Port of Dbq Street ImprovementsMEMORANDUM
August12,2003
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Street improvements in the Port of Dubuque Area
With development of the Brewery site, Engineering staff has reviewed potential traffic
flow and is recommending that Bell Street be extended going north to connect to a new
street serving the Brewery, Amphitheater and Shot Tower. The old 4th Street diagonal
would be removed to allow construction of a parking lot by the Brewery developer.
The width of the street under the viaduct is 23.3 feet at its narrowest point and it is 11.2
feet high. A standard ddving lane in the Port of Dubuque is 11 foot without curb and
gutter. However, when the street is bounded by a solid wall or jersey barriers, the State
and City standard is to add 2 feet to the standard width. The standard width for a
sidewalk is 4 foot and for a hike/bike trail is 15 foot. If a sidewalk is bounded by a wall,
the minimum width is 6 foot. One driving lane of 13 feet and a shared sidewalk/bike trail
of 10.3 feet could be accommodated in the short distance under the railroad.
Administrative Services Manager Pauline Joyce recommends the extension of Bell
Street north to create a new street, replacing the old 4th street diagonal approach to the
Brewery. This would also allow access off of the mad for a new Brewery parking lot.
Staff also recommends that generally there be no vehicular traffic under the viaduct,
with authority given to the Port of Dubuque Board, of which the City is a member, to
open the street for one-way exit traffic during special events and with traffic control
personnel assigned to prevent vehicles trying to enter through this access point. The
street would be signed beyond the parking lot for Emergency and Official City Vehicular
Use Only. Signage would be provided to caution pedestrians about truck traffic south of
the viaduct and to direct pedestrian traffic to the east side of the viaduct.
It is also recommended that extending the brick surface under the viaduct and over to
the steps on the other side of the railroad tracks be added to the bid specs for the new
street. This segment of the Riverwalk was bid as an alternate but not let. The funds for
completion of this segment have remained in the project budget.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM/jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Pauline Joyce, Administrative Services Manager
MEMORANDUM
August14,2003
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Pauline Joyce, Administrative Services Manager ~l
Street Improvements in the Port of Dubuque Area
The Fiscal Year 2004-2008 ClP includes a project for design and construction of new
streets within the Port of Dubuque development area. The only street improvement
segment planned for this summer was Market Street and an east west connection of
Market Street to the Bell Street extension. This segment will eventually be needed to
serve the new Transit Hub (see Attachment A for location of Transit Hub) and to
improve access to the Brewery, Shot Tower and Amphitheater. It is recommended that
construction of Market Street be delayed until a developer is identified for the
Hardwoods property so that the street location can be matched to any particular
development size and configuration. Construction of this street is part of the Vision
Iowa Grant program, which has a June 30, 2005 deadline.
With development of the Brewery site, Engineering staff has reviewed potential traffic
flow and is recommending that Bell Street be extended going north to connect to a new
street serving the Brewery, Amphitheater and Shot Tower. The old 4th Street diagonal
would be removed to allow construction of a parking lot by the Brewery developer.
A work session was held with City Council to discuss several Riverwalk related design
issues pdor to going out for bid. Staff received direction from the work session to
continue the Riverwalk along the viaduct under the railroad tracks instead of attempting
to cross the railroad tracks. The Riverwalk was designed and bid to continue from the
Brewery Amphitheater under the viaduct (using bdck pavers) and back up on the north
side of the old Dock Office. This bid alternate was not recommended or authorized.
Attachment B indicates the anticipated roadway under the viaduct to connect to the
northerly segment of the Riverwalk which eventually would end at the council dng.
The width of the street under the viaduct is 23.3 feet at its narrowest point and it is 11.2
feet high. A standard ddving lane in the Port of Dubuque is 11 foot without curb and
gutter. However, when the street is bounded by a solid wall or jersey barriers, the State
and City standard is to add 2 feet to the standard width. The standard width for a
sidewalk is 4 foot and for a hike/bike trail is 15 foot. If a sidewalk is bounded by a wall,
the minimum width is 6 foot.
City Engineer Mike Koch has concern regarding the safety of allowing two-way traffic
under the viaduct along with the Riverwalk pedestrian traffic. Visitors to the Grand River
Center, Grand Harbor Resort, and National Mississippi River Museum and Aquadum
and other community attractions will add considerable pedeetdan traffic to the Riverwalk
and to the historical Shot Tower. This route is also used on a daily basis dudng the
heavy tourist season for access to the old Dock Office/garage which is leased to the
Rustic Hills Carriage Tours. Vehicular traffic entering the Commercial Street area via
the viaduct will also encounter truck traffic and difficulty tuming around without ddving
over the property leased to the Peavy Grain Terminal company.
Del Uhlik, Manager of Peavey Grain Terminal, has also expressed concern with the
potential conflict between semi ddvers and vehicles entering the area to ddve around
the shot tower or turn around. Indicated on Attachment B is the lease line for Peavey
Grain Terminals and the street dght of way for Commercial Street.
The options staff has reviewed to date for allowing traffic under the viaduct are listed
below with some discussion points:
Two way traffic at all times,
This alternative mixes pedestrian and vehicular traffic in a path that is only 23.3
feet wide. This width does not meet the 22 foot lane width plus 2 feet on each
side that is recommended for two way traffic with barriers on each side. It does
not allow for a separate pedestrian path under the viaduct. Six foot would be the
minimum width for a walkway in this location. Because of the combination of
two-way vehicular traffic mixing with a high pedestrian use, this alternative is not
recommended as a safe condition.
One way traffic going north and using Commercial Street to carry traffic out of the
area,
This alternative would provide adequate width for one 13 foot ddving lane and
the balance of 10.3 feet for pedestrian traffic. Commercial Street was resurfaced
approximately 6 or 7 years ago to help address drainage issues. If vehicular
traffic were antidpated on this street, it would need another asphalt oveday.
Although this approach provides a much safer alternative, it would drop visitors
off on Commercial Street with no way to retum to the Port area without circling all
the way back around to 5th street. It would be difficult to provide proper signage
that would warn visitors of the fact that there is no turn around on the other side
of the viaduct and that there will be semi traffic that swings around the south side
of the shot tower to make their turn into the Peavy loading area. It would also be
difficult to control the use of the viaduct as a "one way" roadway.
Limited one way vehicular traffic for special events,
This altemative would restdct traffic through the area to only emergency and
official City vehicle traffic (for maintenance purposes), and the Rustic Carriage
Tours cardage traffic. It would preserve the street for emergency vehicle
use/access to the Commercial Street area in case of track blockage. The
America's River Corporation Board has as one of their goals to coordinate
special Port of Dubuque events. I would recommend the this Board be
responsible for determining when the viaduct would be open to one-way traffic
north based on the size of the planned event. Under this alternative, temporary
signage could be used to indicate this route as an exit only from the Port of
Dubuque. Dates and times when the viaduct would be used could be
coordinated with Peavy Company representatives to avoid vehicular conflicts to
the extent possible. Most events are held on weekends or evenings, which
would not conflict with their semi-traffic. Ingress and egress from the end of Bell
Street would be a circulation pattern as indicated in green on Attachment B.
Under this altemative, the new road going from Bell Street to the viaduct would
be a standard 25 foot street with curb and gutter. At some time in the future, ifa
pedestrian connection over the railroad tracks were constructed, we could revisit
alternative means for allowing two-way traffic in this location.
No vehicular traffic (except maintenance vehicles & Rustic Hills Cardage
vehicles/trailers) with a railing installed to direct pedestrian traffic from the viaduct
to the steps going back up on the floodwall, just north of the Cardage building.
This alternative creates a physical barrier between pedestrians and the Peavey
Grain semi traffic. The railing would still allow one-way traffic flow for emergency
and maintenance vehicles to and from the area and as an exit for special event
traffic as noted above. The disadvantage is that it reduces the flexibility for two-
way traffic on an emergency basis.
The Brewery Developer understands that traffic will be coming down to this area for
access to the Amphitheater, Shot Tower and Riverwalk. The Developer also assumed
we wanted to keep a traffic lane open for access to the area north of the railroad and
that access could involve traffic circulation through the parking lot they would be adding
west of the building. Staff would need to coordinate any improvements with the
Developer.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends the extension of Bell Street north to create a new street, replacing
the old 4t~ street diagonal approach to the Brewery. This would also allow access off of
the road for a new Brewery parking lot. Staff also recommends no vehicular traffic
under the viaduct, with authority given to the Port of Dubuque Board to open the street
for one-way exit traffic dudng special events and with traffic control personnel assigned
to prevent vehicles trying to enter through this access point. The street would be signed
beyond the parking lot for Emergency and Official City Vehicular Use Only. Instead of a
railing, signage would be provided to caution pedestrians about truck traffic south of the
viaduct and to direct pedestrian traffic to the east side of the viaduct.
It is also recommended that extending the bdck surface under the viaduct and over to
the steps on the other side of the railroad tracks be added to the bid specs for the new
street. This segment of the Riverwalk was bid as an alternate but not let. The funds for
completion of this segment have remained in the project budget.
On a related note, we continue to seek a Save America's Treasures grant for the Shot
Tower restoration. Although we were unsuccessful in the first go around, we have re-
submitted the grant application for the restoration work. This would provide restoration
of the extedor of the Shot Tower and a protective fence.
CC;
Bill Baum, Economic Development Director
Mike Koch, Public Works Director
Cindy Stelnhauser, Assistant City Manager
Laura Carstens, City Planner
Mike Felderman, Civil Engineer
Jim Kolf, Project Manager
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