HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006 Transportation PlanTransportation Plan
St. Joseph, Minnesota
SEH No. A-STJOE 0609
December 21, 2006
Revised per Council Action on January 4, 2007
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Table of Contents
Page
1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................1
1.1 Purpose and Need ......................................................................................... 1
1.2 Goals and Objectives .................................................................................... 2
1.3 Planning Process ........................................................................................... 3
1.4 Public Involvement ........................................................................................... 3
2.0 Community Profile .................................................................................................. 4
2.1 Study Area ...................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Land Use ........................................................................................................ 5
2.2.1 Existing Land Use ................................................................................. 8
2.2.2 Future Land Use ................................................................................... 8
3.0 Principals of Roadway System Planning ............................................................ 11
3.1 Functional Classification ............................................................................. 11
3.2 Jurisdictional Classification ......................................................................... 12
3.3 Access Management ................................................................................... 13
3.4 Design Guide .................................................................................................. 15
3.4.1 Minor Arterials ..................................................................................... 15
3.4.2 Community Collector Roadways ......................................................... 18
4.0 Roadway System .................................................................................................. 20
4.1 Existing Transportation System .................................................................. 20
4.2 Future Transportation System ........................................................................ 22
4.2.1 Traffic Forecasts ............................................................................... 22
4.2.2 Network Capacity Deficiencies ............................................................ 28
4.3 Topics of Discussion .................................................................................... 28
4.3.1 Field Street ......................................................................................... 28
4.3.2 North Corridor/CSAH 2 Realignment .................................................. 28
4.3.3 Future Location Of The Southwest Beltway ........................................ 29
4.3.4 Future I-94 Access .............................................................................. 29
4.4 Recommendations ......................................................................................... 29
5.0 Pedestrian and Bicycle System ........................................................................... 31
5.1 Facility Types ............................................................................................... 31
5.2 Existing Trail System ................................................................................... 31
5.2.1 Intra-City Trails ................................................................................... 31
5.2.2 Regional Trails .................................................................................. 32
5.3 Future Trail System ..................................................................................... 32
5.3.1 Intra-City Trail Expansion .................................................................... 32
5.3.2 Regional Trail Expansion .................................................................... 33
6.0 Plan Implementation ............................................................................................. 35
6.1 Transportation Plan Adoption ......................................................................... 35
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Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page i
Table of Contents (Continued)
6.2 Sources of Funding ...................................................................................... 35
6.2.1 Municipal State-Aid ............................................................................. 35
6.2.2 Federal-Aid ......................................................................................... 35
6.2.3 Special Assessments .......................................................................... 35
6.2.4 Local Property Taxes .......................................................................... 35
6.2.5 General Obligation Bonds ................................................................... 36
6.2.6 Developer Contributions ...................................................................... 36
6.2.7 Local Sales Tax .................................................................................. 36
List of Tables
Table 1 Process Details ...................................................................................................... 3
Table 2 : Existing Land Use .............................................................................................. .. 8
Table 3 : Future Land Use ................................................................................................. .. 9
Table 4 : Functional Classification Description .................................................................. 12
Table 5 : Access Spacing Guidelines ............................................................................ 15
Table 6 : Select Model Trip Generation Rates ............................................................. 22
Table 7 : Households by TAZ ............................................................................................ 23
Table 8 : Office square footage by TAZ ............................................................................. 23
Table 9 : Industrial square footage by TAZ ........................................................................ 24
Table 10 : Retail square footage by TAZ ........................................................................... 24
Table 11 : Typical Roadway Capacities ............................................................................. 28
Table 12 : Recommendations ........................................................................................... 30
Table 13 : Existing Intra-City Trail System ......................................................................... 32
Table 14 : Future Intra-City Trail Sys#em ........................................................................... 33
List of Figures
Figure 1 -Project Limits Map
Figure 2 -Future Land Use
Figure 3 -Potential Minor Arterial Roadway Cross Sections
Figure 4 -Potential Community Collector Roadway Cross Sections
Figure 5 -Existing Transportation Network
Figure 6 -Future Transportation Network
Figure 7 - TAZ Boundaries
Figure 8 -Full Build-Out Traffic Forecasts
Figure 9 -Trails Map
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph, MN Page ii
Table of Contents (Continued)
List of Appendices
Appendix A Stakeholder Group Transportation Network Maps
Appendix B Public Comments
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph, MM Page iii
December 21, 2006
Transportation Plan
Prepared for City of St. Joseph
1.0 Introduction
The purpose of the St. Joseph Transportation Plan is to provide a plan for
arterial and collector streets in St. Joseph to guide the City as development
occurs. The goal of the Transportation Plan is to present a transportation
system that supports the Land Use Plan and will meet the needs of
anticipated growth within the City of St. Joseph. As the City updates it's
Comprehensive Plan in 2007, the Transportation Plan should be incorporated
to provide the transportation and circulative elements.
The City of St. Joseph is a member of the St. Cloud Area Planning
Organization (APO), the federally recognized Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO) for the urban areas including St. Cloud, Sartell, Sauk
Rapids, Waite Park, and St. Joseph. This plan has taken into account other
area transportation plans including the overall regional transportation plan
adopted by the St. Cloud APO in December 2005. The Transportation Plan is
a dynamic document and revisions to the plan will be made either in
conjunction with the City's Comprehensive Plan update or more frequently if
deemed necessary.
1.1 Purpose and Need
Land use highly affects the dynamic nature of trip patterns. Numerous trips
are made each day that utilize many transportation routes and use several
different travel modes. As a city grows, there needs to be a way to integrate
existing land uses with new developments. Therefore, this transportation plan
will serve as a resource for the community to use when evaluating
transportation development options. It will help guide the City through
network improvements with developments. The following details the purpose
and need statements for developing a transportation plan.
Pu ose
^ Provide guidance to the community for roadway improvements
^ Provide guidance to the community for trail system improvements
^ Establish guidelines for right-of-way acquisition
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph, MN Page 1
Need
^ Provide adequate access to new developments
^ Develop transportation framework that serves access and mobility needs
for the City
^ Promote connectivity and continuity for roadways within and through the
community that is coordinated with county, regional, and state plans
1.2 Goals and Objectives
Study goals should reflect the vision of what the study should accomplish.
The goals play a major role in defining and evaluating the existing and future
transportation network for the City. Listed below are a set of goals and
objective that should be applied and assessed when considering potential
transportation improvements throughout the City. These goals and objectives
are not ranked or presented in order of importance or need.
Objective
^ To develop a Comprehensive Transportation Plan for the City of St.
Joseph
Goals
^ Establish continuity between existing and future transportation system
^ Establish proactive planning guidelines for future transportation
framework
^ Determine the best conceptual transportation plan for the City in full
build-out
^ Determine the best conceptual community-wide trail network
^ Minimize impacts to natural and built environments
^ Provide guidance for the typical cross sections required for different
collector and minor arterial alignments
The study will evaluate future transportation improvements with respect to
potential impacts to both the natural and built environments. These elements
include, but are not limited to, existing developments, wetlands, and other
environmentally sensitive features.
The conceptual road network will help ensure that future development and
redevelopment in and azound St. Joseph occurs in a manner that will not
adversely affect the mobility and safety of travelers throughout the City. The
objective is to develop a framework of arterial and collector roadway
corridors based on expected capacity needs, safety, traffic operations, and
enhancing connectivity between neighborhoods, community facilities, and
adjacent communities. The specific roadway alignments will be determined
later through the platting and right-of-way dedication process. The study will
also establish a conceptual community-wide trail network aimed at
connecting neighborhoods and natural amenities.
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 2
The study will present roadway design criteria to be used as guidance for the
development of the roadway system. Each segment of roadway will need to
be reviewed in greater detail prior to construction to ensure the specific
design accommodates the amount and type of traffic projected.
1.3 Planning Process
The development of the St. Joseph Transportation Plan involved five main
phases. Table 1 below, highlights these tasks. These tasks included data
assembly, roadway sketch planning, trail sketch planning, public
involvement, and final report.
Table 1 Process Details
Task Descri lion
^ Assemble current transportation plans
^ Collect current corridor studies
Data Assembly Create base map with existing conditions
• Assemble land use
^ Acquire St. Cloud APO regional travel
demand model in uUout ut
^ Develop proposed alignments
Roadway Sketch Planning Roadway sizing guidance
• Review and evaluate alignments
^ Finalize referred lan
^ Develop goals
^ Review and identify constraints
Trail Sketch Planning Evaluate trail type (sidewalk, trail, etc.)
^ Develop proposed alignments
^ Select and finalize referred lan
^ City Council presentations
Public Involvement • Public input meetings
• Stakeholder rou meetin s
Final Report Draft report
^ Final re ort
1.4 Public Involvement
The Transportation Plan public participation involved St. Joseph City
Council presentations, public input meetings, and stakeholder group
meetings. The stakeholder group included l3 volunteer members,
representing the City elected officials, City staff, surrounding communities,
business owners, and citizens. The group consisted of the following people:
^ Ross Rieke-St. Joseph City Council
^ Gary Utsch-St. Joseph Planning Commission
^ Dick Taufen-City of St. Joseph
^ Cynthia Smith Strack-EDA
^ Matt Symalla-St. Joseph Township
^ Mitch Anderson-Stearns County
^ Bill Schluenz-City of Waite Park
^ Joe Leach-Business
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City of St. Joseph Page 3
^ Greg Reinhart-Business
^ John Meyer-Business
^ Margaret Hughes-Citizen
^ Mike McDonald-Citizen
^ Roger Beuning-Citizen
At the first stakeholder meeting, the attendees were given an aerial photo of
the Ci[y and the future growth area. Information handouts were provided to
stakeholder members regarding spacing of collector, minor arterial and major
arterial roadways. As a baseline, the existing roadway classifications were
mapped according to the City's Comprehensive Plan. The attendees were
then divided into groups to independently layout a transportation system of
collector and minor arterial roadways within the City of St. Joseph and the
growth area. Each group map can be found in Appendix A.
Based on the ideas from the stakeholders groups, engineering and planning
expertise was applied to determine the proposed network which was then
mapped electronically. At a second pubic input meeting, the proposed
transportation network was shown to the stakeholder group and the public
attendees in order to gain comments. Second and third stakeholder group
meetings were held to discuss possible alternatives and the preliminary
screening process. Also, at the third Stakeholder meeting, members were
presented with traffic forecasts and the proposed trail system map and were
asked to provide comments about either. Selection of the viable alternatives
was then carried forward into the evaluation phase. The resulting future
conceptual road network map is illustrated in Figure 6.
The network structure shown in Figure 6 is built on the guiding principle that
the most proficient and valuable roadway system is one based on a grid of
primary (arterial) roads spaced approximately 1-mile apart and secondary
(collector) roads spaced at approximately'/~-mile intervals between each
primary road. The ability to attain this basic framework is dependent on
natural barriers (rivers, hills, lakes, other environmental features) and
existing development.
2.0 Community Profile
St. Joseph was incorporated in 1890 with first immigrants being of German
ancestry. Wheat and other cash crops flourished in the rich soils around St.
Joseph. St. Joseph is home to the College of St. Benedicts, which was
founded by Benedictine religious communities. Several sites within St.
Joseph are included on the National Register of Historic Places including the
following sites listed below.
^ St. Benedict's Convent and College Historic District (1989)
^ Church of St. Joseph-Catholic (1982)
^ First State Bank (1982)
Trunk Highway 75 and Interstate 94 are important community and regional
transportation corridors. Many commercial and industrial businesses are
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City of St. Joseph Page 4
located in St. Joseph. Today St. Joseph residents enjoy all the amenities of a
larger metro area while preserving the genuine small town character.
2.1 Study Area
The City of St. Joseph is located in Stearns County, Minnesota. St. Joseph
spans about 3.4 square miles and is approximately 70 miles northwest of
Twin Cities Metropolitan area. Nearby cities include St. Cloud, Waite Park,
Bartell, Sauk Rapids, and St. Stephen. The planning area for this study
extends out to the orderly annexation boundary as viewed in Figure 1. This
boundary is bordered by I-94 on the south and west, Sauk River on the East,
and northern boundary of St. Joseph Township to the north.
2.2 Land Use
The goal of this section is to examine existing and future land use patterns.
The type and density of land use highly effect travel demand patterns. Trip
making patterns such as distribution or volumes are highly a function of
location and use of land. City growth in employment and population can
change the dynamics of the existing trip patterns. Therefore, avoiding future
congestions requires careful coordination of land use planning, zoning, and
transportation services planning.
Integrating land use development and transportation recognizes the
relationship between the regional and local transportation network and
adjoining land uses. The connection between land use and transportation
includes, but is not limited to, the following:
^ The number of vehicle trips generated on any given parcel of land can
vary tremendously depending on the type and density of land use.
^ The anticipated growth within the community requires planning to
determine how well the roadway network will serve the needs of
residents, businesses, commuters, commercial transporters, and others
traveling within the City.
^ Transportation planning assists in determining what types of future land
use planning guidelines should be established to help ensure that
essential roadway elements, such as capacity and safety improvements,
do not fall short of travel demands and that land use conflicts are
minimized.
Growth within the City of St. Joseph and within the region will continue to
have an impact on the existing transportation system both in terms of
increased traffic volumes and safety concerns. Successful land use and
transportation network integration is essential to promote community growth
and development. The following guidelines are recommended to facilitate
coordination of land use and transportation network within the City of St.
Joseph.
^ Support land uses that reduce vehicular trip generation while enhancing
opportunities for transit and non-motorized travel.
^ Support regional efforts that promote higher densities and mixed land
uses near major transit centers and corridors.
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 5
Maintain and promote cost effective, orderly development and
redevelopment patterns throughout the City.
^ Promote orderly and concise development and ensure that future growth
patterns shall correspond to existing collector streets where possible.
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 6
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2.2.1 Existing Land Use
A detailed land use plan is contained within the City of St. Joseph's
Comprehensive Plan updated in December 2002. The land use plan sets
general guidelines for the designation, densities, and design standards for
land uses
The City of St. Joseph currently spans approximately 2,015 acres. Table 2
below illustrates the 2006 land use in the City as portrayed on the City's
Official Zoning Map.
Table 2: Existing Land Use
Land Use
(within city limits)
Land Use Category Acreage Distribution
Agricultural 55 2.7%
Educational and Ecclesiastical 214 10.6%
Future Public 1 l 1 5.5%
General Business 38 1.9%
Highway Business 156 7.7%
Industrial l54 7.6%
Mobile Home Residential 10 0.5%
Multiple Family Residential 101 5.0%
Public 118 5.8%
Single Family Residential 994 49.3%
Townhouse -Patio Home
Residential 62 3. I%
Two Family Residential 4 0.2%
Total 2,015 100.0%
Residential -the existing residential developments are a mixture of single
family, multifamily, two family, townhouses, and mobile home residential.
These units account for approximately 58-percent of the City's total area
with single family residential uses accounting for a majority of this
percentage. Much of the multifamily residential units are located near or
adjacent to Minnesota Street with additional units scattered throughout the
current City limits.
General Business, Highway Business, and Industrial Uses -these uses make
up approximately 17-percent of the City's total area. Much of the general and
highway businesses are located adjacent to TH 75. St. Joseph has one main
area designated for industrial uses which is located north of TH 75 and east
of County Road 133.
2.2.2 Future Land Use
The residential, industrial, and commercial growth is expected in the City of
St. Joseph. This growth is anticipating around the entire perimeter of the
existing City boundaries. Figure 2 show the future full build-out land use for
the City of St. Joseph and Table 3 provides the amount of full build-out area
classified by each land use type in the City of St. Joseph planning area.
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 8
Table 3: Future Land Use
Land Uses
Land Use Type Category Acreage* Distribution
Future Low Density Residential 2,074 41.1%
Future Mixed Density Residential 138 2.7%
Future FJE or Low Density Residential 106 2.1%
Future Parlc/Public 90 1.8~
Future B-2 535 10.6°!0
Future B-3 728 14.4%
Future Industrial 1,373 27.2%
Total 5,044 !00.0%
*Outside City limits and within planning boundary
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 9
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3.0 Principals of Roadway System Planning
Development of a transportation plan involves numerous tasks; therefore it is
important to define the basic guiding principals involved with transportation
system plan development. These principals include:
^ Functional Classification
^ Jurisdictional Classification
^ Access Management
^ Design Guide
These principals, as detailed in the following sections, provide the
framework for developing an orderly and effective transportation system
plan.
3.1 Functional Classification
The purpose of this section is to describe the functional classification system
and its application to the City of St. Joseph.
Functional classification is a system by which streets and highways are
' grouped according to the character of traffic intended to serve. Basic to this
process is the recognition that individual roadways do not function
independently. Most travel involves movement along a network of different
types of roads. The functional class of the roadway should be an important
consideration in the development of local regulations for land development.
The mobility of higher classified roadways should be protected by careful
management of site development and access spacing. Transportation
problems occur when roadway design and the management of access to the
roadway are inconsistent with the functional and operating demands imposed
by the surrounding land uses on the roadway.
The four basic functional classification categories (principal arterials, minor
arterials, collectors, and local roadways) are described below in Table 4. In
addition, the St. Joseph Comprehensive Plan breaks down collectors into
community collectors and neighborhood collectors. In the Comprehensive
Plan, community collectors are described as having a larger volume of
traffic. This study only focuses on community collectors and higher roadway
classes.
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 11
Table 4: Functional Classification Description
fl
City of St. Joseph Roadway
Functional Class Descri lion Exam les
Principal Intended to connect larger cities with one another Interstate 94
Arterials and connect major business concentrations ^CSAH 75
• Highest volume to capacity
• Provide highest level of service at highest speed for
the longest uninterrupted distance
^ Emphasis on mobility rather than land access
^ Nature of land uses adjacent is typically of higher
intensity
Minor Connect to principal arterial, other minor arterials, ^CSAH 2
Arterial and collector streets
^ Moderate length trips
• Lower level of mobility than principal arterials
^ Regional importance since they relieve, expand, or
complement the principal arterial system
^ Nature of land uses adjacent is typically of medium
to high intensity.
Collector Serve short trips ^CSAH l21
^ Moderate emphasis on access and mobility 4'h Avenue Southeast
^ Provide access from neighborhoods to the arterial ^ East Baker Street
system Minnesota Street
^ Northland Drive
Local/Neighborhood Interconnect residential neighborhoods, Transportation plan does not
Roads commercial and industrial areas and agricultural address future
lands local/neighborhood roadways
^ Typically serve short trips at low speeds Refer to City of St. Joseph
^ Provide high levels of property access Comprehensive Plan for further
information
3.2 Jurisdictional Classification
Roadways are also classified on the basis of which level of government owns
and maintains the road. Three levels of government share jurisdiction over
the existing transportation system within the study area. Mn/DOT maintains
the State Trunk Highway (TH) system, Stearns County maintains the County
State Aid Highways (CSAH) and County Roads (CR), and the City of St.
Joseph and surrounding townships maintain the local city and township
roads. Typically, a roadway's jurisdiction is determined by several factors,
including the following:
^ Length of road/length of trip;
^ Connections to roadways of similar jurisdiction level;
Transportation Plan
City of St. Joseph
A-STJOE 0609
Page 12
^ Functional classification;
^ Average Daily Traffic (ADT);
^ Purpose of trips being served;
^ Special facilities served; and
^ Design type of the roadway.
Cities and townships generally own roadways that solely serve local property
access and transportation needs. Roadways, such as trunk highways, which
serve regional, inter-county, or statewide transportation needs, are owned by
the State. Stearns County owns the roads that serve intermediate level
functions and generally provide intra-county connections to locations within
and adjacent to the County. As the City of St. Joseph continues to develop
and new roads are built, it is appropriate to examine the jurisdictional
responsibility for roadways and to consider if jurisdictional transfers are
appropriate. Typically, the majority of new roadway mileage constructed to
serve new development will be placed under the jurisdiction of the City
unless a new roadway is developed to provide efficient connections to other
areas in the region (i.e. SW Beltway).
3.3 Access Management
Access management is a tool for providing access to land development,
while preserving the safety, capacity, and operation of the transportation
system. Access management consists of carefully controlling the number,
location, design, and operation of all driveway and street intersections, which
also helps preserve community character, promote economic development,
and protect the public investment in the road system.
~ Access management systems recognize that different roads serve different
purposes. The implementation of access management strategies can have
significant benefits on the traffic operations of a roadway and help address
some of the issues associated with conflicts between through traffic and local
' traffic. Several of these benefits are listed below.
^ Reduce congestion and crashes.
^ Preserves roadway capacity and postpones the need for additional travel
1 anes.
^ Reduces travel time for efficient delivery of goods and services.
^ Provides easy movement to destinations for the traveling public.
^ Promotes sustainable and orderly community development.
Effective access management begins with thoughtful community
development and roadway design. Development practices that promote
effective access management include avoiding strip or linear commercial
development along major streets or roads where each individual development
needs to be served by its own individual driveway to the road and by
providing an adequate supporting network of local streets that can
consolidate access traffic to public street intersections along major roads.
Effective site and road development practices include consideration to
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 13
driveway design and spacing, development of turn lanes, and treatment of the
median area on abutting roadways.
There are a host of techniques that can be used to achieve the benefits of
access management. Techniques that should be utilized when possible
include:
^ Requiring adequate space between street or driveway connections to
major roadways based on the type of development and speed of travel.
^ Sharing of access points along major roads between adjacent properties
and with properties located across the road from the site under
consideration.
' ^ Limiting the number of access points for individual properties.
^ Requiring direct property access to be provided via collector streets or
local streets.
^ Providing left and right turn deceleration or acceleration lanes.
^ Giving consideration to offsetting driveways if adequate spacing can be
provided to minimize the number of conflict points between driveway
traffic and through traffic.
^ In the case of high volume access driveways and high volume through
street traffic, using median barriers to restrict or limit the turning
movements that can occur.
The ability to implement these techniques is dependent in large part on the
land development conditions. Some techniques are more applicable in areas
with existing development, while others are more applicable in advance of
land development. The two access consolidation applications described
below address this issue.
Access management standards are established to reflect the functional
classification of the roads and the character of the area being served. The St.
Cloud APO access management standards are located in Exhibit 6B in their
2030 Transportation plan. This exhibit details typical facility characteristics,
mobility aspects, accessibility and intersection considerations, right-of-way
needs, and parking restrictions. Each of the primary functional facility types
are grouped into urban, urbanizing, and rural land development categories.
In addition to the standards developed by the St. Cloud APO, additional
standards have been developed to guide the location and frequency of access
locations (public or private roads or driveways) along the minor arterial and
collector facilities. The guidelines are detailed in Table 5 below:
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 14
Table 5: Access Spacing Guidelines
Primary Full Movement Conditional Secondary
Facility Type Area Type Intersections Intersection Private Acc
Minor Arteria Urban/Urbanizin '/a mile 1/8 mile Highly
restricted
Permitted
Minor Arterial Rural '/a to'/z mile 1/8 to'/a mile subject to
conditions
Permitted
Collector Urban/Urbanizin 118 mile 300-660 feet subject to
conditions
Permitted
Collector Rural '/a mile 1/8 mile subject to
conditions
The access management standards are intended to be guidelines for the City
to utilize as new development or redevelopment occurs. The intent is that
over time as land areas are developed or redeveloped, the access to the
different classes of roadways will meet these guidelines. If there are existing
problems or a major road reconstruction project is proposed, the techniques
and guideline standards can also be applied to retrofit existing roadways.
3.4 Design Guide
The design criteria presented in this section should be used as a general
guidance for the development of the roadway system in the City of St.
Joseph. Each segment of roadway within the City should be reviewed in
greater detail at the time of design and/or construction. The following pages
provide design recommendationsand typical roadway guidelines for a
network classification system including minor arterials and community
col lectors.
3.4.1 Minor Arterials
Minor arterial roadways connect important locations within a region. They
connect the City of St. Joseph with other cities (St. Cloud, Waite Park) and
with other important locations within Stearns County and the region. They
also provide supplementary connections to business concentrations and other
important points outside of the county or region. Minor arterials emphasize
mobility rather than providing access (see Figure 3).
Typical Posted Speed:
30-40 mph in urban/urbanizing areas
35-55 mph in rural areas
Number of Travel Lanes:
2-4 lanes; depending of projected travel demand (10,000-12,000
ADT is a typical threshold for 4-lane need).
Right-of-Way Requirements:
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 15
80-foot to I50-foot wide corridor to accommodate up to a divided
four-lane roadway with consideration for turn lanes and adjacent
sidewalk trail on both sides of the road.
Estimated Construction Cost per Mile of Roadway:
Construction costs vary greatly based on width of roadway, design
specifications, adjacent trail(s), utility improvements/relocations,
underlying soils, etc. The costs of a regional arterial could range
from approximately $750,000 to over $1.5 million a mile.
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 16
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Minor Arterial
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Areas
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• Recommend Adjacent 10' Bicyde/Pedestrian Trail
• 80'-150' Right~f-Way Corridor (150' Corridor Desired if Four-Lane Divided Facility is Ultimately
Anticipated)
• The Estimated Construction Costs Per Mile of a Regional Arterial Roadway Could Range from
Approximately $750,000 to Over $1.5 Million
Figure 3
Potential Minor Arterial Roadway Cross Sections
3.4.2 Community Collector Roadways
Collector roadways are designated to serve slightly shorter trips than arterial
roadways. They collect and distribute traffic from developments to the
arterial system. Regional collectors supplement the arterial system and
emphasize equally mobility and land access (see Figure 4).
Typical Posted Speed:
30 mph in urban areas
35-55 in urbanizing and rural areas
Number of Travel Lanes:
2-4 lanes; depending on projected travel demand
Right-of-Way Requirements:
80 to 100-feet to accommodate up to a four-lane undivided typical
section with a trail.
Estimated Construction Cost per Mile of Roadway:
Construction costs vary greatly based on width of roadway, design
specifications, adjacent trail(s), utility improvements/relocations,
underlying soils, etc. The costs could range from approximately
$645,000 to over $1.0 million a mile.
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 18
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Community Collector
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• Emphasis is on Land Access, Not on Mobility
• Typical Posted Speed: 30 Miles Per Hour in Urban Areas and 35-55 Miles Per Hour
in Rural Areas
• Recommend Adjacent 10' Bicycle/Pedestrian Trail
• 80'-100' Right-of-Way Corridor (to Accomodate Up to a Four-Lane, Undivided
Urban Section with a Trail)
• The Estimated Construction Costs Per Mile of a Regional Collector Roadway Could
Range from Approximately $450,000 to Over $1,000,000
Figure 4
Potential Community Collector Roadway Cross Sections
4.0 Roadway System
All public roadways in the City of St. Joseph represent a roadway network.
The intent of this section is to evaluate the existing and future roadway
network within St. Joseph planning boundary. The planning boundary or
project limits can be viewed in Figure 5 and it is considered the orderly
annexation area. The future roadway network will be evaluated using
estimated full build-out traffic volumes. Full build-out traffic volumes were
calculated based upon anticipated growth within the City of St. Joseph
planning boundary. Further details regarding full build-out traffic forecasts
can be viewed in Section 4.2.1. Evaluating the future roadway network
under City full build-out traffic demands will help identify issues and
opportunities for improvements.
4.1 Existing Transportation System
Figure 5 provides a graphical view of existing major arterials, minor arterials,
and community collector roadways in the City of St. Joseph. There are two
main principal arterials in the City of St. Joseph: Interstate 94 and Trunk
Highway 75. Each of these roadways is under the jurisdiction of the State of
Minnesota or Stearns County.
Interstate 94 creates the southern boundary for St. Joseph, with two
interchanges within the City at the junctions of TH 75 and CSAH 2. I-94 is a
high-speed, four-lane controlled access freeway that connects major regional
trade centers in western Minnesota and North Dakota to the Twin Cities
Metropolitan area. As part of the interstate system, this facility carves the
highest level of importance with respect to serving long through trips.
TH 75 is a major east-west corridor that serves mainly regional and local
traffic. This corridor experiences much congestion in both the AM and PM
peak hours as well as on weekends. The high volume, high-speed nature of
the corridor results in safety concerns for all modes of traffic using or
crossing the highway.
Existing transportation issues were developed by the Stakeholder group, City
Council, and public input meetings after thorough discussion. The following
highlights these issues that are important to the mobility of the City.
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 20
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4.2 Future Transportation System
Recommended future transportation network can be viewed in Figure 6. The
network recommendations extended to the City's planning boundary.
4.2.1 Traffic Forecasts
Traffic forecasting is the process of using existing and future development
patterns to estimate future roadway traffic volumes. The traffic forecasts for
this study assumed full build-out conditions for the City of St. Joseph. Full
build-out conditions extended to the entire City's planning boundary as
shown in Figure 6.
Traffic forecast were developed with the assistance from the St. Cloud Area
Planning Organization (APO). The St. Cloud APO maintains the area's
regional travel demand model. This regional model includes the Cities of St.
Cloud, Waite Park, Sauk Rapids, Sartell, and St. Joseph. This model is
considered afour-step model which includes the following steps:
^ Trip Generation
^ Trip Distribution
^ Modal Split
^ Traffic Assignment
For estimation purposes the City of St. Joseph was divided into the Traffic
Analysis Zones (TAZ). TAZs generally contain similar land uses and are
usually bordered by natural or manmade barriers (i.e. rivers, freeways,
railroad corridors, etc.) Please refer to Figure 7 for a graphical location of
these zones. There are 18 TAZs included in this study and the numbers
representing the TAZs correspond to the St. Cloud APO TAZ designation
number.
The first step for the regional demand model is trip generation. Trip
generation is the process of applying static generation equations based upon
specific TAZ land use characteristics (i.e. number of households, building
area, etc.) to determine the total number of trips (productions and attractions)
generated for each TAZ. Selected trip rate estimates from the regional model
can be viewed in Table 6 below. Tables 7 through Table l0 compares the
model year 2000, 2030 and full build-out input land use.
Table 6: Select Model Trip Generation Rates
Land Use Cat o Tri Rate Unit
Sin le-Famil Residential 10.10 r dwellin unit
Multi-Famil Residential 6.10 r dwellin unit
Industrial 7.00 1,000 square foot building
s ace
Low Industrial 4.00 1,000 square foot building
s ace
Low Retail 47.50 1,000 squaze foot building
s ace
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 22
The second step, trip distribution allocates these trips to the respective origin
(production) and destination (attraction) zone. The third step, modal split is
the process of separating the vehicle trips between transit and passenger trips.
Due to the low area transit use, the modal split step is excluded from the
regional model and the trips generated are passenger car trips. The final step,
traffic assignment, is the process of distributing these trips onto the roadway
network and the end result will be estimated link average daily traffic (ADT).
Figure 8 provides the estimated full build-out traffic forecast volumes for the
City of St. Joseph.
Table 8: Office square footage by
Table 7: Households by TAZ TAZ
Households
St. Cloud APO Model
TAZ 2000 2030 Full Build-Out
121 15 142 142
122 8 8 261
123 4 4 628
124 37 292 1,644
12S 2 74 108
126 5 22 23
127 60 60 206
12g 163 218 219
129 220 269 269
130 88 88 88
131 33 33 225
132 S8S 766 806
133 SS 150 299
134 9 9 12
137 79 439 1,400
138 3 525 945
139 7 410 1,570
140 2 2 470
Total 1,375 3,511 9,315
Office
(1,000 ft2)
St. Cloud APO Model
TAZ 2000 2030 Full Build-Out
121 0 0 4,328
122 0 0 3,852
123 0 0 0
124 2 2 2
125 37 S9 S9
126 0 0 0
127 0 0 84
128 20 38 38
129 l8 18 18
130 20 20 20
131 0 0 146
132 2 2 2
133 0 108 279
134 1 I 1
137 0 0 510
138 0 0 0
139 0 0 0
140 0 0 0
Total 99 248 9,339
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 23
Table 9: Industrial square footage
by TAZ
Industrial
(1,000 rte)
St. Cloud APO Model
TAZ 2000 2030 Full Build-Out
121 0 0 4,718
122 0 0 0
123 0 0 0
124 10 10 22
125 201 830 2,887
126 177 483 10,142
127 0 0 0
128 22 22 22
129 l8 18 18
130 32 32 32
131 6 6 6
132 0 0 0
133 10 10 10
134 0 0 0
137 0 0 0
138 0 0 0
139 0 0 0
140 0 0 0
Total 475 I ,410 17,857
Table 10: Retail square footage by
TAZ
Retail
(1,000 ft=)
St. Cloud APO Model
TAZ 2000 2030 Full Build-Out
121 13 66 66
122 0 0 0
123 0 0 0
124 12 l2 320
125 75 192 280
126 0 0 388
127 22 22 22
128 74 164 164
129 44 44 44
130 28 28 28
131 9 SI 51
132 0 0 0
133 22 83 422
]34 16 38 1,777
137 0 39 39
138 0 0 0
139 0 0 0
140 6 6 237
Total 320 746 3,838
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 24
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4.2.2 Network Capacity Deficiencies
The results from the traffic forecasting exercise were used to determine any
capacity deficiencies that would exist in a full build-out scenario. This
information is used to either plan additional capacity improvements or to
manage facilities more effectively through access management, right-of-way
preservation, land use and development controls.
Capacity deficiencies are determined by the future volume to capacity ratio
(v/c). Future volumes were calculated during the traffic forecasting exercise
and Table 11 show the typical roadway capacities by characteristics.
Table 11: Typical Roadway Capacities
Roadway Design Capacity
(Avers a Dail TratlFic - ADT
2-lane urban roadway <_ 10,000
2-lane rural roadway 5 15,000
3-lane roadway <_ 20,000
4-lane undivided roadwa 15,000 - 20,000
4-lane divided roadwa 20,000 - 40,000
6-lane divided roadwa 40,000 -60,000
According to the St. Cloud APO Transportation Plan, roadways within St.
Joseph that are expected experiencing capacity deficiencies by the year 2030
include segments of TH 75, West Minnesota Street, County Road 133, and
College Avenue. Roadways expected to experience capacity deficiencies in
the full build-out scenario include larger segments of TH 75, County Road
133, College Avenue, and County Road 121.
4.3 Topics of Discussion
In addition to three on-going corridor studies within the City, there are also
other topics that came up for discussion with the stakeholder group and
public meetings. Each of these are discussed in more detail below.
4.3.1 Field Street
The Field Street Corridor is currently being studied by the City. This corridor
study was not complete at the time of this report, but the Future
Transportation Network Map shows the preferred alignment available at this
time. When the corridor study is complete, it is recommended that this
Transportation Plan be updated to reflect any changes that may have
occurred. As noted on the Future Transportation Network map, Field Street
should be considered an arterial roadway unless the connection is not made
to Minnesota Street, then the eastern portion should be considered a collector
roadway.
4.3.2 North Corridor/CSAH 2 Realignment
The realignment of CSAH 2 and an easUwest north corridor are also on-
going studies at the time of this report. Currently, there are three preferred
alternatives for the north corridor, all of which are shown on the Future
Transportation Network map. The preferred alignment of CSAH 2 is also
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 28
shown. It is recommended that the Transportation Plan be updated when the
studies are completed.
4.3.3 Future Location Of The Southwest Beltway
Shortly after the completion of this plan, the St. Cloud APO will be starting a
corridor study to determine the best location for the Southwest Beltway. This
roadway will be an arterial roadway with regional significance as it will
provide connectivity around the St. Cloud metropolitan azea. It is possible
that the north/south portion of this beltway will come through or neaz the
City of St. Joseph. This study assumed the location to be determined as part
of the more detailed corridor scoping. It has been determined that 20th
Avenue should be a minor arterial in St. Joseph regardless of the beltway
location. If the beltway does not come through the eastern portion of the
City, then it has been determined that anorth/south collector is needed. It is
recommended that the Transportation Plan be updated when this study is
complete.
4.3.4 Future I-94 Access
The topic of a future access to I-94 came up in discussions with the public
and stakeholder group, specifically at Jade Road. It has been determined that
an access at Jade Road would require Mn/DOT and FHWA to define the
stretch of I-94 through the St. Cloud area to be urban in characteristic rather
than rural. This will likely not happen in the life of this Transportation Plan.
Also, there are physical characteristics and restraints with grade and the river
that make this an unlikely location. Although, the classification of Jade Road
as a minor arterial lends itself well to an interchange location if and when
these obstacles are overcome. This is a topic that should be continued to be
explored in future updates of this plan.
4.4 Recommendations
The following recommendations provide aright-of-way footprint for each
future minor arterial and collector roadway within the City's full build-out
planning area. Table 12 provides the City with a very valuable and powerful
planning tool. More details about design guidelines can be located in Chapter
3. It should be noted that while capacity analysis identifies potential problem
areas, it is recommended that additional traffic information be reviewed to
confirm operational problems as specific improvements or operational
changes are being considered for implementation.
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 29
Table 12: Recommendations
Recommended Trail System
Eatisting Recommended Right-of-way
Roadwa Classification Geometries Geometries (ROW)*
North Corridor from CR 3 to east of Minor Arterial n/a Refer to corridor study
north-south collector east of 20'" Avenue
East-west collector from North Corridor Community n/a 2-lane 80 feet No
to Northland Drive Collector
Iris Lane from Northland Drive to 15' Community 2-lane 2-lane 80 feet Sidewalk
Avenue NE Collector
Elm Street East from Northland Drive to Community 2-lane 2-lane 80 feet No
east of 20'" Avenue Collector
Ridgewood Road from 20' Avenue to Community 2-lane 4-lane undivided 80-100 feet No
east of north-south collector Collector
Old Highway 52 from t 15' Avenue to Community n/a 2-lane or 3-lane 80 feet No
Birch Street West Collector
Ash Street from Birch Street to 2" Community 2-lane 2-lane 80 feet Sidewalk
Avenue NE Collector
Minnesota Street from CSAH 2 Community 2-lane 2-lane or 3-lane 80 feet TraiUSidewalk
reali nment to 20'" Avenue Collector
Baker Street from 2" Avenue to Community 2-lane 2-lane 80 feet TraiUSidewalk
Minnesota Street Collector
Field Street from Minnesota Street to 20' Minor Arterial n/a Refer to corridor study
Avenue or Community
Collector
1 l5' Avenue from CR 3 to CSAH 2 Community n/a 4-lane undivided 80 feet No
reali nment Collector
CSAH 2 realignment from CR 3 to south Minor Arterial n/a Refer to corridor study
of Interstate 94
College Avenue from North Corridor to Minor Arterial 2 lane/3- 2-lane or 3-lane 80 feet TraiUSidewalk
Field Street lane
College Avenue from Field Street to east Minor Arterial 2-lane 4-lane 100-150 feet Trail/Sidewalk
of Jade Road undivided/divided
2" Avenue between TH 7S and Baker Community 2-lane 2-lane 80 feet No
Street Collector
Northland Drive/4' Avenue from North Community 2-lane 2-lane 80 feet TraiUSidewalk
Corridor to Field Street Collector
15` Avenue from North Corridor to Elm Community 2-lane 2-lane 80 feet No
Street Collector
CR 133 from North Corridor to TH 75 Community 2-lane 4-lane undivided 100-120 feet Trail
Collector
12' Avenue from TH 75 to 20' Avenue Community 2-lane 3-lane 80 feet Sidewalk
Collector
20' Avenue from North Corridor to CR Minor Arterial n/a 4-lane divided 100- l20 feet Trail
121
Jade Road from CR 121 to south of Minor Arterial 2-lane 4-lane undivided 100-120 feet Trail
Interstate 94
*Additional right-of-way may need to be acquired at major intersection locations to accommodate turn lanes
where necessary.
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 30
5.0 Pedestrian and Bicycle System
The Pedestrian and Bicycle system consists of all sidewalks, trails, paths, and
other amenities associated with non-motorized travel. Increased attention has
been given to non-motorized travel not only as a means of recreation but also
as a means of practical transportation. People biking or walking for
recreation often value different facility characteristics than those biking or
walking to an employment or shopping destination. Two basic needs for
improving non-motorized facilities for all purposes are:
^ The need for continuous facilities that connect important origin and
destination points. This includes removing physical barriers and ensuring
system continuity is maintain across political boundaries
^ The need to provide facilities with increased safety for the user
5.1 Facility Types
Non-motorized facilities include sidewalks, trails, bike lanes, and shared
roadway facilities.
Sidewalks
Sidewalks aze typically located parallel and adjacent to roadways and are
within public right-of-way. They are primarily concrete and typically range
from 4 to 6-feet wide. Sidewalks cater mainly to pedestrian traffic but are
also used by bicyclists when other bicycle facilities are not available.
Bike Lane
Bicycle lanes are a portion of the roadway or shoulder that is designated for
exclusive or preferential use by bicycles. These lanes are designated through
striping or pavement markings and are typically 3 toy-feet wide.
Trails
Trails provide an off-street alternative to pedestrians and bicyclists. These
routes may or may not be adjacent to existing roadways and are typically
shared facilities ranging between 8 to 12-feet wide. Material surface type
includes c~vshed rock, wood chips, and bituminous pavement.
Shared Facilities
Shared roadway facilities are roadways that pedestrians and bicyclists can
legally use for transportation. These facilities include most public roadways
except the Interstate System and other freeway types.
5.2 Existing Trail System
St. Joseph existing trail system is composed mostly of trails and sidewalk.
This trail system connects pedestrian and bicyclists to area businesses, parks,
and schools. There currently is approximately 8.0 miles of designated
pedestrian and bicyclists trails within the City of St. Joseph.
5.2.1 Intra-City Trails
Within the City of St. Joseph there are a number of important locations that
pedestrian and bicyclists are connected to either with sidewalk or trail. The
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 31
following Table 13 below describes the current infra-city trails. Figure 9
shows the trail locations graphically.
Table 13: Existing Intra-City Trail System
Distance
Trail Descri tion Existin Geometries (miles)
Iris Lane From Northland Heights Development to 6' sidewalk
Northland Drive 0.42
Ash Street From alley west of IS` Avenue NW to IS` 6' sidewalk
Ave NE 0.24
West Minnesota
From 4 Avenue NW to College Avenue
6' or wider sidewalk _
Street
6' or less sidewalk 0.38
East Minnesota Street From College Avenue to 16 Avenue SE 6' or wider sidewalk
6' or less sidewalk 1 ~
East Baker Street From Colle a Avenue to 1"Avenue SE 6' or wider sidewalk 0.09
Callaway Street From College Avenue to Graceview 8' bituminous trail
Estates 0.29
Foxmore Hollow From Foxmore Hollow to Colle a Avenue 6' sidewalk .10
Iverson Street From 3 Avenue to Colle a Avenue 6' sidewalk .24
I~` Avenue NW From TH 75 to West Minnesota Street 6' sidewalk 0.22
Colle a Avenue From TH 75 to Hill Street 6' or wider sidewalk 1.09
Northland Drive Hickor Drive to north lat line 6' sidewalk 0.22
4 Avenue SE Connects TH 75 to East Minnesota Street 6' sidewalk 0.14
St. Joseph Trail system around the school property 8' or less bituminous trail
Elementar School 0.47
Graceview Estates Trail system within Graceview Estates 8' bituminous trail
Development connecting to Klinefelter 1.28
Park
12 Avenue SE From East Minnesota Street to Klinefelter 6' sidewalk
Memorial 0.69
Libert Pointe Trails stem in Libert Pointe 8'bituminous trail 0.57
Klinefelter Park Trails stem in Klinefelter Park 8'bituminous trail 0.57
5.2.2 Regional Trails
Lake Wobegon Trail is a regional trail extending from the City of St. Joseph
west 46 miles to the City of Sauk Centre. It also has an extension on the west
side of the City of Albany which runs northeast to the City of Holdingford.
Lake Wobegon Trail runs along Mn1DOT rail corridor that was formerly
owned by Burlington I~lorthern Railroad Company. The trail is used by
bicyclists, walkers, rollerbladers, roller-skiers, and opens to snowmobiles
during the winter months. The trail has grown considerable since Errs[
opening and further additions to the trail are continuing to be planned.
5.3 Future Trail System
This section will detail community efforts to expand their current trail
system. Details will be provided for both intra-city and regional trail
expansion. Figure 9 provides a graphical view of potential trail expansion
sites.
5.3.1 Intra-City Trail Expansion
The proposed trail expansion will add approximately 17 miles of trail system
within the City of St. Joseph. These trails will provide community
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 32
connectivity to the Lake Wobegon Trail and the potential Glacial Lakes Trail
expansion. It is recommended that a grade separated crossing over TH 75 be
considered in the future. Table 14 summarizes the planned future trail
system.
Table 14: Future Intra-City Trail System
Proposed Distance
Trail Descri lion Geometries miles)
North Corridor From County Road 133 to CSAH 2 bituminous trail
Reali omen[ 2 07
Field Street From Colle e Avenue to 20th Avenue SE bituminous trail 1.27
Neary Street Frvm Jade Road/l2th Avenue west through sidewalk
Rivers Bend Develo men[ 0.61
Rivers Bend Trail System within Rivers Bend Addition sidewalk 1.02
(east of Jade/12th Avenue) unimproved trail 0.37
bituminous trail 1.01
CSAH 2 From North Corridor to West Minnesota bituminous trail
Reali omen[
Street 1.34
Northland Drive From Northland Park to Wobegon Trail sidewalk 0 ~
From Wobe on Trail to Hicko
Crescent Hill Trail System within Crescent Hill sidewalk 0 ~
Develo men[ Develo men[
12th Avenue SE From Klinefelter Park to 20th Avenue bituminous trail ~
South
County Road 121 From Hill Street to Jade Road/12th Avenue bituminous trail 0.85
SE
Jade Road/12 From County Road 121 to Interstate 94 bituminous trail 0 ~
Avenue SE
20 Avenue SE Wobe on Trail to Count Road 121 bituminous trail 2.10
Graceview Estates Connection with existing Graceview bituminous trail 0.47
Estates trails stem
West Minnesota From 4 Avenue Northwest to CSAH 2 bituminous trail 0.58
Street Reali omen[
Northland Park Trails stem in Northland Pazk bituminous trail 0.34
Cvunty Road 133 Trail system from Crescent Hill bituminous trail 0.56
develo men[ to the Wobe on Trail
Northland Heights Connecting Northland Heights to Crescent sidewalk
Hill, North Corridor, and Northland Plat 8 0.71
Odell Street Count Road 121 to 20 Avenue bituminous trail 0.81
5.3.2 Regional Trait Expansion
There has been discussing regarding possible extension of the Glacial Lakes
State Trail expansion to St. Joseph. Two possible alternatives have been
considered including connection to the CSAH 2 trail system or the County
Road 121 trail system. Currently, the Glacial Lakes State Trail has 13.5 miles
of paved surface and is located on a former Burlington Northern Railroad
corridor. The developed portion of the trail runs from Wilmar to a few miles
north of New London. The remaining 22 miles stretch to Richmond is
undeveloped and has some original railroad stones as surface. Also there has
been discussion regarding the possible extension of the Lake Wobegon Trail
from the City of St. Joseph east to the City of Waite Park and the City of St.
Cloud.
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 33
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6.0 Plan Implementation
This section provides an overview of the procedures required to implement
the Transportation Plan.
6.1 Transportation Plan Adoption
The Transportation Plan will be reviewed and ultimately adopted by the City
of St. Joseph City Council. It is recommended that this document be updated
within the next 3 years to account for any changes resulting from ongoing or
upcoming studies mentioned in Section 4.3. Ultimately the Transportation
Plan updates should be completed every 5 years or in conjunction with the
City's Comprehensive Plan update. This is a living document that can and
should be periodically reviewed and updated as conditions change.
Circulation of this document among resident and business community will
bring awareness of opportunities and limitations incorporated into the plans
so that they may make informed decisions.
6.2 Sources of Funding
Implementation for the enhancements or improvements to the Transportation
System may qualify for a variety of potential funding sources. Overviews of
these sources are provided below.
6.2.1 Municipal State-Aid
The State of Minnesota provides funding to support city roads and bridges in
cities in which the population exceeds 5,000. State-aid funding may only be
used on streets that are designated on the City's Municipal State Aid (MSA)
System. The MSA system consists of approximately 20-percent of the local
road mileage and generally includes only the arterial and collector streets
within the system.
6.2.2 Federal-Aid
The City of St. Joseph, as a member of the St. Cloud Area Planning
Organization (APO), annually competes for Federal funds made available
under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act:
A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Approximately $1.8 million are made
available each year for projects throughout the St. Cloud metropolitan area.
The funds can only be used on the routes identified in the APO Financially
Constrained Plan.
6.2.3 Special Assessments
Under Minnesota Statute 429, cities have the authority to assess property
owners for certain local improvements based upon benefit received. The City
of St. Joseph uses this method of financing for constructing new streets in
subdivisions and reconstructing existing streets. The City policy for
reconstruction projects is to assess 60-percent of the projects with the
remaining 40-percent to be paid by the City.
6.2.4 Local Property Taxes
Each year the City of St. Joseph prepares a budget, and levies a local
property tax. Because the state imposes tax levy limits on all Minnesota cities
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 35
as a means of limiting property tax burdens on owners of all taxable
property, City officials have to be very selective in determining which streets
are incorporated into capital improvement plans. As a result, this method of
finance is used mainly only for street maintenance and to pay for the City's
portion of reconstruction projects.
6.2.5 General Obligation Bonds
The City of St. Joseph regularly issues bonds to finance street reconstruction
projects throughout the City. The bonds are paid through property tax
payments by all property owners in the City. This method of financing is
typically used in street reconstruction projects to supplement any special
assessments levied on the project, since special assessments typically only
cover approximately 50 to 60-percent of the cost of the improvements.
6.2.6 Developer Contributions
When new subdivisions are constructed, the City will typically enter into a
Development Agreement with the Developer. The Development Agreement
states that the developer will privately finance the street and other
infrastructure improvements. This method of finance is only available for
streets in newly constructed subdivisions.
6.2.7 Local Sales Tax
The City of St. Joseph began collecting a portion of the St. Cloud area'/z-cent
sales tax in 2006. This tax revenue can be used by the City for regional
transportation projects, as well as other regional type projects within the City.
Based on the regional requirement, the streets that are eligible for utilizing
this method of financing include arterial and collectors streets.•
Transportation Plan A-STJOE 0609
City of St. Joseph Page 36
Appendix A
Stakeholder Group Transportation Network Maps
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Appendix B
Public Comments
~J
SEH PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE COMMENTS
Re: St. Joseph Transportation Plan Date of Meeting: November 15, 2006
Project Manager: Kate Miner Time of Meeting: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
SEH No.: A-STJOE0609 14 Location of Meeting: St. Joseph Council Chambers
The following comments were received at the above referenced public open house:
I. Received via a-mail on November 16, 2006 at 10:50am
Good morning, Kate,
Once again, thank you for the lucid presentation last evening. It was a treat (stylistically, that is, not
necessarily all the content!).
Attached please find a document produced by the St. Joseph Action Group on alternatives to Field Street.
Additionally, below is information and a website for Urbemis, the California company I mentioned last
evening.
Regards,
Phil Welter, Chair
St. Joseph Action Group
II. Received via e-mail on November 16, 2006 at 11:OOam
Kate,
I should have included a comment I wanted to make in the email recently sent ...but forgot.
It seems that there have been two ill-conceived 1-94 interchanges in recent years: 1) I-94/Hwy 15 as
mentioned last evening, and, 2) I-94/Hwy 75 which unfortunately is not a full interchange. I'm not sure
there is an alternative to simply admitting that these may have been poorly planned constructions the
consequences of which we and, very likely, later generations will have to live with. It seems that part of
admitting to something that didn't work out should include making extra special efforts to rectify the
situation rather than passing on the consequences. One way would be to suspend or modify the "no more
than one interchange per mile" guideline especially when seemingly clear needs do exist. Planners spend
a lot of money and project spending even more based on projections which are often "softer" than some
existing or more clearly emerging needs.
Thanks.
Phil Welter
III. Received via e-mail on November 16, 2006
Dear Kate: Thanks again for the fine presentation last night. There surely was a good turnout with
questions that you fielded well.
• First comment to remind you to label the white box west of College Ave "land has two owners,
College of Saint Benedict and St. Benedict's Monastery (our corporate title is Sisters of the Order
of St. Benedict which is rather long)
Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc., 1200 25th Avenue South, P.O. Box 1717, St. Cloud, MN 56302-1717
SEH is an equal opportunity employer ~ www.sehlnc.eom ~ 320.229.4300 ~ 800.572.0617 ~ 320.229.4301 fax
Open House Comments
Page 2
• Suggestion: that if possible, you would add a colored outline to each map showing the boundary
area of "full buildup" served by the proposed comprehensive road plan you are doing.
• How could you find a creative process to include the other useful alternatives for roads even if
they are outside the scope of your current study? This is because eventually the growth to "full
buildup" will include the whole regional area.
Thanks for listening.
Sister Paula Revier, O.S.B.
IV. Received via a-mail on November 17, 2006
Kate, again, Good Morning,
1 don't know where my head was yesterday. There are two more salient points that I need to make
regarding the proposed Field Street Comdor.
1. The St. Joseph Action group has, during the past 16 months, been collecting signatures on five
different petition drives. There have been over 1,100 St. Joseph residents who have signed in
testimony of their opposition to Field Street, not only the monastery/college half of it, but of the
entire route as currently envisioned.
2. The Cultural Unit of Mn/DOT has issued a draft report wherein they declare most of the
Monastery and College properties to be "eligible" for designation as a national historic district.
They have also identified two properties on the eastern half of Field Street as eligible for
historic site status; St. Isadore's Farm and the Robert and Rita Rassier Homestead. Both of these
are larger properties, Rassier's especially. And, here is the newer information. The CU's final
determination will declare that Field Street will have an "adverse impact" on all these
properties, both east and west of 121. This seems to mitigate for a more southerly east-west
passage...i.e. that one identified in the Action Group's list of alternatives as being possible at or
around 290th street.
Thanks for putting up with this piecemeal barrage!
Have a nice weekend.
Phil Welter
V. Received via mail on November 20, 2006
To: Kate Miner
Short Elliott Hendrickson lnc
1200 25`h Avenue South
P.O. Box 1717
St. Cloud, MN 56302-1717
From: Jim Graeve
Re: Transportation Plan
St. Joseph, MN
November 15, 2006
First compliments to you on a refreshing, well-planned presentation on the road plan for St. Joseph.
Second regarding Field Street, my suggestion is to begin Field Street at College Avenue and use 290th
Street as the southern road, heading east toward the Sauk River and meandering east-northeast, creating a
Open House Comments
' Page 3
Sauk River Boulevard with a trail for walkers, bikers, roller bladders between the Sauk River Boulevard
and the Sauk River.
The rationale for using 290th Street:
1. Kleinfleter Park gets greater protection
2. The residents of Grace View addition have a better neighborhood
3. The historical Rassier farm is preserved
4. The new Kennedy School is more easily accessed
5. A boulevard coming off Highway 75 makes an attractive entrance to St. Joseph from the east
6. The Sauk River will be better protected by the boulevard than housing or businesses, should
they be permitted to be built near the river.
In summary, for aesthetical, historical, environmental, and quality-of--life reasons, it makes good sense to
move Field Street farther south than currently proposed.
Thank you for listening.
Sincerely,
Jim Graeve
Member, St. Joseph Action
Preserving Special Places
Member, St. Joseph Planning Commission
VI. Received via mail on November 16, 2006
From: Bob Wahlstrom
When you survey a road (this is not a Field Street issue or ring road issue but needs to be addressed to
City Engineer) and you find out that the road is off the section line, don't you think that the people on that
road (Sth Ave) should be notified as we were not. Everything was kept quiet about our property not
abutting the road and yet we were assets for the road const. I am sure your engineer and Judy knew this
but kept it quiet so the assessment would be paid.
We are definitely against the Field St. corridor. Most of the development is to the south of St. Joe and I
think you should be looking at those roads and also because of the new school there.
VII. Received via mail on November 20, 2006
From: Rita Rassier
It is obvious that your committee does not listen to any alternatives that are brought up at any of these
meetings. It occurs that you are finally seeing that a road thru St. Ben's is not necessary. Thank Goodness
for that!! But cutting across the farm fields east and west from County Road 121 is such a waste of farm
land and it won't help divert traffic off of 75. Perhaps it will only make it worse.
You plan to cut our farm up 3 ways. l . Field Street cuts us west to east 2. 20th Avenue cuts us north and
south 3. 12th Street will again cut us north and south. How can one rent out to farm such little fields.
Don't we have any rights at all??
16th Avenue which becomes 91st Ave should extend north and south to 121. It's so close already and
would benefit the new school. Also we should definitely have access to 94 from Jade Road. And when
will you ever connect County Road 2 to 75? That is a long time coming!!
Open House Comments
Page 4
VIII. Received via mail on November 20, 2006
From: Ellen Wahlstrom
* * * * * For the notice for this meeting to be printed in the times a day before the meeting and no location
given is inexcusable. There was nothing on the website or cable channel either. There would have been
twice as many in attendance if the information was made public in a timely manner.
1. The extension of 121 to #133 seems so feasible to access another interchange for #94. The
development needs south of St. Joseph would be met better by that than any other road being
proposed. To take the traffic back north either to the east or west to #75 as a minor arterial is not
1 planning at its best unless it is being done to promote commercial and facilitate industrial
growth to the east, west, and north of St. Joseph. It appears it will only contribute to the
congestion. Take that traffic out to the south and east of #23, #94, and ultimately St. Cloud and
metro if we are talking buildout.
2. It seems somewhat vague what the regional road plans were between Waite Park and St. Joseph.
Waiting on some of that for St. Joe's Road Plan for the east end could result in changes in what
is presently being proposed. However once the road plans are paper roads on the maps, the
developers will come and probably are already. Once they have their plans in place, it's going to
be very difficult for St. Joe to make road plan changes due to pressure & need for tax base.
Your job is road design; our job as citizens/residents is to try to protect our quality of life.
Building more roads to provide for more cars to zip faster through our towns does not improve
quality of life.
3. In addition because of the impact these road plans will have on residents, small businesses and
St. Joe's quality of life, I would like to see more transparency and accuracy in the projected
traffic count #'s. To use inflated #'s to push through road plans serves no one well certainly, the
city needs to plan for the future. However these roads dictate to the future.
The Field Street Road is one that is an excellent exercise for "the forces for and forces against". Engineers
don't do these exercises. We, as educators, had to do them often. If it were done, The forces against
would far out way the forces for. There maybe a need behind Graceview but people knew the road
situation when they moved there. It's not up to us to bale them and the development out.
IX. Received via mail on November 22, 2006
From: Mariteresa Woida
Thank you for the clear explanation at the public information session in St. Joseph on Nov. 15. I
appreciate your foresight and use of best practice in your field.
My concern is always with the bigger picture. You alluded to the role of the APO and plans beyond the
scope of your assigned tasks. My hope is that what is contiguous to St. Joseph is taken into consideration.
I'm especially concerned about reference made to what may be included for roadway directly southeast
and how those plans may positively contribute to a good outcome or provide relief without implementing
all the projected roads. Consider Field Street -east from CO 121 to 7th. A street and not a collector road.
Thanks for keeping us informed.
X. Received via mail on November 27, 2006
From: Jen Steinkamp
1) The maps seem to reflect a stop after exiting 94 and preceding a little on 2 eastbound. Could this stop
be eliminated to make existing 94 traffic continuous on 2?
Open House Comments
Page 5
2) What are a-w roads south of Field St. that could be improved/created as a-w alternatives that have the
added benefit of being further south?
3) The growth in south St. Joseph makes a Jade at 94 intersection seem much more important inspite of
initial Mn/DOT opposition. It would be more of a direct route to 94 w/o impacting the St. Ben's woods.
XI. Received via mail on November 27, 2006
From: Katherine Kraft
Thank you for a clearly presented overview of transportation needs + possibilities. You were well-
prepared, articulate, knowledgeable, excellent listeners and open to input from St. Joseph residents.
I ask you to remove the portion of Field Street through the monastery/college land and to make Field St.
east of College Ave into a low speed 20-30 mile per hour road.
I would like to see Field Street either end at 12th Ave or earlier. I favor putting an east/west road farther
south and to extend further east than 20th -following the Sauk River.
I also ask for careful + serious consideration of the alternatives formulated but the St. Joseph Action
group which its chair, Phil Welter will be sending you.
Jmw
p:1pPa\ntjoc\1M0900\public involvement`,public meeting p2\rcceived cummerus without adJraus.doc