City Council Meeting Date: November 15, 2022
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Sean M. Simonson, Engineering Manager
David E. Bennett, P.E., Public Works Director/City Engineer
Subject:
TITLE
Consider Approving Professional Service Agreement for the Lincoln Parkway Pedestrian and Walking Study by Greenvale Elementary
BODY
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council approves a Motion for a professional service agreement (Attachment 1) with Bolton and Menk, Inc. for City Project (STRT2021-A64) Lincoln Parkway Pedestrian and Walking Study by Greenvale Elementary.
Summary Report:
In 2019 as part of the Traffic Study for the new Greenvale Elementary School and the Northfield Community Education Center (NCEC), Wenck performed a traffic impact study for the Northfield School District to review impacts and operations to the surrounding roadway network, along with operations at the schools for both vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. In addition, and parking study was performed to determine the need and amount of parking for both buildings.
As part of the approval of the project, the School District needs to review and validate the findings from the traffic study, after the school has been in operation for two years. Since the opening of the school, recent development has occurred, such as the St. Olaf Housing Project and the Kraewood Development currently under construction. After the school opened in the fall of 2020, the COVID Pandemic had started, the school district did a lot of remote learning during the 2020/2021 School year. If the fall of 2021, when school was back to in-person learning, safety issues began to occur along Lincoln Parkway in front of the school. As part of that, the City of Northfield in partnership with the school district implemented the following four short-term measures:
1. Temporary Bump-outs
2. No Parking Signage and Curb Painting
3. Installation of Driver Feedback Signs on Lincoln Parkway
4. Police Department Crossing Guard Additional Training
The School District in the fall of 2022 is updating its traffic impact study. To compliment the traffic impact study, the City has received a proposal to expand upon the study to look closer at improving walking and biking along Lincoln Parkway and to get to Greenvale Elementary School and NCEC.
This study will include these key items.
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.
4. This report will identify options for a demonstration project, to assist with the grant from Rice County/SHIP.
This work is anticipated to be completed in the spring of 2023.
Alternative Options:
The Council could decide not to enter into a contract with an engineering firm for this project; however, this may delay the project.
Financial Impacts:
$95,788
Tentative Timelines:
Report complete in the spring of 2023.