952-378-5017
Hay Days - Sunrise Township
Chisago County, MN
Project Type: Event
Development Overview
Hay Days is the largest snowmobiling event in the world. The outdoor event organized by the Sno Barons Snowmobile Club consists of a swap meet, vendor exhibits, and drag racing on grass. The annual event is held on the second Saturday and Sunday of September and draws approximately 35,000 spectators. The event has outgrown their current site and Sno Barons is planning to move to a 220 acre site on Highway 95 in Sunrise Township. An Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) was prepared by RLK to assess the environmental impacts of the proposed project.
Project Scope
Mr. Spack prepared the traffic impact section of the EAW. A key component of the traffic impact study was leading a task force with City of North Branch, Chisago County, and MnDOT staff to determine and address the traffic impacts of the large event.
Baseline data was collected at the Hay Days event to determine where the spectators were coming from, how many vehicles arrived per hour, and how many people arrived per vehicle. Approximately 70% of the spectators were surveyed, which provided a robust data set of the event’s travel patterns. This data was the cornerstone of providing an accurate traffic study for the proposed Sunrise Township site.
A traffic impact study was prepared for the proposed Hay Days Site. The study analyzed the traffic impact of the event in 2008, 2018, and 2030 to address the potential long term traffic impacts of the event. Thirty intersections were analyzed in the Saturday morning, Saturday evening, and Sunday evening peak hours. Micro-simulation models were developed to detail the stacking of vehicles at the study intersections. The traffic mitigation plan developed for the event included signing and advertising official routes, placing approximately sixteen police officers throughout the county for traffic control, and developing a detailed plan for parking lot operations to provide the most efficient ingress and egress possible. Mr. Spack presented the traffic study process and findings at approximately ten public hearings.
Accomplishments
The EAW process took approximately two years due to local concerns related to the event. Six traffic task force meetings were held over the course of a year to develop the traffic impact study. The traffic impact study prepared for Hay Days was a component of the final EAW which was approved in 2008. The county granted Hay Days a conditional use permit in early 2009 and Sno Barons will grade the site in 2009. Hay Days was held on the new site for the first time in 2010. Mr. Spack was not involved with the implementation of the mitigation plan.