2018.05.01 Work Session Packet (2nd)
4141 Douglas Drive North • Crystal, Minnesota 55422-1696
Tel: (763) 531-1000 • Fax: (763) 531-1188 • www.crystalmn.gov
Posted: April 27, 2018
City Council
Second Work Session Agenda
May 1, 2018
Following the City Council meeting
Conference Room A
Pursuant to due call and notice given in the manner prescribed by Section 3.01 of the City Charter,
the second work session of the Crystal City Council was held at ______ p.m. on May 1, 2018 in
Conference Room A, 4141 Douglas Dr. N., Crystal, Minnesota.
I. Attendance
Council Members Staff
____ Budziszewski ____ Norris
____ Dahl ____ Therres
____ Deshler ____ Gilchrist
____ Kolb ____ Ray
____ LaRoche ____ Revering
____ Parsons ____ Sutter
____ Adams ____ Serres
II. Agenda
The purpose of the work session is to discuss the following agenda items:
1. Chapter 8 of City Code.
2. Chapters 10-11 of City Code.
3. 36th and Welcome pedestrian crossing study.
4. Constituent issues update.
5. New business.*
6. Announcements.*
* Denotes no supporting information included in the packet.
III. Adjournment
The work session adjourned at ______ p.m.
Auxiliary aids are available upon request to individuals with disabilities by calling the City Clerk at (763) 531-
1145 at least 96 hours in advance. TTY users may call Minnesota Relay at 711 or 1-800-627-3529.
Memorandum
DATE: May 1, 2018
TO: City Council
FROM: Mark Ray, PE, Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Pedestrian crossing of 36th Ave at Welcome Ave check in
Summary
The City has received concerns about the pedestrian crossing of 36th Avenue at Welcome Avenue.
Various crosswalk signage has been installed in the past and Crystal police officers routinely conduct
traffic enforcement along the 36th Avenue corridor. Even with the measures taken and the proactive
work by the Crystal police department, concerns persist regarding the safety of the crosswalk. Earlier
this year the City contracted with TranSmart/EJM to conduct a review and evaluation of the crosswalk.
TranSmart/EJM’s work is now complete and ready for a project update for the Council.
Study recommendations
• Trim trees* on the southwest corner for increased visibility of the crosswalk (* private trees)
• Reduce sign clutter on the east (westbound) approach to the crossing
• Remove the existing pedestrian warning (W11-2) signs in advance of the crossing
• Provide training and recommend upgraded hand-held flags (that read STOP) to the RiverTree school
for use when using the crosswalk
• Suggest increasing the use of the signalized pedestrian crossing at the intersection of 36th Ave N and
Hwy 100 southbound ramps
• Realign the crosswalk to shorten the crossing distance and make for a wider median refuge
(requires replacing the curb ramps and detectable warning fields on the northeast and
southeast side of the intersection)
• Extend the raised median through the realigned crosswalk to provide a curb cut refuge for the
pedestrians/bicyclists as well as a location for additional crossing warning signs
• Upgrade the crossing warning signs to include solar powered pedestrian activated flashing LEDs
integrated within their border
• Add street lighting on the south side of 36th Ave
Attachment
• Pedestrian Crossing Study memo
Recommended Action
No formal action is needed. Staff would like direction from the Council to proceed with developing an
implementation plan for the study recommendations.
Pedestrian Crossing Study
36th Avenue North & Welcome Avenue North
City of Crystal, MN
Spring 2018
Introduction
The City of Crystal contracted with TranSmart / EJM Corporation to review the existing
pedestrian crossing of 36th Ave N at Welcome Ave N in response to public comment received
regarding the safety concerns at the crossing. Volume, crash and speed data were gathered for
the subject intersection. Additional public input was gathered, a field review was conducted
and a routine school aged pedestrian group crossing was observed. A range of
recommendations have been provided for the City’s consideration.
Existing Conditions
Intersection Layout
The intersection of 36th Ave N and Welcome Ave N is located in the eastern portion of the City
of Crystal near its border with the City of Robbinsdale. Welcome Ave N is a two-lane roadway
with sidewalk running along the east side of the roadway at the intersection. 36th Ave N is a
four-lane roadway as it approaches the subject intersection from the west. 36th Ave transitions
into a four-lane divided roadway just east of the intersection. In addition, a third eastbound
lane (for right turning vehicles onto Hwy 100 South) begins at the subject intersection. Along
36th Ave existing sidewalk runs along both the north and south sides of the street. Just east of
the crosswalk there is a painted median area (beginning at 8 feet in width and growing to
approximately 13 feet in width where the raised concrete median starts). This painted area is
typically used by pedestrians and bicyclists as a place of refuge while crossing 36th Avenue by
allowing for them to cross one direction of travel at a time (often referred to as a two-stage
crossing).
Figure 1 – Aerial Image of Intersection
source: Google Maps
36th Avenue N
Crossing Information
The crosswalk is 6-foot-wide and marked with the continental style marking characterized by its
blocks. A single pedestrian crossing warning sign with downward arrow is located at each end
of the crosswalk (on the right-hand side of the road of each approach). During the summer
months, in-street pedestrian crossing signs are added to the crossing. Additionally, there are
advance pedestrian crossing warning signs located approximately 300 feet upstream along 36th
Ave N.
On the south side of 36th Ave N a City trail meets up with the sidewalk approximately 160 feet
east of the subject crosswalk. This trail connection is the northern most access point for this
trail system that connects to public lands at Bassett Creek Park, Bassett Creek Dog Park, and the
recently completed Three Rivers Park District Bassett Creek Regional Trail.
The signalized intersection of Highway 100 and 36th Avenue is the next nearest marked crossing
of 36th Ave N and is located approximately 315 feet to the east. To the west, the nearest
marked crossing of 36th Avenue N is the signalized intersection with Douglas Drive, located
approximately 2,400 feet to the west.
Volume Data
According to MnDOT’s 2016 count data, the average annual daily traffic on 36th Ave N is 18,300
vehicles per day (vpd). Welcome Ave N carries 1,100 vpd south of the subject intersection and
760 vpd to the north. A 2016 count conducted by the City of Crystal on 36th Ave N indicated a
peak hour two-way total volume of traffic of 1,931 vehicles per hour (vph).
It is estimated that the largest hourly pedestrian volume to use this crossing is a result of
activities associated with nearby RiverTree school. Twice a year, approximately 60 middle and
high school aged students use this crossing as part of their conditioning route. More routinely,
however, around 16 elementary aged students and 2 adults use this crossing on Monday
afternoons throughout the school year when traveling to/from Centennial Gardens to
volunteer. To aid in the safe crossing of these school aged children, a handful of students within
the group are outfitted with safety vests and the adult chaperones enter the crosswalk in
advance of the students with orange flags. Once traffic has stopped on all approaches, the
students are allowed to utilize the crosswalk.
Speed Data
The City of Crystal collected speed data in the summer of 2016 just east of the subject
intersection. The posted speed limit on 36th Ave N is 30 mph. The average speed was measured
to be 28 mph for eastbound vehicles and 32 mph for westbound vehicles. While these average
speeds fall at or near the posted speed limit, 16% of eastbound traffic and 33% of westbound
traffic is travelling at least 5 miles over the posted speed limit. It is important to note that the
location of the data collected is heavily influenced by the signalized intersection. The data
should not be viewed as representative of traffic trends along the 36th Avenue corridor, but
localized speed trends near the Welcome Ave crosswalk.
Table 1 – 2016 Speed Study Results
Speeds Exceeded Eastbound Westbound
25 mph 70.4% 90.6%
35 mph 15.9% 32.9%
45 mph 0.5% 1.3%
source: City of Crystal
Crash Data
Crash data was retrieved from MnCMAT (Minnesota Crash Mapping Analysis Tool) for the years
of 2007 through 2015. Twenty-four (24) crashes occurred at or near the intersection of 36th Ave
N and Welcome Ave N during those eight years. Four of the twenty-four crashes involved
pedestrians or cyclists, three of which were in the subject crossing and struck by eastbound
vehicles (one traveling east bound on 36th Ave N, one making a left turn from the north
approach of Welcome Ave N, and one making a right turn from the south approach to Welcome
Ave N).
Bus Data
Metro Transit Route 14 stops at the intersection of 36th Ave N and Welcome Ave N. Recent
Automatic Passenger Counters (APC) data from Metro Transit showed two riders on/off for
northbound route 14 and four (4) riders on/off for the southbound route at the subject
intersection. There is a bench for waiting passengers located on the northeast corner of the
intersection.
Public Input
Public input was sought as part of the process for identifying issues and concerns. A meeting
was held with the president of RiverTree school and members of the project team. Additionally,
the project team, including Crystal Police Department staff, spent time in the field observing
the weekly Monday student crossing. The City of Crystal distributed a flyer at Centennial
Gardens, posted it at the subject crossing and on the City’s Facebook page inviting public
comment.
Figure 2 – City of Crystal Request for Feedback Flyer
In total, nineteen (19) individuals responded to the request to provide input. The most
prominent issues identified through the phone calls and emails were the following:
1) The speed of drivers on 36th Avenue perceived to be exceeding the posted speed limit,
2) Low compliance to the statutory requirement to stop for a pedestrian in the crosswalk –
some of which is believed to be a result of fear that they will be rear ended by the
vehicle behind them,
3) Lack of gaps in traffic (perceived to be resultant in particular from drivers not adhering
to the ‘No Right Turn on Red’ sign at the southbound Hwy 100 ramps), and
4) Concerns about drivers having too many distractions competing for their attention as
they enter the intersection, in particular vehicles headed towards Hwy 100.
Alternatives Considered
Signalized/Active Crossing Alternatives
The project team developed a number of alternatives based on reviewing the existing
conditions and citizen input. Active crossing alternatives such as a signalized intersection and a
pedestrian hybrid beacon (often referred to as a HAWK) were considered, however these
alternatives have minimum vehicular and pedestrian/cyclist thresholds. The existing pedestrian
crossing counts do not exceed the threshold volumes.
Figure 3 – Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon Volume Requirements
Source: MN MUTCD
Crosswalk Alternatives
Multiple options for crosswalk location were considered. Moving the crosswalk to the west side
of the intersection would serve to separate the pedestrians from the vehicles turning from
Welcome Ave N and headed towards Hwy 100. This would, however, put the pedestrians on
the opposite side of Welcome Ave N than the existing sidewalk and bus stop and, more
importantly, eliminate the opportunity for pedestrian refuge mid-crossing of 36th Avenue.
It is possible to shorten the crossing distance by realigning the existing, somewhat diagonal
crosswalk to provide a more direct route across 36th Avenue N. In addition, this option provides
a larger area of pedestrian refuge as the median space increases to the east of the subject
intersection. The realignment option would, however, slightly move the crosswalk closer to the
MNDOT owned/operated intersection of 36th Ave N and Hwy 100 South which has a signalized
pedestrian crossing on the west side of the intersection. National crosswalk spacing standards
suggest a minimum of 300 feet and with the realigned crosswalk, the spacing on 36th would be
275 feet.
Signing Alternatives
Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons (RRFB) were re-authorized for use by the Federal Highway
Administration on March 20th, 2018. RRFBs utilize rectangular-shaped high-intensity light-
emitting-diode (LED)-based indications that flash rapidly in a combination wig-wag and
simultaneous flash pattern. A review of common placement practices amongst several local
agencies indicated a strong recommendation against their placement at spacing less than 300
feet from the nearest signalized crossing.
Other lower cost alternatives to the RRFB have also entered the market in recent years as a
response to the success of such devices. Variations include signs with integrated LEDs in the
border (shown below) as well as mounting an 8 or 12-inch single pedestrian activated beacon
over the warning sign.
Figure 4 - BlinkerSign® Pedestrian Crosswalk Systems
Source: TAPCO
Recommended Improvements
Based upon the findings of the field review and study of the volume and crash data for the
crossing at the intersection of 36th Ave N and Welcome Ave N, we offer the following
recommendations:
Immediate Considerations:
• Trim trees on the southwest corner for increased visibility of the crosswalk
• Reduce sign clutter on the east (westbound) approach to the crossing
• Remove the existing pedestrian warning (W11-2) signs in advance of the crossing
• Provide training and recommend upgraded hand-held flags (that read STOP) to the
RiverTree school for use when using the crosswalk
• Suggest increasing the use of the signalized pedestrian crossing at the intersection of 36th
Ave N and Hwy 100 Eastbound ramps
Figure 5 – Intersection Photos
Left: West Approach Right: East Approach
Near Term Improvements:
• Realign the crosswalk to shorten the crossing distance and make for a wider median
refuge (requires replacing the curb ramps and detectable warning fields on the
northeast and southeast side of the intersection)
• Extend the raised median through the realigned crosswalk to provide a curb cut refuge
for the pedestrians/bicyclists as well as a location for additional crossing warning signs
• Upgrade the crossing warning signs to include solar powered pedestrian activated
flashing LEDs integrated within their border
Figure 6 – Near Term Improvements Sketch
Long Term Improvements:
• Add street lighting on the south side of 36th Ave N