The Traffic Safety Committee (TSC) was formed in 2020 and comprises a broad spectrum of city offices such as Engineering, the Carver County Sheriff's Office, Planning, Public Works, and Park and Recreation. The TSC meets monthly to review and evaluate potential traffic safety issues within the city. All traffic safety concerns reported to the city will be documented and brought before the Traffic Safety Committee.

The general scope of the TSC is as follows:

Study and Investigate: The TSC may recommend to the appropriate city department traffic studies to address resident concerns, including speeding, traffic controls, traffic calming, crosswalks, parking, and traffic safety hazards, along with areas identified as current or potential future safety issues.

Recommend and Implement: The TSC may recommend installing traffic control devices and other improvements that are warranted based on the findings of studies and/or adequate justification to enhance and promote traffic safety within the city's right-of-ways.

Development and Management: The TSC may develop recommendations for guidelines and programs to promote traffic safety and properly manage city roads and right-of-ways.

Education: The TSC may distribute guidelines, policies, and programs regarding traffic, transportation planning, and best practices to promote safety and the well-being of the Chanhassen community through the design and implementation of public education and outreach programs. Members of the TSC routinely engage in continuing education related to traffic safety.

If you have a traffic concern, do not hesitate to report the concern here or call the Engineering Department at 952-227-1160.

Click here for Traffic Safety Committee Agendas & Minutes.

The City of Chanhassen strives to provide a safe, sustainable, and efficient transportation network, including our local pedestrian facilities and crosswalks. Traffic control devices such as signage, striping, and other physical improvements may enhance the safety of local pedestrian facilities and crosswalks. The evaluation of whether enhanced traffic control devices and physical improvements at crosswalks are warranted must establish a consistent and effective methodology, align with the city’s values and priorities in the Strategic Plan, and adhere to accepted local and federal guidelines and engineering practices. 

The City of Chanhassen Crosswalk Policy establishes the city’s guidelines for installing enhanced crosswalk treatments. It is intended to provide a consistent procedure for determining if enhancements and other physical improvements are warranted.

Some of the roads within the city are actually Carver County roads and requests for crosswalks on these roads should be referred to the County. View information on Carver County's Crosswalk Policy, or call 952-466-5200.

Resources

• City of Chanhassen Crosswalk Policy
• Carver County's Crosswalk Policy
• Minnesota Department of Public Safety - Bike and Pedestrian Safety

You may have noticed that roundabouts (RABs) are becoming more prevalent in Minnesota, and there are good reasons for it. According to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), studies have shown that RABs can improve safety and increase an intersection’s operational efficiency, among other benefits. 

Safety

MnDOT published a study (“A Study of the Traffic Safety at Roundabouts in Minnesota”) in October 2017, indicating that intersections replaced with RABs reduced severe and fatal crashes by 80%. The physical shape of an RAB is designed such that it eliminates crossing conflicts that are inherited to conventional (standard) intersections and thus reduces the total number of conflict points and the most severe kind of potential vehicle crashes (such as “t-bone” or head-on crashes). 

Additionally, due to their design, there is a reduction in vehicle speeds in and around an RAB, which improves pedestrian crossing opportunities. Typically, splitter island refuge areas are installed with RABS, which allow pedestrians to focus on one traffic stream at a time while crossing and not multiple lanes from different directions, typical of standard intersections. The pedestrian crossing area is pulled back from the vehicle yield area, which allows the driver to focus on the pedestrian before the requirement to yield to other vehicles. Another safety benefit due to the design of RABs is they have 50% fewer pedestrian-vehicle conflict points than a stop or signal-controlled intersection. 

Efficiency

When traffic engineers, designers, and jurisdictions tasked with managing roadways consider intersection improvements, safety is the first and foremost consideration. The next consideration must be accounted for is the intersection’s “Level of Service,” or how efficiently the intersection will operate with the projected volumes and type of vehicles typically utilizing the intersection. RABs typically have lower overall delays when operating within their capacity than signalized and all-way stop-controlled intersections. In other words, drivers don’t have to “wait” as long to move through the intersection, especially for side-street approaches and delays associated with off-peak times from waiting at red lights. They can also accommodate higher traffic volumes, “u-turns” for cars and trucks at intersections, and provide better access to businesses.

Operations

While RABs are becoming more popular nationwide due to their safety benefits and intersection efficiency improvements, they are still generally new to drivers in Minnesota and the metro area. FHWA, MnDOT, and other local agencies have produced educational resources on properly driving through RABs and navigating them as bicyclists and pedestrians. 

Here are a few rules of thumb from MnDOT to keep in mind when operating within an RAB:

Drivers

• Slow down when approaching a RAB. For multi-lane RABs, as with any intersection, get into the appropriate lane as indicated by the signage and pavement markings.
• Yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk as you enter or exit the RAB. It is the law.
• Yield to vehicles already in the roundabout. Merge into the traffic flow when it is safe.
• Continue through the RAB until you reach your exit. Do not stop or pass in an RAB.
• Exit the RAB immediately if an emergency vehicle approaches, and then pull over. Do not stop in the RAB.
• Give large trucks extra space in an RAB. Large trucks may straddle both lanes while driving through a multi-lane RAB.

Pedestrians

• Cross only at crosswalks, and always stay on the designated walkways.
• Never cross to the central island.
• Cross the RAB one approach at a time. Use the median island as a halfway point where you can check for approaching traffic.

Bicyclists

• Ride with traffic inside the RAB or use the crosswalks appropriately.
• Follow the same rules as vehicles when riding with traffic and yield when entering the RAB.
• Since traffic is slower inside the RAB, cyclists should be able to travel at or near the same speed as motorists, staying in line with the circulating traffic.

Resources

• MnDOT Roundabout Resource Page
• MnDOT Transportation Research Blog
• How to Maneuver a Modern Roundabout
• KARE 11 Extra

A hierarchy of signs must be present within any roadway: Regulatory, Warning, and Guide signs.

Agencies must strike the right balance and only install necessary and effective signs. Warning signs inform drivers of unexpected changes in the roadway and dangers that are not readily apparent. Warning signs are most effective if they warn drivers of hazards that are always present, e.g., sharp curves or low clearance heights at a bridge crossing. Specialty warning signs that warn of infrequent conditions or general possibilities, such as "deer crossing," "slippery road when wet," or "children at play" signs, are routinely ignored by drivers. Specialty warning signs can also create the false impression that areas without warning signs don't have hazards. This inconsistent driver behavior creates an unsafe environment for motorists and pedestrians.

The Minnesota Local Road Research Board has produced a helpful video that explains which warning signs are necessary and effective and which may be counterproductive.

"Children at Play" Signs

Some cities have posted "Children at Play" signs in residential areas despite studies showing that generalized signs warning of normal conditions, such as children in a residential area, fail to achieve the desired safety benefits. "Children at Play" signs may give parents and children a false sense of security as the sign is assumed to provide protection, which, in reality, it does not. Due to these serious considerations, federal standards no longer recommend the use of "Children at Play" signs. Special conditions, such as warnings of school zones, playgrounds, parks, and other recreational facilities, do warrant signing as these are not easily anticipated by drivers.

"Deer Crossing" Signs

Research has shown that "Deer Crossing" signs do not reduce deer-vehicle crashes. Studies have concluded that warning signs alone, especially signs that are intended to alert drivers of infrequent encounters or possible situations (such as a "Deer Crossing" sign), are ineffective at slowing people down or changing driver behavior. The City of Chanhassen and other jurisdictions, including the Minnesota Department of Transportation, have adopted the practice of not installing new "Deer Crossing" signs and removing existing signage.

The City of Chanhassen does not install speed humps (bumps) on our public streets for the following reasons:

• Speed humps cause delays for police and fire vehicles of 3-10 seconds per hump.
• Maintenance activities, including snow plowing, are significantly more difficult to accomplish. In addition, they become a danger to the traveling public and maintenance staff when hidden by snow.
• Negative impacts of increased braking and acceleration, such as an increase in CO2 emissions and a reduction in fuel efficiency.
• Speeds may increase between humps as drivers try to compensate for lost time.
• Noise levels may increase.
• Speeds may increase over time as drivers get used to the feel of the speed humps.
• Traffic volume may be diverted to adjacent streets as drivers seek alternate routes to avoid the speed humps.
• Some motorists may drive with their wheels in the gutter, bike lane, or road shoulder to minimize the impact of the humps.

Although it is a commonly held belief that posting a speed limit sign will reduce speeds, research indicates that a driver's speed is influenced more by their comfort level driving on the road, which can be commonly related to the geometrics of the road and the prevailing traffic conditions rather than the posted speed limit.

Additionally, if speed limit signs are posted artificially low, many drivers will ignore posted limits while some drivers will stay within the posted limits. This creates a conflict between faster and slower-moving drivers and increases the number of accidents.

Effective August 1, 2019, new laws amended how speed limits are set in Minnesota. Essentially, there are two ways the speed limits are set in Minnesota. Like most states, the first method is from state law, which establishes some speed limits (statutory speed limits).

Here is a short list:

• 10 mph in alleys
• 30 mph on streets in urban districts
• 65 mph on urban interstate highways
• 70 mph on rural interstate highways

For the long list, including details, see Minnesota Statutes: Chapter 169.

The second way to set speed limits is by an engineering study. There are several methods, and they all use information about driver behavior (how fast people are driving and how often crashes occur), the roadway (straight vs. curved, up and down vs. flat), and the roadside (fixed objects close to the road, steep slopes). The Commissioner of MnDOT holds the authority to establish speed limits on nearly all roads in Minnesota. This unified authority allows for a uniform approach to establishing speed limits. There are several ways an agency can establish its own speed limits. Most notably, a city may set a speed limit after it meets a specific set of criteria on roads it has jurisdiction over.

Ultimately, speed limits are maximums under ideal conditions. State law requires that "No person shall drive a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable regarding weather, visibility, traffic, and the surface width of the roadway. Under no circumstances shall a person operate a vehicle at a speed that endangers the safety of persons or property."

If you have concerns about speeding in your neighborhood, please contact the Carver County Sheriff's Department non-emergency line at 952-361-1231.

Resources

• Statewide Speed Limit Vision Project
• Speed Limits: Why Do We Have Them?
• MnDOT: Speed Limits in Minnesota
• City of Crystal: Vehicle Speed Perception Video

A stop sign is a regulatory sign that can cause a substantial inconvenience to motorists. The primary purpose of a stop sign is for access control and assigning right-of-way, not for controlling speeds. National standards have specific criteria (known as warrants) for installing a stop sign. When used correctly, a stop sign is one of the most effective traffic control devices.

Stop signs are often requested to control speeds and/or to encourage traffic to use other routes. A stop sign is ineffective as a comprehensive speed control device. Stop signs installed without meeting proper criteria result in a high occurrence of violations and increased disrespect for traffic signs in general. Speed reduction is usually only effective near the stop sign. Increased speeds between intersections often occur as drivers attempt to make up time lost.

Where stop signs are installed as nuisances, most drivers recognize it as an unreasonable restriction, and many choose to roll through the sign or ignore it completely. Inappropriate stop signs can create a false sense of security for pedestrians and an attitude of contempt for all traffic signs.

Resources

• Stop Signs: Why Do We Have Them?

Orange barrels, cones, and reflective vests return to our roadways yearly after snow melts. Contrary to common belief, the motor vehicle occupants, not construction workers, are most likely to be killed or injured in a work zone crash. Distracted or inattentive driving and illegal or unsafe speed are the top contributing factors to serious work zone crashes.

Here are some common sense tips to avoid a work zone crash and becoming a statistic because the numbers show that most injuries occur in a work zone are to motorists and their passengers.

• Slow down.
• Set down your phone.
• Pay attention.
• Leave extra space between you and the vehicle in front of you.
• Watch for vehicles that may brake suddenly.
• Realize that work zones may lack normal safety features such as wide shoulders, guard rails, lane markings, and reflective signs.
• Follow the directions of flaggers.
• Be patient.
• Allow extra time.

The City of Chanhassen's goal is for everyone to arrive safely at their destination. We want motorists from point A to point B and workers to make it home at the end of their work day.

Resources

• Minnesota Department of Transportation 
• National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse