05-11-1999 Public Hearing - Woodhill CC

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1.INTRODUCTION The City of Orono has expressed concern with regard to the traffic movement efficiency and the accessibility to/from County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 15 between CSAH 51 and Femdale Road West. This roadway is also called Shoreline Drive. The location of this corridor is shown on Figure 1. The study segment is approximately one and three-quarters of a mile in length. The City of Orono has ordered a study of this segment of roadway for purposes of analyzing the following: Analyze the CSAH 15 corridor between CSAH 51 and Ferndale Road with regard to traffic movement and access from cross streets. Analyze methods to improve east-west traffic movement that could provide some relief to CSAH 15. Analyze the feasibility of providing a frontage road on the north side of CSAH 15 between Woodhill Road and Orono Orchard Road. Analyze the feasibility of signalizing the CSAH 15 intersections with CSAH 51 and with Orono Orchard Road. This document provides the findings and conclusions of the analyses conducted to respond to the above stated study elements. II. EXISTING CONDITIONS This report chapter provides a discussion of various existing conditions along the CSAH 15 corridor including lane conditions, functional classification, traffic volumes, and accident occurrence. A. Functional Classification The Metropolitan Council Transportation Systems Map classifies CSAH 15 as an “A” Minor Arterial - Expander. The Metropolitan Council Transportation Policy Plan defines an “A” Minor Arterial as a “roadway within the metropolitan area which is more regionally significant than others.” An expander is a route which provides a way to make connections between developing areas outside the 1-494/694 ring. These roadways are to serve medium to long suburb-to-suburb trips. Improvements focus on preserv'ation of or obtaining right-of-way. The Hennepin County Transportation plan also denotes CSAH 15 as fc-' “A” Minor Arterial Roadway. B. Traffic Operations Characteristics CSAH 15 is a two-lane roadway with some exclusive turn lanes provided at certain intersection locations. The roadway provides a connection to Highway 12 on the east end thus making it an attractive commuter route for this area of the western suburbs. The roadway winds its way through Orono and extends west serving other Lake Minnetonka area communities and proceeds through Minnetrista into Carver County. The traffic lane availability is shown on Figure 2 for this corridor. 1 I I I ( I •H 9' r I mi »I \ •I ♦ I s