10-16-1995 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Keith Dahl October 11. 1995 Page 2 In general, roadways are typically clxssified as either local, collettor or arterial (major, inten.. .*diate and minor) t'acilities. These classilications aa* delined below. - Lk>cal roadways have virtually unrestricted access to aducent properties. However, thev also nave limited mobility or ability lo mvive through• * traffic. - Collector roadways, while providing access to abutting land parcels, also enable moderate quantities of traific to move between local streets and arterial roadways. - Arterial roadways provide limited access opportunities to adjacent land parcels, mostly only to major cross-streets or traffic generators. Arterial roadways are designed for the efficient movement ot through trailic. The September 13. 1995. letter from Bonestroo. Rosene, Anderlik and Associates V) the City of Orono indicated that "The City should discourage an increase in the number of accesses to an arterial roadway such as County Road 51" and that the request for vacation should be denied. We agree that access to arterial roadways should be limited. However, our investigations indicate that CSAH 51 is not an arterial roadway. Discussions with the Hennepin County Highway Department indicate that CSAH 51 is currently classified as a "collector" type roadway. Therefore, the proposed 250 foot access spacing appears appropriate and adequate, especially when compared to the existing 150 foot to 3(30 foot residential access spacing along the remainder of CSAH 51. Sieht Distance <>f Proposed .Access Drive A second traffic-related issue that should be considered is the sight distance of the proposed access drive. The typical rule of thumb for u-affic engineers for adequate intersection, sight distance is ten seconds. Based on tire existing posted .,peed of 40 mph along »his segment of CSAH 51, ten seconds of sight distance would equate to ^88 *'.et. Therefore, if a driver stopped at the estimated stopbar of the access can set an approaching vehicle for at least ten .seconds or 588 lect in each direction, the sight distance at the access would be considered adequate. Field oh.servations conducted at the proposed access location by BRW, Inc., in October of 1995 indicated that, at a standard driver eye height of 3.5 feet, the sicht distances to the east and west along CSAH 51 ranged from 12 to i6 seconds in both directions. Therefore, the intersection sight distance from the proposed access location is adequate.