05-08-1995 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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request for council action DATE: May 4 \, ITEM NO: / c| Department Approval: Naifs Ron Vioorse Title Ciiv Administrator Administrator Reviewed:Agenda Section: City Administrator ’s Report Item Description: . Bike/Hike Frail in Conjunction with Highway 12 Safety Improvement Project Background ^ . • u i-.-. As part of the decision process concerning the Highway 12 safety improvement project, the City Council was asked to determine whether to include a four foot wide sidewalk on the north side of Highway 12 between North Brown Road and Willow Drive at a cost of approximately $13 000 This proposal was initiated through a discussion with the City of Long Lake which is itistalling a similar sidewalk on the south side of Highway 12 to provide pedestrian access to the various commercial proper.: in the area. At its April 24 meeting the Council directed staff to confirm the cost of the sio -v^ilk and to exclude the sidewalk from the highway project if the cost was not substantially Io axa than the estimate. Staff requested the City to confirm the cost of the sidewalk. The City Engineer determined that the city ’s cos. f a four foot wide concrete sidewalk would be approximately $8 730 The Engineer also c'. ermined that the city ’s cost for an eight foot wide bituminous pathway would be approximately $8,000. The combination of the lower cost and the substantial additional utility of an eight foot wide pathway versus a four foot wide sidewalk led s^taff to focus on the eight foot pathway. The benefit of the pathway is that it would provide the first half of a pedestrian/bicycle transportation route from the north-central portion of Orono, and downtown Long Uke. to the Orono schools and the numerous recreation facilities provided by the schools, and to the proposed Old Crystal Bay Road bike trail which will connect the Luce Line and Baker Park. The advantages of installing the pathway at this time are as follows: The city would pay only 40% of the costs of the pathway. ^ The grading required for the pathway will be done as part of the roadway project, so that the costs of the grading will be paid by Mn/DOT. If the pathway were to be constructed as a separate project, at a time separate from the roadway project, the costs would be substantially higher. Staff Recommendation .. It is staffs recommendation that an eight foot wide b-tummous pathway ^n ° Highway 12 between North Brown Road and Willow Drive be included as part of the Highway 1. 1