Transportation Chapter 3
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TRANSPORTATION CHAPTER 3 INTRODUCTION Transportation systems are the backbone of a community’s functioning, providing the essential routes GOAL 1: for commerce, industry, government, schools, police and fi re, and all other daily travel by automobile or truck. The Coordinate transportation with land use planning. larger transportation system also includes modes other than automobile or truck: railroads, aviation, transit, and pedestrian/bicycle trails. Rationale: Understanding the impact of land use on transportation KEY PRINCIPLES TO IMPLEMENTING THE systems is an important element to supporting growth and development. TRANSPORTATION PLAN INCLUDE: Policies: Transportation 1. Analyze the traffi c generation characteristics . Maintain a safe, effi cient roadway system of proposed land uses to avoid exceeding the capacity of local, county, and regional . Create a netwirk of connections vs. closed, roadways. dead-end streets/plats 2. Consider the impacts to neighborhoods when . Improve north-south connections planning new or upgrading existing roadways. Integrate pedestrian/bicycle trails 3. Ensure that the fully integrated comprehensive . Provide improved rail crossings or plan, which includes coordinated land use and overpasses transportation plans, is reviewed annually to provide a rationale for transportation and land use decisions. 4. Land use planning surrounding the Minot International Airport should be compatible with the airport operations with respect to noise, building height, fl ight patterns, expansion plans, and fl ight operations. GOALS 5. Consider long-range plans for a new airport Early in the process goals and policies were discussed and northeast of Minot. adopted for various elements of the Plan. Several goals 6. Encourage shared parking facilities for were thought to be important in the near term and were commercial, industrial, and mixed use projects adopted as Immediate Goals. Two of these Immediate to reduce impervious surface, minimize land Goals relate to transportation, an indication of the consumption, and minimize traffi c. importance of transportation to Minot. City of Minot 2012 Comprehensive Plan TRANSPORTATION 3-1 GOAL 2: 7. Encourage site upkeep and quality maintenance through code enforcement to maintain and Attract and encourage a balance of new promote a positive image. commercial, light industrial, offi ce-industrial, heavy industrial, knowledge-based business, and professional services and expansion of existing businesses. Rationale: Minot’s commercial, light industrial and heavy industrial development will be concentrated primarily along its existing business corridors. This provides opportunities for a diversifi ed economic base, expanded employment opportunities and maintaining conformity with the existing commercial, light industrial and heavy industrial land use patterns. Policies: GOAL 3: 1. Protect designated industrial areas from Develop and maintain a roadway system that encroachment by residential development accommodates the safe and effi cient movement of and marginal land uses that will preclude the people and goods. highest economic use of land available for commercial, light industrial and heavy industrial development. Rationale: 2. Work with local business organizations to Minot is a growing city and policy makers face decisions develop strategies and programs to draw high- that will aff ect the existing and future roadway facilities in end business park development that attracts addition to other transportation modes. These decisions medical, energy technology, value-added must be made with proper information. The establishment agricultural and knowledge-based businesses of transportation goals and policies helps to guide which provide quality employment and higher these decisions by directing the development of the wages with the expansion of city services. transportation system. 3. Work with property owners to redevelop existing industrial sites that are in disrepair, Policies: are obsolete with respect to design, have 1. Use traffi c management technology to improve environmental concerns and are incompatible the operations and safety of the roadway with neighboring land uses. system. 4. Designate areas for industrial expansion within 2. Plan for, design, and construct roadways the City’s growth areas and exterior limits that to accommodate existing traffi c demand are accessible to public infrastructure and and future traffi c growth, considering the transportation, including rail and air. predominant land uses utilizing the roadways. 5. Create a community identity that will help 3. Identify roadway improvements for existing recruit targeted business and industry to Minot. needs and future demand. 6. Use the presence and resources of educational 4. Identify corridors to relieve congestion. institutions including Minot State, industries, business organizations to support and facilitate 5. Integrate pedestrian and bicycle trails into the new businesses and expansion of existing. design of roadway facilities where appropriate and feasible that provide links to parks, cultural and historic resources, and public uses. 3-2 TRANSPORTATION City of Minot 2012 Comprehensive Plan HIGHWAY SYSTEM Existing Roadway Jurisdiction Roadways are categorized under the agency that is responsible for their maintenance. The State of North Dakota is responsible for Federal Interstate, US Highways, North Dakota State Roads, and State Park Roads. The County is responsible for Ward County Roads. The City is responsible for the remainder within city limits. Existing Functional Classifi cation The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) uses four roadway classifi cations: interstate, principal arterial, minor arterial, and collector. Of these, the 6. Coordinate with NDDOT on interchange interstate classifi cation does not apply to the City of Minot. improvements located within the City. 7. Provide improved at-grade rail crossings or rail Principal Arterial roadways are designed to carry traffi c. overpasses/underpasses. Access may be limited to other major arterials or major 8. Examine truck routes to bypass the city for the collectors, with spacing limited to a minimum of one-half benefi t of industries and drivers. mile. Either intersections or interchanges are allowable. The US 2/52 Bypass, US 83 West Bypass, and the proposed 9. Maintain existing facilities in a manner necessary East Bypass are limited-access Principal Arterials and are to preserve acceptable levels of service and funded with Regional Primary funds. minimize life-cycle costs. 10. Implement access management guidelines for Principal Arterial roadways such as Broadway (US 83), collector and arterial roadways with adequate Burdick Expressway, and Valley Street, are also designed distance between intersections/driveways and to carry traffi c, but provide access to local and collector appropriate traffi c control methods. streets as well as major businesses. Improvements to 11. Avoid or minimize impacts to natural, cultural, principal arterials are funded with Regional Secondary and historic features. funds. 12. Investigate “quite zones” in the City. Minor Arterial roadways are intended to provide access within Minot. They typically have extensive residential access and do not carry truck traffi c nor heavy traffi c volumes. They are used as alternates to principal arterials. Minor arterial improvements are funded with Urban Roads funds. Collector streets provide routes for short trips or to higher classifi ed roadways. Collector street improvements are also funded with Urban Roads funds. Figure 3.1 shows the existing roadways functional classifi cation. City of Minot 2012 Comprehensive Plan TRANSPORTATION 3-3 3-4 TRANSPORTATION City of Minot 2012 Comprehensive Plan Safety Analysis Traffi c Signals Crash data in North Dakota is collected by NDDOT and All traffi c signals within Minot are city maintained and is categorized by type of crash, severity, time of day, operated regardless of roadway jurisdiction. Figure 3.4 weather, and other contributing factors. High accident shows the current traffi c signals in the city. intersection locations are also illustrated in Figure 3.1. Existing Congestion Existing Traffi c Volumes Broadway (US 83) has seen signifi cant increases in The most recent daily traffi c volume information for the volumes and delays. The existing signal controllers are not primary roadways in Minot were obtained from NDDOT. interconnected and currently run fi xed-time. The City is The year 2011 daily traffi c volume information is shown pursuing an energy grant that could fund an improvement graphically on Figure 3.2. Figure 3.3 shows the existing project to interconnect these signals. typical sections of the roadway network. Critical intersections include Broadway (US 83) at 31st Previous Studies Street S, with heavy volumes in the southbound left-turn MINOT LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION PLAN movement, and Broadway (US 83) at 20th Avenue S. In November 2002, Olsson Associates prepared a land Figure x shows the average daily traffi c on roadways. use and transportation plan. The transportation part of the plan documented existing conditions, modeled and analyzed future traffi c volumes, and recommended a plan with specifi c transportation improvements. US 2/52 BYPASS STUDY In May 2005, Ulteig performed a corridor study on the US 2/52 Bypass. The purpose of the study was to develop alternatives that will provide acceptable traffi c fl ow for current and future traffi c, enhance access, and improve safety along