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2. Traffic Concerns on 3rd and 4th Avenues East'''' City of Kalispell Public Works Department ""` Post Office Box 1997, Kalispell, Montana 59903-1997 - Telephone (406)758-7720, Fax (406)758-7831 MEMORANDUM September 30, 2002 To: Mayor and City Council and Chris A. Kukulski, City Manager From: James C. Hansz, PE, Director of Public Works/City ngi Subject: Neighborhood Concerns About Traffic on Third and Fou venues Eas At the City Council work session August 12'h the PWD outlined the status of conversations with residents of the Third Avenue East and Fourth Avenue East neighborhoods regarding their concerns with growing traffic and the hazard it presents to them and their families. Out of the work session, staff was directed to further explore the possibility and potential procedure for removing these streets from the Federal Urban Highway System in order to return control of them to the City. REMOVING STREETS FROM THE FEDERAL URBAN HIGHWAY SYSTEM There appears to be no "handbook" procedure for such action, however, after discussing the matter with Loran Frazier of MDT in Missoula the process would proceed generally as follows. It should be understood that there is no guarantee the City will succeed in its efforts. Step One: The City Council should direct staff to place a discussion item before the Kalispell Area Transportation Advisory Committee. The item would inform the committee of the City's desire that all those portions of Third Avenue East and Fourth Avenue East presently designated as part of the Federal Urban Highway System be reclassified, or declassified if a more appropriate term, and removed from the Federal system. There are many reasons for this request, but the primary rationale is that traffic on these streets, which are predominately within residential neighborhoods, greatly exceeds the level that was envisioned at the time the original decision was made in 1977. The Kalispell Area Transportation Plan (1993) estimated the combined traffic for CY 2015 on First Avenue East, Third Avenue east and Fourth Avenue East at 12,000 VPD. (The current combined traffic volumes for these streets presently is approximately 19,000 VPD with maximum volumes on Third and Fourth approximately 5,600 memo0522002 VPD and 5,200, respectively, and First Avenue East approximately 8,500 VPD. Source: MDT CY 2000 data.) This increased traffic through the neighborhood adversely affects the living environment of the residents and poses a danger to pedestrians, especially small children. After more than twenty years of use, these two streets have become alternate routes through town with drivers choosing to use them instead of other routes more suitable for cross-town travel. The City's ability to deal effectively with the problems this traffic has created is greatly restrained so long as the streets remain on the Federal Urban Highway System and outside the complete control of the City. The TAC would be asked to favorably endorse this request so that it can be forwarded to MDT, via Loran Frazier. Step Two: Once forwarded to MDT with a request for their support and to place the issue before the State Transportation Commission for their consideration. If MDT declines to support the request, it is my understanding that we can still request a hearing before the commission to make the City's case. Step Three: The Commission would consider the City request and we should be prepared to attend the meeting to answer the Commissioner's questions. With the Commission's acceptance of the City request, the issue would be sent back to MDT who would then take the steps necessary with FHWA to accomplish the removal from the Federal system. Third Avenue East and Fourth Avenue East would then be off the Federal systems and the responsibility of the City of Kalispell. At that point the City would be responsible for all the maintenance and repair costs, but this has, in effect, always been the case because of the limited funding available to the Urban Highways program. The City would also be able to consider a far wider range of traffic impact mitigation solutions than currently available to it at the present. These potential solutions could be specifically tailored to the needs of the impacted neighborhoods. To restate the earlier caution: It should be clearly understood that while this has described a process to be followed, there is no guarantee of success for the City once it begins the effort. City of Kalispell Public Works Department Post Office Box 1997, Kalispell, Montana 59903-1997 - Telephone (406)758-7720, Fax (406)758-7831 October 11, 2002 Mr. Tom Jentz Kalispell Area Transportation Advisory Committee 17 Second Street East, Suite 211 Kalispell, MT 59901 Re: Third Avenue East and Fourth Avenue East Dear Mr. Jentz: In response to the concerns of residents in the neighborhoods on and adjacent to Third Avenue East and Fourth Avenue East, the City Council has asked for a meeting of the Kalispell TAC to discuss a proposal for removing these streets from the designated Federal Urban Highway System. The City has been working with concerned groups of residents from these neighborhoods, primarily between Center Street and the vicinity of 13`n Street East, to identify potential solutions to the hazards to pedestrians, particularly small children, posed by high volumes of fast moving traffic through the area. The current situation is one that has evolved over many years as Kalispell itself has grown and changed, but now must be dealt with before it becomes completely unmanageable. As you know, traffic on these streets has grown steadily over the years as motorists selected these routes in lieu of Main Street for north -south cross-town travel. Traffic volumes exceed 5,000 VPD in some sections. MDT data shows that traffic volumes on Third routinely exceed 3,000 VPD through the most congested sections near Hedges school. Similar though slightly lower volumes are present on Fourth Avenue East. As you know, these are predominately residential streets, identical in character to those streets running parallel and crossing. While they are designated one-way, their average 30 foot width when coupled with both side parking effectively confines travel to a single lane. It also severely limits the range of options for dealing with the public's concerns. After many months of discussion, where a wide variety of potential solutions and "improvement" options and their long range funding impacts were considered, the City Council has reached the conclusion that these neighborhood roadways should have remained true to their original design intent of serving the local areas. Instead they have become relief valves for traffic problems elsewhere in the community. And they are now a hazard to local residents. It is the City's belief that the solution of the current problems afflicting the Third Avenue East and Fourth. Avenue East neighborhoods is primarily a local matter that will respond best to the creative abilities of local residents working together with the City. In order to achieve this solution the City Council has further agreed with the community's consensus on the need to revisit the original decision to place these streets on the Federal Urban Highway System. It is the City's desire that this classification be changed as soon as possible. Sincerely, James C. Hansz, P.E. Director of Public Works / City Engineer Itr0252002