2015 3rd and 4th ave work session materialscrTYOF -�. i i City of Kalispell
Post Office Box 1997 - Kalispell, Montana. 59903
hs1P�E�, E Telephone: (406) 758-7701 Fax: (406) 758-7758
MONTANA ED
MEMORANDUM
To: Mayor Johnson and City Council
From: Doug Russell, City Manager
Re: 3rd and 4th Ave Work session
Meeting Date: November 23, 2015
BACKGROUND: At the November 16 City Council meeting, Council requested a work
session to discuss the one way traffic on 3rd and 4th Avenue East and the potential to modify
traffic to a two-way system.
Attached to this memo is a history for these respective avenues, with information from previous
transportation studies, recommendations to consider related to traffic pattern changes, traffic
accident data, and other related pieces of information for the Council to consider.
At the meeting on Monday, staff will review this information with the Council. It is
recommended that the City Council receive the staff presentation and provide staff direction.
City of Kalispell
L S P E L post Office Box 1997 -Kalispell, Montana 59903
Telephone: (406) 758-7701 Fax: (406) 758-7758
MONTANA
To: Doug Russel, City Manager
From: Keith Haskins P.E., City Engineer, Susie Turner P.E., Public Works Director
CC: Tom Jentz, Planning Director
Date: November 18, 2015
Re: 3rd and 0 Ave E Two Way Conversion Information
History
1. 3rd and 4th Ave E were part of the Urban Route System
a. Kalispell Technical Advisory Committee voted in April of 2013 to remove 3rd and
4th Ave E from the Urban Route System in order to add Four Mile Drive to the
Urban Route System.
b. 3rd and 4th Ave E are now ineligible for federal urban highway monies, but can be
managed by the City without the input of the Montana Department of
Transportation.
c. Removing 3rd and 4th Ave E from the Urban Route System and reverting them
back to tow way streets was a recommendation of the 2008 Kalispell
Transportation Plan.
2. 2008 Transportation Plan (based on 2003 traffic data)
a. 3rd And 4th Ave E were classified as Minor Arterials
b. Traffic Counts (collected as part of the study)
i. 3rd Ave E ranged from 3,300 to 4,110 Average Annual Daily Traffic
(AADT)
ii. 4th Ave E ranged from 500 to 2,280 AADT
c. Levels of Service (Based on intersection delay — A < 1 Os; 10s < B < 15s, etc.)
i. 3rd Ave E
1. LOS A and B in the AM
2. LOS B and C in the PM
ii. 4th Ave E
1. LOS A and B in the AM
2. LOS A, B, and C in the PM
d. Running Speeds
i. AM, Mid -day, and PM of 15-24 mph for 3rd and 4th Ave E
1
City of Kalispell
A L S P E L post Office Box 1997 -Kalispell, Montana 59903
Telephone: (406) 758-7701 Fax: (406) 758-7758
MONTANA
e. Recommendations
i. Transportation Plan recommended "that the City proceed with changing
the one-way couplet to two-way directional flow on each roadway (i.e. 3rd
and 4th Avenue East). This network modification is in line with
neighborhood goals, and alternative traffic network routes are available for
thru-traffic movements. It is envisioned that parking will be allowed on
each side of the respective facilities. These two modified roadways will
mimic other neighborhood roadways within the City."
ii. Transportation modeling projected an increase in traffic for both streets
when modified to 2-way traffic.
1. 3rd Ave E
a. 3,950 vpd prior to modification (based on avg.)
b. 7,500 vpd after modification (based on avg.)
2. 4th Ave E
a. 3,200 vpd prior to modification (based on avg.)
b. 5,300 vpd after modification (based on avg.)
Current Data — (No Transportation Plan update since 2008)
1. 2014 Data
a. Traffic Counts (collected by MDT)
i. 3rd Ave E ranged from 3,310 to 4,050 AADT
ii. 4th Ave E ranged from 470 to 2,140 AADT
Required Before Changes
1. Traffic counts should be completed before modifications to determine traffic volumes
before and after change (Kalispell Transportation Plan)
2. Impact Assessment
a. What negative impacts need to be mitigated?
i. Traffic Control for School Zone
1. School routes
2. Bus pick-up at Hedges School
a. Bus staging will need to be modified
ii. Intersection Sight Triangles
iii. Public Awareness / Education
1. Public Meeting?
2. Residence Mailing?
3. Newspaper, Radio, Social Media
2
City of Kalispell
L S P E L post Office Box 1997 -Kalispell, Montana 59903
Telephone: (406) 758-7701 Fax: (406) 758-7758
MONTANA
3. Signage Assessment
a. Signage will need to be installed for 2-Way Traffic
i. Stop Signs
ii. Pedestrian Crossing
b. Signage will need to be removed for 1-Way Traffic
i. Do Not Enter
ii. Wrong Way
iii. One Way
4. Striping Assessment
a. Crosswalks
b. Stop bars
c. Yellow curbs
Costs
1. Advertisement
2. Temporary signage
3. Signage
4. Striping
Timeline
1. Studies/Analysis
a. Traffic counts in Spring
b. School Traffic/Route assessment by end of May 2016
c. Sight Triangle assessment Spring/Summer 2016
2. Public Awareness
a. Within a month of conversion
3. Two Lane Conversion
a. Staff recommends during construction of 4thAve Street/Water Improvement in
2017
b. Alternative - Fall 2016 as earliest possible date (based on staff resource and
seasonal logistics)
c. As recommended by Council
3
KALISPELL POLICE DEPARTMENT 'striving to
812 1 ST AVE EAST — PO BOX 1997 — KALISPELL, MT 59908 Exceed
TELEPHONE (406) 758-7780 — FAX (406)758-7799 Expectations"
E-MAIL — KPD@KALISPELL.COM
November 18, 2015
To: Doug Russell, City Manager
From: Roger Nasset, Chief of Police
Re: 3rd and 4th Avenue East Accident Review
Dear Mr. Russell,
As part of the discussion in relation to the evaluation of 3rd and 41h Avenues East, as one-way
Avenues, I will include in this report accident numbers from 3rd and 41h Avenues East along with
somewhat comparible Avenues that are two way traffic.
Keeping in mind that multiple factors influence the type and volume of traffic on any given
Avenue, identical comparisons are difficult.
Our records indicate that from November 2010 to November 17, 2015 the following accidents
occurred on the following Avenues:
Location
3rd Avenue East from Center to 12th Street-
41h Avenue East from Center to 121h Street-
51h Avenue East from 2nd Street to 121h Street-
61h Avenue East from 41h Street to 121h Street-
51h Ave West from Center Street to 12th Street-
5 Year Accident Totals
76 accidents
58 accidents
23 accidents
6 accidents
99 accidents
Because so many variables can play into the evaluation of these numbers I will not attempt to list
them all and leave the evaluation up to the reader.
Sincerely,
Roger Nasset
Chief of Police
ROGER NASSET, CHIEF OF POLICE