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RESOLUTION TO RESCIND THE DESIGNATION AND ESTABLISHMENT AS A ONE-WAY STREET FOR WEST FIRST STREET BETWEEN 6th AVENUE WEST AND LAKE AVENUE AND FOR EAST FIRST STREET BETWEEN LAKE AVENUE AND 3RD AVENUE EAST AND BETWEEN 8TH AVENUE EAST AND 24TH AVENUE EAST.
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CITY PROPOSAL:
RESOLVED, that in accordance with the provisions of Section 33-17 of the Duluth City Code, 1959, as amended, West First Street, between 6th Avenue West and Lake Avenue, and East First Street, between Lake Avenue and 3rd Avenue East and between 8th Avenue East and 24th Avenue East, are no longer one-way streets. This resolution will become effective only after said street segments have been posted with proper signage and striping, indicating the change in designation.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: The City of Duluth has been working to implement the Imagine Duluth 2035 Plan, which was adopted in 2018. Chapter 10 (Transportation) recommends that one-way streets downtown be reviewed and evaluated for conversion to two-way traffic. Duluth’s one-way street patterns date to pre I-35 construction. One-way streets were designed to move large traffic volumes efficiently through the area; this traffic capacity is no longer needed.
Currently, the direction of traffic flow on First Street changes from one-way to two-way at four locations: 6th Avenue West, 3rd Avenue East, 8th Avenue East, and 24th Avenue East. This is confusing and dangerous for motorists and makes east-west travel more difficult Downtown, in the Medical District, and the East Hillside residential area, especially when construction or emergency closures disrupt traffic flow on parallel streets.
The City of Duluth completed a consultant traffic study in 2019 to convert the currently multi-directional First Street traffic to consistent two-way traffic from Mesaba Avenue to 24th Avenue East. The benefits of the project are: 1) More direct access in the Downtown, Medical, and eastern residential areas, along with better circulation between the three areas; 2) Improved business visibility and access; 3) Reduction of travel speeds expected between 5 to 10 mph; 4) Improved pedestrian safety due to reduced speed, elimination of wrong-way drivers, and changes in traffic control devices; 5) Reduced driver delay time given traffic control changes and the ability to take more direct routes to destinations. Reduced response time is also a notable benefit for emergency services.
City staff hosted five public meetings, a Parking Commission meeting, had communications with the Commission on Disabilities, mailed notices and comment forms to all addresses along the corridor, issued press releases, posted information on both social media and the city website about the project, and met with many businesses and stakeholders to discuss the project. Comments were received from all project areas and reviewed for solutions and consideration in developing the two-way design plans. All of the comments that were received can be found here: <https://duluthmn.gov/engineering/current-projects/1st-street-study/>
The main concerns that staff have been working to address include loading/unloading in the business district, snow removal in the residential area, pedestrian safety including accessibility for those with disabilities, and traffic operations at 21st Avenue East.
• The Duluth Police Department consulted adjacent businesses about their loading/unloading needs and recommended six modified truck-only loading zones located between 5th Avenue West and 3rd Avenue East. This and other parking/loading updates along First Street were reviewed and approved by the Parking Commission at their June 5, 2020 meeting (unofficial minutes attached).
• To improve snow removal in the residential segment from 14th Avenue East to 24th Avenue East, the street will be removed from the State Aid system and converted to alternate-side parking, which is more consistent with its function as a neighborhood street.
• To improve traffic operations along the corridor and also improve pedestrian safety, existing traffic signals will be replaced by all-way stop control at 1st and 2nd Avenues East, and at 4th and 5th Avenues West. Replacing the signals with all-way stop control will reduce delay time for both motorists and pedestrians, and will also improve pedestrian safety as all motorists will be required to stop and scan the entire intersection before proceeding. This also means that speeds approaching and travelling through the intersection will be very low. When a signal exists that is not warranted, roadway users are increasingly tempted to violate the red light, and in the process may create hazards for themselves and others. The Commission on Disabilities is opposed to removing traffic signals at the proposed locations (5th and 4th Avenues West, 2nd and 1st Avenues East) - see attached email dialogue and references. Staff acknowledges these comments and concerns, and is committed to continuing this dialogue with the Commission to address pedestrian safety and accessibility on First Street. The signals being proposed for removal do not have an audible message, nor do they have signal heads facing west, so upgrading them would have substantial additional costs. Staff recommends replacing the signals with stop signs as the least costly, safest, and most appropriate traffic control for all roadway users, including pedestrians. The process to remove the four unwarranted signals will require temporarily bagging them for at least 30 days during an assessment period prior to removal. That time will allow an opportunity to consider other changes to improve conditions for pedestrian crossings in cooperation with the Commission on Disabilities.
• The city’s traffic consultant analyzed whether a traffic signal should be installed at the intersection with 21st Avenue East. The anticipated two-way traffic volumes at the intersection are expected to remain low on First Street and the criteria for signal installation are not met. The addition of a signal at this location in close proximity to the other signals on 21st Avenue East could also have the unintended consequence of worsening congestion along 21st Avenue East. The recommendation is to monitor the intersection if the conversion is made and also review once the Medical District projects are complete.
All of the changes necessary to make the conversion to two-way traffic can be completed within the existing curbline with striping, signage and traffic control modifications; no major construction is needed. If approved, the property owners along the corridor would be notified again with details on how and when the changes would be implemented, which would be planned to take place yet this 2020 construction season.