09.02 Traffic Study Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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6. Alternative Intersection Analyses - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -► a. Current & Future Intersection Operafions As seen in Charts 2 through 7, most of the study intersections currently experience, and are forecast to continue to experience, acceptable operations during peak hours. The signalized and all-way stop controlled intersections are well within the levels of acceptable average delay during peak hours. At the side-street stop-controlled intersections, the 95th percentile queues are within acceptable ranges with the exception of eastbound queues on Woodman Avenue and West Lake Street during the p.m. peak hour. As discussed in the Existing Conditions memorandum, those large queues are due to traffic leaving the high school. Though these queues are longer than desired, the period of high traffic volumes is short lived before queue lengths return to acceptable levels. Based on this evaluation, no improvements are necessary to bring operations to acceptable levels. In addition, some study intersections may have excess capacity that could allow for changes in geometry or traffic controt. b. Alternative Intersection Layouts & Control Types As mentioned above, either keeping the current configuration and traffic control at the study intersections or reducing the number of lanes and lowering the level of traffic control may be appropriate. To determine what level of change would be acceptable at the study intersections, each study intersection is considered individually below. 2"d Street& Main Street This intersection is currently under side street stop control with no exclusive turn lanes designated. Outside of the school periods, traffic volumes are generally light at this intersection. The main issue with this intersection is the west leg has a 90-degree curve very close to the intersection. Vehicles on the northbound leg at the stop sign have decent sight lines for both approaches, but westbound vehicles have poor sight lines making it potentially dangerous to turn left onto 2"d Street. This issue is exacerbated when vehicles coming from the north/west travel at higher speeds around the curve. It was observed that a number of vehicles coming from the north/west cross over the centerline as they head southeast around the curve. The two best solutions for this issue would be to either realign 2"d Street and Front Street so they are a continuous road or to remove the buildings on the north side of Main Street east of Front Street to allow for better sight lines. Both of these options would be significant undertakings and may not be feasible. The next best option would be to slow traffic coming from the north/west into this intersection to allow more time for vehicles on other approaches to recognize a potential Traffic Study 10 • . CONSULTING Pequot Lakes