1996 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - Laserfiche WebLink

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6.0 . Transportation Plan The preparation of the transportation component of the Comprehensive Municipal Plan of Gem Lake is based principally on the desire of the community to cooperate with other units of government in obtaining a mutually high level of community services. Recognizing that most of Gem Lake's residents conduct most of their work, shopping, cultural and educational, and recreational activities outside the City limits, the quality of the transportation system outside the City is important. Therefore, the City of Gem Lake recognizes the importance of the I-35E corridor study and adopts its findings by reference. The transportation plan of Gem Lake is also intended to enhance a high quality man-made and natural environment within the City limits. 6.1 The Existing Roadway System The most important component of the transportation system within Gem Lake for the foreseeable future will be the street and highway network which will accommodate both private and public motor vehicles. The functional classification and jurisdictional responsibility for maintaining this system is summarized in Tables 9 and 10. 6.1.1 Arterials The most heavily traveled arterial route through the community is U.S. Highway 61 which serves as a major artery connecting Gem Lake with White Bear Lake and the more intensively developed portions of the metropolitan area to the south. The facility connects with the Interstate beltway loop (I-494, I-694) around the Twin cities at a point approximately one mile south of the City's corporate limits. The only other arterial within the community is County Road E which forms part of Gem Lake's southern corporate limits. The facility intersects with U.S. Highway 61 in the southeast portion of Gem Lake, serves the southern portion of White Bear Lake to the east, and connects with I-35E located approximately 1/a-mile west of the western corporate limits of Gem Lake. This latter facility is the only "principal" arterial near the City. Collectors Collector streets include Labore Road on the western corporate boundary, Goose Lake Road located in a southwestern -northeastern orientation near the northern corporate limits of the community, and Otter Lake Road located in the northeastern portion of the community. 6.1.3 Local Streets The remaining roads within the community can be classified as local ' serving principally adjacent land uses. These local streets comprise approximately 40 percent of the total roadway mileage within the community. Comprehensive Plan A-GEMLK9501.00 Gem Lake, Minnesota Page 20