7.2. HRSR 09-07-2021 Request for Action
Cir•ci
Elk -
River=
To Item Number
Housing and Redevelo ment Authority 7.2
Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by
Genera Business September 7, 2021 Brent O'Neil, Economic Development Director
Item Description Reviewed by
Traffic and Parking Study Justin Femrite, Public Works Director
Reviewed by
Cal Portner, City Administrator
Action Requested
Item is presented for informational and discussion purposes.
Background/Discussion
In Spring 2021, the HRA requested a study on traffic and parking in downtown Elk River. SRF Consulting was
hired to quantify current conditions and examine potential modifications to current traffic and parking operations.
Within the study, options for converting Jackson Avenue between Main Street and Highway 10 to one-way traffic
were considered. SRF has completed its review and analysis and has provided the attached report of its findings
and recommendations.
Public Works Director Justin Femrite and Planning Manager Zach Carlton will be in attendance to help address
questions the HRA may have.
Financial Impact
N/A
Mission/Policy/Goal
Strategic Plan: Complete low cost/high benefit enhancements to improve traffic flow through the existing street
intersections.
Attachments
■ Memorandum from SRF—Elk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
The Elk River Vision P O N E R E o R Y
A welcoming community avith revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional [NAfUR
service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity. Updated.August 2020
Memorandum
www.srfconsulting.com
3701 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 100 | Minneapolis, MN 55416-3791 | 763.475.0010
Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer
SRF No. 02114668
To: Justin Femrite, PE, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
City of Elk River
From: Mark Powers, PE, PTOE, Senior Engineer
Matthew Pacyna, PE, Principal
Date: August 5, 2021
Subject: Elk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study, Elk River, MN
Introduction
SRF completed a traffic and parking study for the City of Elk River focusing on the downtown area
bounded by Highway 10, Lowell Avenue, and the Mississippi River (see Figure 1). The study was
initiated by the Elk River Housing Authority to better understand potential benefits and impacts
associated with various roadway modifications, including a one-way conversion of Jackson Avenue
between Highway 10 and Main Street. The goal of the study was to quantify current conditions and
qualitatively assess potential changes related to traffic operations and parking within the study area.
The following information provides the assumptions, analysis, and recommendations offered for
consideration.
Existing Conditions
Existing conditions were reviewed to establish a baseline to better understand area operations and
characteristics. Evaluation of the existing conditions includes a review of area traffic volumes,
intersection capacity, travel patterns, and parking. The following information provides an overview of
the existing conditions assessment.
Traffic Volumes
Peak period intersection turning movement and pedestrian counts were collected at the following
intersections on May 13, 2021.
· Main Street & Jackson Avenue
· Main Street & King Avenue
· Main Street & Parrish Avenue
· Highway 10 & Jackson Avenue
· Highway 10 & Main Street
The focus of these counts was related to the weekday a.m. (7:15 to 8:15 a.m.) and p.m. (4:30 to 5:30
p.m.) peak hours. In addition to the newly collected traffic counts, historical turning movement counts
along Highway 10 and area average daily traffic (ADT) volumes were provided by MnDOT. A
summary of the current traffic volumes and roadway characteristics are illustrated in Figure 2.
NORTHNorthProject
Location
Main Street
Parrish AvenueMain St
r
e
e
t
10
Jackson AvenueR
a
i
l
r
o
a
d
D
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i
v
e
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Project Location Figure 1H:\Projects\09000\9161\TraffStudy\Figures\Fig01_Project Location.cdrElk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
City of Elk River, MN
NORTHNorthParrish AvenueMain St
r
e
e
t
10 Jackson AvenueR
a
i
l
r
o
a
d
D
r
i
v
e (1) 0(0) 0(6) 1King Avenue 8 (28)0 (0)11 (22) Main St
r
e
e
t
(18) 1
8
(491) 5
7
8
(4) 1
24 (26
)
216 (49
1
)
1 (2) (44) 22(161) 123(10) 8Jackson Avenue 39 (68)67 (68)98 (43) US
-
1
0
(66
)
4
8
(98
2
)
1
4
9
0
(24
)
1
1
48
(
8
3
)
68
1
(
1
7
6
0
)
9
(
2
2
)Jackson Avenue35 (63)50 (51) Main Stre
e
t
(79) 91
(440) 495
62 (136)
212 (456
)(440) 151(130) 66Parrish Avenue Main Stre
e
t(224) 356
(267) 183
124 (165)
54 (95) (26)
2
6
(225)
1
3
4
(103)
2
6
2
Main
S
t
r
e
e
t
124 (
2
5
6
)
1 16 (1
5
7
)
61 (
5
4) US-10
(179
)
130
(829
)
1456
(27
)
1249
(106
)558
(1583
)50
(76
)
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Existing Conditions Figure 2H:\Projects\09000\9161\TraffStudy\Figures\Fig02_Existing Conditions.cdrElk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
City of Elk River, MN
XX
(XX)
- A.M. Peak Hour Volume
- P.M. Peak Hour Volume
- Existing Average Daily Traffic
- Side-Street Stop Control
- All Way Stop Control
- Signalized Control
LEGEND3,3007,700
8,800
29,
5
0
0
11,6002
9
,
0
0
0
29,
0
0
04,9006,800
X,XXX
7,200
7,200
Justin Femrite, City of Elk River August 5, 2021
Elk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
Page 4
Intersection Capacity Analysis
An existing intersection capacity analysis was completed for the weekday a.m. and p.m. peak hours to
establish a baseline condition to which future traffic operations can be compared. Study intersections
were analyzed using Synchro/SimTraffic (V11) software. Existing signal timing was obtained from
MnDOT and incorporated into the analysis.
Capacity analysis results identify a Level of Service (LOS), which indicates the quality of traffic flow
through an intersection. Intersections are graded from LOS A through LOS F. The LOS results are
based on average delay per vehicle, which correspond to the delay threshold values shown in Table 1.
LOS A indicates the best traffic operation, with vehicles experiencing minimal delays. LOS F indicates
an intersection where demand exceeds capacity, or a breakdown of traffic flow. Overall intersection
LOS D or better is considered acceptable by MnDOT.
Table 1 Level of Service Criteria for Signalized and Unsignalized Intersections
LOS Designation Signalized Intersection
Average Delay/Vehicle (seconds)
Unsignalized Intersection
Average Delay/Vehicle (seconds)
A ≤ 10 ≤ 10
B > 10 - 20 > 10 - 15
C > 20 - 35 > 15 - 25
D > 35 - 55 > 25 - 35
E > 55 - 80 > 35 - 50
F > 80 > 50
For side-street stop-controlled intersections, special emphasis is given to providing an estimate for the
level of service of the side-street approach. Traffic operations at an unsignalized intersection with
side-street stop control can be described in two ways. First, consideration is given to the overall
intersection level of service. This accounts for the total number of vehicles entering the intersection
and the capability of the intersection to support these volumes. Second, it is important to consider the
delay on the minor approach. Since the mainline does not have to stop, most of the delay is attributed
to the side-street approaches. It is typical of intersections with higher mainline traffic volumes to
experience high levels of delay (i.e., poor levels of service) on the side-street approaches, but an
acceptable overall intersection level of service during peak hour conditions.
Results of the existing intersection capacity analysis shown in Table 2 indicate that the study
intersections currently operate at an acceptable overall LOS C or better during the weekday a.m. and
p.m. peak hours with the existing geometric layout and traffic controls. During the a.m. peak hour,
the 95th percentile queues at the Highway 10/Jackson Avenue intersection extend approximately 175
feet and 365 feet in the northbound and southbound directions, respectively. During the p.m. peak
hour at this intersection, northbound and southbound 95th percentile queues extend approximately
200 feet in each direction. This indicates that there is regular northbound queuing along Jackson
Avenue between Highway 10 and Main Street.
Justin Femrite, City of Elk River August 5, 2021
Elk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
Page 5
Table 2 Existing Intersection Capacity Analysis
Intersection Level of Service (Delay)
A.M. Peak Hour P.M. Peak Hour
Main Street & Parrish Avenue (1) A/A 9 sec.) B/D (30 sec.)
Main Street & Jackson Avenue (2) A (10 sec.) B (14 sec.)
Main Street & King Avenue (1) A/A (7 sec.) A/A (8 sec.)
Hwy 10 & Main Street B (20 sec.) C (35 sec.)
Hwy 10 & Jackson Avenue B (19 sec.) B (18 sec.)
(1) Indicates an unsignalized intersection with side-street stop control, where the overall LOS is shown
followed by the worst approach LOS; the delay shown represents the worst side-street approach delay.
(2) Indicates an unsignalized intersection with all-way stop control, where the overall LOS is shown.
Northbound delays and queues occur along Parrish Avenue, which is a result of the proximity of the
Main Street and Highway 10 intersection located approximately 200 feet to the east. The closely
spaced intersections limits queuing storage and results in regular queues extending through the Parrish
Avenue intersection during the p.m. peak periods. As a result, motorist divert to Jackson Avenue to
avoid congestion in this area.
Travel Pattern Assessment
Given congestion identified at Parrish Avenue, City staff wanted to better understand current Parrish
Avenue user travel patterns. In particular, the desire is to understand how planned improvements
along Highway 169 would change user behaviors and overall operations within this area. To
understand these travel patterns, turning movement counts, average daily traffic volumes, vehicle
speeds, and travel times were reviewed.
Based on this review, there are approximately 25 a.m. peak hour motorists and approximately 65 p.m.
peak hour motorists that could potentially revert to Highway 169 following construction. Most of the
movements impacted are the northbound Parrish Avenue to Highway 169 motorists during the p.m.
peak period. This equates to approximately 300 daily trips that may no longer travel within the
downtown area post construction along Highway 169. A summary of impacted movements is
provided in Table 3.
Table 3 Movements Between Parrish Avenue and Highway 169 (via Jackson Avenue)
Movement A.M. Peak
Hour
P.M. Peak
Hour Daily
Highway 169 to Parrish Avenue 15 vehicles 15 vehicles 115 vehicles
Parrish Avenue to Highway 169 10 vehicles 50 vehicles 185 vehicles
Justin Femrite, City of Elk River August 5, 2021
Elk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
Page 6
Parking Assessment
Historical parking survey data was collected using aerial imagery from Nearmap, from April 2015
through September 2019. This included a range of collection days, including weekdays and weekends.
Collection timeframes were estimated based on shadows and ranged from approximately 9:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. A summary of the collected parking supply and demand is illustrated in Table 4 as well as
Figure 3 and Figure 4. Public and private parking was included in the survey to get a complete
understanding of parking in downtown
Table 4 Existing Parking Demand/Supply Assessment
Based on the parking assessment, the total parking supply exceeds the existing parking demand if
viewing the entire downtown area. However, when looking at individual area or lots, the segment of
Jackson Avenue between Highway 10 and Main Street is consistently 85 percent occupied and the on-
street parking along Main Street between Parrish Avenue and King Avenue is consistently
65 percent occupied. This indicates that there is sufficient parking to serve the downtown area,
although the most convenient parking is often utilized first.
Collection Day Approximate
Time Demand Existing Supply Surplus /
(Deficit)
Saturday, April 25, 2015 11:45 AM 235 673 +438
Tuesday, June 23, 2015 9:15 AM 304 673 +369
Wednesday, August 12, 2015 9:45 AM 293 673 +380
Monday, May 2, 2016 4:00 PM 300 673 +373
Sunday, October 9, 2016 11:15 AM 279 673 +394
Thursday, April 6, 2017 9:30 AM 304 673 +369
Thursday, September 21, 2017 12:30 PM 298 673 +375
Tuesday, October 17, 2017 12:00 PM 315 673 +358
Thursday, May 3, 2018 10:00 AM 239 673 +434
Saturday, September 8, 2018 4:15 PM 261 673 +412
Saturday, April 20, 2019 11:45 AM 190 673 +483
Saturday, September 14, 2019 11:00 AM 177 673 +496
Average 266 673 +407
NORTHNorthParrish AvenueMain St
r
e
e
t
10
Jackson AvenueR
a
i
l
r
o
a
d
D
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Parking Lot Zone and Supply Map Figure 3H:\Projects\09000\9161\TraffStudy\Figures\Fig03_Parking Lot Zone and Supply Map.cdrElk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
City of Elk River, MN
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
26
8249
29
14
36
60
168
105
J 104
NORTHNorthParrish AvenueMain St
r
e
e
t
10
Jackson AvenueR
a
i
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r
o
a
d
D
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Parking Occupancy Map Figure 4H:\Projects\09000\9161\TraffStudy\Figures\Fig04_Parking Occupancy Map.cdrElk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
City of Elk River, MN
45%
33
- ~0% Full
- ~25% Full
- ~50% Full
- ~75% Full
- ~100% Full
LEGEND
XX%
XXX
- Percent
Occupancy
- Available
Parking Spaces
85%
2
51%
83
47%
43
11%
44
34%
69
41%
10
15
1365%
66%
8%95
Justin Femrite, City of Elk River August 5, 2021
Elk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
Page 9
Jackson Avenue One-Way Considerations
An additional evaluation was completed to understand the benefits and impacts associated with
converting Jackson Avenue between Main Street and Highway 10 to one-way operations. This
evaluation looked at two scenarios, a one-way southbound condition and a one-way northbound
condition. The following information provides an overview of the intersection capacity changes, as
well as other benefits/impacts and considerations of these scenarios.
Travel Pattern Changes
Based on the two one-way scenarios along Jackson Avenue, the a.m. and p.m. peak hour volumes and
travel patterns were modified to reflect each scenario accordingly. A summary of the traffic volume
changes under each scenario is illustrated in Figure 5 through Figure 8. This includes the net peak
hour volumes under each scenario.
Under the one-way southbound condition (i.e. northbound movement removed), traffic volumes
along Jackson Avenue would decrease by approximately 2,000 vpd. The majority of these vehicles
would reroute along Main Street and travel through the Highway 10/Main Street intersection. Minimal
impacts to the neighborhood to the west of downtown would be expected.
Under the one-way northbound condition (i.e. southbound movement removed), traffic volumes
along Jackson Avenue would decrease by approximately 1,000 vpd. The majority of these vehicles
would also reroute along Main Avenue and travel through the Highway 10/Main Street intersection.
Once again, minimal impact to the neighborhood to the west of downtown would be expected.
Intersection Capacity Analysis
To understand any capacity changes associated with the two one-way scenarios, an additional
intersection capacity analysis was completed. A summary of the additional intersection capacity
analysis is illustrated in Table 5. Green represents a more significant improvement, while red indicates
a more significant degradation in operations.
Table 5 One-Way Conversion Intersection Capacity Analysis
Intersection
Level of Service (Delay)
A.M. Peak Hour P.M. Peak Hour
Existing NB Closure SB Closure Existing NB Closure SB Closure
Main St / Parrish Ave (1) A/A (9 sec.) F/F (> 3 min.) A/B (11 sec.) B/D (30 sec.) F/F (> 3 min.) C/E (48 sec.)
Main St / Jackson Ave (2) A (10 sec.) B (14 sec.) A (9 sec.) B (14 sec.) B (14 sec.) B (13 sec.)
Main St / King Ave (1) A/A (7 sec.) A/A (7 sec.) A/A (6 sec.) A/A (8 sec.) A/A (6 sec.) A/B (10 sec.)
Hwy 10 / Main St B (20 sec.) C (28 sec.) C (21 sec.) C (35 sec.) D (39 sec.) C (34 sec.)
Hwy 10 / Jackson Ave B (19 sec.) B (12 sec.) C (23 sec.) B (18 sec.) B (14 sec.) B (16 sec.)
(3) Indicates an unsignalized intersection with side-street stop control, where the overall LOS is shown followed by the worst approach
LOS; the delay shown represents the worst side-street approach delay.
(4) Indicates an unsignalized intersection with all-way stop control, where the overall LOS is shown.
NORTHNorthParrish AvenueMain St
r
e
e
t
10 Jackson AvenueR
a
i
l
r
o
a
d
D
r
i
v
eKing Avenue Main St
r
e
e
t
(-9) -5
+18 (+1
0
)Jackson Avenue US
-
1
0
(+
1
0
)
+
8
Jackson AvenueMain Stre
e
t
(-91) -7
9
(+82) +6
1
-72 (-13
6
)
+18 (+1
0
)(-126) -64(+126) +54Parrish Avenue Main Stre
e
t(+61) +8
2 (+26)
+
1
3
(+161
)
+
1
2
3
Main
S
t
r
e
e
t US-10
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One-Way Southbound Jackson Avenue Travel Pattern Changes (i.e. Northbound Lane Removal)Figure 5H:\Projects\14000\14668\TraffStudy\Figures\Fig05_One-Way Southbound Jackson Avenue Travel Pattern Changes (i.e. Northbound Lane Removal).cdrElk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
City of Elk River, MN (-44) -22(-161) -123(-10) -8
XX
(XX)
LEGEND
(-)
(+)
- A.M. Peak Hour Volume
- P.M. Peak Hour Volume
- Average Daily Traffic
- Side-Street Stop Control
- All Way Stop Control
- Signalized Control
- Negative Change
- Positive Change
+145
+5
-215-2,035+31
5
+1,785+5 (+5) -5 (-9) X,XXX
NORTHNorthParrish AvenueMain St
r
e
e
t
10 Jackson AvenueR
a
i
l
r
o
a
d
D
r
i
v
e (1) 0(0) 0(6) 1King Avenue 12 (28)0 (0)7 (13) Main St
r
e
e
t
(18) 1
8
(482) 5
7
3
(4) 1
24 (26
)
224 (50
1
)
1 (2)Jackson Avenue 39 (68)67 (68)98 (43) US
-
1
0
(66
)
4
8
(99
2
)
1
5
0
0
(24
)
1
1
48
(
8
3
)
69
4
(
1
7
8
6
)
9
(
2
2
)Jackson Avenue35 (63)50 (51) Main Stre
e
t
(501) 57
7
220 (466
)(314) 97(256) 120Parrish Avenue Main Stre
e
t(285) 438
(267) 183
124 (165)
54 (95) (52)
3
9
(386)
2
5
7
(103)
2
6
2
Main
S
t
r
e
e
t
124 (
2
5
6
)
1 16 (1
5
7
)
61 (
5
4) US-10
(179
)
130
(829
)
1456
(27
)
1249
(106
)558
(1583
)50
(76
)
02014668
July 2021
One-Way Southbound Jackson Avenue Traffic Volumes (Post Northbound Lane Removal)Figure 6H:\Projects\14000\14668\TraffStudy\Figures\Fig06_One-Way Southbound Jackson Avenue Traffic Volumes (Post Northbound Lane Removal).cdrElk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
City of Elk River, MN
7,345
7,705
8,585
8,5851,26529,
3
1
5
XX
(XX)
- A.M. Peak Hour Volume
- P.M. Peak Hour Volume
- Average Daily Traffic
- Side-Street Stop Control
- All Way Stop Control
- Signalized Control
LEGEND
X,XXX11,6002
9
,
0
0
07,20029,
5
0
0 4,900
NORTHNorthParrish AvenueMain St
r
e
e
t
10 Jackson AvenueR
a
i
l
r
o
a
d
D
r
i
v
eKing Avenue Main Str
e
e
t
(+15) +
1
5
-15 (-15
)
-11 (-26)Jackson Avenue +23 (+31) -67 (-68)+44 (+37) US
-
1
0
(+
1
2
)
+
6
(-2
4
)
-
1
1
-9
(
-
2
2
)Jackson AvenueMain Stre
e
t +9 (+22)Parrish Avenue Main Stre
e
t(-51) -50
+9 (+22
)
+50 (+51
)
Main
S
t
r
e
e
t US-10
(+51
)
+50
-9
(
-22
)+9
(+22
)
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One-Way Northbound Jackson Avenue Travel Pattern Changes (i.e. Southbound Lane Removal)Figure 7H:\Projects\14000\14668\TraffStudy\Figures\Fig07_One-Way Northbound Jackson Avenue Travel Pattern Changes (i.e. Southbound Lane Removal).cdrElk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
City of Elk River, MN-35 (-63) -50 (-51) +735
+39
5-1,115-405
-370
-30
XX
(XX)
LEGEND
(-)
(+)
- A.M. Peak Hour Volume
- P.M. Peak Hour Volume
- Average Daily Traffic
- Side-Street Stop Control
- All Way Stop Control
- Signalized Control
- Negative Change
- Positive Change
X,XXX
NORTHNorthParrish AvenueMain St
r
e
e
t
10 Jackson AvenueR
a
i
l
r
o
a
d
D
r
i
v
e (1) 0(0) 0(6) 1King Avenue 8 (28)0 (0)11 (22) Main St
r
e
e
t
(31) 3
3
(491) 5
7
8
(4) 1
9 (11)
205 (46
5
)
1 (2) (44) 22(161) 123(10) 8Jackson Avenue 60 (99)142 (80) US
-
1
0
(66
)
4
8
(99
6
)
1
4
9
6
48
(
8
3
)
68
1
(
1
7
6
0
)Jackson AvenueMain Stre
e
t
(79) 91
(440) 49
5
62 (136
)
221 (478)(440) 151(130) 66Parrish Avenue Main Str
e
e
t
(224) 35
6
(216) 14
5
133 (187
)
104 (14
6
) (26)
2
6
(225)
1
3
4
(103)
2
6
2
Main
S
t
r
e
e
t
124 (
2
5
6
)
1 16 (1
5
7
)
61 (
5
4) US-10
(179
)
130
(829
)
1456
(78
)
6249
(106
)579
(1561
)59
(98
)
02014668
July 2021
One-Way Northbound Jackson Avenue Traffic Volumes (Post Southbound Lane Removal)Figure 8H:\Projects\14000\14668\TraffStudy\Figures\Fig08_One-Way Northbound Jackson Avenue Traffic Volumes (Post Southbound Lane Removal).cdrElk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
City of Elk River, MN
7,170
7,330
8,395
7,5352,18529,
3
9
5
XX
(XX)
- A.M. Peak Hour Volume
- P.M. Peak Hour Volume
- Average Daily Traffic
- Side-Street Stop Control
- All Way Stop Control
- Signalized Control
LEGEND
X,XXX11,6002
9
,
0
0
07,20029,
5
0
0 4,900
Justin Femrite, City of Elk River August 5, 2021
Elk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
Page 14
The operations analysis indicates that under the one-way southbound condition (i.e. northbound
movement removed), the operation of the Highway 10/Jackson Avenue intersection is expected to
improve during the a.m. and p.m. peak periods due to reduce volumes, conflicts, and signal
optimization. However, operations are expected to significantly degrade along Main Street between
Highway 10 and Jackson Avenue, which is expected to regularly experience increased vehicle queuing
and delays during the peak periods. This in-turn results in poor operations at the Main Street/
Parrish Avenue intersection in particular, although the degradation at this location is less under the
one-way northbound condition (i.e., southbound movement removed). Therefore, if the northbound
Jackson Avenue movement were eliminated, significant infrastructure investment would likely be
needed to address the capacity issues along Main Street between Highway 10 and Parrish Avenue.
Downtown Circulation
With one-way conversions, motorist circulation and parking access is important to consider. Given
the locations of parking within the downtown, impacts to maneuverability are expected because of
the potential one-way conversions. In particular, the one-way northbound scenario (i.e., southbound
movement removed) would result in local vehicles having to use Highway 10 for local circulation
should there be no available parking spaces along Jackson Avenue. In this situation, improved parking
wayfinding would be critical to minimizing any circulation impacts along Highway 10.
Under the one-way southbound scenario (i.e., northbound movement removed), parking
maneuverability/circulation is expected to be less of an issue since southbound Jackson Avenue
motorists looking for parking would still have the opportunity to access the majority of parking in the
downtown area. This would also reduce local circulation from occurring on Highway 10. Once again,
improved parking wayfinding would be beneficial to minimizing any circulation impacts.
Multimodal Activity
A one-way conversion of Jackson Avenue between Highway 10 and Main Street would provide
multimodal benefits to the downtown area. A one-way conversion could provide the possibility for
enhanced sidewalk space along Jackson Avenue, as well as reduced crossing distances/conflicts at key
intersections. The one-way operations would simplify vehicle movements and help create a more
pedestrian friendly environment.
Cross-Section Design Considerations
The current roadway cross-section of Jackson Avenue was reviewed to determine potential design
options and parking considerations associated with a one-way conversion. Since this segment of
Jackson Avenue is a Minnesota State Aid roadway, certain design standards need to be met, including
travel lane width and parking dimensions. A design variance could be requested, but there is no
guaranteed that it would be allowed.
Justin Femrite, City of Elk River August 5, 2021
Elk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
Page 15
The existing roadway cross-section along Jackson Avenue has a roadway width of approximately
56 feet (i.e., curb to curb). The current configuration includes approximately 20-foot of angled parking
along the west side of the roadway, and two 18-foot travel lanes. There is sidewalk along both sides
of the roadway, however the grade differential between the roadway and sidewalk on the east side
results in the need for a railing.
An example one-way configuration is illustrated below, which includes current Minnesota State Aid
standards (https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/8820.9961/). This includes a 22-foot wide angled
parking area, two 10-foot travel lanes, a 8-foot wide parallel parking bay, and a 6-foot wide sidewalk
on the east side (below the existing railing). This example configuration is provided to illustrate how
a one-way segment could accomplished. However, further design refinement would be needed. Note
that the segment of Jackson Avenue would also likely need to be fully reconstructed to realize this
vision given current grades and drainage patterns.
Example Jackson Avenue One-Way Configuration
Parking
Conversion of Jackson Avenue to a one-way roadway has the potential to increase on-street parking
along this segment of roadway. Based on the example cross-section, it is estimated that an additional
eight (8) or nine (9) on-street parallel parking spaces could be added. Parking along Jackson Avenue
in this area is the most utilized parking in the downtown area and therefore area businesses could
benefit from additional convenient parking. However, there is sufficient parking within the downtown
area and therefore the cost to implement may not outweigh the benefits. It should also be noted that
given current design standards, there is not sufficient width to accommodate angled parking on both
sides of the roadway without a full roadway reconstruction, including the sidewalk areas up to the
building fronts.
Justin Femrite, City of Elk River August 5, 2021
Elk River Downtown Traffic and Parking Study
Page 16
Recommendation
Based on a review of the one-way conversion options along Jackson Avenue between Highway 10
and Main Street, the primary benefits include an increase of on-street parking (i.e., approximately nine
spaces) along Jackson Avenue, improved intersection operations at the Highway 10/Jackson Avenue
intersection, and the opportunity to provide enhanced multimodal facilities and crossings. To
implement the one-way options, reconstruction and signal modifications within the segment of
Jackson Avenue would be required, which would be costly and have short-term impacts to
businesses. In addition, the one-way options would have a negative impact on traffic operations along
Main Street between Parrish Avenue and Highway 10, as well as result in circulation challenges for
downtown users. Therefore, the benefits of the one-way conversion options do not align with the
infrastructure cost and subsequent impacts to other areas of downtown.