North Avenue Reconstruction Project Context Sensitive Solutions Advisory Group Meeting #4

Transcription

1 MEETING SUMMARY Nrth Avenue Recnstructin Prject Cntext Sensitive Slutins Advisry Grup Meeting #4 ATTENDEES: LOCATION: PREPARED BY: COPIES: Sign-in sheet attached Brkfield Library, Snia Bielmeier Cmmunity Rm Buddy Desai/CH2M Advisry Grup Members File MEETING DATE: December 9, 2015 The furth Advisry Grup meeting fr the Nrth Avenue Recnstructin Prject was held n Wednesday, December 9, 2015 frm 4:00 pm t 6:00 pm at the Brkfield Library. Buddy Desai f CH2M facilitated the meeting. Apprximately 16 members f the Advisry Grup were present at the meeting. Materials Available at the Meeting The Advisry Grup was prvided the fllwing: Agenda Speed Study Results Gap Analysis Results Traffic Vlumes Map Typical Sectins In additin, rll plts f the 4-lane divided and 5-lane with tw-way-left-turn-lane alternatives were taped t the walls fr grup review and discussin. Intrductins Buddy Desai f CH2M facilitated the meeting and intrduced Ed Hinrichs f the Waukesha Cunty Public Wrks Department (Cunty), Bruce Barnes frm the Cunty, and members f the cnsulting team. He then asked Advisry Grup members t intrduce themselves and their interest in the prject. As there were a few members f the public in attendance, they were invited t intrduce themselves as well. Review f CSS Meetings #1 #3 Buddy cntinued the meeting by giving a PwerPint presentatin that included a summary f the first three CSS Advisry Grup meetings. The entire presentatin will be ed t the Advisry Grup with these ntes and will be psted t the prject s website. The first CSS Advisry Grup meeting discussed a summary f issues affecting Nrth Avenue tday and the visin fr Nrth Avenue as we lk t the future. The secnd CSS Advisry Grup meeting invlved an individual and grup weighting exercise aimed at determining which issues carried mre imprtance 1

2 than thers. The third CSS meeting dealt with the crash analysis, elements f the prject s Purpse and Need, and the draft radway typical sectins. Drainage/Strmwater Prcess Buddy discussed that the Nrth Avenue Recnstructin Prject lies within the service area f the Milwaukee Metrplitan Sewerage District (MMSD) and is subject t the regulatins, in part knwn as Chapter 13. Chapter 13 rules require the use f a unifrm set f regulatins t manage the increase in runff due t the additin f impervius (paved) surfaces. Chapter 13 dictates that apprpriate water run-ff treatments must be implemented such that the quantity f run-ff frm the 2-year and 100-year flds are nt increased. The Cunty will send the strmwater management plans t MMSD fr review and apprval. Questin Where des the Department f Natural Resurces (DNR) and the Natinal Fld Insurance Prgram (NFIP) play int this prcess? The NFIP maps have nt been updated fr many years. Respnse DNR is an active player in the prcess. The study team will investigate hw the NFIP maps are related t the strmwater run-ff management plan. Questin - Is there a way t weave in swales, etc. with easements Will we need mre right f way t cver drainage areas? Respnse Yes, these will all be cnsidered. The drainage features shuld be cntained within the right f way required fr the prject. It is nt anticipated that additinal right f way will be required fr drainage easements. Speed Survey The results f the speed study were presented t the Advisry Grup. The speed studies were taken near Glen Cve Lane, W. Rckway Lane, Mt. Zin Cemetery, and Hllyhck Lane. The speed studies were cnducted at 2pm at each lcatin. A summary f the speed study data is prvided belw. The main takeaway was that there is speeding n Nrth Avenue with the average speed being 5-7 miles abve the psted speed f 35 mph. Lcatin Date Time f Day Weather/ Pavement Cnditin Psted Speed Average Speed 85 th Percentile Speed Speed Range Glen Cve Lane Octber 1, :00 pm 60, Overcast, Dry 35 mph 38.9 mph 41.4 mph 33 mph 45 mph W. Rckway Lane Octber 7, :00 pm 65, Partly Cludy, Dry 35 mph 37.4 mph 40.0 mph 32 mph 45 mph Mt. Zin September 30, :00 pm 60, Partly Cludy, Dry 35 mph 39.8 mph 42.4 mph 33 mph 48 mph Hllyhck Lane September 29, :00 pm 60, Overcast, Dry (Rain in the am) 35 mph 38.7 mph 42.0 mph 32 mph 46 mph Buddy nted that a cuple f Advisry Grup members asked fr speed studies t be perfrmed during rush hur. He stated that during rush hur, there may still be speeding, but given the amunt f traffic, the average running speeds fr the full traffic stream wuld be less. A number f Advisry Grup members discussed the speeding n Nrth Avenue and pssible causes f the speeding. It was nted that lane drps are a significant cntributing factr (speeding up t pass smene befre the lane drps). The Advisry Grup asked the study team t determine which traffic calming elements culd be added t the future Nrth Avenue. It was pinted ut that Nrth Avenue is n the Natinal Highway System 2

3 (NHS). Design standards and features differ based n radway classificatin, and as such sme calming elements may nt be allwable alng Nrth Avenue. Questin Why isn t the railrad invlved in this Advisry Grup prcess? Respnse Tw members frm the railrad were asked t serve n the Advisry Grup, neither respnded t repeated requests t serve. The railrad will be required t engage as the design prgresses. Gap Analysis The gap analysis was then discussed with the Advisry Grup. The gap analysis determined the availability, r nn-availability, f gaps in traffic n Nrth Avenue fr mtrists t turn nt the radway. The gap analysis was cnducted during the mrning and evening peak hurs. The results are presented belw. The percentages represent the % f time when right turn wait times and left turn wait times exceeded natinally-recgnized acceptable guidelines (6.5 secnds fr a right-turn, and 7.5 secnds fr a left-turn). Lcatin SB Right Turn (am) SB Right Turn (pm) NB Left Turn (am) NB Left Turn (pm) NB Right Turn (am) NB Right Turn (pm) West Hillsdale/ N166th Glen Cve/ Wirth Park Kevenauer/ Rckway Mt. Zin/ Mt. Kisc Hllyhck/ Arrwhead 28% 48% 69% 89% 41% 52% 20% 50% 64% 85% 47% 60% 26% 60% 71% 85% 50% 57% 38% 74% 84% 97% 61% 74% 34% 64% 83% 95% 61% 84% The gap analysis validates the Advisry Grup and ther stakehlders cncerns abut nt being able t turn nt Nrth Avenue during peak perids. The grup discussed that having a median pening, as wuld be the case with a typical fur-lane divided radway, wuld allw rm fr vehicles crss tw lanes f traffic and then stp in the median while waiting fr a gap in the ther directin f traffic. Questin Why isn t the SB Left Turn fr am and pm listed? Respnse Thse numbers wuld be the same as NB Left Turn values since bth lanes f traffic affect the ability t make a left turn. One Advisry Grup member nted that sight lines and speeding cncerns need t be addressed at Lily. Traffic Cunts The traffic cunts fr existing and future years were presented t the CSS Advisry Grup. The fllwing questins and discussin tk place: Questin Wh did the traffic frecasts? 3

4 Respnse WisDOT determined the frecasted vlumes. They were apprved by the Sutheast Wiscnsin Reginal Planning Cmmissin. Questin The land in this area is already fully develped s hw can traffic increase? Respnse Traffic grwth is influenced by mre than just the area within the crridr. As Nrth Avenue serves a reginal rle as well as a lcal rle, traffic and develpment frm lcatins well utside the prject crridr can influence traffic grwth and directinal travel patterns. Further, imprvements t ther radways (widening, extensin, etc.) wuld likely influence travel patterns and increase/decrease traffic n existing radways based n peratr preferences. Questin Are these traffic prjectins based n 2-lane r 4-lane expansin f Nrth Avenue? Respnse The prjectins are based n the existing 2-lane cnfiguratin. Cmment If yu cmplete this and the ther prpsed prjects in the area, the character f the cmmunity will be cmpletely changed. Initial Alternatives Buddy first discussed the 3-Lane Tw-Way Left Turn Lane (TWLTL) with the Advisry Grup. He reiterated that Nrth Avenue is an NHS rute and therefre must perate at a Level f Service (LOS) f D r better. As all current tw-lane sectins that culd be re-cnstructed as a 3-Lane radway with TWLTL wuld perate at LOS E in 2039, the 3-lane TWLTL has been eliminated frm further cnsideratin. He then presented the tw remaining radway typical sectins the 4-lane Divided Sectin and the 5- Lane TWLTL. He nted that each had been revised since the last Advisry Grup meeting. The ttal Right f Way (R/W) required fr bth alternatives is prpsed t be 130. Questins and cmments during the presentatin included: Questin We need t d mre t accmmdate bicyclists. Mre serius bikers and bike cmmuters want t use the rad, nt the sidewalks. It is imprtant t cnsider multimdal uses because that is what creates this cmmunity. Therefre, can the 12 inside lanes be reduced t prvide mre rm fr bikes in the shared 14 utside lanes? This will give bicyclists a ttal f 5 f pavement t ride n. Respnse Yes this can be cnsidered. Questin What des the 8 terrace serve and why is it s wide? Respnse The terrace prvides safety fr pedestrians n the sidewalks (clear zne fr cars that may leave the radway), rm fr snw strage, and can serve as a lcatin fr utilities. Questin Pedestrians can t crss the 5-Lane TWLTL, there is n safe stpping pint fr them. Medians are mre accmmdating t pedestrians. Are crsswalks ging t be put in alng the crridr? Respnse Crsswalks will be prvided at all signalized intersectins. Mid-blck crsswalks will be investigated. It was als nted by a number f Advisry Grup members that mid-blck crsswalks dn t necessarily stp cars. 4

5 Questin What traffic calming measures are pssible alng the crridr? Can yu reprt measures which culd be dne legally but are nt apprpriate fr Nrth Avenue and thse which are acceptable fr Nrth Avenue? Respnse Yes, the study team will research this infrmatin and share it with the grup. Rll Plts f Alternatives Brad Heimlich f CH2M then walked the Advisry Grup members thrugh rll plts shwing the 4-Lane Divided and 5-Lane TWLTL alternatives. It was nted that these are preliminary and much mre detailed engineering will fllw. It was als nted that certain elements, such as median pening lcatins, will be determined and discussed at future meetings. Issues discussed during the walkthrugh included: Questin Hw much R/W will need t be purchased? Respnse This will be determined and shared with the Advisry Grup as the design prgresses. The existing R/W width varies alng Nrth Avenue, including sme areas where 130 is already prvided. Questin Which intersectins will get signals? Respnse This will be analyzed and shared with the Advisry Grup as the design prgresses. It is anticipated at this time that the nly signalized intersectins will be 124 th Street, Lilly, Pilgrim, and Calhun Rad. Questin What is the minimum median width? Respnse Fr this crridr, typically the median culd be n less than 24. Reducing the median width less than 16 limits its ability t stre vehicles waiting t make left turns. The rll plt depicted a 30 median width. Questin Where can rundabuts be added? Respnse Rundabuts are safer and gd at mving traffic, but require a lt f R/W. Lcatins where rundabuts can be cnstructed will be investigated by the study team. A rundabut will be investigated at the Pilgrim Rad intersectin. It was determined that a rundabut at Lilly wuld require excessive real estate and was eliminated as an ptin by Waukesha Cunty. Questin Is ne alternative type typically safer than the ther? Respnse As the 4-Lane Divided alternative limits the number f cnflict pints, it wuld expect t perate safer than the 5-Lane TWLTL. The 5-Lane TWLTL wuld prvide better access as a driver culd turn left r right frm almst every lcatin (u-turns t sme driveways wuld likely be an utcme f the implementatin f the 4-Lane Divided alternative. Adjurnment The meeting was adjurned at 6 p.m. 5

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