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2003-03-27 Alternative Urban Area Wide ReviewHakanson AnderSOn -- 3601 Thurston Avenue, Suite 101, Anoka, MN 55303 ASSOC., ~I'1C. Phone: 763/427-5860 Fax: 763/427-0520 MEMORANDUM To: Ron Wagner, PE, Otsego City Engineer From: Jim Johnson, PE, Transportation Engineer Date: March 27, 2003 Re: Albertville Business Park Alternative Urban Area Wide Review HAA Project No.: OT2500 Per your request, I have reviewed Item #21 (Traffic) of the Alternative Urban Area Review (AUAR) for the Albertville Business Park project as prepared by RLK-Kuusisto, Ltd, dated February 20, 2003, and I would offer the following comments: 1. In general, I found the detailed traffic analysis performed by SEH, Inc. to be tecluucally sound and well-done. However, I felt that it was too narrowly focused in evaluating the traffic impacts of the new developments on the adjacent streets and - - .intersections. The concept plan for the Albertville Business Park (Exhibit 3) shows 67`n Street being extended westward to Kadler Avenue and Keystone Avenue being extended northward from 67t1i Street to 70`n Street. Yet, no traffic projections and analysis are performed on Kadler Avenue, 70`n Street or the intersections of Kadler Avenue/67`n Street, Kadler Avenue/70`n Street, and 70`n Street/Keystone Avenue. Likewise, the future development of the "Western Sanitary Sewer District of Otsego" (identified as background growth in this report), particularly to the east of CSAH #19, is likely to use 70"' Street, Maciver Avenue and the I-94/CSAH #37 interchange rather than using the CSAH #19 -CSAH #37 routing as promoted in this study. The traffic analysis needs to be expanded to include more than just CSAH #19 from 70`n Street to 50`n Street and CSAH #37 from Kadler Avenue to the I-94 interchange. 2. As mentioned in this AUAR, a detailed I-94 Corridor Study is currently underway for Eastern Wright County involving the Cities of Albertville, Otsego and St. Michael as well as Wright County. A major transportation system alternative being evaluated in that Corridor Study is an interchange with I-94 at or near the Kadler Avenue alig%unent. If that interchange is deemed to be needed and desirable, right-of--way may be needed and should be dedicated or purchased in the southwest corner of the Albertville Business Park development. Such an interchange would make a 67t1i Street/Kadler Avenue intersection undesirable due to its close proximity to the I-94 ramps and the 70`n Street/Kadler Avenue intersection. Civil eJ'Municipal ~~ Engineering G:\Municipal\.40T5EG02000~500\20031oi2S 00A1bF~t~3iFJR~g~fiQlC.doc 3. The trip generation section of the traffic analysis reduces the number of daily trips on the area's major roadway system due to internal-internal trips and such a reduction is appropriate. Yet, in reviewing the Albertville Business Park Concept Plan (Exhibit 3), I find no direct transportation link between it and the Albertville Outlet Mall to the east-southeast. All vehicular traffic between the two (2) developments must access CSAH #19. And, in the interest of public safety, I find it unconscionable that the Outlet Mall has only a single point of ingress-egress. A secondary means of access to and from the Outlet Mall should be incorporated into this development proposal such as the extension of Keystone Avenue to the southeast and east. Specific comments regarding the AUAR text for "Traffic" include: 4. Near the bottom of Page 16 of 22, it states "70`" Street runs east/west from the site to CSAH #19". In fact, 70`" Street continues eastward to Maciver Avenue as a 2-lane, rural section, gravel road. Maciver Avenue then runs north-south from 80t" Street to CSAH #37 and provides an alternative means of access to both proposed developments. As such, the 70`" Street-Maciver Avenue -CSAH #37 routing should also be analyzed. 5. On Page 17 of 22, Bullet #1 and Bullet #6 under Planned and Progranuned Roadway Improvements appear to be a duplication of roadway widening along CSAH # 19 from Outlet Mall Road to north of 67`' Street. 6.. Table ~ 1..J._or_22,1 Lper paragraph above it) on Page 18 of 22 provides Level-of- Service for seven (7) area intersections but does not indicate the year. The second paragraph on Page 18 of 22 states that it is the "Build Year PM Peak Hour Levels-of- Service", but the "Build Year" is not stated. The detailed traffic analysis by SEH, Inc. in Appendix G identifies that the background growth (other developments in Albertville & Otsego) will occur by Year 2010 while these two (2) proposed developments will have a minimum 10-year build-out (to Year 2013 or beyond). Are the background traffic volumes, development traffic volumes and follow-up intersection capacity analysis for Year 2010, 2013 or some other year? 7. The lower half of Page. 18 of 22 identifies modifications to the surrounding roadway infrastructure which is limited to CSAH #19 and CSAH #37 improvements. Alternative access options or routing, such as an I-94/Kadler interchange with Kadler Avenue improvements between I-94 and 70`" Street or the 70`" StreetfMaciver AvenuefCSAH #37 routing, should, at least, be mentioned if not analyzed. 8. The addition of a legend to Figure 1 in Appendix G would help in identifying the two (2) proposed developments as well as the background growth areas mentioned in the first two paragraphs on Page 1 of Appendix G. 9. The "Planned Developments" heading in the middle of Page 2 of Appendix G should be modified to "proposed developments" to be consistent with text above and below it on the same page. Halcanson Anderson G:\MunicipaiWOTSEG02000~2500~2003\ot2500Albertville Business Park.doc Assoc., Inc. 10. Line 3 of the final bullet at the bottom of Page 2 of Appendix G states "There is over 2600 housing units and an industrial park lp atted for this area. The word "platted" should be changed to "planned" or "anticipated". 11. The blanket statement found at the top of Page 3 of Appendix G that "almost all of the regional traffic from Otsego will pass through the City of Albertville on County Road (or CSAH) #19" is probably true for the existing conditions of the existing roadways. However, it may be dramatically altered in the future depending on the interchange locations along I-94. In addition, the paving of 70`I' Street and Maciver Avenue to CSAH #37 will make that a desirable travel route, particularly for those living and/or working to the east of CSAH # 19 in Otsego or Albertville. 12. Table 1 on Page 4 of Appendix G provides the "direction of approach for traffic in and out of Albertville". What is the basis for arriving at the percentages shown? I would have expected a higher percentage for I-94 to/from the east (metro area) than for I-94 to/from the west (Monticello/St. Cloud). 13. 14. As with Item #6 above, Table 5 and Table 6 on Pages 6 & 7 of Appendix G respectively do not indicate the year of analysis (2010, 2013 or some other year). The last. sentence on Page 7 of Appendix G states, "If this traffic were to be relocated to a full access interchange at County Road (or CSAH) #19, overall congestion would be reduced"..Would it indeed be reduced or simply relocated to .the. i-94 on/off ramp intersections with CSAH #19? The traffic analysis has considered only improvements along CSAH #19 and CSAH #37 and has not evaluated alternatives for mitigating the anticipated congestion. Again, the traffic analysis used for evaluating this single routing alternative of CSAH #19 -CSAH #37 is very satisfactory, but additional routing alternatives need to be analyzed and evaluated to arrive at the best possible "area wide transportation system" in terms of operations and safety. G:\Municipal\AOTSEG02000~~00\2003\ot2~00Alberlville Business Park.doc Halcanson Anderson Assoc., Inc.