City Council addresses street issues
Patrick Fisher, Staff Writer
The New Prague City Council looked at three street issues at its meeting on Tuesday.
It unanimously approved a request to remove No Parking and Resident Parking Only signs along Second Street NW, near the former American Milk Producers, Inc. (AMPI) building location, accepted a traffic study on Chalupsky Avenue SE and approved the closure of Main Street on Friday, Sept. 19, and Saturday, Sept. 20, for the Dozinky Festival.
New Prague Police Chief Mark Vosejpka presented the request for the removal of the signs along Second Street NW. He noted discussions have taken place between the city's police, public works and planning departments about the signs. The groups believe the No Parking signs on the south side of the street and the Resident Parking Only on the north should be removed. The signs were likely a response to the various trucks that were in the area when AMPI was located on the south side of Second Street NW. Since the building was removed earlier this year the departments believe the signs are no longer needed.
Chief Vosejpka pointed out the width of the street in that area is the same as the rest of it going east, so there shouldn't be any traffic problems if there is parking on both sides of the street.
Ken Ondich, acting planning director, presented the traffic study for Chalupsky Avenue SE. It was to check traffic speeds, which residents along that street are concerned about.
City staff placed two traffic recording devices along Chalupsky Avenue, one just south of Fourth Street SE and the other just north of Woodlands Court SE. The study was done between Friday, Aug. 8, and Monday, Aug. 11.
Ondich noted the traffic device near Fourth Street SE counted 2,585 vehicles - 99.6 percent of traffic, going under 30 miles per hour and only 10 vehicles were traveling more than 30 mph with the maximum speed at 35 mph. The device near Woodlands Court SE found that 2,301 vehicles, 99.8 percent, were driving under 30 mph and five vehicles were going faster than 30 mph. The maximum was 34 mph.
Kristy Mach, New Prague Chamber of Commerce executive director, presented the request for closing Main Street for Dozinky. The street is usually closed from the intersection with First Avenue, near Crawford's Standard Service on the east, to Second Avenue, near Wells Fargo Bank on the west.
Chief Vosejpka noted that a permit application has been submitted to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) for closing the street since it is part of State Highway 13/19. He anticipated MnDOT would approve the permit as it has in the past, with the designated detour taking traffic along Scott County Road 37.
