London Road Transportation Study

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London Road Transportation Study

• Finding a Balance
• Public Meeting 2
• November 27, 2006

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London Road Website

• www.dot.state.mn.us/d1/projects/londonroad/index.h
  tml
• You can Email your comments to
• todd.campbell_at_dot.state.mn.us
• cpedersen_at_ci.duluth.mn.us
• ssannes_at_sehinc.com

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Overview

• Progress Since Public Meeting 1
• Input from Public Meeting
• Context Sensitive Solutions
• Potential Solutions
• Your Comments

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Study Objective

• Determine what short and long term changes should
  be made to London Road and Superior Street to
  relieve congestion through East Duluth

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Study Limits
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Progress of Public Advisory Committee

• Input from Public Meeting 1
• Rail grade
• Martin Road bypass and/or truck restrictions
• History of the interstate decision
• Context Sensitive Solutions
• Potential Solutions
• Your Comments

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Input from Public Meeting 1

• Railroad grade
• Rail Authority will allow a road
• Rail must remain in operation
• No ability to condemn an active rail line

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Input from Public Meeting 1

• Martin road bypass and/or truck restrictions
• Significant committee discussion
• Study completed by MIC
• No significant benefit to London Road
• Will not remove trucks destined for downtown/west
  Duluth or Wisconsin

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Input from Public Meeting 1

• History of the Interstate Extension
• Public committees analyzed various solutions
• Planned end point varied from 10th Avenue East to
  66th Avenue East
• Final decision to end at 26th Ave East was
  determined by a city-wide referendum

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Context Sensitive Solutions

• Integral part of the process - considers that
  London Road is a residential neighborhood with
  boulevards, trees, parking, pedestrians/bikes,
  and historic homes
• Need to meeting competing needs safe and
  efficient travel to, and through the Lakeside
• Balancing the pros and cons of each alternative
• How to assign the space in the road corridor?
• More information is available on the website

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Potential Solutions

• Alternative 1 (Expressway)
• Alternative 2 (One-Way Pair)
• Alternative 3 (Parkway)
• Alternative 4 (Parking Lane Conversion)
• Other Solutions

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Alternative 1 (Expressway)

• Traffic Operations Shifts traffic from London
  Road and Superior Street
• Construction Most costly alternative
• Right of Way Significant impacts along
  expressway corridor
• Traffic Calming No special features along
  London Road or Superior Street
• Traffic Circulation Limited number of
  north/south connectors
• On-Street Parking No change
• Pedestrian Impacts Limited connections across
  expressway
• Amenities and Visual Impacts Significant visual
  impact

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Alternative 2 (One-Way Pair)

• Traffic Operations Shifts traffic to Superior
  Street at east end but decreases traffic on
  Superior Street at west end
• Construction Costs less than Alternative 1 or 3
  
• Right of Way Moderate impacts east of 40th
  Avenue
• Traffic Calming Significant opportunities for
  traffic calming
• Traffic Circulation Some increase in length for
  local trips
• On-Street Parking Minimal impact
• Pedestrian Impacts Safer and easier pedestrian
  crossings
• Amenities and Visual Impacts Good potential for
  increasing amenities and improving visual impact

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Alternative 3 (Parkway)

• Traffic Operations Provides greatest amount of
  capacity
• Construction Costs more than Alternative 2 or
  4, but less than Alternative 1
• Right of Way Significant impacts along London
  Road
• Traffic Calming Provides opportunities along
  London Road
• Traffic Circulation Access control impacts side
  streets
• On-Street Parking Eliminates parking along
  London Road
• Pedestrian Impacts Medians help pedestrian
  crossing
• Amenities and Visual Impacts Significant
  impacts to existing boulevard areas, but some
  opportunity for replacement.

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Alternative 4 (Parking Lane Conversion)

• Traffic Operations Provides least amount of
  capacity
• Construction Least costly of the alternatives
• Right of Way Minimal impacts to London Road
  east of 40th Avenue
• Traffic Calming Some opportunities for traffic
  calming
• Traffic Circulation No changes for east end but
  some impact to local trips along west end of
  London Road
• On-Street Parking Reduces parking on London
  Road for certain time periods
• Pedestrian Impacts Medians on west end help
  pedestrian crossing
• Amenities and Visual Impacts Some opportunity
  for improvement along west end of London Road

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Other Solutions and Variations

• Roundabouts versus Signals
• Frontage Road Connecting the Chateau and
  Lakeshore
• Flyover for Westbound London Road at I-35

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Evaluation Criteria

• Mix and Match
• Cost construction and right of way
• Effectiveness
• Impacts
• Right of way
• Public input
• Bike/Pedestrian access

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Next Steps

• Compile input from this meeting
• Continue to evaluate impacts and benefits
• Work to develop a final solution
• Public Meeting 3 late winter

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Your Comments

• Please sign up
• Limit comments to three minutes
• We will be available for additional discussion
  after the comment period