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06-05-2024 CC-TC MinutesMINUTES RICHFIELD TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING JOINT MEETING WITH CITY COUNCIL BARTHOLOMEW ROOM, CITY HALL Wednesday, June 5th, 2024, 7:00 PM Councilmembers in attendance: Sean Hayford Oleary, Mary Supple Commission Members in attendance: Husniyah Bradley (Chair), Jim Mahoney, McKenzie Burke, David Gepner, Eli Straub, Adam Knosalla, Lou Dzierzak, Stacey Fuentes, Jaz Warren Alex Valle-Osornio Councilmembers not in Attendance: Ben Whalen, Sharon Christensen, Simon Trautmann Commission Members not in Attendance: Jan Matheus, Michael Devane, Tim Brackett City Staff: Joe Powers, Matt Hardegger, Olivia Wycklendt, Katie Rodriguez, Kristin Asher Nicollet Avenue Project Staff: Tyler McLeete, Miranda Swanson, Matt Huggins, Dan Edgerton 1.Call meeting to order Chair Bradley called the meeting to order at 7:03 PM 2.Review & approve agenda Motion by Commissioner Mahoney to approve agenda. Second by Commissioner Gepner. Motion carried. 3.Review & approve minutes for April 3rd, 2024 meeting Motion by Commissioner Mahoney to approve previous meeting minutes. Second by Commissioner Dzierzak. Motion carried. 4.Nicollet Avenue Discussion Hennepin County Project Manager Matt Huggins kicked off the Nicollet Avenue discussion by providing an overview of the scope of the project, and collaboration with the city and the Transportation Commission thus far. Dan Edgerton from ZAN Associates followed by reviewing the ways project staff has pursued public engagement through open houses, virtual open houses, and pop-up events. He highlighted key findings from Phase I and II of the public engagement process which indicated a desire from the public to improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities, managing vehicle speeds, and the overall look and feel of the Nicollet Ave corridor. In Phase III of public engagement key findings were determining a preferred corridor layout, support for roundabouts, desire for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and improvements with pedestrian crossings, as well as a desire for green space through boulevards. He also touched on how the decisions for the project have been made, which he clarified that the project layout is determined not only just by Hennepin County, but also the desire of general public as well as city policies. MINUTES Tyler McLeete from Stantec followed Edgerton with additional project updates from a technical standpoint. He stated that Nicollet Avenue was currently identified as a potential bus rapid transit (BRT) service in the future, and that the current layout has taken that into consideration. For example, McLeete mentioned that in-line bus stops have been modeled with the proposed layout and have shown not to provide a significant impact to the corridor. Commissioner Jim Mahoney asked whose policy it was for the bus stops to be in-lane. McLeete responded that it was Metro Transit’s, and that in-line bus stops provide a higher value of service. Mayor Supple mentioned that with in-lane stops it helps to occasionally stop traffic and give pedestrians an opportunity to cross the street. McLeete summarized that the preliminary layout consists of a 3-lane layout for the corridor, in addition to one-way cycle tracks on each side of the street in addition to sidewalks. Currently the layout also has roundabouts proposed at 67th, 70th, 73rd and 76th St, as well as right-in right out intersections at 69th St, 71st, and 74th St. Commissioner Jaz Warren asked if there are tabled crossings for pedestrian facilities along the layout. McLeete confirmed there are tabled crossings on the city owned local legs off the corridor. Warren also inquired if buses and large trucks are able to navigate the roundabouts on the corridor, which McLeete confirmed. Councilmember Sean Hayford Oleary asked project staff if the layout currently shows all the medians as concrete. Huggins responded that the project hasn’t quite reached that level of detail where that has been decided, however it could be possibly added to the design in the future. Councilmember Hayford Oleary asked if two-phase crossings were considered for the design. Huggins answered that based on crossing data collected for the corridor, the current layout meets county standards, but is open to discussion. McLeete said that no shoulders are included along the corridor as a means of narrowing the corridor and helping to control vehicle speeds. Commissioner Gepner asked if the city was financially participating in this project and to what degree. Huggins answered that cost participation percentages had not yet been negotiated. Huggins did add that the city will have a significant investment but does not anticipate the city’s participation being 50% or greater. Gepner asked if negotiations from the city are honored, and Huggins said they could be and that overall, the project will not move forward without municipal consent. Commissioner Mahoney asked who would be responsible and what the impacts would be for the boulevard space between the sidewalk and the roadway. Transportation Engineer Hardegger responded that the residents would be responsible for maintaining the boulevard per city policy. He added that if the project impacts other areas of private property such as a fence, more discussions would be had with the property owner about the impact. city Engineer Powers stated that these acquisitions or impacts are done in a way that avoids disadvantaging homeowners to the best of the projects’ ability. Councilmember Hayford Oleary asked why parking bays or a narrow boulevard could not be added between 70th and 71st St. Huggins said that if the city would like to make a request to add street parking in this area, the cost of the added parking lane MINUTES and any right-of-way acquisition would be 100% the city’s responsibility. Huggins and Edgerton both mentioned that the demand for parking has not been evident based on data collected and public input. Commissioner Dzierzak asked who would be parking in these areas anyways, which Councilmember Hayford Oleary answered residents and some businesses, particularly near 77th St. Councilmember Hayford Oleary made an additional comment stating that his preference is to allow for wider driveways as well along the corridor for those that are existing to allow for easier turning movements with the addition of center medians, which Huggins stated the county was allowing for wider driveways for these specific circumstances. Commissioner Mahoney asked if there were specific items that project staff was looking for feedback on. Transportation Engineer Hardegger clarified that one of the discussion points staff would like to go over is if there is a preference for the location of the centerline, and whether it should be equally between the property lines versus the equal distance of space between the public sidewalk and their home. Commissioner Mahoney asked how many parcels would be impacted with acquisition to accommodate the sidewalk should. Huggins answered that likely 80 parcels would be impacted by strip taking. Councilmember Hayford Oleary stated that he doesn’t want to acquire strips of land for the sake of perceived right-of-way rather than purely out of project necessity. Commissioner Dzierzak stated that since the corridor does have some curves in it rather than a straight run, how perceptive will that be to those traveling on the corridor. McLeete responded that the corridor is still linear and that any curves will be felt, however, should not be drastic from a driver’s experience. Transportation Engineer Hardegger summarized that the Commission and the Council would prefer to maximize the use of the existing right-of-way, except in cases where easements would be acquired for serious project modifiers or conflicts like the relocation of a gas main, to which both the council and commission agreed. Transportation Engineer Hardegger asked the Council and the Commission if they were supportive of the right-in right-out intersections at several points throughout the corridor. Several of these intersections would also have raised crossings, but not all of them. The areas where right-in, right-out were not implemented like 68th, 72nd, and 70th St are due to the east-west connection from Lyndale across the railroad, added Huggins. Huggins stated that there is a roundabout located within 1 block either north or south of the intersections that would be right-in right-out. Transportation Engineer Hardegger refocused the discussion, asking the Commission and Council if they support the feature of raised crossings on local non-municipal state aid intersections and the benefits it could provide from a traffic calming, pedestrian and bicycle facility standpoint. MINUTES Commissioner Straub voiced his support, followed by the rest of the Commissions agreement. Councilmember Hayford Oleary turned the discussion to a designated left turn lane with a median rather than a center turn lane, voicing his support for that type of crossing. Commissioner Straub added that if there is room for the center turn lanes, having left turn lanes and having a center median to aid in pedestrian crossing would be desirable. McLeete and Huggins pulled out a layout showing what would be required for a two- stage crossing. Huggins summarized that if there is a desire to two-stage crossing it is feasible however it would widen the overall width of the roadway to allow for those turn lanes and appropriate site lines for turning vehicles. Commissioner Warren mentioned that the 72nd crossing of Nicollet could be a candidate for either a raised crossing or rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs). McLeete stated that a raised crossing on Nicollet Avenue is not feasible due to state aid standards. As for RRFBs, those are a feasible consideration but have not been included in the layout yet. Councilmember Hayford Oleary asked if the road is designed for a speed of 35 mph, to which Huggins responded that the design and intent of the corridor is changing to ideally lower speeds, yes, however the road is not specifically designed to have a roadway with a posted speed of 35 mph in mind. Mayor Supple expressed her concerns of emergency vehicles being able to navigate the corridor with right-in right-outs. Public Works Director Asher responded that emergency vehicles tend to find a way to get to their destination and that they know which routes are most efficient to get to their destination best and that emergency vehicles are factored into the design. Transportation Engineer Hardegger summarized that the Commission and Council felt that the applications and locations of the right-in right outs and the tabled crossings are acceptable, however that there is a desire to see more pedestrian-focused infrastructure at 68th St, 72nd and 75th St, and potentially restricting left-turns going southbound on at 72nd. Transportation Engineer Hardegger asked the Commission and Council for direction regarding RRFBs, and that for any areas that aren’t warranted by the County the city would incur 100% of those costs. Commissioner Dzierzak stated that 70th St is one of the busiest intersections for pedestrians, and that RRFBs would be desired at this location. There was some discussion from the Commission and the Council about creating a two-lane section near Augsburg Park with a shift in alignment to make it safer for pedestrians, however it seems that the shift in alignment would not be the most beneficial for pedestrians due to sight-line issues. Mayor Supple inquired if the changes to the Hennepin County Library near Augsburg Park would happen in coordination to this project. Huggins replied that the library’s project is further ahead of schedule than the Nicollet project and will be constructed prior to the Nicollet Avenue Reconstruction project breaking ground. MINUTES There was discussion from multiple members of the council and commission regarding a type of slip ramps on the local roadways for pedestrians or bicyclists to travel north or southbound on the corridor. City and County Staff indicated that this could be looked into further. Commissioner Straub mentioned that any infrastructure like lights to make things safer to cross as a pedestrian or a bicyclist is ideal. Huggins stated that anything above and beyond county warrants can possibly be added at the request of the city, but further discussion is needed regarding cost and maintenance with the city. Councilmember Hayford Oleary commented that other than a few items, he is supportive of the current layout and is appreciative of the work that project staff has done so far. Transportation Engineer Hardegger relayed to the commission that if any councilmembers or commission members that they are welcome to e-mail him with additional feedback. Commissioner Gepner expressed his concern as to why Nicollet Avenue is being reconstructed before Penn Avenue despite its condition. Huggins responded that the County’s CIP comes out later this year in fall and is expected to include a Penn Avenue project. 5. External Grant Funding Update Transportation Engineer Hardegger reported to the Commission and the Council that the city has submitted 26.4 million dollars in grant applications to various federal and state agencies, including a 10-million-dollar request to the state legislature. Transportation Engineer Hardegger provided an overview of the different grant applications the city has submitted for external funding, and the status of those applications. The city’s Reconnecting Communities application was not successful but will be resubmitted in the next round with a slightly smaller scope, as the amount of funding available will decrease next year. The city submitted five projects to the Metropolitan Council Regional Solicitation in December, which will be announced in July. Transportation Engineer Hardegger said staff are optimistic about potentially receiving multiple grants through this, but nothing will be final until July. Commissioner Mahoney notified Transportation Engineer Hardegger that all the bollards near the STEM school are gone, and asked if it was a pilot project. Hardegger confirmed it was a pilot project, however those changes will be permanent in 2025 as the city did just receive funding in the form of a $586,000 grant to move forward with the project. The city also received a design assistance grant to examine intersections and roadways around Sheridan Hills, Richfield Middle School, and Richfield High School. MINUTES The school district also received grant funding for planning assistance, so the Safe Routes to School Plan for the district will be updated over the next year, Transportation Engineer Hardegger mentioned. Transportation Engineer Hardegger stated that the 73rd St Bridge project was submitted through Representative Omar’s office for community project funding for design and engineering costs, and that the Congresswoman selected the project to submit to the Appropriations Committee. Transportation Engineer Hardegger told the Commission and Council that the city is currently projecting 5-6 million dollars in state and federal grant funding, with a city match of 1.4 million dollars, for projects submitted in 2023. City Manager Rodriguez expressed her gratitude to city staff and acknowledged the difficulty that comes with securing outside funding for infrastructure projects. 6.Project Updates Transportation Engineer Hardegger provided an update on the sidewalk construction on 71st St outside of STEM/RDLS will be beginning construction in mid-June. Following that, construction is expected to begin on the pedestrian ramps at Richfield Parkway and 66th St. Civil Engineer Wycklendt provided a brief project update on 65th St, stating that striping for 65th St has been completed and that only landscaping restoration remains. 7.Other Business There was no other business. 8. Upcoming events/meeting(s) Motion to move to cancel the July 3rd meeting. Motion seconded by Commissioner Mahoney. Seconded by Commissioner Dzierzak. Motion carried. The next regularly scheduled Transportation Commission Meeting is on Wednesday, August 7th. 9.Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 9:05 PM. Mary B. Supple Mayor Kelly Wynn Katie Rodriguez Interim City Clerk City Manager