07-05-2023 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Item 6: Traffic, Speed, Enforcement Included in the packet are all the items council received for their January 2022 workshop which resulted in the "experiment" to install two addition signs on Groveland which was completed later that year; one at Groveland Circle, and one at Sherwood. There is an existing sign at Ardan. Staff (PD) collected a limited amount of data on Groveland, Spring Lake Road, Long Lake Road, and Red Oak prior to the installations. Staff (PD) has been collecting data for same the past two months along with data from H2 as we receive complaints from residents along that corridor. NOTE - This is not engineering quality level data, that would entail spending thousands of dollars to obtain. However, since it is the same equipment, an argument can be made that it is comparable data. Significant variables exist including construction of SLP road. Less significant is Groveland Village as no data is available on occupancy of units and thus the potential volume impact. Since the installation, staff has received requests from residents to remove the stop signs, they are annoyed and do not feel they work. Staff has also received three requests for additional signs, Groveland south of MV Boulevard, Spring Lake Road north of the Boulevard, and one on H2. Council received a request for similar signs on County I and SLP Road, which were installed. Since the experiment began, the Legislature has passed language that was signed into law allowing every city/political subdivision to establish their own limits. Minneapolis and all adjacent communities to the north (staff did not survey in other directions) have lowered their limits to 25 MPH. Ramsey County has notified staff they will be lowering the limit on all their roads that have a marked bicycle trail. Thus, portions of Long Lake Road will go to 25. Staff has also advised and will update council that the City has not experienced a serious injury or fatality on any city streets. Those have been confined to County and State Roads. Included in the packet is a spreadsheet detailing 6 full years and current year to date data, of all calls for service, DWI arrests, and traffic citations. Policy issues for council to consider and contemplate include; PD staffing, calls for service, actual versus perceived threat, violation of MSA standards, and cost of signage (speed limit and stop signs). We are currently down three officers, calls for service measure between 10,000 and 11,000. However, decline is a direct function of being down officers as traffic stops result in a call for service. Less officers, less interactions, fewer calls. Actual versus perceived relates to no fatalities or serious injuries versus comments "someone is going to die", violation of MSA is specific to traffic control signs that do not meet MNDOT engineering standards which none of the additional signs meet. If advised by MNDOT to remove, council has choice of removing or foregoing (and paying back) the MSA funds. Cost of sign relates to speed limit, and or traffic control. The flashing stop signs, utilized to ensure motorist who would not normally be expecting a stop sign, are alerted to the new stop sign requirements.