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Regular City Council Meeting Monday, December 4,2017 Page 22 Mr. Culver elaborated on staff's rationale in seeking authorization from the City Council to remove this traffic signal replacement from their 2-018 I-35W Pave- ment Management Project, as detailed in the RCA, and its $70,000 cost share to the city if the signal was replaced at this time. Mr. Culver recognized the poten- tial cost to the city for a study of approximately $30,000 to $40,000 to consider alternatives and further analyze that intersection. However, Mr. Culver advised that while the study was for the purpose of determining cost benefits for a new signal and other amenities, the city would not gain much with the current signal replacement by MnDOT other than the current signal. Additional discussion included concerns to slow traffic coming off the freeway whether that included a roundabout; more research preferred by the City Council from staff on the effectiveness of existing roundabouts using pedestrian facilities as part of their access or movement. Mr. Culver advised that, at this time, the city's projected cost for a signal re- placement would be approximately $70,000 as part of the overall $250,000 to $300,000 MnDOT cost. Mr. Culver estimated the cost of a roundabout at $700,000, noting that it would not be feasible for the city for signal and rounda- bout costs without benefit of some grant funding, providing several options for that potential funding. Mr. Culver opined that there would be other funding op- portunities to offset the city's cost, and while the city may choose to not replace the signal on MnDOT's schedule at this time, future costs may exceed the city's $70,000 projected cost share at this time, including inflationary costs. However, by proceeding now, Mr. Culver further opined that the city lost the opportunity to look at alternatives for this intersection; and if the signal was replaced now as part of MnDOT's project, those agencies may not consider replacing it again for the life expectancy of the signal, projected at thirty years. At the request of Councilmember Willmus, Mr. Culver advised that the Public Works, Environment and Transportation Commission (PWETC) had not yet re- viewed this situation due to the timeframe and deadline to let MnDOT know late this week. Mayor Roe spoke in support of further study to review interaction of traffic com- ing off 1-35W and Highway 36 north of this intersection, current configuration of ramps accessing that intersection, and speed and safety factors; opining that if the current problem was not solved, the city was simply putting blinders on. Mayor Roe agreed that MnDOT needed to reconsider this situation as part of a review of the entire corridor and other potential points that would promote grant funding opportunities. Councilmember Etten referenced County Road H improvements north of Rose- ville on I-35W at Rice Creek Commons as an example of preparing for future de- velopment while accommodating pedestrian access on both and across the high-