09-27-2005 Special City Council Minutes

Home Browse Search

Special City Council Minutes September 27, 2005 Page 2 of 3 ----------------------------------- The City feels strongly that these additional access points would help minimize increasing congestion at the C.R. 11 intersection and ultimately enhance safety as well as traffic flow in the core downtown area. Pedestrian Safety The City feels that MnDOT's current proposed layout falls desperately short of adequately addressing pedestrian safety in the downtown core area. Discussions with MnDOT regarding alternatives to routing all pedestrian traffic through an at-grade crossing of the proposed high-volume intersection have revealed several alternatives. Funding remains the key issue to these. The City believes that two below-grade crossings should be added to the project; one near both the south and north end of the downtown core area. These, coupled with the prohibition of pedestrian traffic through the C.R. 11 intersection, would greatly enhance pedestrian traffic safety, while providing enhanced traffic flow through the downtown core area. The City has tentatively identified two general locations for these crossings; one originating and proceeding east from the present Lakes Gas property, and one originating and proceeding east from the area of Tower Square (near the old water tower). Both would optimally tie in to the Paul Bunyan Trail to the east. The City would like MnDOT's assistance in obtaining funding, preferably in the form of grants, for these crossings and the associated trail system improvements. Speed The City is concerned with traffic speed through the core downtown area under MnDOT's current proposed layout. While a center median is shown on TH 371 extending roughly from Derksen Road to the Paul Bunyan trail bridge, and other roadway features that enhance the "urban feel" in this core downtown area have been discussed, no details as to what will be provided by MnDOT have been revealed. While understanding that traffic flow is a concern, the City strongly supports the use of aesthetics and other design features that mitigate traffic speed through the core downtown area, and anticipates further discussions with MnDOT on this subject. The Council discussed the process in which to move the project forward. It was the consensus of the Council to hold a work session with MnDOT to discuss the Council's issues with the proposed plan. Following that work session, the Council