Agenda Packets - 2003/04/07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Discussion: The City receives several complaints annually with regard to the speeds at which vehicles travel. This is, without question, the number one traffic movement- related complaint the City receives. With most of these complaints, the person making the complaint has, in many cases, already determined what the solution should be. For all such cases, Public Works Staff works with the Police Department and investigates the complaint. Based on the findings, Staff takes appropriate action to address the issue. Numerous tools can be used to address speed complaints: requesting a speed study, changing signage, changing road geometrics, and increasing enforcement. In many cases, after a thorough speed investigation, it is determined that there is not a real speed problem, only a perception that vehicles are traveling too fast. Staff wishes to develop policies for addressing speed issues and responding to various items of concern. The following are commonly requested traffic signage changes to address speed issues and Staff’s recommendation on their use. Staff is looking for direction form Council as to their position on Staff’s recommendation. Speed Limit Signage – The speed limit on ALL City streets is established by the Department of Transportation. If the City receives a request to change the speed limit on a particular road, or if the Public Works Director suspects that conditions such as geometrics and traffic volume have changed on a particular roadway segment to such a degree as to affect the safe operational speed, the City will make a formal request to have the Department of Transportation perform a speed study of that particular roadway segment. This must be done by Council resolution. Due to the Department of Transportation’s workload and ability to actually perform the study, requests for speed studies should be reserved for street segments where a real problem exists. It also should be noted that a speed study will result in a speed being assigned to a particular roadway segment that allows for the safe and efficient movement of vehicles. Many cities make the mistake of assuming that the Department of Transportation will lower the speed limits as a result of the study. In some cases, the speed limit is raised. At this time, Staff is recommending that the Department of Transportation perform a speed study on the segment of Edgewood Drive between County Road H2 and County Road 10 (in front of the Wynnsong Cinema). This street Segment currently, by default of being a city roadway, has a designated speed limit of 30 miles per hour (30MPH). Staff has also been working with the Mounds View School district to designate this area a “School Zone” and thus sign it accordingly. Staff is looking for direction from the City Council on requesting a speed study for this segment of Edgewood Drive and asks if there are other roadway segments for which the Council would like to request a speed study. If so, Staff will bring this back to the City Council for approval at the April 14th meeting.