Minutes 3-09-05Richfield Transportation Committee
Richfield City Hall, Council Chambers
Minutes
March 9, 2005
Committee members in attendance: Steve Lindgren (Co-Chair); Barbara Kritzman (Co-Chair); Gary Ness; Maureen Scaglia, Lezlie Vermillion; Council Member Suzanne Sandahl; Robert Shotwell;
Council Member Bill Kilian; Don Anderson; Bob Elliott; and Todd Nollenberger.
Others in attendance: Council Member Fred Wroge, Jack Mooney, William Svoboda, Larry Wozniczka, Terri Drimel, Rob Townsend, Tim Teachout, Morris Nilsen, SEH, Inc. Staff: Mike Kotila;
City Staff: Kristin Asher, Bruce Nordquist and Tom Foley.
B. Kritzman served as Chair for the meeting.
At 7:02 p.m. B. Kritzman called the meeting to order.
Motion to approve agenda made by S. Lindgren, second by B. Elliott, motion passed unanimously.
S. Sandahl motioned to approve February 9, 2005 minutes, second by S. Lindgren, motion passed unanimously.
66th Street and Portland Avenue Intersection
Mike Kotila (consultant, SEH, Inc.) reviewed an evaluation of traffic operations for the various alternatives. He provided a handout on the Intersection Delay and Level of Service
(LOS) of each alternative to the Committee. The threshold for an acceptable vs. unacceptable LOS is D. The 2030 traffic forecasts used in the model were developed by SRF Consultants
for the 62 Crosstown reconstruction project.
The forecasting model indicated a need for double left-turn lanes at the intersection. There is now a new alternative 2-DLT to show this change. The numbers are preliminary and Hennepin
County staff, and another consultant will review the numbers.
The roundabout alternative was modified to remove the free right turns that were initially thought to be needed. M. Kotila reviewed roundabout operations including traffic conflicts,
pedestrian maneuvering, and bicycle movements.
T. Nollenberger motioned to removed alternatives 1, 5, 6, 8A – 8C from the list completely and wait to narrow down alternative further until the forecasted numbers can be finalized.
Second by L. Vermilion, motion passed unanimously.
The Committee has been asked to determine weights for the Goals identified for the project to be used in the scoring process. The weights should be passed on to staff prior to the next
meeting so they can be compiled.
Comments received from residents
Resident
Suggestion/Comment/Concern
Terri Drimel
6617 Portland
Would suggest having pedestrians cross further away from a roundabout. Has a personal issue with the roundabout option, she does not want a 15 mph highway in front of her house. She
is concerned about the resale value and her quality of life. She asks that the Committee be very cautious in their traffic projections and stresses that we need to make sure they are
right. In addition, she has witnessed queue lengths that are much longer than what was depicted on earlier graphics. This concerns her regarding the accuracy of our numbers.
Tim Teachout
601 E. 66th Street
The roundabout causes concern for all the elderly pedestrians that use this intersection. Believes you need a stop condition for pedestrians to be safe.
Bylaws
Discussion that bylaws indicate more of a permanent commission rather than a temporary committee. Before bylaws can be adopted the City Council needs to support the commission.
S. Lindgren motioned to table agenda items 5 and 6, second by T. Nollenberger, motion passed unanimously.
Upcoming Meetings
A joint meeting with Edina’s Transportation Commission will be on Wedesday, March 16th at 6pm. Topics of discussion will include the upcoming Crosstown Reconstruction project, Mn/DOT
will present their 2030 plan, and Edina’s Southdale Area Land Use and Transportation study. The meeting will be hosted by Edina, at the Edina Park Building at Centennial Lakes – Fireside
Room (7499 France).
The Transportation Committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 13, 2005 at 7 p.m.
Future Agenda Items
No future agenda items were identified.
Motion to adjourn was made by S. Lindgren. Second by B. Elliott. Meeting was adjourned at 9:08 p.m.