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traditional pattern Pequot Lakes was originally built with—wili function well whether the highway is realigned or not. In other words,the housing, economic development and land use approach of the City are compati6le with a continuation of the current low-capacity, two-lane highway through town or the realignment to a high-capacity, four-lane to the east. Due to the fact that the traditional, neighborhood pattern of the City requires a high degree of connectivity with multiple mobility options available, an expansion of the current alignment to a high-speed, high-capacity highway is not compatible with the housing,economic development and land use approach of the City.Such an expansion would require a completely different model of development, one that would be very costly to adapt to as well as risky,since budget projections provide no confidence that the widening would ever take place. LOCAL ROADS AND $TREETS The City has had an informal policy of working to bring every road up to meet the City's official standard.As the economy has evolved and the explosive growth of the 1990's and through 2008 has vanished,there is reason to reconsider this approach. Even in the best of economic times, the City had difficulty keeping up with road and street maintenance. With a less vigorous economy projected for some time to come, it does not seem to be possible that the City could keep every implied road and street maintenance commitment. The reality is, however,that the City does not know exactly how much that implied commitment is.While some projects that have been in the works for years are continuously delayed for lack of funds(Government Drive being the prime example), other urgent projects are added to the near-term list. Many of the roads that were built by developers or through a direct assessment of petitioning property owners are still in their first life cycle,so major maintenance expense has not been an issue.The City needs a greater understanding of these pending expenses. It is also becoming more apparent that the assumptions behind the current road and street sections may be faulty, or at least not in line with the public's financial expectations.For roads,it is always assumed that two cars must be able to meet going in opposite direction at high speed without the need to slow down or yield.While being able to drive 40 mph instead of 20 mph can save minutes on a trip,this design may be a luxury we are no longer willing to pay for. Similarly with City streets,the design in the traditional neighborhoods has also encouraged high-speed auto traffic at the expense of any other mode of travel. Not only is the approach very expensive, it erodes private-sector investment in areas where the City has significant additional investment in expensive public utilities(sewer,water, storm sewer). The City's approach to streets needs to be reevaluated to ensure it creates value and attracts additional private-sector investment to the City's neighborhoods. POLICIES The following policies are proposed to guide all future transportation—related decisions in Pequot Lakes: Promote a safe transportation system.The most important design factor for a transportation system is safety. Proven methods for increasing safety on rural roads are to slow speed and limit intersections. New roads and reconstructed roads should use traffic calming designs to slow traffic. The number of intersections in new developments should be limited, especially along collector roads. Within urban areas, crosswalks, clearly defined intersections, and narrowing of the roadway with vertical elements such as trees or store-fronts are needed to slow speeds and increase driver awareness. Urban areas must have an approach that does not emphasize automobile trips to the detriment of other forms of mobility. Comprehensive Plan Update—February 2013 40 � P a g e