10-25-2023 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Prepared by: Bolton & Menk, Inc. PROJECT PURPOSE AND NEED Labore Road Corridor Study ǀ 0N1.130034 Page 2 II. PROJECT PURPOSE AND NEED Labore Road is an important collector roadway that runs through the north central portion of the City. It has been the subject of complaints from residents and property owners for many years; complaints have generally focused on: 1. pedestrian safety, 2. perceived speeding, and 3. vehicle crashes. The roadway is on the City’s Municipal State Aid Street (MSAS) system, has a posted speed of 30 mph, and carries 2,100-2,450 vehicles per day. Due to the configuration of the existing roadway, solving the safety issues will require significant investment to reconfigure or add new infrastructure along Labore Road. The current roadway configuration includes 13-ft lanes and 3-ft shoulders. The lane and shoulder widths vary throughout the corridor and in some cases narrow drive lanes and wider shoulders are provided. Exhibit 2 – Existing Roadway Configuration Pedestrian Safety The existing roadway lacks any public sidewalk or trail infrastructure for the entire 1.7 mile length of the corridor study area. Pedestrians and bicyclists must share the existing shoulder that varies in width from 3’ to 4’. Given the highly urban and dense nature of the housing along Labore Road, many community members still use Labore Road as a walking or biking route. Based on feedback from the public that will be shared later in this Report, it is very likely that Labore Road would see a dramatic increase in pedestrian traffic with improvements to public infrastructure. Notably, a group of children walking in the shoulder in 2007 were struck by a vehicle and a 7-year-old was killed in the incident. Possible pedestrian improvements are detailed later in this Report.