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Traffic Impact Study <br />Little Canada Caribou Coffee <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Alliant No. 218-0047.0 16 <br />April 11, 2018 <br />• Upon optimizing signal timing, the I-35E Southbound Ramps/Little Canada Road/ <br />Country Drive study intersection operated near the LOS C/D threshold overall. <br />Furthermore, potential side-street delay and queueing issues on the southbound <br />Country Drive approach are expected to be addressed without additional signal phasing <br />and/or roadway geometric improvements. No significant impacts to other study <br />intersection approaches were observed in the traffic simulation. <br />o Therefore, optimizing signal timing is recommended to address potential operational <br />deficiencies under future conditions. <br />• A lane striping change occurred along Little Canada Road in year 2015 after the <br />gas station/convenience store, which previously occupied the proposed development <br />parcel, had closed. The striping change incorporated dedicated left-turn lanes in the <br />eastbound/westbound directions of Little Canada Road on the bridge over I-35E. While the <br />striping change has increased capacity between the I-35E ramp terminal intersections, it <br />now presents a potential safety issue for westbound Little Canada Road motorists desiring <br />to access the proposed development. Confusion among westbound motorists whether to <br />use the dedicated left-turn lane or the adjacent through lane to access the proposed <br />development could lead to additional vehicle conflicts within an already complicated <br />intersection. Spacing along Little Canada Road is such that the County Drive and <br />southbound I-35E Exit Ramp intersections are forced to operate under one traffic signal. <br />o To clarify the lane designations entering this complicated area, two alternative <br />pavement marking modifications are shown for consideration in Figure 7. Further <br />discussion with public stakeholders is recommended to discuss the pros/cons of each <br />alternative in determining the most appropriate pavement marking configuration for <br />Little Canada Road, and whether or not signal indication improvements should be <br />associated with any lane configuration changes. <br />• A review of the proposed site plan was completed in Section 5.0 to identify any issues and <br />recommend potential improvements regarding vehicle ingress/egress, internal traffic <br />circulation/drive-through storage, parking layout/supply, and pedestrian/bicycle <br />connectivity. Key recommendations include the following: <br />o To minimize potential safety issues, it is recommended that the proposed access be <br />shifted as far east onsite as possible to better align with the Country Drive approach. <br />This realignment will necessitate relocating a pedestrian push-button and potentially <br />additional traffic signal infrastructure. <br />o Truck turning movements should be reviewed to ensure that delivery and garbage <br />trucks have adequate accommodations to negotiate internal site roadways. <br />o Deliveries should be coordinated to occur outside the a.m. peak period. <br />o Caribou Coffee employees should monitor drive-through queues to make the <br />determination when drive-through dwelling stalls need to be used to prevent <br />drive-through queues from extending onto Little Canada Road.