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WELCOME
to the 2nd Highway 47 St. Francis
Planning Study Online MeetingMnDOT, in partnership with Anoka County and the city of St. Francis, is studying potential improvements to Highway 47 between Cree Street NW and Ambassador Boulevard NW in the city of St. Francis. The four-lane divided highway currently has safety and access issues and is in need of long-term improvements. The following slides include information about the study and initial concepts to address the project’s goals. MnDOT wants to hear from you. There is a survey and comment form at the end to provide your feedback on the concepts.
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ABOUT THIS ONLINE MEETING
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To navigate through the meeting, click on the arrows on the right and left side of your screen.
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To provide a comment at any point, simply click on the “Comment” button located on the bottom right on your screen.
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Please take our short survey by clicking on the "Survey" button located on the bottom left of your screen.
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WHAT WE HEARD?
Visioning Activity - Topics
Prioritization Activity
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WHAT IS THE STUDY EVALUATING?
MnDOT, in partnership with City of St. Francis and Anoka County, is evaluating Highway 47 between Cree Street NW and Ambassador Boulevard NW to:
Examine a range of alternatives to address the safety and movement of people walking, biking, and driving
Address safety, capacity, access, and movement
Define the role this road plays in the future of the City of St. Francis
Study includes public engagement, traffic analysis, review of environmental issues, and development of alternative roadway concepts*
*Tentative - may be for a prioritized area such as Pederson Drive NW
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EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUMES
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2014-2018 CRASH SUMMARY
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WHY ARE TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND 4-WAY STOPS NOT BEING PROPOSED?
Traffic Signal:
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Does not meet project goals of increasing safety and slowing traffic
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Not enough current or future traffic to warrant* signals
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Unwarranted signals increase risk of crashes
* Federal and state guidelines set traffic volumes that an intersection must meet to justify installing a signal.
4-Way Stop:
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Significant increase in traffic delays on Highway 47
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Increases queuing in all directions
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Gridlock traffic conditions
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PEDESTRIAN OVERPASS VS. UNDERPASS
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ROUNDABOUTS VS. OTHER TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES
Roundabouts show:
Source: A Study of the Traffic Safety at Roundabouts in Minnesota (MnDOT 2017)
Roundabouts vs. stop signs/signals:
- Handle more traffic with less delay
- Idling decreases, reducing vehicle emmissions and fuel consumption by over 30%
Entry curves slow traffic making entering and exiting easier, safer, and more efficient
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BENEFITS OF ROUNDABOUTS
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Improve side street access
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Slow traffic at intersections to 15-30 MPH
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Easy for pedestrians and bikes to cross
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Shorter distance exposed to traffic
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One direction of traffic to look for
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Allow for additional landscaping, signs, and other amenities
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Turn lanes not required, allowing for further narrowing of the roadway
Image source: Google Earth, E 7th St. and S. Grove St. Blue Earth, MN
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BENEFITS OF A LANE REDUCTION
Image source: Google Earth, E 76th Street in Richfield, MN
Converting Highway 47 from two lanes to one lane in each direction offers the following benefits:
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Eliminates passing traffic
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Shorter crossing distance for pedestrians and bicyclists
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Increases safety for all users of Highway 47 by reducing vehicle speeds
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Allows extra space to be allocated for other uses, such as landscaping, trails, and other streetscaping elements
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EVALUATION CRITERIA MATRIX
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CURRENT ACTIVITIES
While the study is ongoing, MnDOT has implemented several short-term solutions on Hwy 47:
LED MESSAGE SIGNS at entry to the city of St. Francis. The messages will alert motorist not to exceed the speed limit on Hwy 47 and be cautious of pedestrian traffic
INCREASED SIGN SIZES for better visibility
NEW 45 MPH SPEED LIMIT SIGNS along with 35 mph speed limit signs near the schools
ELECTRONIC SPEED SIGNS will be installed this summer to let motorists know how fast they are traveling
TEMPORARY SIGNAL at the intersection of Hwy 47 and Pederson Drive NW is currently under construction
SAFETY EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS available to community leaders, schools and businesses
WORK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT to perform targeted enforcement efforts
FLASHING SCHOOL SPEED LIMIT SIGNS will be installed this summer to alert motorists school speed limit is in effect
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PROJECT SCHEDULE AND NEXT STEPS
*Tentative - may be for a prioritized area such as Pederson Drive NW
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TAKE THE SURVEY
We want to hear from you!
Your input will help the study team understand what you like or don’t like about the initial concepts and what you want MnDOT to prioritize on this project.
The following survey refers to the proposed concepts for Hwy 47. Please click on the links below to view the concepts. The concepts include:
Concept A – Roundabouts, RCIs, and a Pedestrian Underpass
Concept A features a grade-separated pedestrian option at Pederson Dr NW. It requires an approximate 8-foot grade raise to Highway 47 to lift the underpass out of the water table. This concept also features RCIs at Pederson Drive NW and 229th Ave NW, reducing the number of conflict points at each of those intersections without the expense of building a roundabout.
Concept B – Roundabouts and RCIs
Concept B includes a roundabout at Pederson Dr NW and an RCI at 229th Ave NW. This concept allows for a shorter pedestrian crossing at Pederson Dr NW and avoids the highway grade raise needed with the underpass. This concept also maintains full access at Pederson Dr NW.
Concept C – Roundabouts
Concept C proposes roundabouts at both Pederson Dr NW and 229th Ave NW. Implementing roundabouts maintain full access while reducing median width and pedestrian crossing distance.
Concept D – Side Street Stop Signs
As with all proposed concepts, Concept D reduces Highway 47 to two lanes throughout the corridor. In this alternative all side-street traffic would be controlled by stop signs.
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THANK YOU!
Various ways to continue to engage with the study include:
Sign up here for project email updates
Look out for upcoming activities with St. Francis schools, businesses, and community groups
A third open house will be hosted in winter 2019 to share information on proposed improvements and construction phasing
For more information about the project and to sign up for project email updates:
