Granby Road-Montgomery Street and McKinstry Ave Intersection

TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY STUDY
GRANBY ROAD,
MONTGOMERY STREET
AND
INTERSECTION
CHICOPEE
McKINSTRY AVENUE
PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF PIONEER VALLEY MPO BY: PIONEER VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION 60 CONGRESS STREET SPRINGFIELD, MA 01104‐3419 SEPTEMBER 2009
Prepared in cooperation with the City of Chicopee, the Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works, the
Massachusetts Highway Department and the U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration
and the Federal Transit Administration. The views and opinions of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ......................................................................................... 3
I.
Study Area ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Commercial Development in the Vicinity........................................................................................... 6
Montgomery Street................................................................................................................................. 8
Granby Road............................................................................................................................................ 8
McKinstry Avenue.................................................................................................................................. 9 II.
Existing Transportation Conditions ........................................................ 12
Peak Hour Volume and Turning Movement Counts ...................................................................... 12 Turning movement counts at Shopping Plaza driveway................................................................ 15 Safety ...................................................................................................................................................... 16 1. Crash Rate Analysis.................................................................................................................. 16 2. Collision Diagram ..................................................................................................................... 18 Level of Service Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 21 Turn Lane Warrants ............................................................................................................................. 24 1. Left Turn Lane Warrant............................................................................................................ 24 2. Right Turn Lane Warrant......................................................................................................... 24 III. Recommendations ............................................................................... 26
Pavement................................................................................................................................................ 26
Curb Openings ...................................................................................................................................... 27
Pedestrian Requirements ..................................................................................................................... 27
Signals .................................................................................................................................................... 28
Signs........................................................................................................................................................ 28
Level of Service and Congestion......................................................................................................... 28 List of Tables Table 1: Crash History .............................................................................................................................. 17 Table 2: Crashes included in Collision Diagram ................................................................................... 20 Table 3: Level of Service Designations for Signalized Intersections................................................... 21 Table 4: Existing Level of Service ............................................................................................................ 23 List of Figures Figure 1: Study Area ................................................................................................................................... 5 Figure 2: Commercial Development in Vicinity of the Intersection ..................................................... 7 Figure 3: Existing Pavement Markings and Signage ............................................................................ 10 Figure 4: Aerial Image of the Intersection .............................................................................................. 11 Figure 5: Turning Movement Counts ..................................................................................................... 13 Figure 6: Collision Diagram ..................................................................................................................... 19 ABBREVIATIONS
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 AM, a.m. Av. LOS MassHighway MPH MUTCD PM, p.m. PVPC Rd. St. TMC Afore Meridian Avenue Level of Service Massachusetts Highway Department Miles per Hour Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices Post Meridian Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Road Street Turning Movement Counts I. INTRODUCTION The intersection of Granby Road with Montgomery Street and McKinstry Avenue currently appears as the 6th ranked intersection out of the Top 100 High Crash Intersections in the Pioneer Valley Region. A combination of high peak hour traffic volumes and a history of a high number of crashes at the intersection prompted the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) to include this safety study as a part of Federal Fiscal Year 2009 Unified Planning Work Program. This ranking prompted PVPC to conduct this safety study to verify the factors that could contribute to the crashes at this intersection. This study examines the existing conditions at the intersection and includes a series of short‐term recommendations to improve existing traffic operations and increase safety. STUDY AREA The intersection of Granby Road, Montgomery Street and McKinstry Avenue is located in the Fairview neighborhood of the City of Chicopee. It is a five leg signalized intersection. All the streets are two way streets and have traffic flow in both directions. There is a high concentration of commercial development in the vicinity of the intersection. As a result there are several curb cuts surrounding the intersection. Chicopee Comprehensive and Vocational High School is located on Montgomery Street approximately 1000 feet north of the intersection. McKinstry Avenue converges with Granby Road immediately west of the larger intersection of Montgomery Street with Granby Road. As a result some conflicting movements of the five leg intersection are removed and the study area is divided into two coordinated signalized intersections; one three‐leg and the other four‐leg. There are two medians at the intersection: one separates the right turning traffic from the Granby Road approach onto Montgomery Street and the other separates right turning traffic from the Granby Road approach onto Montgomery Street. In addition to the two intersections, the study area traffic conditions are also impacted by the secondary unsignalized intersections in the vicinity. Bay State Road runs parallel to McKinstry Avenue and intersects Granby Road to the south of the intersection. This road mainly serves residential traffic and is controlled by a ‘Stop’ sign. 3 ___________________________________________________________________________Introduction The Massachusetts Turnpike (I‐90) Exit 5 access road intersects Montgomery Street approximately 600 feet south of the intersection. A second access road which serves a large retail area is also located approximately 350 feet south of the intersection. The intersection is served by two existing crosswalks, one across Montgomery Street north of the intersection and a second across Granby Road west of the intersection. No pedestrian traffic signals are provided at this intersection. Curbing in the vicinity of the intersection is in poor to fair condition. Pavement is in poor condition at some locations and pavement markings have faded at several locations. 4 ___________________________________________________________________________Introduction Figure 1: Study Area Intersection of Granby Road with Montgomery Street and McKinstry Avenue AD
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5 ___________________________________________________________________________Introduction COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE VICINITY There are several retailers and businesses in vicinity of the intersection. CVS pharmacy is located on the northwest corner of the intersection. The entrance to the pharmacy is located on the Montgomery Street approach about 200 feet from the intersection. The curb opening is more than 30 feet wide and there is a painted hatched block marked on the pavement with ‘Do Not Block’ markings on both sides. A ‘7‐11’ is located on the northeast corner of the intersection. The ‘7‐11’ has a total of three curb openings: one entrance is located on Montgomery Street while the other two curb openings are located on Granby Road. The southeast corner of the intersection is occupied by a Sunoco Gas Station and Walgreens Pharmacy. Internal access is unrestricted between the Sunoco and Walgreens. Walgreens has two entrances on Granby Road. These openings are well defined with distinct pavement markings and ‘Stop’ signs. The opening nearer the intersection has a median separating the entering and the exiting lanes. Sunoco has two entrances on Montgomery Street. ‘Do Not Block’ pavement markings with a painted hatched block are located in front of the southern most opening. Another gas station, Racing Mart, is located on the southwest corner of the intersection. Two curb openings provide access and egress from this gas station. One opening is located on Montgomery Street and other is located on the Granby Road where traffic from McKinstry Avenue and Granby Road merges. South of the intersection on Montgomery Road is an access road to the Fairfield Shopping Plaza. A hatched block with ‘Do Not Enter’ markings is also painted in front of this entrance. 6 ___________________________________________________________________________Introduction Figure 2: Commercial Development in Vicinity of the Intersection COURT
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7 ___________________________________________________________________________Introduction MONTGOMERY STREET It is a two lane highway classified as urban major collector U5. It is almost aligned in north‐south direction and connects Prospect Street to the north and MA Route 141 and MA Route 33 to the south. Massachusetts Turnpike I‐90 Exit 5 access road intersects Montgomery Street to the south of its intersection with Granby Road. The pavement of Montgomery Street near t0he intersection is in poor condition and pavement markings have faded. A sidewalk is along western side of the street. North of the intersection, Montgomery has two travel lanes. The right lane is designated for right turning and through traffic; and left lane is designated for left turning and through traffic. Both the lanes are well defined by pavement markings. South of the intersection, Montgomery Street provides three travel lanes. The right lane is designated for right turning traffic, center lane for through traffic and left lane for left turning traffic. The pavement of the approach is in bad condition and there are many visible distresses and pot holes. The pavement markings for the right lane are faded and not clearly visible. The posted speed limit for the street is 30 mph. The driveway for the Fairfield Shopping Plaza does not have any curbing and so there is considerable damage to the pavement edges. There are no pavement markings and the ‘Stop’ sign is mounted at a low height. GRANBY ROAD Granby Road is also a two lane urban collector U5 aligned in northeast‐
southwest direction connecting Route 33 to Route 116. Sidewalks are provided on both sides of Granby Road east of the intersection and on the northern side of the road west of the intersection. The posted speed limit is 30 mph. Boston Bay Pizza is located on the southern side of Granby Road and western side of Montgomery Street. The driveway for Boston Bay Pizza on Granby Road has been sealed using cones and ropes. This helps reduce conflicts between the vehicles at the intersection of Granby Road with McKinstry Avenue. At its intersection with McKinstry Avenue, Granby Road provides two travel lanes. These lanes are not defined by any signs or pavement markings. West of Montgomery Street, Granby Road provides three travel lanes. The left lane is 8 ___________________________________________________________________________Introduction designated for left turning and through traffic, the center lane is designated for through traffic, and the right lane, separated by a median, is designated for right turning traffic. There are pavement arrows but they have faded and are difficult to see. There is a ‘Yield’ sign on the median for right turning traffic. East of Montgomery Street, Granby Road provides two travel lanes with a median for right turning traffic. The right lane is designated for right turns and through traffic and the left lane is designated for left turns and through traffic. There are two curb openings for ‘7‐11’ on the northern side of the road and two openings for Walgreens Pharmacy on the southern side of road. The Walgreens pharmacy entrances are well defined and well marked with proper signage to guide the vehicles. These should be treated as a template for defining or redesigning other openings or approaches in the intersection for other commercial businesses. MCKINSTRY AVENUE McKinstry Avenue is also a two lane highway classified as urban major collector U5. It is aligned in an east‐west direction and connects Route 116 to the intersection of Granby Road and Montgomery Street. It serves mostly residential areas. There are no curb cuts or commercial businesses along the road at this intersection. A sidewalk is provided along the northern side of the road. The McKinstry Avenue approach to the intersection has two lanes. The left lane is designated for left turns onto Montgomery Street and right lane is designated for through traffic onto Granby Road or right turns onto Montgomery Street. Right turns from McKinstry Avenue onto Granby Road are prohibited. Each lane is defined by signs and pavement markings. The dotted pavement line to guide the traffic from McKinstry Avenue onto Granby Road section is faded and vehicles do not have proper lane markings to follow. The posted speed limit is 25 mph. The speed limit sign is not clearly visible because of a poster partially covering it. 9 ___________________________________________________________________________Introduction Figure 3: Existing Pavement Markings and Signage 10 ___________________________________________________________________________Introduction Figure 4: Aerial Image of the Intersection COURT
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11 II. EXISTING TRANSPORTATION CONDITIONS This section provides a technical evaluation of the transportation components for the intersection. It includes a presentation of the data collected, analysis of traffic operations, and a series of observations and conclusions derived from the analysis. PEAK HOUR VOLUME AND TURNING MOVEMENT COUNTS Turning Movement Counts (TMC’s) were conducted for the intersection during the peak commuter periods. The weekday peak commuter period occurs during the morning hours of 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM and the afternoon hours of 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM for any intersection in the vicinity of a school. The TMC’s were conducted to identify the peak four consecutive 15 minute periods of traffic through the intersection. These consecutive peak 15 minute periods constitute a locationʹs Peak Hour Volume. The peak hour of traffic volume represents the most critical period for operations and will be the focus for some of the analysis conducted in this study. The TMC data also identifies the number of heavy vehicles and pedestrians on the roadway. Heavy vehicles include trucks, recreational vehicles and buses. The percentage of heavy vehicles in the traffic flow is an important component in calculating the serviceability of a corridor or intersection. Trucks impact traffic flow because they occupy more roadway space than passenger cars and have poorer operating capabilities with respect to acceleration, deceleration and maneuverability. The TMC data were obtained during weekday peak periods. As traffic volumes tend to fluctuate over the course of the year, the Massachusetts Highway Department (MassHighway) develops traffic volume adjustment factors to reflect monthly variations. These factors were examined to determine how traffic conditions at the intersection of Granby Road, Montgomery Street and McKinstry Avenue compare to average monthly conditions. 12 _______________________________________________________Existing Transportation Conditions Figure 5: Turning Movement Counts Morning Peak Hour (7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.)
Montgomery Street
Granby Road
65
36
61
212
83
186
38
N
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58
338
30
265
138
McKinstry Avenue
155
159
186
408
151
68
261
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31
Montgomery Street
200
114
Granby Road
13 _______________________________________________________Existing Transportation Conditions N
McKinstry Avenue
Granby
Road
Afternoon Peak Hour (4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.) Montgomery Street
Granby Road
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24
88
232
58
198
43
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121
479
15
213
310
390
193
307
0
24
193
189
168
71
Montgomery Street
266
117
It can be seen from TMC diagrams that all the approaches carry almost equal amounts of traffic. Right turns from McKinstry Avenue onto Granby Road are not permitted. Left turns from Granby Road’s northeast bound approach onto McKinstry Avenue are not restricted yet very few vehicles were observed taking this turn during the morning and afternoon peak hours. 14 _______________________________________________________Existing Transportation Conditions TURNING MOVEMENT COUNTS AT SHOPPING PLAZA DRIVEWAY Turning movement counts were also conducted at the intersection of the Fairfield shopping plaza driveway with Montgomery Street. A four hour TMC count was performed at this intersection from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The peak hour of traffic occurred between 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Figure 6: Afternoon Peak Hour TMC at Shopping Plaza Driveway Intersection Afternoon Peak Hour (4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Montgomery Street
405
216
N
148
Fairfield Shopping
Plaza Driveway
79
446
133
A total of 227 vehicles were observed to exit from the shopping plaza driveway during a typical weekday afternoon peak hour. Nearly 35% of these vehicles turn left onto Montgomery Street. During the TMC, left turning vehicles from the shopping plaza were noted to experience difficulty in viewing southbound traffic when exiting the driveway. This resulted in several ‘near’ collisions at this location. 15 _______________________________________________________Existing Transportation Conditions SAFETY To study safety, PVPC obtained the crash history of the intersection from the Massachusetts Highway Department (MassHighway) and the Chicopee Police Department. Actual crash reports were studied and analyzed to form a collision diagram of the intersection. The crash history for calendar years 2004 ‐ 2006 was provided by MassHighway. A total of 13 crash reports were obtained from the Chicopee Police Department for calendar years 2006 to 2008, which helped in formulating the collision diagram. 1. Crash Rate Analysis A crash rate analysis was performed to compare the crash rate at the intersection to the average value for MassHighway District 2 signalized intersections. The crash rate per million entering vehicles was used for this crash rate analysis. In theory, crash rates can increase as the traffic volume along the roadway increases or as the potential for conflict is increased. The crash rate per million entering vehicles takes into consideration the number of crashes at an intersection and the number of vehicles that enter the intersection over the course of an average day. Based on MassHighway data, the average crash rate for a signalized intersection is 0.94. For the purpose of calculating a crash rate, both the intersections are considered as one and the volumes entering from all five approaches are summarized. These volumes comprise the total volume entering both the branches of the intersection. The crash rate for the intersection is 3.0, which is much higher than the average crash rate of 0.94 for signalized intersections in MassHighway District 2. The high differences between the two crash rates could be a result of analyzing the intersection as one large intersection instead of two smaller intersections. It is also reflective of the high volume of traffic conflicting with a high concentration of commercial access drives. 16 _______________________________________________________Existing Transportation Conditions Table 1: Crash History Total # of Crashes Year 2004 Type 23 Angle Weather Condition Severity 14 Property Damage 19 Clear 18 Side Swipe 2005 28 Angle 3 Non fatal Injury 16 Dry Crash Rate Rear End Road Condition 6 Not Known 16 Property Damage 3 Wet 4 1 Rain 2 Ice 1 Not Known 2 18 Clear 23 Side Swipe 6 Not Known 2 Head On 3 Unknown 13 Dry 10 Property Damage Rear End 5 Non fatal Injury Side Swipe 3 Single Vehicle Unknown Total 9 Cloudy 21 Angle 3 Non fatal Injury 18 Dry 2006 Rear End 3 Cloudy 8 Wet 1 Rain 14 Clear 7 Cloudy 5 15 5 Wet Snow 2 Not Known 1 72 6 1 2 3.0 Source: MassHighway Most of the crashes occurred in clear weather and during dry road conditions. More than 55% of crashes (40 out of 72) were at an angle and 21% of crashes (15 out of 72) were side swipes. For further analysis the two branches of the intersection can also be separately considered as two different intersections if the break up of the crashes at each intersection is known. In such a case the value of the crash rate will be much lower than 3.0 for each intersection. Out of 13 crash reports obtained 4 occurred 17 _______________________________________________________Existing Transportation Conditions at the intersection of Granby Road with McKinstry Avenue and 9 occurred at the intersection of Granby Road with Montgomery Street. Using the same ratio to break up the other 72 crashes; we get 22 crashes at the intersection of Granby Road with McKinstry Avenue and 50 crashes at the intersection of Granby Road with Montgomery Street. Using this approximation we can calculate the crash rate at intersection of Granby Road and Montgomery Street as 2.08 and crash rate at the intersection of Granby Road with McKinstry Avenue as 1.27. The crash rates at both the intersections are still much higher than the average value. This means that the intersection has safety issues and some improvements are required to reduce the number of crashes at this location. 2. Collision Diagram PVPC obtained 13 crash reports from the Chicopee Police Department for the 2006 to 2008 (through October) calendar years. The objective was to analyze the collision patterns and determine factors that may contribute to crashes at this intersection. Based upon the data in the crash reports, each crash has been depicted graphically in the collision diagram and the pattern of the crash has been identified in the table. Not all the patterns described in the table indicate a traffic violation. Figure 5 shows the collision diagram for the intersection. The details of the crashes shown in the figure are presented in Table 2. From the collision diagram of the available 13 crash reports different crash patterns can be observed. Crashes number 1 and 5 are sideswipe crashes. Crash number 1 was a result of improper passing by an overtaking vehicle and crash number 5 involved a sideswipe by a large truck with an adjacent car. Crash number 2 occurred when a vehicle trying to enter the ‘7‐11’ parking lot collided with a through moving vehicle ahead. Crash numbers 3, 4, 6, 9 and 12 were rear end collisions at a red light. Crash number 7 occurred between a through moving vehicle the right of way and a vehicle attempting to cross Montgomery Street from the CVS driveway onto the ‘7‐11’ driveway. Crash numbers 8, 10 and 13 occurred between vehicles with conflicting left turn and through movements on Granby Road. Crash number 11 was a single vehicle crash. The car collided with the light pole on McKinstry Avenue when another car cut across its path exiting out from the Racing Mart gas station driveway. Nearly 50% of the crash reported by the Chicopee Police Department involved a personal injury. 18 _______________________________________________________Existing Transportation Conditions Figure 7: Collision Diagram 19 _______________________________________________________Existing Transportation Conditions Table 2: Crashes included in Collision Diagram 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
DATE
03/18/06
04/20/06
05/12/06
03/09/07
06/12/07
10/23/07
11/21/07
TIME
8:32 PM
10:15 PM
9:13 PM
2:49 PM
8:38 AM
11:22 PM
5:57 PM
DAY
SAT
THU
FRI
FRI
TUE
TUE
WED
SEV.
PD
PD
I
PD
I
PD
PD
L
2
3
3
1
1
3
2
R P
4 10
4
8
4
5
4 5,12
4 10
2
5
2 13
8
9
10
11
12
13
DATE
01/30/08
04/16/08
05/15/08
07/07/08
08/06/08
10/14/08
TIME
7:07 PM
10:15 AM
2:33 PM
2:12 PM
11:06 AM
8:27 PM
DAY
WED
WED
THU
MON
WED
TUE
SEV.
I
I
I
PD
PD
I
L
3
1
1
1
1
3
P
8
5
13
12
5
8
14
Source: Chicopee Police Department
R
4
4
4
4
4
4
20 _______________________________________________________Existing Transportation Conditions LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS The intersection was examined with regard to capacity and delay characteristics to determine the existing Level of Service (LOS). LOS is an indicator of the operating conditions which occur on a roadway under different volumes of traffic and is defined in the 2000 Highway Capacity Manual by six levels, ‘A’ through ‘F’. A number of operational factors can influence the LOS including geometry, travel speeds, delay, and the number of pedestrians. Table 3 presents the LOS designations for a signalized intersection. Table 3: Level of Service Designations for Signalized Intersections Category Description Delay (in seconds) LOS A Describes a condition of free flow, with low volumes and relatively high < 10.0 speeds. There is little or no reduction in maneuverability due to the presence of other vehicles and drivers can maintain their desired speeds. Little or no delays result for side street motorists. LOS B Describes a condition of stable flow, with desired operating speeds relatively >10.0 to 20.0 unaffected, but with a slight deterioration of maneuverability within the traffic stream. Side street motorists experience short delays. LOS C Describes a condition still representing stable flow, but speeds and >20.0 to 35.0 maneuverability begin to be restricted. Motorists entering from side streets experience average delays. LOS D Describes a high‐density traffic condition approaching unstable flow. Speeds >35.0 to 55.0 and maneuverability become more restricted. Side street motorists may experience longer delays. LOS E Represents conditions at or near the capacity of the facility. Flow is usually >55.0 to 80.0 unstable, and freedom to maneuver within the traffic stream becomes extremely difficult. Very long delays may result for side street motorists. LOS F Describes forced flow or breakdown conditions with significant queuing along > 80.0 critical approaches. Operating conditions are highly unstable as characterized by erratic vehicle movements along each approach. Source: Highway Capacity Manual 2000 Depending on the time of day and year, a roadway may operate at varying levels. Level of Service ‘A’ represents the best operating conditions and is an indicator of ideal travel conditions with vehicles operating at or above posted speed limits with little or no delays. Conversely, LOS ‘F’, or failure, generally 21 _______________________________________________________Existing Transportation Conditions indicates forced flow conditions illustrated by long delays and vehicle queues. Level of Service ‘C’ indicates a condition of stable flow and is generally considered satisfactory in rural areas. Under LOS ‘D’ conditions, delays are considerably longer than under LOS ‘C’, but are considered acceptable in urban areas. At LOS ‘E’ the roadway begins to operate at unstable flow conditions as the facility is operating at or near its capacity. For the LOS analysis the study area is divided into three separate intersections; Intersection 1: Granby Road with McKinstry Avenue; Intersection 2: Granby Road with Montgomery Street; and Intersection 3: Montgomery Street with Shopping Plaza Driveway. Intersections 1 and 2 are actuated and coordinated signalized intersections and Intersection 3 is an unsignalized three legged intersection with the westbound approach of the shopping plaza driveway operating under ‘Stop’ sign control. Existing level of service for each approach is shown in Table 4. LOS at all the approaches of Intersections 1 and 2 ranges from A to D. Maximum delay occurs on the Montgomery Street northbound approach followed by the McKinstry Avenue eastbound approach and Montgomery Street southbound approach. The Granby Road southwest bound approach at Intersection 2 averages more than 37 seconds of delay per vehicle. While the Fairfield Shopping Plaza driveway approach experiences 140 seconds delay and operates at LOS F. Both movements from the McKinstry Street approach and the left turn movement from the Montgomery Street northbound approach operate at LOS D. Delays at these approaches are greater than 50 seconds and these movements nearly approach LOS E. Also the traffic queue on the northbound approach of Montgomery Street at the Intersection 2 during the peak hours is long and can extend beyond Intersection 3. This condition was duplicated in PVPC’s analysis using the SimTraffic software. No significant back up traffic was observed to disrupt the traffic coordination of Intersections 1 and 2. 22 _______________________________________________________Existing Transportation Conditions Table 4: Existing Level of Service AM Peak Hour INTERSECTION APPROACH PM Peak Hour MOVEMENT Delay* LOS** Delay* LOS**
McKinstry Avenue Eastbound Left/Through 50. 8 D 49.9 D Granby Road Northeast Bound Through 19.3 B 21.7 C Through 2.9 A 4.1 A Right 1.8 A 2.3 A Left 54.7 D 54.1 D Through 41.6 D 45.1 D Right 9.4 A 7.9 A Montgomery Street Southbound Left/Through/Right 38.8 D 45.0 D Granby Road Southwest Bound Left/Through/Right 39.4 D 37.7 D Left/Through 14 B 13.5 B Right 7.2 A 6.7 A 1 Granby Road Southwest Bound Montgomery Street Northbound 2 Granby Road Northeast Bound Montgomery Street Southbound Left ‐ ‐ 10.0 B Shopping Plaza Driveway Left/Right ‐ ‐ 140.3 F 3 Source: PVPC * Delay in Seconds ** Level of Service 23 _______________________________________________________Existing Transportation Conditions TURN LANE WARRANTS The southwest bound approach of Granby Road at Intersection 2 experienced more than 37 seconds of delay. This approach has a median to separate right turning traffic but lacks a separate right turn lane. Presently, there are two undesignated lanes and left and right turning traffic share the lanes with the through traffic. A 6 second advance green phase is provided for this approach. An additional turn lane for this approach could help implement changes to the traffic signal phasing and timing which could in turn reduce delays for other approaches. 1. Left Turn Lane Warrant The general criterion for an exclusive left turn lane warrant in Massachusetts is a minimum left turn volume of 100 or more vehicles per hour (Massachusetts Highway Department Project Development and Design Guide 2006, Exhibit 6‐23 B). Approximately 60 to 80 vehicles make this left turn during the morning and afternoon peak hours. While an exclusive left turn lane for this approach is not warranted at this time. The left turn volumes indicate that it could be warranted in the future. It is recommended that the intersection be closely monitored to track fluctuations in traffic volumes and turning movements. The PVPC analyzed the intersection with as exclusive left turn lane for this approach. The total delay of this approach is reduced to 33 seconds in the morning peak hour and to about 30 seconds in the afternoon peak hour as a result of an exclusive left turn lane. The LOS improves from D to C in both the cases and LOS for other approaches does not change. 2. Right Turn Lane Warrant The Massachusetts Highway Department Project Development and Design Guide 2006 provides positive and negative criteria for exclusive right turn lane warrants in Exhibit 6‐24. This information is shown in Table 5. A median separates the right turning traffic at this approach but an exclusive right turn lane does not exist. This can result in right turning traffic being blocked by the queue of through traffic at times. The total delay of this approach is again reduced to around 34 seconds in the morning peak hour and to about 31 seconds in the afternoon peak hour as a result of an exclusive right turn lane. The LOS improves from D to C for left and through movements and the right turn movement operates at LOS A. There is no major change in delay and LOS for all the other approaches. 24 _______________________________________________________Existing Transportation Conditions Table 5: Criteria for Right Turn Lane Placement POSITIVE CRITERIA
Favoring Right-Turn Lane Placement
High speed arterial highways
High right-turn motor vehicle volumes
High right-turn plus high cross-street-left-turn volumes
Long right-turn queues
Intersection capacity nearly exhausted
History of crashes involving right-turn vehicles
Little to no pedestrian activity
NEGATIVE CRITERIA
Arguing Against Right-Turn Lane Placement
In residential areas
In urban core areas
On walking routes to school
Where pedestrians are frequent
Low right-turn volumes
Source: Adapted from A policy on Geometric design of Streets and Highways, AASHTO, 2004. Chapter 9 25 III. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the field survey and analysis, the following short term recommendations have been made to improve transportation and safety conditions at the intersection. PAVEMENT Overall the pavement at the intersection is in poor condition. Several distress patterns have been observed on the Montgomery Street northwest bound approach. The right lane has pot holes and a drainage problem. Curbing along the edge of the pavement at this approach is damaged. It is recommended that the City of Chicopee initiate the necessary repair measures needed to maintain the quality of pavement and curbing. The pavement markings on all the approaches were observed to be faded at the time of field study. Pavement arrows on Montgomery Street and Granby Road have also faded, and the crosswalk markings are not visible. It is recommended that the City of Chicopee re‐paint all pavement markings at this intersection. The driveway for the Fairfield Shopping Plaza is nearly 70 feet wide and does not have any pavement markings or curbing. The edge of the pavement is damaged in the vicinity of this intersection and also the movement of vehicles is not properly guided. It is recommended that the City of Chicopee contact the property owners to coordinate a plan to install the pavement markings and curbing in this area. One of the side swipe crashes at the intersection involved a truck and an adjacent car both trying to turn at McKinstry Avenue approach. The travel lanes for each approach have width ranging from 11 to 13 feet. It is recommended that an engineering study be undertaken to check the suitability of the travel lane widths depending upon the traffic volume, percentage of heavy vehicles, and design speed. 26 _____________________________________________________________________Recommendations CURB OPENINGS The area in the vicinity of the intersection has many commercial land uses with several curb openings. Two of the thirteen crashes included in the collision diagram occurred due to conflicts created by the vehicles trying to enter/exit driveways through the curb openings. A number of the crashes that occurred from 2004 – 2006 are also believed to have occurred at curb cuts in the vicinity of the intersection. There are three openings for ‘7‐11’ ; two openings on the Granby Road southwest bound approach and one on Montgomery Street southeast bound approach. It would be advisable for the City of Chicopee to examine the possibility of closing one of the curb openings to Granby Road that is closest to the intersection. Curb openings for the Walgreens Pharmacy are well defined with appropriate signage and pavement markings and could serve as models for designing all the other curb openings in the vicinity. PEDESTRIAN REQUIREMENTS In the vicinity of the intersection, crosswalks are present across Granby Road and Montgomery Street. There is also a crosswalk across Montgomery Street in the vicinity of the Fairfield Shopping Plaza driveway. The crosswalk lines need to be repainted and the crosswalk on Montgomery Street near the Fairfield Shopping Plaza needs to be highlighted using the diagonal lines; according to Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) guidelines (Part 3, Section 3B.17, Pages 3B‐35, 36). Additional signage on Montgomery Street for both is required to inform motorists about the existing crosswalk and possibility of pedestrians crossing. The intersection is located in highly commercialized area in close proximity to residential areas. Sidewalks are also provided in the vicinity of the intersection. Considering these factors, there is good potential for pedestrian traffic in this area. However the absence of pedestrian signals makes it difficult for pedestrians to cross. It is recommended that City of Chicopee examine installing crosswalks and push‐button activated pedestrian signals for all approaches to the intersection. 27 _____________________________________________________________________Recommendations SIGNALS The green signal for right turning traffic from Montgomery Street in the northwest bound direction does not have signal visor. It is recommended that the City of Chicopee install a visor to reduce sun glare and improve visibility. SIGNS It was observed during the field visit that most of the signage at the intersection conforms to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) guidelines. Some additional signage is required to further improve the safety conditions at the intersection. The lane designation sign for the Montgomery Street northwest bound approach is placed after the intersection. In such cases drivers perceive the sign very late and the actual purpose of the sign is not served. Advance lane designation signs are recommended; preferably overhead signs above the lane, suspended on a mast arm. Research has shown overhead signs to be more effective and having higher visibility. A similar situation exists at the Granby Road approach at Intersection 2 where again the lane designation sign is placed after the intersection. It is recommended the City of Chicopee consider mounting overhead lane designation signs in advance of all the approaches to the intersection. Depending upon the findings of future engineering study, the crosswalk across Montgomery Street near Fairfield Shopping Plaza should be relocated / removed or highlighted by signs on both sides of the pavement for the traffic in either direction. LEVEL OF SERVICE AND CONGESTION The level of service at all approaches ranges from A to D although the delays for the McKinstry Avenue approach and left turns from Montgomery Street northbound approach are nearing LOS E conditions. Granby Road southwest bound approach at Intersection 2 already has a median separating right turning traffic and there is a 6 second advance for this approach. Also the left turn volume at this approach during the morning peak hour is beginning to approach the requirements for an exclusive left turn lane warrant. It is recommended that the City considers an engineering study to review the exclusive turn lane 28 _____________________________________________________________________Recommendations warrants in the future and revise the signal timings and phasing accordingly to reduce delays on all the other approaches. Both the movements of the McKinstry Street approach and the left turn movement of Montgomery Street northbound approach operate at LOS D. Delays at these approaches are more than 50 seconds and these movements are nearly approaching LOS E. Also the traffic queue on the northbound approach of Montgomery Street at the Intersection 2 during the peak hours is long and extends beyond Intersection 3. It is recommended that the City of Chicopee considers revising traffic signal timing and phasing plans for this intersection the in near future. The left turn volume on the southwest bound approach of Montgomery Street (around 70 vehicles during both the peak hours) is beginning to approach the minimum warrants for an exclusive left turn lanes. It is recommended that an engineering study should be conducted to examine the necessity of installing an exclusive left turn lane. This would likewise require the acquisition of private property. More than 200 vehicles exit the Fairfield Shopping Plaza driveway during a typical weekday afternoon peak hour. This approach operates at LOS F with more than 140 seconds of delay and has some serious safety concerns. The width of the approach is around 70 feet. This is a wide driveway, approximately 70 feet, which is not currently defined by lane markings. The City should examine the possibility of designating two separate lanes at this driveway approach for left turning and right turning vehicles. Left turning traffic experiences a modest reduction in delay however the delay for the right turning traffic is reduced to 15 seconds. 29