Motion approving 2026 Roadway Striping Modifications on Balcerzak Drive, Augusta Drive and Premier Drive.

Motion approving the attached striping modifications.

Roadway striping, including centerlines, parking lines, crosswalks, stop bars, and specialty markings, is a critical component of the City’s traffic control system. These markings guide motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians, and directly influence roadway safety and efficiency. Each year the City of Mankato Public Works Department executes a refresh of all pavement striping and markings throughout the City.  
 
Key Reasons for Annual Re-Striping: 

• Winter Wear — Snowplows, salt, sand, and freeze-thaw cycles quickly erode paint and reflective beads, reducing visibility after each winter. 
• Safety Standards — Clear markings are essential for lane guidance, night driving, and pedestrian safety. Faded lines increase crash risk.
• Regulatory Compliance — Federal and state rules require pavement markings to remain visible and retroreflective. Annual maintenance ensures compliance. 

In addition to the annual striping, the Public Works Department has a program for sealcoating City streets. Sealcoating covers up the existing roadway striping pattern, which creates the ideal opportunity to modify existing striping patterns without the cost of removing existing roadway striping.  
 
Staff recommend enhancing the roadway striping patterns on three (3) City Streets, which we are planning to sealcoat in 2026.
Augusta Drive from North Riverfront Drive to Trunk Highway 22:

• Staff recommend the re-striping of Augusta Drive with centerline stripes and parking shoulders. The existing roadway striping along August Drive is noted to be inconsistent. A centerline stripe is present for portions of the corridor, but not all. Staff have received speeding concerns from an adjacent resident along Augusta Drive. Those speeding concerns have been coordinated with Public Safety. Striping roadways with narrow drive lanes encourages traffic-calming and can reduce traffic speeds.
• The proposed Augusta Drive striping can be seen on pages 1-3 of the attached PDF.  

Premier Drive from North Victory Drive to Augusta Drive: 

• Staff recommend the re-striping of Premier Drive to include three lanes of traffic – northbound lane, southbound lane, and a shared-left-turn lane. This roadway configuration is consistent with the striping on Premier Drive from Trunk Highway 22 to N Victory Drive. Proposed development on the west side of Premier Drive warrants a shared-left-turn lane to provide access to future driveways on the west side of Premier Drive.
• The proposed Premier Drive Striping can be seen on page 4 of the attached PDF.
• Three regulatory signs (R3-8AD) would be added at the intersection of Augusta Drive and Premier Drive to inform motorists of the lane configuration. These signs are shown in a red border on page 3 of the attached PDF.
• This section of Premier Drive is currently signed no parking. No changes are recommended to the parking designation.

Balcerzak Drive and Pohl Road Intersection: 

• Staff recommend the installation of high visibility crosswalk stripes at the intersection of Pohl Road and Balcerzak Drive.
• This recommendation responds to a citizen concern about intersection and pedestrian safety. A review of crash history indicates an ongoing concentration of right-angle crashes associated with the higher speed, stop-controlled movements on Balcerzak Drive’s multilane approach. Supplemental left-side STOP signs are proposed to improve visibility of the STOP control conditions on the Balcerzak Dr approach lanes and reinforce driver expectancy, consistent with MUTCD and FHWA guidance for enhanced signing at stop-controlled intersections. These supplemental stop signs are being paired with enhanced “zebra style” crosswalks to further enhance visibility and safety. In the long term, the Balcerzak Drive Corridor Study recommends significant changes to the intersection that includes a single approach lane and reconfiguration of the existing intersection to a roundabout.
• The proposed Balcerzak Drive Striping can be seen on page 5 of the attached PDF. 
   

In summary, staff acknowledge that sealcoating is an opportunistic time to modify striping configurations on City streets. Staff do not recommend enhanced roadway striping on all City Streets, they advise concentrating these enhancements on higher-volume corridors, specifically those designated as Municipal State Aid Streets (MSAS).