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Home My WebLink AboutA004 - Fax to Planning and Housing Director - Traffic Engineer Review - Elwwod Drive Access APR 21 '99 13:30 BRW INC. P. 1/4 p � I �� PLC ERING JUL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING URBAN DESIGN &P V INC. THRESHER SOJARE 700 THIRD STREET SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS-MINNESOTA 55415 PHONE 632'770-07 W FAX 612'370-i373 JL L'LECOPMR 7Ji.ANSMIT M COVER SHEET Transmitting From BRW Inc. Thresher Square, Minneapolis, Fax# 612-370-1378 Automatic Machine Date: Z fey L 2- (._.,:_l 989 Please Deliver the following page(s) to: Name: r lr,g&j 0)e_'OAW� &L Company:_c'-<TY OA-- Address: 1 z3 5', 3 Fag: 6515) 23z 6J This telecopy is being sent by: Name: - 70,f 7-O,j Department:__ -7W4,I_ If you do not receive pages, including cover sheet, please call �,/�,�� at ('�P1Q :370-0700 AN AFF,UATE OF THE SFNNETT.AwOROSF WOLaFELD JARVIS.GARONFR IW!,GROUP CSENNETT OONALD W RiNGRJSc ;ICI IARC P`NOLSFELC PETER C JARVIS LAWRiNCC J CARONER THC%HAS F C.1RRC1 : DONA:u c HUN: SWENSON JOHN B Mr.NAMARA R,CNARO D PILUP,kl, DA_E N BECKMANN OENNIS J SJTLIFF A;FRCv, 0E4SJN PA-Po': :_ b! DAwr)L CiRA11AN AINNEAPOLIS DENVER PHOENIX TUCSON ST PETERSSURG APR 21 '89 13:30 BRW INC. P.2i4 TRAIv3 ORTATICN URBAN DEftiGN E tW. NO. THRESHER SQUARE 700 THIRD STREET SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS.MINNESOTA 55 13 PHONF 611'370-07C0 SAX 612r370-IS78 MEMORANDUM DATE: April 21, 1989 TO: Brian O'Connell , AICP Director of Planning and Housing FROM: Howard Preston, P.E. Senior Transportation Engineer SUBJECT: Traffic Engineering Review Proposed NFO Access to Elwood Drive I have completed the review of the proposed NFO access to Elwood Drive as you requested. My review consisted of examining the site and the surrounding road system in the field, examining the developer's traffic impact study, and then applying appropriate transportation planning and traffic engineering guidelines to the access issue with both the present two-lane Elwood Drive and the expected future four-lane divided roadway. The developer's traffic impact study appears thorough and uses reasonable assumptions for trip generation and directional orientation of the site-generated trips. In addition, I am in general agreement with the conclusions that the proposed office building would not result in any significant traffic impacts and that any roadway or traffic control improvements required along Elwood Drive would probably be dictated by and the result of the large number of vehicles that will be generated by development in the research park east of Elwood Drive. However, there is one statement in the second report, dated March 29, 1989, regarding a median opening for the NFO driveway under the future roadway scenario that causes some concern. If this median opening were provided, a northbound left turn lane would be required for safety reasons , as is correctly stated in the traffic impact study, but the proposed left turn lane could not be made long enough to provide recommended deceleration and storage distances because of the close proximity to adjacent intersections. In addition, a future median opening at the NFO AINNEAPOLIS DENVER PHOENIX TUCSON ST PETERSBURG APR 21 '89 13:31 BRW INC. P.3%4 Mr. Brian O'Connell April 21, 1989 Page Two driveway could result in less than adequate turn lane lengths at these other adjacent intersections or require left turns from the inside through lane, both of which are potentially hazardous situations. Elwood Drive is functionally classified as a minor arterial . This indicates that the movement of through traffic along the roadway should have a higher priority than providing land access . As a result, providing one additional driveway access is not totally inconsistent with the intended usage of Elwood Drive, but care should be taken to ensure that the driveway does not adversely impact the roadways ability to accommodate traffic, particularly with the future four-lane divided roadway. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS o The additional traffic generated by the proposed NFO office building should not result in any significant traffic impacts. o The proposed driveway access to Elwood Drive should not result in any short-term impacts because of the low traffic volumes. o In the future, when Elwood Drive is upgraded to a four-lane divided roadway, the NFO driveway will probably have to be restricted to right turns in and out because the provision of a median opening at this driveway would adversely affect the City's ability to provide adequate turn lanes at both Green Hills Drive and the driveway to Southgate Square. In addition, the NFO driveway could result in some traffic operations impacts associated with vehicles trying to get to northbound Elwood Drive. These vehicles would likely end up trying to weave across southbound Elwood Drive and then making a U-turn at the planned Southgate Square median opening. This maneuver could result in some problems because of the short distance available for the weave. o If the City accepts the NFO's proposed driveway access to Elwood Drive, consideration should be given to including in the site plan approval and/or the developer's agreement the understanding that no median opening will be provided when Elwood Drive is upgraded and the driveway will become restricted to right turns in and out. 2 APR 21 '89 13:32 2RW INC. P.4%4 Mr. Brian O'Connell April 21 , 1989 Page Three o The City should consider investigating the possibility of providing the NFO site with an alternative access to Elwood Drive via an access to Green Hills Drive. This drive could be in addition to the direct driveway access to Elwood Drive and would result in several desirable benefits. The driveway to Green Hills Drive would provide a second access to and from the development and although a second access is not necessary from a traffic standpoint, it is desirable from a land planning standpoint. In addition, this second driveway would provide the site with unrestricted access following the upgrading of Elwood Drive, and this would be a significant benefit for the development. HP/jm P408918 3