04-19-11 PTRC - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Kristine Giga, P.E. City of Arden Hills April 6, 2011 Page 4 An operations analysis was conducted for the a.m. and p.m. peak hours at each of the key intersections to determine how traffic currently operates in the study area. The key intersections were analyzed using a combination of the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) and Synchro /SimTraffic software (version 7). For documentation purposes, the operations reported in the following tables are based on results produced from the HCM, which depicts a more accurate result due to its ability to account for dual stage crossing. Capacity analysis results identify a Level of Service (LOS), which indicates how well an intersection is operating. The LOS results are based on average delay per vehicle. Intersections are given a ranking from LOS A through LOS F. LOS A indicates the best traffic operation and LOS F indicates an intersection where demand exceeds capacity. In the Twin Cities metropolitan area, LOS A through D is generally considered acceptable by drivers. For side - street stop controlled intersections, special emphasis is given to providing an estimate for the level of service of the minor approach. Traffic operations at unsignalized intersections with side- street stop control can be described in two ways. First, consideration is given to the overall intersection level of service. This takes into account the total number of vehicles entering the intersection and the capability of the intersection to support those volumes. Second, it is important to consider the delay on the minor approach. Since the mainline does not have to stop, the majority of delay is attributed to the side - street approaches in most cases. Results of the existing operations analysis shown in Table 1 indicate that all key intersections currently operate at an acceptable overall LOS A during the a.m.. and p.m. peak hours with existing traffic control and geometric layout. Based on observations, side - street access from Snelling Avenue and Keithson Drive to County Road 96 can be relatively difficult during the peak hours. However, the large median along County Road 96 does allow for a dual stage crossing, which significantly aids motorists along Snelling Avenue and Keithson Drive accessing westbound County Road 96. Therefore, all side- street approaches operate at LOS D or better during the a.m. and p.m. peak hours. Average side - street delays associated with these approaches are generally considered acceptable and do not require mitigation. No queuing issues were observed. Table 1 Existing Peak Hour Capacity Analysis Level of Service Results Intersection Level of Service and. Delays A.M. Peak Hour P.M. Peak Hour LOS Delays LOS Delays County Road 96 and Snelling Avenue* A/C 20 sec. A/D 25 sec. County Road 96 and Keithson Drive* A/B 15 sec. A/C 20 sec. Snelling Avenue and Royal Hills Drive* A/B 10 sec. A/B 10 sec. Harnline Avenue and Arden View Court* A/D 30 sec. A/B 15 sec. * Indicates an unsignalized intersection with side- street stop control.. The overall LOS is shown followed by the worst approach LOS.