09.02 Traffic Study Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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7. Alternative Corridor Analyses _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ �. _ �,. a. Current & Future Corridor Operations As shown in Chart 1, all roadways are forecast to continue to operate within their capacity through 2039. No expansions to the study roadways are anticipated to be needed. b. A/ternative Corridor Layouts All of the roadways in the study network are two-lane, undivided roads with the exception of Patriot Avenue. As discussed, it is recommended that the right turn lanes on Patriot Avenue at Main Street be removed, allowing Patriot Avenue to be narrowed in the area around Main Street. Left turn lanes are recommended to remain in some areas. With the desire to keep heavy vehicle traffic on Patriot Avenue and not use alternate routes through Pequot Lakes, adding on-street parking on Patriot Avenue is not recommended. Parking would cause more interruptions in the traffic flow and create a confined feel, negatively impacting how truck drivers view the corridor. Main Street east of Patriot Avenue is approximately 45 feet wide. With finro westbound lanes and one eastbound lane on this block, this road could be reduced in width. With the Paul Bunyan Trail crossing on this block, reducing the width of the roadway would reduce pedestrian and bicycle exposure time at this location. One way to achieve this would be to add a bump out on the south side of Main Street at the trail crossing reducing the eastbound through lane to be closer to 12 feet wide rather than over 20 feet wide. This could be done using pylons which could be removed in the winter to aid snow plowing operations. Pedestrian and bicycle crossing movements are anticipated to be lower in the winter so having only seasonal pylons would likely be all that is needed. Additionally, the eastbound approach on Main Street is over 20 feet wide. This wide lane can lead to higher vehicle speeds as well as vehicles potentially using this stretch as finro lanes rather than one, especially if going around a left turning vehicle. If the eastbound lane was striped as a 12-foot wide lane, driver expectations would be better set and it may reduce any excessive speeds. Another step that could be made at this trail crossing location to improve pedestrian and bicycle crossings would be to remove on-street parking. On-street parking on the south side of Main Street can block the view of approaching traffic for both pedestrians/bicyclists as well as motorists. lf parking were prohibited on this block,there would be an unobstructed view for all of those approaching the crossing. Figure 4 shows a sketch of the trail crossing improvements. Traffic Study 22 • . CONSULTING Pequot Lakes