City Council Meeting Date: February 20, 2024
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: David E. Bennett, P.E., Public Works Director/City Engineer
Subject:
TITLE
Consider Resolution approving of Recommendations for Lincoln Parkway Pedestrian Walking and Biking Study by Greenvale Elementary School.
BODY
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council approves Resolution for Lincoln Parkway Pedestrian Walking and Biking Study by Greenvale Elementary School recommendations.
Summary Report:
The City commissioned a study to look at improving the walking and biking to Greenvale Elementary School. The focus areas of the study are identified below:
1. Bikeway Design Concepts and Report
a. Evaluate Lincoln Parkway and recommend a typical cross section design for the corridor that will accommodates a bikeway within the existing curb-to-curb street width, or a modified street section.
2. Pedestrian Design Concepts
a. Review Lincoln Parkway and surrounding ¾ mile Safe Routes to School walking area and identify barriers for pedestrians accessing Greenvale Elementary School and the NCEC, and provide recommendations for improvements.
3. Review and Identify recommendation to traffic operations at Greenvale Elementary School.
4. A demonstration project on Dresden Avenue was completed to improving biking to Greenvale Elementary. The City received a grant from Rice County/SHIP.
Three concepts were developed and shared with the public at the July 20, 2023 open house, from the open house an additional concept was developed. The concepts were shared online through an interactive website to gather additional information.
Upon reviewing the input from the public, a draft preferred concept was developed. The preferred concept was again shared with the public, and an open house held on November 30, 2023. From the final input from the public, a few minor adjustments were made to the proposed recommendations (those are outlined in the attached presentation)
The preferred roadway improvements are summarized below:
Lincoln Parkway
• Adds two-way, curb-level bicycle facility on north side of Lincoln Parkway (between Dresden Avenue and Cannon Valley Drive)
o An off-street bicycle facility is typically considered more comfortable for less experienced cyclists, especially children
o An off-street bicycle facility is consistent with recent practice and previously adopted plans in Northfield
o An off-street bicycle facility provides for separation of modes and less conflict between the modes
o Transition to shared space at crossings due to connections with pedestrian walkways
§ Provides a large shared space for bicyclists to turn directions
o Ties into proposed bicycle facilities on Lincoln Street, Spring Street, and Dresden Avenue (described below)
• Improved pedestrian crossings via the addition of curb extensions at the following locations:
o Juniper Avenue
o Lathrop Drive (east junction)
o Green Meadow Court
o Greenvale Park Elementary School access
§ To be supplemented by rapid rectangular flashing beacon (RRFB)
• Provides a new sidewalk connection to the elementary school entrance to provide a more direct walking route into the school
• Revises the roadway cross-section with narrower lanes (change from 12 feet to 11 feet) to
decrease pedestrian crossing length and reduce traffic speeds
• Adds a westbound right turn lane and an eastbound left turn lane into the school access
o Reduces congestion that occurs today during school traffic peaks
o Allows through vehicles to progress through the area
o Clearer pavement markings are intended to provide more orderly traffic flow into the school
• Adds a channelizing island at the school access
o More clearly defines the entry and exit lanes, further reducing
• Provides a two stage pedestrian crossing to split movements and allow pedestrians to focus on one direction of traffic at a time
• Eliminates parking on the north side of Lincoln Parkway
o Vehicles waiting on Lincoln Parkway in front of the school (especially after school)
o contributes to existing traffic issues near the school
o Parking is maintained on the south side of the corridor for neighborhood residents, school visitors, and park users
o Parking bays could be provided on the north side of the corridor west of the Northfield Community Education Center, however such details should be determined in later phases of project development to best match evolving development trends in the area
• Option to construct a sidewalk on the south side of Lincoln Parkway, west of Juniper Avenue
o This could alternatively be completed at a later date when a sidewalk is added to the east side of Lincoln Street (south of Cannon Valley Place)
o Until a sidewalk is constructed along the east side of Lincoln Street, the sidewalk connection on the south side of Lincoln Parkway, west of Juniper Avenue is unlikely to be used by many pedestrians as the more direct connection is along the sidewalk on Juniper Avenue
• Adds a single lane mini-roundabout at the intersection of Lincoln Parkway/Spring Street and Dresden Avenue and a single lane mini-roundabout at the intersection of Lincoln Parkway/Lincoln Street and Cannon Valley Drive
o Roundabouts provide a traffic calming benefit, reducing vehicle speeds as drivers enter into the Lincoln Parkway corridor near the elementary school
o Roundabouts will reduce crash potential, especially given the challenging sight lines that currently exist at these intersections that are located on horizontal curves
§ The proposed roundabout at Dresden Avenue is anticipated to mitigate some of the run-off-the-road type crashes that have been observed at the intersection(three crashes between 2018 and 2022)
o Roundabouts provide alternative routes (via U-turns) for vehicles that desire to avoid longer side-street left turn delays
o Size of the mini-roundabouts allows for school buses to be accommodated in the lanes and do to not need to use the central island to turn
o The roundabouts in these locations serve as a gateway into the corridor and are on a horizontal curve
§ A roundabout at Linden Street was considered but is not recommended at this time due to impacts to the drainage ditch on the north side of the intersection and due to the potential for impacts to residential right-of-way on the southwest corner of the intersection
§ A roundabout at this intersection could be considered again in the future when survey is complete and preliminary design is started to see how it fits within the area
§ Roundabout size and turning movements will be a consideration with four legs of entry
o Mature trees between Cannon Valley Drive and Lathrop Drive are proposed to be maintained, contingent on root expanse impacts
Dresden Avenue
• Adds two-way, curb-level bicycle facility on the north and west sides of Dresden Avenue
o An off-street bicycle facility is typically considered more comfortable for less experienced cyclists, especially children
o An off-street bicycle facility is consistent with recent practice and previously adopted plans in Northfield
o Ties into proposed bicycle facility on Lincoln Parkway
o A demonstration project for a dedicated two-way bicycle facility that was conducted in summer of 2023 was generally well-received by the public
o Bikeway facility likely transitions to a shared use path on the north end to maintain the transit stop and shelter
• Marked pedestrian crossings across Dresden Avenue provided at:
o Headley Court/Dresden Hills Park
o Dairy Queen Trail connection/Viking Terrace access
o Fremouw Avenue/North Viking Terrace access
• Connect the trail along Fremouw Avenue from Dresden Avenue east across the railroad
• Revises the roadway cross-section with narrower lanes (change from 12 feet to 11 feet) to decrease pedestrian crossing length and reduce traffic speeds
• Provides parking bays near multi-family residential units, near Dresden Hills Park, and on the west side of Dresden Avenue near Viking Terrace (south of the transit stop), but restricts parking elsewhere on Dresden Avenue
o Railroad right-of-way on the east side of Dresden Avenue impacts the potential for a sidewalk and parking on the east side of the roadway even though there is adequate space between the roadway and the railroad tracks
§ A potential sidewalk extension from the Dairy Queen trail to Fremouw Avenue can be a future consideration that may be possible with an easement
§ More parking on the east side of Dresden Avenue can be considered in the future, but would require the acquisition of right-of-way
• Railroad crossing improvements to increase comfort and safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists
Staff is recommending Council approved the report recommendations. Staff will work with programming project phases in the CIP, exploring grant opportunities, and partnerships.
Alternative Options:
NA
Financial Impacts:
See attached report.
Tentative Timelines:
2024 Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon Installation.
Future programming into the Capital Improvement Plan and grant exploration.