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Spring 2013 City Hall - 3800 Laverne Avenue North - Lake Elmo, Minnesota 55042 (651) 747-3900 Last fall MnDOT assembled a team of experts to con- duct a Road Safety Audit (RSA) to address ongo- ing safety concerns on Minnesota Trunk Highway 5 (MNTH) from Jamaca Avenue to Manning Avenue. Ar- eas of specific concern included traffic speed, difficulty for pedestrian crossing, delays at intersections during peak hours, and dangerous intersections. The audit review process included the following steps: • Assembly and analysis of crash data from 2002 to 2011 using the Minnesota Crash Mapping Analysis Tool (MnCMAT) • Documentation of traffic volumes for the corridor • Two meetings; one with the City Council, elected officials, local law enforcement and residents, and one follow-up meeting with MnDOT Metro District and Washington County staff • Field observations and discussion of possible miti- gation strategies The Road Safety Audit Report was completed and pre- sented before Council members at the February 19, 2013 meeting. Key findings from the study indicate that Highway 5 has higher crash rates than expected in several segments, and higher density of access com- pared to similar roadways. Vehicle speeds were found to be reasonable based on a comparison of the char- acteristics of speed profiles, and consistent with those typical of rural roadways. The RSA Team developed a list of suggested improve- ments to address identified safety and operational deficiencies. The key components include converting MNTH 5 from a 2-lane roadway to a 3-lane roadway with a center two-way left turn lane and developing and implementing access management and street network plans for the City of Lake Elmo. The rationale in sup- port of converting to a 3-lane roadway is to reduce rear end crashes, mitigate the effects of high access den- sity, and drop vehicle speeds. The RSA Team considered the costs and feasibility of implementing specific strategies at specific locations in the corridor and suggests a potential implementation plan for the Short Term (1 to 5 years), Mid Term (5 to 10 years) and Long Term (more than 10 years) Actions. City Council is expected to act on all of these mea- sures within the next three months. Highway 5 Road Safety Audit Complete, Council to Consider MnDOT Recommendations City Hall - 3800 Laverne Avenue North - Lake Elmo, Minnesota 55042 (651) 747-3900 Mayor Mike Pearson read to more than 300 1st through 6th grade students at Lake Elmo Elementary in February. The visit was part of the school-wide celebration of “I Love to Read Month.” Mayor Reads To Elementary Students Minnesota Trunk Highway 5 through Lake Elmo.