Minneapolis, A Research and Participatory Study

Transcription

1 46 th Street Light Rail Traffic Issues in Minneapolis, A Research and Participatory Study Prepared by Cole Hiniker Research Assistant, University of Minnesota Conducted on behalf of the Longfellow Community Council January, 2005 This report (NPCR 1226) is also available on the CURA website:

2 September, 2005 Neighborhood Planning for Community Revitalization (NPCR) supported the work of the author of this work, but has not reviewed it for publication. The content is solely the responsibility of the author and is not necessarily endorsed by NPCR. NPCR is coordinated by the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota. NPCR is supported by grants from The Minneapolis Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, The Bremer Foundation, and The St. Paul Travelers Foundation. Neighborhood Planning for Community Revitalization 330 Hubert H. Humphrey Center th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN phone: 612/ website:

3 46 th Street Light Rail Traffic Issues in Minneapolis, A Research and Participatory Study Prepared by Cole Hiniker For the 46 th Street Task Force and Longfellow Community Council May 2005

4 Table of Contents I. Introduction 2 II. Intersection Observations 4 III. Proposed Options for Improvements 6 1) Pedestrian Bridge/Underpass 6 2) Two Left Hand Turn Lanes 6 3) Median on 46 th Street or Better Signage 8 4) Snelling Avenue Extension Update 9 5) Tweaking of the Light Signals 10 6) Elimination of Service Access Road 12 IV. Conclusions 13 Appendices A. 46 th and Hiawatha Orthographic Photo 15 B. Congestion Photographs 16 C. Minneapolis Traffic Count Data 18 Final Report 1 10/5/2005

5 I. Introduction The Hiawatha Light Rail Line opened in June of 2004 in Minneapolis as the first rail transit line in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Years of planning went into the project, which was complicated by the existing traffic situation and the various environments through which the line would run. Models were developed by Minneapolis traffic engineers and MnDOT to try and best accommodate continual automobile traffic while incorporating the new light rail line. Soon after the line opened, neighbors and neighborhood groups began expressing concern over poorly operating intersections. One of the worst intersections serving both the LRT and automobiles was 46 th Street and Hiawatha Avenue. 46 th Street is a Hennepin County road that includes the only bridge which connects Minneapolis and Saint Paul over the Mississippi River between Lake Street and Highway 5. Therefore, it serves not only as a neighborhood collector street but also as a throughput street for those coming from Saint Paul. In the summer of 2004, soon after the light rail line opened, a 46 th Street Task Force was created as a subsidiary of the Longfellow Community Council (LCC) in Minneapolis. The LCC serves four neighborhoods in south Minneapolis, two of which border the Hiawatha line. The purpose of this newly created task force was to research, discuss, and theorize over the issues related to traffic and the LRT at the 46 th Street station area. A meeting was held where neighbors voiced their concerns and suggestions about how to better manage the traffic situation, specifically westbound traffic on 46 th Street and pedestrian traffic throughout the station area. The top five concerns and suggestions identified at this meeting were: Concerns 1. Left turn traffic off 46 th St. onto Hiawatha Ave th St. pedestrian crossing 3. Traffic lights and traffic management 4. Over-filled trains for event in downtown 5. Traffic moving to side streets and Minnehaha Ave. Final Report 2 10/5/2005

6 Suggestions 1) Make double turn lane on 46 th turning south on Hiawatha Ave. 2) Traffic cop helping left turn onto southbound Hiawatha Ave. from 46 th St. 3) Pedestrian bridge over Hiawatha Ave. 4) Right turn only from Walgreen s parking lot on 46 th St. 5) Let left turning from westbound 46 th St. take turn when LRT arms are down These opinions came strictly from neighbors dealing with the situation for six-weeks since the opening of the LRT line. In mid-march of 2005, another neighbor survey was conducted to determine whether the same concerns/suggestions existed. A surprising number of residents stated they simply avoid using the intersection because of their congestion concerns. This will be discussed further in Section II. From this second meeting, a final list was deciphered in an attempt to focus research on important and feasible options. Section III will attempt to summarize the feasibility of these concerns/suggestions while also discussing newly introduced ideas about traffic management at this intersection. Final Report 3 10/5/2005

7 II. Intersection Observations Observational studies and traffic counts were conducted on multiple occasions by me in an attempt to understand the dynamics of this intersection better. The studies were conducted during both peak periods (approximately 7:30 AM and 5:00 PM) as well as off-peak periods (12:00 PM and 11:30 PM) on weekdays. I was able to compare my traffic counts with those collected by the City of Minneapolis on September 27 th, 2004 (see Appendix C) 1. I also recorded unique observations and took visual accounts of what the congestion looks like. Both my traffic counts and the City of Minneapolis traffic counts were conducted on a Monday. There are two significant changes that were made in the 21-weeks between the traffic counts. The first change was the opening of Phase II of the Hiawatha Light Rail Line. The second change was a reconfiguration of the westbound lanes on 46 th Street to include a left-turn/thru lane as the center lane. This was a change requested by the neighborhood residents. The following table summarizes both traffic counts: Traffic Per 15-minute Cycle Time Right Thru Left City of 7:45 AM Minneapolis 5:00 PM My 7:45 AM Observation 5:00 PM The observations I made showed a decrease in traffic in nearly every instance. There are two possible explanations for this; more people could be using the light rail thus reducing the number of cars or people are using alternate routes to avoid the congestion. Although it is likely a combination of both these explanations, the response 1 City of Minneapolis Transportation and Parking Services, Manual Counts, Sept Final Report 4 10/5/2005

8 from neighbors indicates they are avoiding this intersection to find alternate routes. The observations I made outside the realm of traffic counts included the following: Drivers were not taking advantage of the second turn lane option and the one driver who did was cut-off by a driver from the adjacent turn lane. I have personally experienced this phenomenon as well. The westbound 46 th Street cycle was skipped once during each 15-minute observation. Pedestrians did not wait for the Walk signal. Instead, they simply crossed when they had a chance regardless of where they were on the street. When traffic backed up past the business entrances, some drivers left room for those entering and exiting (most likely regular users of the intersection) while others did not. These observations allowed me to view the intersection how the neighborhood residents view the intersection, at least to some extent. I also frequently use this intersection on my own so I am able to apply personal observations as well. Visual representations of congestion can be seen in Appendix B. The first and second pictures depict the level of congestion that can occur while the third picture shows how some drivers adapt to the unique intersection by not blocking business access points. These observations, along with the resident input, led to a set of proposed options that might improve traffic flow at this intersection. The following section will examine those options. Final Report 5 10/5/2005

9 III. Proposed Options for Improvement 1) Pedestrian Bridge/Pedestrian Underpass The pedestrian bridge option, as proposed by local city council member Sandy Colvin Roy, would likely go in closer to 45 th Street than 46 th Street. The reason for this comes down to available land to build on. On the northeast corner of 46 th Street and Hiawatha, there is a Walgreen s store that has not conceded to being redeveloped despite the proposal in the 46 th Street Station Area Master Plan. There are developable sites to the north which, when redeveloped, could include the eastern footprint of a pedestrian bridge. The 46 th Street Station Area Master Plan actually calls for a pedestrian underpass at the Walgreen s site 2. Hennepin County commissioned a study on the underpass concept and has since essentially abandoned the idea because of utility relocation costs and overall project feasibility. The pedestrian bridge concept is more feasible. Here are the pros and cons of a separated pedestrian crossing at the 46 th St. station area. Pros: Eliminate safety hazards for pedestrians Provide a reliable and timely method of crossing Hiawatha Underpass could prove to be public plaza focus of Station Area Cons: Bridge would be visually obtrusive High costs for either Pedestrians will not use if other methods are available (i.e. crossings or jay walking) Potential flooding, vandalism, safety concerns Utility relocation 2 46 th Street and Hiawatha: Station Area Master Plan, January, 2002, Final Report 6 10/5/2005

10 2) Two Left Hand Turn Lanes This can be achieved in a variety of ways. The first option would be to install four westbound lanes on 46 th Street in the following set-up: There is enough room in the 64 feet of right-of-way to install six 10 lanes total for 46 th Street with four feet left over for shoulder space and centerline. There are two issues with this lane set-up, though. Issue one involves pushing back the median on Hiawatha Avenue to allow the second turn lane enough room to make a safe and navigable turn radius. This not only adds to the costs and work but also brings in a third party, MnDOT. Issue two involves the width of the lanes themselves. 10 lanes are typically used for side streets with less daily traffic flow. Metro Transit also prefers 12 lanes on any street that serves a high capacity of bus traffic, which 46 th Street does 3. The limitations of the lane configurations are primarily a result of the odd shape of this intersection, which creates awkward driving angles. The second option looks like this: 3 According to Dallas Clark, City of Minneapolis Traffic Engineer. Final Report 7 10/5/2005

11 With this three lane set-up, the same effect is obtained by combining two lanes. There issues with this set-up as well. It means the light cycle for westbound traffic must include straight and left-hand turns at the same time. These operations cannot be separated in this set-up. It also will cause some confusion but that effect may diminish over time as people get used to the intersection. A set-up similar to this is used at the Cretin Avenue onramp for I-94 and it works well in that case. The second option is currently in a test phase but it was quickly learned that more needs to be done than simply reconfiguring the lanes. Safety and directly must be better managed through proper signage and adequate lane striping, such as through the duration of the turn. Whether this new striping has had an profound effect on reducing congestion at this intersection should be further explored after full implementation. 3) Median on 46 th Street or Better Signage to Stop Turns Out of Businesses The signage option was in place for some time but it was ignored, most likely by non-neighborhood traffic. Neighbors indicated the possibility of installing a raised median from Hiawatha to the railroad tracks or possibly all the way to Snelling Avenue. Two options are possible: Bituminous median (raised pavement) at an estimated cost of $20,000 to $30,000 Raised concrete median with landscaping at a significantly higher costs and including significantly more engineering work by the city of Minneapolis. Rough estimate would be $75, ,000 or higher, depending on the length and size. 4 4 According to Bruce Thompson, Hennepin County Transportation Planning Final Report 8 10/5/2005

12 A median is also vehemently opposed by the local businesses at this intersection who have already seen a drop in business since the opening of the LRT. A median may be a better option if other means of access were provided to the businesses. In such a case, the businesses may even provide a portion of the funding to improve access to their sites. This should be further explored before the median option is proposed. The concept of better signage for these business entrances and exits could be explored again if the businesses are willing to accept it. The local City Council member has been involved with this in the past but lack of compliance and business drop-off played a part in the signs coming down. Making the signs more visually unique affects their effectiveness. The following are potential sign designs that could garner more attention from drivers: The installation of signs can cost upwards of $500 with the post, sign, foundation, and labor costs 5. Cheaper methods may be available but it is important to consider effectiveness along with cost. 4) Snelling Avenue Extension Update The dynamics of the traffic problems at 46 th Street and Hiawatha Avenue could change drastically with the extension of Snelling Avenue across 46 th Street. The intent of this extension is to eliminate the awkward service road for the strip mall and provide an adequate access point for these businesses. This extension will likely not be completed until after 2007 but it does provide a unique opportunity to 5 Manual of Traffic Signs, Final Report 9 10/5/2005

13 propose other changes, such as the aforementioned median idea. It will be important for neighbors to remain proactive in shaping the Snelling Avenue extension because it will dramatically change the traffic patterns on 46 th Street. It will undoubtedly bring another street light to an already highly controlled stretch of 46 th Street. There is potential for other options than a streetlight, such as a roundabout. Alternative options should be explored before settling for another light and more congestion. 5) Tweaking of the Light Signals Traffic engineers have been working to improve the light timings for all the intersections along the light rail line since learning they were not adequately timed. When this project was conceived, the light rail timing sequence chosen by MnDOT was expected to cause the maximum level of traffic degradation relative to alternative options. The current sequence is obviously highly affected by passing light rail trains. When a train comes through, the natural sequence goes something like this: Eastbound 46 th Street Track Clearance Gates Drop Southbound Hiawatha North and Southbound Hiawatha Train Cycle Ends Northbound Hiawatha Westbound 46 th Street Normal Mode It would be difficult and counterproductive to overall traffic patterns to include a phase for just left hand turns heading west on 46 th Street. The middle lane in this direction is a multiuse lane and if only one use is allowed at a time, there are accident concerns with merging traffic. The volume of traffic heading southbound off 46 th Street is not high enough to permit such an inefficient use of the lights. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) was brought in to study the light timings and they indicated some gross misjudgments during the planning stages Final Report 10 10/5/2005

14 of the light rail line. These misjudgments led to some initial mistakes in the light timings and they have since been corrected as best they can 6. It appears that MnDOT is finished tweaking the timing sequence of the lights to correct these mistakes and further research should be conducted to determine the effectiveness of these corrections. What can still be done about the timings? Better incorporation of road sensors that detect cars waiting at intersections during low-traffic times. It has been indicated by residents that the road sensors, which are supposed to detect when a car is waiting at red light while there is no traffic elsewhere, are not fully functional. Incorporation of a westbound 46 th Street clearance cycle in the timings to ensure that this phase is not skipped by two trains. The FHWA recognized the skipping of this cycle but was unable to offer an alternative solution given MnDOT s choice of maximum preempt for the LRT. It may be necessary to study MnDOT s choice and identify potential exception areas, such as at 46 th Street. Make MnDOT and the city of Minneapolis aware if the light timings are skipping cycles. For instance, after the train arms go up, westbound 46 th Street should follow northbound Hiawatha, assuming another train cycle does not start first. If a train does come through before westbound goes, it will be skipped. As previously stated, there may be room for exceptions to the maximum preempt policy of MnDOT. It is important to keep in mind that light rail is a relatively new technology in a lot of areas. Dallas and Houston had similar traffic problems when they opened LRT lines that operate much like Hiawatha. As time went on, the programs were improved and probably will continue to be improved as more experience is 6 Review of Signal Operations in the Minneapolis Hiawatha Avenue Light Rail Corridor, Federal Highway Administration Resource Center, November Final Report 11 10/5/2005

15 gathered. It has been indicated by Dallas Clark, a Minneapolis traffic engineer, that the extent of traffic management involved with this light rail line and street traffic is beyond the capabilities of the technology they are working with. As light rail becomes more widespread, technology to manage traffic will likely improve. 6) Elimination of Service Access Road for Southeast Shopping Center (Blockbuster, Burger King, Holiday, etc.) This idea is almost fully supported by everyone except the business community. The business community would likely even support this idea if an alternative means to reach their establishments were provided. That alternative means is supposed to be the Snelling Avenue extension, but the timeline for that project is yet undetermined. Businesses at this intersection have already seen a drop in activity and further limiting their access would be an unfair decision without providing another means of entry. There is potential for the neighbors, businesses, and the local City Council member to band together in favor of the Snelling Avenue extension and the elimination of this access road. A strong, united collection of constituents has a stronger voice than separated ones. Final Report 12 10/5/2005

16 IV. Conclusions Improvements have been made by traffic engineers to allow for better management of the light timings at 46 th Street and Hiawatha. Further improvements can be made in the aforementioned areas through a process of cooperation and focus. All of the options presented here may be feasible so I believe it is important to focus on the ones which have a high probability of coming to fruition. An important facet of achieving any goal is communication and there were instances of lack of communication in this process. As the community was formulating ideas about how to better manage traffic at the intersection, the local Council member was working towards solutions to the problem. She was not relaying these efforts to the community in a reliable fashion though. The residents were not expressing their concerns to her either, out of lack of confidence. These lines of communication should be fully established with the 46 th Street Task Force and both parties should maintain expedient and prompt responses. It is important to keep in mind that the intersection will probably never return to level of service it had before the LRT opened. Commuters will likely find the route which best suits them and adapt to it. The 46 th Street Station Area Master Plan calls for dramatic changes to this area and all of these will affect the future of this intersection. It is important not to make hasty decisions that may be wasteful given the long term situation. It is also important to approach this intersection as a whole. Each neighborhood group has particular interests with the traffic at this intersection, this report focused primarily on westbound traffic on 46 th Street. While each neighborhood should continue to focus on their own interests, it is important to have mutual discussions that take into account the grander picture. My recommendations for further research include: Continually studying the traffic counts at this intersection to look for dramatic increases/decreases. Inclusion of Traffic Demand Management plans for any new development that may have an effect on traffic at this intersection. Final Report 13 10/5/2005

17 The effect on traffic to the side streets, particularly Minnehaha Ave.. The primary issues identified by this study are a lack of adequate traffic light control allowing fair movement of vehicles in all directions, a lack of efficient entrance points for the businesses directly adjacent to the intersection, a lack of communication on the part of the involved parties, and a lack of cohesiveness from all the constituents at this intersection, particularly the different neighborhood groups. Final Report 14 10/5/2005

18 Appendix A 46 th and Hiawatha Orthographic Photo Final Report 15 10/5/2005

19 Appendix B Congestion Photographs Final Report 16 10/5/2005

20 Final Report 17 10/5/2005

21 Appendix C Minneapolis Traffic Count Data Final Report 18 10/5/2005

22 Final Report 19 10/5/2005