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Consideration of a request from the Engineering Division to approve conceptual parking restrictions on Watertown Plank Road from 124th Street to approximately 725-feet east of 113th Street and on 115th Street from Watertown Plank Road to Underwood Parkway as part of Year 2025 Watertown Plank Road and 115th Street pavement projects to control traffic speeds and to provide enhanced bicycle and pedestrian accommodations and safety
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Submitted by:
Michael May, PE, PTOE, RSP1
Department:
DPW-Engineering
A. Issue
The preliminary conceptual design for the Year 2025 Watertown Plank Road and 115th Street pavement projects necessitates modifying parking on Watertown Plank Road from 124th Street to approximately 725-feet east of 113th Street and on 115th Street from Watertown Plank Road to Underwood Parkway.
B. Background/Options
The Year 2025 Watertown Plank Road pavement project extends from 124th Street to approximately 725-feet east of 113th Street. The CIP currently conceptualizes the following for Watertown Plank Road.
• Minimal defective curb repair and overlay of a new asphalt surface from 124th Street to 115th Street.
• Defective curb repair and either complete pavement replacement or pulverization of existing pavement with a new asphalt surface from 115th Street to 113th Street.
• Complete street replacement from 113th Street to the bridge over the CP rail.
• New traffic signals at 115th Street and 116th Street.
• Multiuse trail on the north side from 124th Street to east of 113th Street.
• Sidewalk on the south side from 116th Street to east of 115th Street where the sidewalk currently ends.
• Sidewalk or multiuse trail connection from the Watertown Plank Road & 116th Street intersection south to the dead-end of 116th Street north of Diane Drive.
The Year 2025 115th Street pavement project extends from Watertown Plank Road to Underwood Parkway. The CIP currently conceptualizes the following for 115th Street.
• Defective curb repair and either complete pavement replacement or pulverization of existing pavement with a new asphalt surface.
• Multiuse trail on one side and sidewalk on the other.
Staff collected turning movement traffic counts in October 2023 and analyzed traffic operations in preparation of drafting preliminary concepts. Staff noted there may be an opportunity to narrow the streets and, by doing so, control traffic speeds and provide enhanced bicycle and pedestrian accommodations and safety.
The Engineering Division’s preliminary concept envisions the following for Watertown Plank Road (see attached).
• Narrow the street from 124th Street to 116th Street. Include one travel lane in each direction, a parking lane on one side of the street (which side on each block not yet determined), and curb extensions to shorten pedestrian crossings from 123rd Street to 117th Street.
• On the north side of the street, construct a westbound off-street bicycle lane plus a sidewalk from 124th Street to 116th and from 113th Street to the bridge over the CP rail. Construct a multi-use path on the north side of the street between 116th and 113th Street.
• On the south side of the street, construct an eastbound off-street bicycle lane plus a sidewalk from 124th Street to the bridge over the CP rail.
• Add pedestrian landings, crosswalks, and traffic signal equipment to accommodate the crossing of the north and east legs at 124th Street.
• Install a rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) at the greenway crossing at 118th Street.
• Install new traffic signals at 116th Street and 115th Street, including a dedicated westbound-to-southbound left-turn lane at 115th Street.
• Construct landings, crosswalks, and necessary traffic signal equipment to accommodate the crossing of all legs at 113th Street.
• Construct sidewalk or multiuse trail connection from the Watertown Plank Road & 116th Street intersection south to the dead-end of 116th Street north of Diane Drive.
The Engineering Division’s preliminary concept envisions the following for 115th Street (see attached).
• Narrow the street to from approximately 225-feet south of Watertown Plank to the Oak Leaf Trail.
• Multiuse trail on the east side from Watertown Plank Road to the Oak Leaf Trail.
• Sidewalk on the west side from Watertown Plank Road to Underwood Parkway.
• On-street bicycle accommodations from the Oak Leaf Trail to Underwood Parkway.
The preliminary design concept will have impacts to on-street parking. Note that, except for the area of Stein’s Garden & Home (formerly Hawks), on-street parking is infrequently used on Watertown Plank Road. Parking on 115th Street is concentrated in the area nearest Watertown Plank Road. Attached is an exhibit illustrating existing parking prohibitions and conceptual parking restrictions. The following is a description of the preliminary concept parking restrictions.
• Watertown Plank Road:
o Prohibited parking on both sides from 124th Street to 123rd Street to accommodate transitions at the 124th Street traffic signal.
o Prohibited parking on one side (side to be determined on a block-by-block basis) from 123rd Street to 117th Street.
o Prohibited parking on the north side from 117th Street to east of the project limits.
o Weekday morning and weekday evening parking restrictions on the south side from 117th Street to approximately 125-feet east thereof, transitioning to prohibited parking east to 115th Street.
o Prohibited parking on the south side from 115th Street to approximately 200-feet east thereof, weekday morning and weekday evening parking restrictions from 200-feet east of 115th Street to 113th Street, and prohibited parking from 113th Street east to the project limits.
• 115th Street:
o Prohibited parking along the west side from Watertown Plank Road to approximately 165-feet south thereof and from approximately 255-feet south of Watertown Plank Road to Underwood Parkway.
o Prohibited parking along the east side from Watertown Plank Road to approximately 165-feet south thereof, and from approximately 200-feet south of Watertown Plank Road to Underwood Parkway.
C. Strategic Plan (Area of Focus)
Priority 2: Public Safety, Goal 2. Proactively address pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular safety.
Priority 3: Infrastructure, Goal 2. Ensure the City’s infrastructure supports public health through multi-modal transportation and recreation opportunities.
D. Fiscal Impact
Costs to accommodate changes to the pavement projects will be considered during the 2025-2029 CIP review process.
E. Recommendation
Approve conceptual parking restrictions on Watertown Plank Road from 124th Street to approximately 725-feet east of 113th Street and on 115th Street from Watertown Plank Road to Underwood Parkway as part of Year 2025 Watertown Plank Road and 115th Street pavement projects to control traffic speeds and to provide enhanced bicycle and pedestrian accommodations and safety.