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For the purposes of this document, Mn/DOT is the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU). <br />Contact persons: <br />Tom O’Keefe, P.E. <br />Mn/DOT, Metro Division <br />Water’s Edge Bldg. <br />1500 West County Road B-2 <br />Roseville, MN 55113 <br />Phone: (612) 297-1296 <br />Patti Loken, P.E. <br />Mn/DOT, Metro Division <br />Water’s Edge Bldg. <br />1500 West County Road B-2 <br />Roseville, MN 55113 <br />Phone; (612) 297-1293 <br />VI. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR PROJECT <br />The purpose and need for this project are focused on Mn/DOT’s responsibility to preserve the National <br />Highway System, to enhance safety and access in this important interregional corridor, to decrease <br />congestion and delay, and to enhance access for economic development. <br />Traffic along the TH 12 corridor in Long Lake and Orono is currently experiencing periods of severe <br />congestion and delay both in the morning and evening peak hours. Residents have great difficulty in <br />gaining access to and crossing the highway, which has a direct relationship to highway safety and <br />capacity. Capacity of the road is often described in terms of the Level of Service (LOS) of the roadway. <br />LOS is a measure of delay and driver inconvenience based on the average travel time and the present <br />available capacity used in an hour. Traffic levels forecasted for the year 2015 anticipate long delays <br />through Orono and Long Lake, which could result in an LOS ranging from E to FF (F being the worst <br />condition on a scale of A-F, and FF corresponding to a condition where demand is 1.2 to 1.5 times the <br />hourly capacity). An LOS of F represents at-capacity conditions and may lead to traffic shifting in order <br />to use local roadways. Another consequence of an LOS of F during rush hour would be peak period <br />spreading, a phenomenon where travelers make their trips earlier or later, which would extend the rush <br />hour. <br />Safety deficiencies on TH 12 that relate to poor geometries include inadequate vertical and horizontal <br />sight distances, inadequate bridge vertical and horizontal clearances, and problems with access to <br />driveways and entrances on TH 12. The accident and severity rates illustrate these safety deficiencies. <br />Accident rates reflect the number of accidents per million vehicle miles. Severity rates reflect the <br />seriousness of the accidents; with a rating of 5.0 indicating that improvements are warranted. Shown <br />below are the accident statistics from 1992 to 1995 between Wayzata Blvd. and CSAH 6.