All Way Stops Coming to Maple Grove

In order to increase pedestrian and driver safety, the Maple Grove City Council advised staff to create two all way stop conditions at their Sept. 6 meeting.

The first location is near the at the intersection of Main Street and Lakeview Drive. The second location is across from the Four Seasons at Rush Creek development at the intersection of 74th Avenue North and Narcissus Lane North.

Typically, the placement of an all way stop is determined by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)—a book of standards published by the Federal Highway Administration. According to the manual, one way to warrant an all way stop is to calculate the number of vehicles that enter the major and minor roadways over the course of eight hours. If more than 500 vehicles enter both major and minor approaches, then an all way stop can be mandated.

According to Maple Grove City Council documents, both intersections did not meet the MUTCD requirements. But that didn’t stop council members from passing a motion to install the stop signs.

The Main Street and Lakeview Drive intersection failed to meet the MUTCD numbers by eight vehicles, though Marc Culver, Maple Grove Traffic Engineer, thinks that will soon change.

“Given the current volume and the expected growth in the area, it is very likely that within the next one to two years, this intersection will very easily meet the warrant for an all way stop,” Culver said in council documents. “Installing an all way stop at this intersection would give pedestrians a more comfortable crossing point.”

Along with Culver, Maple Grove residents have also demanded a remedy to manage traffic volumes.

Much like the Arbor Lakes area all way stop recommendation, Culver recommended an all way stop at 74th Avenue North and Narcissus Lane North for similar reasons. When vehicles were counted over the course of eight hours, the data collected fell well short of the MUTCD recommended volumes. However, those calculations didn’t stop Four Seasons at Rush Creek residents from speaking up.

For the last two years, members of the 55 and older community have been concerned about the traffic speeds through their residential area.

“We continue to hear from these residents with the same concerns,” Culver said in council documents. “[There is] concern over speeding vehicles and safety concerns of children waiting for buses on 74th Avenue.”

While it’s uncommon to install an all way stop only to slow cars, Culver said that occasionally, stop signs are used to break up long stretches of roadways in order to deter cut through traffic.

The motion to direct staff to install signs at both intersections came without discussion at the council meeting. Though construction timing is unknown, Culver will work closely with his team to move the project forward.