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Home My WebLink About2005-09-06 BRAA Memo Re Traffic AnalysisSonestroo .. Rosene Memo Anderilk &. Associates Jng;ne4�rs & ArChfteCt3 Project Name: L.owes To: DM P /KS E From SJJ Re: Traffic Analysis for Lowes Development Client: oak Park Heights File No: 55 -05 -000 Date: Sept 6, 2005 Remarks: I have reviewed the above referenced traffic study and have the following recommendations and comments: The estimation of trips uses the proper ITE average rates in order to provide peak and daily estimates. The trip assignments are provided for the year 2010 which is when they are estimating that the TH 36 bridge is built and TH 36 improvements are made. ® Level of service analyses uses a good methodology. The major technical conclusions are of the study as follows: • The frontage road intersections with oakgreen Avenue will continue to be a problem until the new intersection of TH 36 with oakgreen is built and the frontage roads are further detached... • The Norell south frontage road intersection will be a problem on the west approach, but not nearly as severe as oakgreen. • The Norwich Avenue connection should be built to a three lane section. • The existing west frontage road approach at oakgreen should be widened enough to provide a left turn lane and a through /right lane (before the TH 36 improvements). • Some signing directing site traffic to Norwich and 58 Street could be helpful in directing traffic to 58 rather than to the frontage road to travel east to oakgreen. • The TH 36 improvements should alleviate interim problems that will occur between development opening and the time when the TH 36 improvements are made. • The extension of a future 59 Street does appear to capture some traffic and from that aspect could be helpful. However, the location of the 59 Street terminus, at oakgreen, will then be connected to the new frontage road once the TH 36 improvements are made. I have the following thoughts for consideration by the City; The three lanes on Norwich should accommodate the future traffic at acceptable levels of service. Consideration should be given to providing southbound right turn lanes on Norwich at each access location to the development. While not necessary from a level of service perspective, it would provide a safety benefit for traffic on Norwich Avenue. I recommend that the City consider requiring eastbound right turn lanes on the frontage road at Novak and at Norwich Avenues. This is also a safety driven recommendation. Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik and Associates, Inc. www.bonestroo.com ❑ St. Paul Office: ❑ Milwaukee Office: ❑ Rochester Office: ❑ Willmar Office: ❑ St. Cloud Office: ❑ Libertyville Office: 2335 West Highway 36 12075 N. Corporate Parkway, Ste 200 112 7�1 Street NE 205 5th Street SW 3721 23 Street S 1860 West Winchester Pd, Ste 106 St. Paul, MN 55113 Mequon, WI 53092 Rochester, MN 55906 Willmar, MN 56201 St. Cloud, MN 56301 Grayslake, IL 60030 Phone: 651- 636 -4600 Phone: 262- 643 -9032 Phone: 507 -282 -2100 Phone: 320 -214 -9557 Phone: 320 -251 -4553 Phone: 847- 548 -6774 Fax: 651- 636 -1311 Fax: 262 - 241 -4901 Fax: 507- 282 -3100 Fax: 320 -214 -9458 Fax: 320- 251 -6252 Fax: 847- 548.6979 Bonestroc Rosen memo Associate Anderri Engineers S Amh te(t A connection from the Lowe's site to the Wal-Mart facility should be made. A connection that would allow for a direct east -west vehicle movement between the sites would be preferred over a connection that forced traffic to make turns onto Norwich. A 59 Street connection from the oakgreen area, to the west, will draw some traffic and would also draw some trips from future development north of the residential component included in the trip estimates provided in this report. However, that connection would seem to have to occur to the future south frontage road (TH 35 Improvements) rather than to oakgreen directly. That connection would need to be made, to the future frontage road, at least a distance of 250 to 300 feet from the frontage road intersection with oakgreen. In order to provide a left turn lane from the future frontage road (westbound), side — by --- side left turn lanes would be needed along the frontage road. The connection would be valuable in reducing some trips at the Norwich /frontage road intersection and serve as ingress /egress for development south of the frontage road. The alternative would be that such traffic would use Norwich or a new access to the future frontage road farther west from oakgreen. Such access would work to a pretty good degree, but we feel that the option of the connection should not be eliminated at this time. All exits along the access drives should be for two lanes — one for right turns and one for left turns. The exception would be the truck access drive at the back of the store. The vehicle loading area, adjacent to the front (northeast corner) of the store, looks as though there could be some difficulty in vehicles leaving that area and having to make a tight turn to the exit lanes. This should be reviewed with the site planners. Turning radii could be checked with the Autoturn software.... The traffic study was a bit daunting in that a lot of text was repetitive and maybe a bit much. But, the technical analyses were complete and correct... We are pretty sure that other traffic operations problems will, potentially, surface as the planning process continues. We would be happy to assist in any way we can. ,She(don -7. Johnson 651604-4839 ,Sjohnson@ 6onestroo. cam Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik and Associates, Inc. www.bonestroo.com ❑ St. Paul Office: ❑ Milwaukee Office: ❑ Rochester Office: ❑ WEIImar Office: ❑ St. Cloud Office: ❑ Libertyville Office: 2335 West Highway 36 12075 N. Corporate Parkway, Ste 200 112 7'" Street NE 205 5th Street SW 3721 23 Street S 1860 West Winchester Rd, Ste 106 St. Paul, MN 55113 Mequon, WI 53092 Rochester, MN 55906 Willmar, MN 56201 St. Cloud, MN 56341 Grayslake, IL &0030 Phone: 651 - 636 -4600 Phone: 262 - 643 -9032 Phone: 507 - 282 -2104 Phone: 320 - 214 -9557 Phone: 320- 251 -4553 Phone: 847- 548 -6774 Fax: 651 - 636 -1311 Fax: 262 - 241 -4901 Fax: 507- 282 -3100 Fax: 320 -214 -9458 Fax: 320- 251 -6252 Fax: 847 - 548 -6979