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CMP Part 4A. Trans ortation Plan � � � <br /> SUMMARY OF EXISTING TRANSPORTATION ISSUES <br /> Orono's existing transportation issues generally fall into 3 categories: congestion, <br /> safety and system maintenance. <br /> Congestion is caused by daily and hourly traffic volumes that exceed the traffic <br /> handling capacity of the road system.The capacity for a given roadway is a function of <br /> many factors including the number of lanes,the number and type of access points and <br /> intersections, the configuration of the roadway and the condition of the pavement. <br /> Traffic volumes that exceed the traffic handling capacity can result in traffic backups <br /> that ultimately have a secondary impact on parallel corridors. <br /> The two primary routes in Orono that have historically been congested are County <br /> Road 15 and U.S. Highway 12 (Wayzata Boulevard). County Road 15 currently <br /> exceeds its traffic volume design capacity based on generally recognized standards. A <br /> two-lane arterial facility such as County Road 15 is usually considered as being <br /> congested when the daily volumes reach 13,000-18,000. County Road 15 has a <br /> 2007/2008 ADT of 18,200 vehicles through the Navarre area and 23,900 vehicles just <br /> east of the Orono/Wayzata border; these counts are forecasted to decrease slightly to <br /> 18,100 and 21,400 vehicles per day respectively by 2030. Old Highway 12 had a 2006 <br /> ADT ranging from 17,700 in western Orono to as high as 24,700 (2005 Data)east of <br /> downtown Long Lake. Hennepin County forecasts indicate that by 2030, traffic <br /> counts on Wayzata Boulevard through Long Lake will be at an ADT of 16,600 with an <br /> ADT of 27,100 on the new Highway 12 Bypass. <br /> Orono has a number of unique geographical factors that limit the options for reducing <br /> congestion, the most apparent being Lake Minnetonka and its many bays and <br /> wetlands. It is also significant that the volumes of traffic causing congestion are <br /> generated by commuters from developing communities to the west of Orono. <br /> Safety is an issue of concern where the impacts of congested commuter roadways spill <br /> over into parallel corridors, as well as where major collectors intersect the principal <br /> and `A' minor arterials. As traffic counts have risen and congestion has increased, <br /> access onto County Road 15 has become more difficult and drivers are willing to take <br /> more risks in entering the traffic stream. The addition of a third lane for turns along <br /> County Road 15 east of Orono Orchard Road has improved this segment of 15,but the <br /> roadway west of Orono Orchard Road is difficult to upgrade due to constrictions in the <br /> right-of-way caused by geographic characteristics. County improvements to the <br /> Orono Orchard Road / CR-15 intersection were completed in 2009. <br /> Prior to completion of the Highway 12 bypass,its route through Orono and Long Lake <br /> was the primary commuter route for a string of rural communities as far west as <br /> Willmar, and had built-in safety concerns due to the volume of traffic and the many <br /> crossroads. While the level of traffic on Wayzata Boulevard has si�nificantly <br /> decreased, additional future development near the Wayzata Boulevard /Old Cr��stal <br /> City of Orono Community Management Plan 2008-2030 Pa�e 4A-9 <br />