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9.1. SR 10-16-2017Request for Action To Item Number Mayor and City Council 9.1 Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by Work Session October 16, 2017 Justin Femrite, P.E., City Engineer Item Description Reviewed by Stop Sign Warrants and Crosswalk Locations Cal Portner, City Administrator Reviewed by Action Requested Informational item, no action requested. Background/Discussion This item will include a short presentation detailing the locations in which stop sign are placed and considerations used for the establishment of cross walk locations. Financial Impact N/A Attachments ■ None The Elk River Vision A PehoMing community Pitb revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity A IR of �-W� ver Stop Signs and Cross walks City Council Work Session October 16, 2017 er, MN -Official l' X f(D www.elkrivermn.gov/index.aspx?NID=506 7 P U.S. Bank - Custome Q) MOTOsafety G Googte © MSN ® Elk River, Minnesota ap Elk River, MN - Offic " Mike on Traffic * startribune.com Nev. D Sherburne County R (0 State Aid for Local rinections:your you more information...Slgn to You are here: Home I Departments I Streets I Sign Requests & Permit Info Sign Requests and Permit Info Damaged or vandalized sign? Contact the Street Department at 763.635.1120 You can also request/report online. Signs in Right -of -Ways Any signs attached to trees, utility poles, public benches, or streetlights, or placed on any public property or public right-of-way are prohibited Signs in Right-of-'n`ay Read more. Children at Play Signs Children at Play Signs Did you know that it is unsafe to install Children at Play signs in neighborhoods? Read more. Planning Department Did you know some signs require a ermit? Stop Signs , Residents often request the installation of a stop sign to reduce • speeding or correct other traffic problems in their neighborhood. Staff reviews and makes recommendations to the City Council on placement of stop signs based on set criteria laid out in the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control devises. Here is short video explaining the main purpose of a stop sign and the analysis staff goes through in recommending their uses. Video If specific traffic conditions are met that warrant the use of a stop sign, staff will get approval from the City Council authorizing its placement. Speed Bumps The City of Elk River does not install speed bumps on our public streets for the following reasons: . KA-,i.d.,., —, i—i-di— r...,. -1 .... i. i, AFF ... It f., er, MN -Official l' X f(D www.elkrivermn.gov/index.aspx?NID=506 7 P U.S. Bank - Custome Q) MOTOsafety G Googte © MSN ® Elk River, Minnesota ap Elk River, MN - Offic " Mike on Traffic * startribune.com Nev. D Sherburne County R (0 State Aid for Local rinections:your you more information...Slgn to You are here: Home I Departments I Streets I Sign Requests & Permit Info Sign Requests and Permit Info Damaged or vandalized sign? Contact the Street Department at 763.635.1120 You can also request/report online. Signs in Right -of -Ways Any signs attached to trees, utility poles, public benches, or streetlights, or placed on any public property or public right-of-way are prohibited Signs in Right-of-'n`ay Read more. Children at Play Signs hildren at Play Signs ou know that it is un to install Children at Play signs in neig Read more. Planning Department lkii Did you know some signs require a ermit? W_ Stop Signs quest the installation of a stop sign to reduce speeding or correct other traffic problems in their neighborhood. Staff reviews and makes recommendations to the City Council on placement of stop signs based on set criteria laid out in the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control devises. Here is short video explaining the main purpose of a stop sign and the analysis staff goes through in recommending their uses. Video If specific traffic conditions are met that warrant the use of a stop sign, staff will get approval from the City Council authorizing its placement. Speed Bumps The City of Elk River does not install speed bumps on our public streets for the following reasons: . KA-,i.d.,., —, i—i-di— r...,. -1 .... i. i, AFF ... It f., DEPARTMENTS GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY HOW DO I You are here: Home � Departments I Streets I Sion Requests & Permit Info I Children at Play Signs Children at Play Signs Did you know that it is unsafe to install Children at Play signs in neighborhoods? The city receives numerous requests from residents for Children at Play signs. It is the city's policy not to install these signs for the following reasons The Children at Play sign is unnecessary and unclear It suggests to the driver, if no such sign is present on another street. children are not playing there. and it is okay to speed or to be less careful. Another driver might interpret the sign to mean that children are playing in the road. "Always? What time of day?" It gives parents and children a false sense of security. By relying on the sign, parents might monitor their children less Signs in Right -of -Way closely and children might interpret the sign to mean it is acceptable to play in the street. Children at Flay Signs One Children at Play sign leads to a proliferation of signs throughout the town. Since nearly every block has children living on it, there would have to be signs on each one. The effect of too many signs is that they become ineffective. The proliferation of signs breeds disrespect, not only for the specific signs, but for all signs. To erect Children at Play signs in response to one request usually generates similar requests.. thereby basing sign placement on political rather than on sound engineering judgment. Because the signs are confusing and do not meet specific criteria for good signing, placing Children at Play signs opens the municipality to tort liability. Since all signs need to be maintained to be effective, the proliferation of unnecessary sign places an undue burden on maintenance crews. Purchasing, erecting. and keeping these signs in good order is expensive. For these reasons the city does not use Children at Play signs. The city will continue signing areas that give a clear message to drivers, such as school zones or pedestrian crossings. Stop Sign Video: httl2s: / /www.youtube.com/watch?v—lSmbL50ol5c&am =&feature=slaver embedded Warrants for Stop placement are set in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devises (MUTCD) Section 213.06 STOP Sign Applications Guidance: of At intersections where a full stop is not necessary at all times, consideration should first be given to using less restrictive measures such as YIELD signs (see Sections 28.08 and 28.09 . 02 The use of STOP signs on the minor -street approaches should be considered if engineering judgment indicates that a stop is always required because of one or more of the following conditions: A. The vehicular traffic volumes on the through street or highway exceed 6,000 vehicles per day; R A restricted view exists that requires road users to stop in order to adequately observe conflicting traffic on the through street or highway, and/or C. Crash records indicate that three or more crashes that are susceptible to correction by the installation of a STOP sign have been reported within a 12 -month period, or that five or more such crashes have been reported within a 2 -year period. Such crashes include right-angle collisions involving road users on the minor -street approach failing to yield the right-of-way to traffic on the through street or highway. Support: 03 The use of STOP signs at grade crossings is described in Sections 83.04 and 88.05. Section 213.07 Multi -Way Stop Applications Support: ox Multi -way stop control can be useful as a safety measure at intersections if certain traffic conditions exist. Safety concerns associated with multi -way stops include pedestrians, bicyclists, and all road users expecting other road users to stop. Multi -way stop control is used where the volume of traffic on the intersecting roads is approximately equal. 02 The restrictions on the use of STOP signs described in Section 213.04 also apply to multi -way stop applications. Guidance: 03 The decision to install multi -way stop control should be based on an engineering study. oa The following criteria should be considered in the engineering study for a multi -way STOP sign installation: A. Where traffic control signals are justified, the multi -way stop is an interim measure that can be installed quickly to control traffic while arrangements are being made for the installation of the traffic control signal. a Five or more reported crashes in a 12 -month period that are susceptible to correction by a multi -way stop installation. Such crashes include right -turn and left -turn collisions as well as right-angle collisions. C. Minimum volumes: 1. The vehicular volume entering the intersection from the major street approaches (total of both approaches) averages at least 300 vehicles per hour for any 8 hours of an average day; and 2. The combined vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle volume entering the intersection from the minor street approaches (total of both approaches) averages at feast 200 units per hour for the same 8 hours, with an average delay to minor -street vehicular traffic of at least 30 seconds per vehicle during the highest hour; but 3. if the 85th -percentile approach speed of the major -street traffic exceeds 40 mph, the minimum vehicular volume warrants are 70 percent of the values provided in Items 1 and 2. D. Where no single criterion is satisfied, but where Criteria 8, C.1, and C.2 are all satisfied to 80 percent of the minimum values. Criterion C.3 is excluded from this condition. Option: o5 Other criteria that may be considered in an engineering study include: A. The need to control left -turn conflicts; 13. The need to control vehicle/pedestrian conflicts near locations that generate high pedestrian volumes; C. Locations where a road user, after stopping, cannot see conflicting traffic and is not able to negotiate the intersection unless conflicting cross traffic is also required to stop; and D. An intersection of two residential neighborhood collector (through) streets of similar design and operating characteristics where multi -way stop control would improve traffic operational characteristics of the intersection. Cro s swalxs — w nere ro piace rnemr DESCRIPTION . DEFINITION An advance warning sign and signs at the crossing are typically installed where A marked crosswalk is a type of pavement marking that indicates to pedestrians the recommended location to cross the roadway and also alerts approaching motorists as to where pedestrians may be crossing the street. In Minnesota, a legal crosswalk does not necessarily have to have a marked crosswalk. State laws (MN STATUTE 169.011, subd. 20 and STATUTE 169.21, subd. 2) deflnea legal crosswalk as the extension of the sidewalks across a road, whether it has a marked crosswalk or not. Marked crosswalks are often installed at signalized intersections, at a school zone crossing (whether signalized or not), and at unsignalized locations where engineers determine that there are enough pedestrians to justify a marked crossing. Crosswalks may be marked at midblock crossing locations as well as at intersections (see Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon System). A variety of crosswalk enhancements may be used at marked crosswalks. For example, high -visibility crosswalks (ladder and continental styles) are much more visible to motorists than parallel -line crosswalks. An illustration of high - visibility crosswalks is provided. it is determined that signing is needed to supplement the markings to better alert drivers of the crosswalk placement. There are some situations, such as on multi -lane roads (roads with three or more vehicle lanes) where an advance stop or yield line with corresponding sign ("Stop here for pedestrians") may be useful to encourage motorists to stop or yield 20 to 50 feet in advance of the marked crosswalk. Studies have shown that having such advance stop or yield lines on multi -lane roads can reduce the risk of a "multiple -threat" pedestrian crash. (Note: A multiple -threat pedestrian crash sometimes occurs when one vehicle stops for a pedestrian right at the marked crosswalk and blocks the pedestrian's view, or sight distance, of an approaching vehicle in an adjacent lane. The approaching motorist and the crossing pedestrian do not see each other until it is too late to avoid a collision.) Having an advance yield line can improve the sight distance, because the stopping vehicle stops in advance of the crosswalk, and increases the visibility between the pedestrian and the approaching vehicle. The advance yield line allows more time and distance for a collision to be avoided. Nustrotion of a hfultiple-threat Pedestrian Crash QMINNESOTA'S BEST PRACTICES FOR PEDESTRIAWBICYCLE SAFETY SEPTEMBER 2013 Pedestrian steps out. Pedowim &IO" out, doesn't see second car not car not stopping Nadi Fust car for blocking visibiriey to opening up Sign t e4eccnd tare include second A I M � I i _ I 1 Car A CVa Cat stration of Marked Crosswalk without theAdvonceSroplYteld line (left) and with theAdvonre StoplYield line (i Another option to enhance pedestrian crossings is to use the signs in the ` street to indicate that it is the state law for motorists to stop or yield to pedestrians. Such a sign, shown below, is also given in the 2011 MN MUTCD. Multiple studies have reviewed the use of crosswalks at uncontrolled intersections and found that they are not a safety strategy when used without other safety enhancements. Therefore, when considering how to provide safer conditions at pedestrian crossings, it is important to consider the use of a marked crosswalk along with other crosswalk enhancements. In addition to high -visibility crosswalk markings, advance yield lines, and pedestrian signing ("Stop here for pedestrians" signs in the street, for example), there are other possible crosswalk enhancements, including but not limited to the following: • Overhead lighting (page 18) ■ Curb extensions (page 11) ■ Raised crosswalks (page 3) ■ Rectangular rapid flashing ■ Raised median islands (page 9) beacons (page 16) • P y rtd beacons (page 13) It should be noted that like any warning traffic control device, crosswalks r not work as effectively if they are overused or placed at locations with low trian activity. STATE 2012 Minnesota Statutes P 169.21 Pedestrian, subd.2 LAW (D (a) Where traffic -control signals are not in place or in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall stop to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within o marked crosswalk or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk. The driver must remain stopped until the pedestrian has passed the FOR lane in which the vehicle is stopped. No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that itis impossible for the driver to yield. (b) When any vehicle is stopped of a marked crosswalk or a£ an intersection with no marked crosswalk to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass the stopped vehicle. WITHIN CROSSWALK ry QMINNESOTA'S BEST PRACTICES FOR PEDESTRIANBICYCLE SAFETY SEPTEMBER 2013 Agencies considering use of a marked crosswalk as a means to address pedestrian safety should also consider a package of improvements that include the following proven, effective strategies: supplemental signs, aance yield lines and signing, overhead lighting, curb extensions, and/or medi islands. In -pavement lights are another potential strategy, however they have ongoing maintenance issues due the climate and snow plow damage. Another strategy is raised crosswalks, where the crosswalk is higher than the roadway, to encourage driver's to slow down. These, however, are not allowed by statute on state aid roadways. Where traffic and pedestrian conditions dictate, pedestrian crossings may also warrant a pedestrian hybrid beacon or a rectangular rapid flashing beacon. SOURCES PP,",r-T1Cr 4t ",n.�:",r� ST PRACTICE At all signalized intersections where an engineering study finds the presence of pedestrian activity, crosswalks should be considered because of the benefits, which include making it clear to vehicles where they should stop and delineating a path for pedestrians. Crosswalks at uncontrolled intersections should be limited and include other features, such as medians and curb extensions, when possible. / Best Practices for Traffic (ontrolat Regional Troil (rossings. 2011. (ollaboraIive Effort of Twin Glres Buda rvdTrail Managing Agencies. July 26. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). 2005. SafetyEffects of Marked Versus Unmarked Gosswalks at Uncontrollediocations Final Report and Recommended Guidelines. FHWA, FHWA-HRT-04-100. September. Minnesota Department of Transportation MetroTraffic Engineering. 2005.6urdonce for lnstallobon of Pedestrian (toss walks on Minnesota State Highways. October. Minnesota Local Road Research Board. 2006. BirydeandPedestrion Toolbox. Report 200602. Minnesota local Road Research Board. 2009a.Evaluating Activeand Passive Crosswalk Warningsat Unsignafaed Intersections and Mid-81ockSites., Minnesota local Road Research Board, Report 200903TS. Minnesota Local Road Research Board. 2009b. Warning fffxacyolActive Versus Passive Warnings forUnsrgnahzed Intersection andMO-81ock Pedestrian (rosswalks, Minnesota Local Road Research Board, Report 200903. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. 2010a.Assocration 8erween Roadway Intersection Characteristics and Pedestrian (rash Riskin Alameda County, (allfornw. Transportation Research Board of the National Academes, ISSN 0361-1981, Volume 2198. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, 2010b. Safety Effectiveness ofteoding Pedestrian Intervals Evaluated by Before -After Study, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, ISSN 0361-1981, volume 2198. Oty of Northfield Transportation Plan. 2008. Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update. V!�, MINNESOTA'S BEST PRACTICES FOR PEDESTRIANBICYCL€ SAFETY SEPTEMBER 2013