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CHAPTER--4 - TRANSPORTATION 64 is The minor arterial and collector are very important to the City in terms of mobility and city-wide circulation. The need to identify these elements of the circulation system cannot be understated. If a street is not clearly designated as a collector or minor arterial and serves a lower purpose for many years, a future upgrading may be impossible or met with major opposition. The width of minor arterials can vary greatly depending upon traffic volumes and the need for commercial land access. A typical minor arterial would normally have four lanes. The center two lanes would be the driving lanes and the outer two lanes would be primarily for right turning. The road design would normally include concrete medians and additional left turn storage lanes at major signalized intersections. Traffic volumes on the minor arterial should be between 5,000 and 30,000 vehicles per day. Minor arterials are the normal transit routes and should be designed accordingly. Minor arterials are a good location for public and private utilities, however, because of the high vehicle speeds and volumes it is desirable to locate the utilities in the boulevard area where maintenance can be performed more safely. In some cases, due to the great width of the road, it is more feasible to have parallel utilities on both sides instead of long service crossings. Because of the commercial land access purpose of the minor arterials, they are important routes for bicycles and pedestrians as well as motorized vehicles. However, due to the high vehicle speeds and volumes, separate paths or sidewalks and striped crosswalks at - intersections are necessary. PRINCIPAL ARTERIALS Interstates I-694 and I-35W are the only existing and proposed principal arterials in New Brighton. There are no intermediate arterials in the City and therefore they will not be discussed. Principal arterials are the largest and most heavily traveled roads in the circulation system. Their function is to carry large volumes of traffic over moderate to long distances at relatively high speeds. Traffic volumes on principal arterials are between 30,000 and 100,000 vehicles per day. Principal arterials are normally four, or more, lane divided highways. They are normally constructed below grade level with the lesser traveled minor arterials and collectors bridged over the top. Right-of-way widths are typically around 300 feet and interchanges can occupy over 30 acres in area. Principal arterials, generally, fall under the jurisdiction of the state government. Construction and upgrading of principal arterials does not require municipal approval as in the case of minor arterials and collectors, although as a matter of policy the Minnesota Department of Transportation submits plans for local approval.