230.156 highway and to what degree it will promote congestion at those locations. The T.H. 169/Main Street intersection has potential for considerable congestion levels, and further improvements will likely be necessary. Recent 'improvements at School Street and Jackson Avenue will alleviate problems at these intersections for the foreseeable future. As suggested in the T.H. 10 discussion, the T.H. 10/T.H. 169 interchange will probably need upgrading. CounW Road ! 3 County Road 13 is listed as deficient from Main Street to Tyler Street. Since there are no commercial or industrial zones along this road, and therefore its internally generated traffic is residentially produced, traffic volumes are expected to dissipate consistently as the road travels away from the CBD. A capacity deficiency is most likely to occur near the intersection with Main Street. Channelization improvements and a traffic signal, coordinated with the T.H. 169/Main Street signal, will. probably be needed here. Upland Avenue and Meadowvale Road Upland Avenue and Meadowvale Road will provide a legitimate alternative access to T.H. 10 for traffic that would otherwise desire to use a very crowded Proctor Avenue. The ultimate travel demand forecast shows these roads also having plenty of their own traffic. Capacity improvements that might be necessary include roadway widening and channelization, particularly on the approach to T.H. 10, and reduction of access points. Currently, the east-west portion of Meadowvale Road has an intersection with a residential street every block. This proliferation could be reduced with the introduction of cul-de-sacs. Like Proctor Avenue, Upland Avenue and Meadowvale Road would receive significant benefit from some of the proposed roadway additions. Main Street Main Street is a very important road, connecting the core of the downtown area with T.H. 10 and T.H. 169. The portion of Main Street that lies west of T.H. 10 and traverses the central commercial district definitely has a potential for congestion, even though the ultimate travel demand forecast only identifies the small segment between T.H. 10 and the fiver bridge as being deficient. This type of area is very difficult to model accurately because streets in the network come close together and the assignment cannot possibly take into account all the factors that influence a driver's route selection when several of equal attractiveness are available. It is reasonable to assume that the segment between T.H. 10 and the river bridge could become a significant problem area, with the forecasted traffic volumes on T.H. 10 and the rapid growth of Otsego. The river bridge -26- 230-t56-80 intersection is too close to the T.H. 10 intersection to install a separate traffic signal. The best solution might be to introduce turn prohibitions, particularly for the westbound to southbound left turn. At some point, it might be necessary to replace existing on-street diagonal parking with parallel parking and additional off-street parking. Roadway Additions Additions to the roadway network had to satisfy several criteria: 1. They could not damage the urban fabric. Elk River has many well established neighborhoods and parklands, and a commitment was made to find solutions to transportation system inadequacies without showing roads cutting new swaths through existing neighborhoods. However, existing local street rights-of-way were considered eligible for incorporation into the system of arterials or collectors, as necessary. o They had to take traffic off those roadway segments that had been identified as deficient in the ultimate travel demand forecast. In areas where no deficiency was identified, roadway additions were not shown unless they provided a significant positive impact on deficient areas elsewhere in the system. As development occurs in these areas, it will be necessary to add collectors to the system. This is especially tree of the northern part of the City, where arterials are spaced further apart. However, it is beyond the scope of this study to recommend locations for new residential collectors in areas not yet developing. As development plans are submitted to the City, the review process should include referring to a functional classification characteristics chart such as Table 4 to ensure that collectors are added to the system at property spacing, in such a way as to promote their intended use. Roadway additions had to fit the overall functional classification scheme. Arterial additions had to fill in holes in the system, their addition being means to the end of an integrated network of arterials. Figure 6 is a map of the City of Elk River with proposed minor arterial additions described herein highlighted. The letter attached to roadway additions in the text correspond to the letters on Figure 6. Roadway A Roadway A is a north-south link along the west edge of Elk River that provides the connection from T.H. 10 across the Elk River to County Road 72 and subsequently County Road 32. This roadway -27- CTP-230.156 230-156-80 provides a second access across the Elk River for the west central portion of the City. In conjunction with Roadway B, this roadway provides an alternative route for traffic around the central core of the City and will help to divert some traffic from T.H. 10, Proctor Avenue, and T.H. 169. Roadway B Roadway B is an east-west connection from County Road 1 and 32 in the west to T.H. 169 at 205th Avenue in the east along with a realignment of County Road 33 and 77. This road is a reflection of the existing lack of east-west corridors in Elk River. In conjunction with Roadway A provides for a bypass of the central cove of the City. Roadway B provides an alternative access to T.H. I69 for traffic into and out of the northwest area of Elk River and helps to divert some traffic from the very high traffic areas on County Road 1, Proctor Avenue, and School Street. Roadway C Roadway C consists of two segments that provide an additional link in an east-west corridor north of the core city. This roadway connects County Road 33 east of T.H. 169 with County Road 13 and County Road 31 to provide a more direct connection to T.H. 169. This also provides for a connection from County Road 22 in Anoka County, which is the primary east-west route in northern Anoka County. Roadway D Roadway D is another east-west link that serves basically the same function as Roadway C, to divert traffic away from the Main Street/T.H. 169 intersection. It begins at the 193rd Avenue intersection with T.H. 169 and proceeds east to County Road 13. This road provides direct access from the east to areas along T.H. 169 that are zoned for commercial development. Roadway E Roadway E is a north-south connection from T.H. 10 east of T.H. 169 in the commercial/industrial area in the SE area of the City. It is an extension of 171st Avenue across the railroad then parallels the railroad to the NW before turning north to intersect County Road 12 and 13. This roadway provides an alternative to traffic using the T.H. 10/169 interchange when traveling to or from the SE area of Elk River from the north east and north central areas of the City. It will also help to direct traffic away from the Main Streev'T.H. 169 intersection. -29- CTP-230.156 230-I 56-80 III. Roadway F Roadway F provides a continuous north-south corridor along the eastern border of Elk River in order to pull some traffic away from T.H. 10, T.H. 169 and the T.H. 169/Main Street intersection. It uses the Jarvis Street right-of-way to the north from T.H. 10, then a new roadway segment connecting Jarvis Street to Fillmore Street. Fillmore Street right-of-way is used from that point north to County Road 12. County Road 40 is shown relocated further west, aligned with Fillmore Street, but intersecting County Road 13 in approximately the same location that is presently does. This realignment removes three 90 degree curves, making County Road 40 a more desirable route. Figure 7 is a map of forecasted ultimate ADT volumes with all the above mentioned roadway network additions in place. PROPOSED TRANSPORTATION PLAN The transportation plan proposed herein is based on travel demand forecasts with a horizon of ultimate or saturation, development in the City of Elk River. This horizon is many years in the future; how many depends upon a wide range of factors. Assumptions were used through the process that led to development of the plan. Because of the distant horizon and the assumptions made in virtually every step of the process, it is imperative that the assumptions be reviewed periodically for their continued validity as the City grows. When necessary, adjustments should be made to the plan recommendations. It is important to recognize that the form and condition of a transportation system can drive land development, but also that land development can cause changes in a transportation system. Therefore, development proposals should be checked for consistency with the transportation plan, and likewise the plan should be adjusted as necessary to remain representative of land use conditions in the City. The proposed ultimate functional classification system for the City of Elk River, minus future residential collectors in areas still to develop, is shown in Figure 8. Included are the proposed roadway additions described in the previous section. The main focus of this system is to develop a City-wide minor arterial network that provides adequate area coverage and enough traffic moving capacity to handle vehicular traffic in an ultimate development scenario. As mentioned earlier in the report, roadway additions alone will not solve the anticipated capacity problems. In the previous section, many roadway and intersection improvements were identified. The recommended improvements all progress toward the creation of a functional classification system whose roadway designs and traffic control are consistent with the characteristics in Table 4 of this report. Following is a summary of the most critical existing roadway segments and intersections, and recommended improvements: -30- 230-~sr-g0 CTP-230.156 Roadway Recommended Improvement T.H. 10 from Upland Avenue to T.H. 169 Remove intersections - Frontage road on south side - Coordinate traffic signals - Additional thru lane each direction - Upgrade T.H. 10/T.H. 169 interchange - Roadway additions, especially bypass to T.H. 169 Proctor Avenue from County Road 1 - to T.H. 10 Channelization improvements - New and revised traffic signals, coordinated - Consolidate or eliminate access points - Roadway additions, especially westerly extension of Highland Avenue and T.H. 10/T.H. 169 bypass School Street from Proctor Avenue to Jackson Avenue T.H. 169 from T.H. 10 to Main Street - Add thru lanes, turn lanes - New traffic signals at Proctor - Roadway additions which remove traffic from this route - Limit access points; reduce access points along the length of T.H. 169 through the City - Channelization improvements at intersections - Upgrade T.H. 169/T.H. 10 interchange - Roadway additions, especially T.H. 169/ T.H. 10 bypass and segments D, E, and F in Figure 6 County Road 13 from Main Street to Tyler Street - Channelization improvements Possibly new coordinated traffic signal - Roadway additions, especially segments D and E in Figure 6 Upland Avenue, Meadowvale Road Roadway widening Channelization improvements Reduce access points Roadway additions, especially bridge across the Elk River at Waco Street Main Street Turn prohibitions Replace on-street diagonal parking Recommended roadway additions are as shown in Figure 6 and are described in the previous section of this report. -33- CTP-230.156 230-t56-80 IV. Design Standards Street improvement design standards were adopted by the Elk River City Council on March 6, 1989. These standards should remain valid, with correlations to the functional classification system proposed in this report as follows: Major arterials and a majority of minor arterials fall under the category of Federal, State, and County Highways in the Street Improvements section of City of Elk River Design Standards. It is unlikely that many of the county, roads that currently have a rural section will eventually be redesigned with an urban section. In its review process, the City should make certain that redesign is consistent with its transportation plan. Collectors in the transportation plan fall under one of three categories: Municipal State Aid (MSA) Streets, Collector Streets, or Commercial/Industrial Streets. Which category a particular street belongs in depends on its designation for funding purposes (i.e. Municipal State Aid) and the zoning of the land adjacent to its right-of-way. Local streets in the transportation plan are categorized as Residential Sh-eets in the City of Elk River Design Standards. In its designs the City should be conscious of transit and other modes of transportation. As the City grows, transit in some form will become more appealing. Potential transit, track and school bus routes should be considered when designing curb radii at intersections and other channelization features. When acquiring right-of-way, the City should examine its policy regarding sidewalks and bike paths, and provide adequate room for these facilities. IMPLEMENTATION The City of Elk River, by commissioning this transportation plan, has made a commitment to the establishment and maintenance of a working transportation system well into the future. In doing so, it promotes an environment for organized growth. In many ways, putting this plan into effect is not a unilateral process, but rather a cooperative effort with other jurisdictions, particularly Sherbume County and MnDOT. This section outlines a recommended series of steps to implement the transportation plan. Review and adopt the transportation plan. Adoption will establish guidelines for improving existing transportation facilities and adding new ones. It will provide City staff with an official reference to be used in review of development plans, to ensure that they are consistent with long-range City planning. Contingency should be made for changes to the plan resulting from a periodic review of assumptions, including estimates of future development locations and densities, modal split, external growth factors, trip generation rates, etc. Protect right-of-way. From the transportation plan, the City should identify those areas where right-of-way will need to be acquired. These corridors should be protected until acquisition takes place. Initiate jurisdictional realignment process. The City should review jurisdictional responsibility of roads on the existing street network and identify those roads where responsibility should change hands. Very generally, we recommend that the State assume responsibility for major arterials, the County for minor arterials, and the City -34- 230-156-80 CTP-230.156 for collectors and local roms. Not all roads currently operate with the characteristics attributed to their functional classifications shown in Figure 8. For this reason, jurisdictional realignment should happen over time, as the functional balance of certain roads shifts between access and mobility. Create a transportation improvement program. Begin by evaluating the existing system and determining structural and/or capacity deficiencies. Set up a five-year improvements program, to be updated each year, with an annual budget of City money and prioritization of improvements within budget constraints. Review funding sources for roadways with different jurisdictional responsibilities. Coordinate with the County and the State well in advance of anticipated improvements on their roads. When improvements are made, they should generally be consistent with the transportation plan. However, one must remember that the forecasting horizon that led to the recommendations in the transportation plan is a distant one, that of ultimate development within City borders. The lives of some improvement projects that are undertaken in future years will be shorter than the forecasting horizon. Therefore, an effort must be made to estimate conditions within the anticipated lifetime of each project, and to let those conditions drive the design. Traffic conditions on existing roadways should be monitored to help schedule roadway additions proposed in the transportation plan. In summary, a transportation plan is the important beginning step in the dynamic planning process. This plan is intended to serve as a guideline for furore decisions on transportation related issues, but must be reviewed periodically to ensure that it continues to give proper direction based on developments within and outside the City of Elk River. -35- 230-~s6-a0 CTP-230.156 I - 2 g T Z ~ _ ~ Om ~ zm ~ ~m> ',-.~,'j, ~ ~ .~ ,nm I I 5600 IT! X I-- ITl Z--t toDD mm Xm -IO-~ ~> Z 0 Z EDGE 13