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City Council Regular Meeting Minutes May 23, 2006 Page 4 1 and updated the previous traffic count. They also took a more in -depth look at the future traffic 2 pattern forecast. Using the expanded traffic study, they reran the traffic model. 4 Mr. Tony Heppelmann came before the Council to present their findings. The purpose of this 5 study was to determine potential traffic patterns of the intersection Silver Lake Road and 37`h 6 Avenue N.E. in St. Anthony. The City is considering reducing the southbound approach on 7 Silver Lake Road from a through lane and a through/right -turn lane to one through lane and an 8 exclusive right -turn lane. The left-turn lane would remain unchanged. Currently, Silver Lake 9 Road is a two -lane road to the south of 37`h Avenue N.E. and a four -lane road to the north. 10 11 The traffic analysis of this intersection considers forecast volumes for 2007, 2017 and 2027 to 12 include background growth and additional traffic from local development for 37th Avenue ME, 13 Wal -Mart access and 39`h Ave N.E. on Silver Lake Road. Also considered is Silver Lake Road at 14 37`h Avenue N.E. with the existing lane geometry and forecast volumes. Finally, an operational 15 analysis of Silver Lake Road at 37`h Avenue N.E. with modified lane geometry on the 16 southbound approach including an exclusive left-turn lane, through lane and right -turn lane with 17 the forecast volumes. 18 19 Mr. Heppelmann explained that historically over the last 20 to 25 years, a large fluctuation in 20 traffic volume has occurred. Local redevelopment and increased commuter traffic to and from 21 the Minneapolis area has caused a modest growth of about 3.5 percent on Silver Lake Road over 22 the last ten years. This growth rate is high for similar roadways in Hennepin and Ramsey 23 Counties, but not unexpected, due to the redevelopment of the old Apache Mall site. Hennepin 24 and Ramsey Counties have seen an average of 1 percent to 1.5 percent growth per year on 25 similar roadways. 26 27 From April 4 to April 6, 2006, intersection turning movements were counted during the a.m. and 28 p.m. peak three -hours by Ramsey County. The intersections of 37th Ave. N.E. at Silver Lake 29 Road, Wal -Mart access at Silver Lake Road, and 39th Ave N.E. at Silver Lake Road were the 30 target areas. Looking at how traffic may grow beyond the results of the study, the project team 31 estimated a growth of approximately three- quarters percent per year. This estimate may be on 32 the low side. 33 34 Mr. Heppelmann pointed out that the existing lane configuration operates better and has a 35 shorter queue length of vehicles on Silver Lake Road than the alternative of dropping a 36 southbound through lane at 37th Avenue N.E. Removing the southbound through lane will result 37 in an increased queue of vehicles on the Silver Lake Road southbound approach to 37`h Avenue 38 N.E. thus blocking access into and out of the Wal -Mart parking lot during a.m. and p.m. peak 39 hours. An increased queue of vehicles on Silver Lake Road northbound will block 36th Avenue 40 N.E. 41 42 Mr. Heppelmann indicated it is desirable to carry two through lanes on Silver Lake Road through 43 the 37th Avenue N.E. intersection. The 2027 modeled volumes, with only one southbound 44 through lane on Silver Lake Road indicate issues such as vehicles backing up in the p.m. peak 45 hour past the Wal -Mart access on southbound Silver Lake Road. Vehicles exiting the Wal -Mart 46 parking lot onto Silver Lake Road will experience significant delays because of the backup on 47 Silver Lake Road. Because of the delay, vehicles may exit the parking lot into the right lane on