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City of Gem Lake Comprehensive Plan GEMLK 140643 Page 42 6 Transportation Plan Most Gem Lake residents work, shop, find entertainment and obtain educational services outside Gem Lake city limits, so the quality of the transportation system is key to their quality of life. Maintaining and improving the transportation system will be especially important as the City and surrounding areas grow, and will require close cooperation with other governmental agencies. The City of Gem Lake recognizes the regional and local importance of the I-35E, US 61 and Ramsey County Road E corridors, and remains active in planning efforts for these roadways and the transit, bicycle, and pedestrian routes that interact with them. Maintaining and enhancing Gem Lake’s transportation system as a part of this Transportation Plan will be done with a focus on enhancing the natural and man-made environments within, and bordering on, the City limits. 6.1 The Existing Transportation System 6.1.1 Roadway Network The most important component of the transportation system within Gem Lake for the foreseeable future will be the local street and highway network, shown in Figure 6.1. The functional classification of each roadway and jurisdictional responsibility for maintaining them are summarized in Tables 6.1 and 6.2. 6.1.1.1 Arterials The most heavily traveled arterial route through the City is U.S. Highway 61, a four-lane divided highway which serves as a major artery connecting Gem Lake with White Bear Lake and the more intensively developed portions of the Twin Cities metropolitan area to the south. Highway 61 connects with the I-694/494 Twin Cities beltway loop at a point approximately one mile south of the City limits, and is functionally classified as an A- Minor Arterial Expander. The future number of lanes is expected to remain the same. The next most traveled arterial within the community is County Road E, a four-lane undivided highway which serves as part of Gem Lake’s southern boundary. County Road E, also functionally classified as an A-Minor Arterial Expander, intersects with U.S. Highway 61 in the southeast portion of Gem Lake, connects to the southern portion of White Bear Lake to the east, and intersects with I-35E approximately one mile west of Gem Lake’s western boundary. The future number of lanes is expected to remain the same. Interstate 35E is the only Principal Arterial near the City. Other arterials include Labore Road on the western boundary, Goose Lake Road running southwest to northeast near the northern boundary, and Otter Lake Road located in the northeastern portion of the City. The future number of lanes is expected to remain the same. Functional classifications for Gem Lake roadways are shown in Figure 6.2