for Roundabout Safety & Capacity Analysis Study ROUNDABOUT FOR The City Cleveland Cleveland March Superior Ave. Cleveland, Ohio 44114

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1 Safety & Capacity Analysis Study for FOR W E14th S T 1 Street 4TH W. S T R E &E T & QUIGLEY QuigleyROAD Road Roundabout ROUNDABOUT The The City City ofof Cleveland Cleveland March 2013 Prepared By NORTHEAST OHIO A R E A W I D E COORDINATING A G E N C Y 1299 Superior Ave. Cleveland, Ohio 44114

2 LORAIN LORAIN CUYAHOGA LINNDALE SUMMIT N. HIGHLAND HILLS WOODMERE CHAGRIN FALLS CUYAHOGA SUMMIT CHAGRIN FALLS GEAUGA The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) is a public organization serving the counties of and municipalities and townships within Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina (covering an area with 2.1 million people). NOACA is the agency designated or recognized to perform the following functions: Serve as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), with responsibility for comprehensive, cooperative and continuous planning for highways, public transit, and bikeways, as defined in the current transportation law. Perform continuous water quality, transportation-related air quality and other environmental planning functions. Administer the area clearinghouse function, which includes providing local government with the opportunity to review a wide variety of local or state applications for federal funds. Conduct transportation and environmental planning and related demographic, economic and land use research. Serve as an information center for transportation and environmental and related planning. At NOACA Governing Board direction, provide transportation and environmental planning assistance to the 172 units of local, general purpose government. The NOACA Governing Board is composed of 44 local public officials. The Board convenes monthly to provide a forum for members to present, discuss and develop solutions to local and areawide issues and make recommendations regarding implementation strategies. As the area clearinghouse for the region, the Board makes comments and recommendations on applications for state and federal grants, with the purpose of enhancing the region s social, physical, environmental and land use/transportation fabric. NOACA invites you to take part in its planning process. Feel free to participate, to ask questions and to learn more about areawide planning. VERMILION BROWNHELM HENRIETTA KIPTON CAMDEN AMHERST S. AMHERST OBERLIN PITTSFIELD LORAIN AMHERST NEW RUSSIA SHEFFIELD ELYRIA SHEFFIELD LAKE SHEFFIELD ELYRIA CARLISLE La GRANGE AVON LAKE 90 AVON NORTH RIDGEVILLE 80 EATON GRAFTON GRAFTON BAY VILLAGE WESTLAKE N. OLMSTED 480 OLMSTED OLMSTED FALLS COLUMBIA LIVERPOOL ROCKY RIVER FAIRVIEW PARK BEREA LAKEWOOD BROOKPARK MIDDLEBURGH HTS. STRONGSVILLE 71 BRUNSWICK 90 BROOKLYN PARMA HTS PARMA 80 HINCKLEY 77 BROADVIEW N. ROYALTON HTS. CUYAHOGA MEDINA BROOKLYN HTS. 490 CLEVELAND CUYAHOGA HTS. SEVEN HILLS 77 SUMMIT BRATENAHL GARFIELD HTS. VALLEY VIEW INDEPENDENCE EAST CLEVELAND BRECKSVILLE 90 CLEVELAND HTS. SHAKER HTS. MAPLE HTS. BEDFORD WALTON HILLS EUCLID SOUTH UNIVERSITY HTS. BEACHWOOD TIMBERLAKE LAKELINE WILLOWICK LYNDHURST WARRENSVILLE HTS. RANDALL RICHMOND HTS. EUCLID BEDFORD HTS. LAKE OAKWOOD WICKLIFFE ORANGE PEPPER PIKE GLEN WILLOW 480 EASTLAKE WILLOUGHBY HILLS HIGHLAND HTS. MAYFIELD HTS. MENTOR ON THE LAKE WILLOUGHBY MAYFIELD VILLAGE GATES MILLS HUNTING VALLEY MORELAND HILLS 2 BENTLEYVILLE SOLON WAITE HILL GEAUGA GRAND RIVER VILLAGE MENTOR KIRTLAND HILLS KIRTLAND CHESTERLAND RUSSELL S. RUSSELL BAINBRIDGE 422 PAINESVILLE PAINESVILLE FAIRPORT HARBOR VILLAGE. 90 PAINESVILLE PAINESVILLE CONCORD CHARDON MUNSON NEWBURY AUBURN CHARDON GEAUGA LAKE GEAUGA PORTAGE 80 PERRY LEROY HAMBDEN AQUILLA CLARIDON BURTON NORTH PERRY PERRY BURTON TROY MADISON MADISON 90 THOMPSON MONTVILLE HUNTSBURG MIDDLEFIELD MIDDLEFIELD PARKMAN LAKE BRIGHTON WELLINGTON WELLINGTON La GRANGE PENFIELD LORAIN LITCHFIELD YORK BRUNSWICK MEDINA MEDINA 271 GRANGER MEDINA PORTAGE ROCHESTER MEDINA ROCHESTER HUNTINGTON SPENCER CHATHAM LAFAYETTE MONTVILLE SHARON 77 SPENCER Briarwood Beach Chippewa on the Lake For more information, call (216) or log on at HOMER LODI HARRISVILLE WESTFIELD WESTFIELD CENTER 71 GUILFORD 76 SEVILLE RITTMAN WADSWORTH WADSWORTH

3 2013 NOACA BOARD BOARD OFFICERS President: Valarie J. McCall, Chief of Government Affairs, City of Cleveland First Vice President: Mary E. Samide, President, Geauga County Board of Commissioners Second Vice President: Ted Kalo, President, Lorain County Board of Commissioners Secretary: Daniel P. Troy, Lake County Commissioner Assistant Secretary: Kathleen Scheutzow, Trustee, Brunswick Hills Township, Medina County Assistant Secretary: Robert E. Aufuldish, President, Lake County Board of Commissioners Treasurer: Stephen D. Hambley, Medina County Commissioner Assistant Treasurer: Julius Ciaccia, Jr., Executive Director, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District Assistant Treasurer: John D. Hunter, Mayor of Sheffield Village, Lorain County Immediate Past President: Edward S. Jerse, Director of Regional Collaboration, Cuyahoga County BOARD MEMBERS CUYAHOGA COUNTY Robert G. Blomquist, Mayor, City of Olmsted Falls William R. Cervenik, Mayor, City of Euclid Scott E. Coleman, Mayor, City of Highland Heights Timothy J. DeGeeter, Mayor, City of Parma Edward O. FitzGerald, County Executive, Cuyahoga County Susan K. Infeld, Mayor, City of University Heights Edward S. Jerse, Director of Regional Collaboration, Susanna Niermann O Neil, Acting City Manager, Cleveland Heights Michael S. Procuk, Mayor, Village of Brooklyn Heights Julian Rogers, Councilman, City of Cleveland Leonard A. Spremulli, Mayor, Village of Bentleyville Robert A. Stefanik, Mayor, City of North Royalton Michael P. Summers, Mayor, City of Lakewood Deborah L. Sutherland, Mayor, City of Bay Village Bonita G. Teeuwen, P.E., Director of Public Works CITY OF CLEVELAND Anthony Brancatelli, Councilman, Robert N. Brown, Director of Planning Martin J. Keane, Councilman Valarie J. McCall, Chief of Government Affairs Mamie J. Mitchell, Councilwoman Jomarie Wasik, Director of Capital Projects GEAUGA COUNTY Tracy A. Jemison, Geauga County Commissioner Mary E. Samide, President, Geauga County Board of Commissioners Ralph Spidalieri, Geauga County Commissioner LAKE COUNTY Robert E. Aufuldish, President, Lake County Board of Commissioners James R. Gills, P.E., P.S., Lake County Engineer Ray Jurkowski, LAKETRAN General Manager Judy Moran, Lake County Commissioner Daniel P. Troy, Lake County Commissioner LORAIN COUNTY Holly Brinda, Mayor, City of Elyria Kenneth P. Carney, Sr., P.E., P.S., Lorain County Engineer Ted Kalo, President, Lorain County Board of Commissioners Dick Heidecker, Trustee, Columbia Township John D. Hunter, Mayor, Village of Sheffield Chase M. Ritenauer, Mayor, City of Lorain Tom Williams, Lorain County Commissioner MEDINA COUNTY J. Christopher Easton, Public Service Director, City of Wadsworth Stephen D. Hambley, Medina County Commissioner Michael J. Salay, P.E., P.S., Medina County Engineer Kathleen Scheutzow, Trustee, Brunswick Hills Township NORTHEAST OHIO REGIONAL SEWER DISTRICT (NEORSD) Julius Ciaccia, Jr., Executive Director GREATER CLEVELAND REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY (RTA) George M. Dixon, Board President CLEVELAND-CUYAHOGA COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY: William D. Friedman, President/CEO OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (ODOT): Myron S. Pakush, Deputy Director, District 12 Ex officio Member: Kurt Princic, Chief, Northeast District Office, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) NOACA DIRECTORS Grace Gallucci, Executive Director Cheryl A. Kurkowski, CPA, Director of Finance & Operations Jonathan Giblin, Director of Programs William Davis, Associate Director of Planning

4 1) Title & Subtitle Safety and Capacity Analysis Study for W. 14 th Street and Quigley Road Roundabout 3) Author(s) Sahar Tawfiq Mahmoud Al-Lozi 5) Performing Organization Name & Address Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency 1299 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, OH Phone: (216) FAX: (216) Website: 8) Sponsoring Agency Name & Address Ohio Department of Transportation 1980 W. Broad St., Box 899 Columbus, OH ) Supplementary Notes 2) NOACA Report No. TR ) Report Date March ) Project Task No. 7) NOACA Contract/Grant No. ODOT/FHWA 9) Type of Report & Period Covered 10) Sponsoring Agency Code Federal funding for this project was provided by the Federal Highway Administration and administered by the Ohio Department of Transportation. 12) Abstracts The City of Cleveland requested NOACA to conduct a safety and capacity study for the W.14 th Street multi- lane modern roundabout. The study identified safety and capacity problems that are encountered by users approaching and going through the roundabout and to recommend countermeasures that may reduce the frequency of crashes and improve the operating level-of-service for all users of the roundabout. The Highway Capacity software was used to evaluate the capacity of the existing geometric layout of the roundabout and its approaches and to examine possible improvement alternatives. 13) Key Words & Document Analysis A. Descriptors Safety and capacity study for a multi-lane roundabout B. Identifiers/Open Ended Terms Modern Roundabout, Safety, Capacity Analysis 14) Availability Statement NOACA 15) No. Pages 16) Price

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6 Safety and Capacity Analysis Study for W. 14 th Street and Quigley Road Roundabout City of Cleveland, Ohio Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency March 2013 VALARIE J. MCCALL BOARD PRESIDENT GRACE GALLUCCI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Preparation of this publication was financed by appropriations from the counties of and municipalities within Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration, in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Transportation.

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8 Acknowledgments Significant assistance was provided by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 12 to finish this study. ODOT provided time-lapse video for the am and pm periods that was used to extract the turning movement counts, conducted 24-hour counts on all approach and departure lanes and speed measurements on all approaches. ODOT and the City of Cleveland Division of Traffic staff participated in the field observations and reviews.

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10 Table of Content Executive Summary 1 Introduction 2 Existing Conditions 3 Crash Analysis 7 Observations and Recommendations 14 Signage 14 Pavement Markings 16 Lane Utilization 17 Drivers Behavior and Education 17 Pedestrians 19 Geometry and Landscaping 19 Capacity Analysis 21 Methodology 21 Traffic Volumes 22 Alternatives 22 Recommendations and Conclusion 29 Appendices: Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Peak Hours Traffic Turning Movement Highway Capacity Software Output OMUTCD Double-Left Turn Treatment ODOT Interoffice Communication

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12 Executive Summary The City of Cleveland requested NOACA to conduct a safety and capacity study for the W.14 th multi- lane modern roundabout located in Tremont just west of the Cleveland Central Business District (CBD). The City s Division of Traffic Engineering has been receiving safety and congestion complaints from nearby residents and from motorists using the roundabout. The purpose of this study is to examine and identify safety and capacity problems that are encountered by users approaching and going through the roundabout and to recommend countermeasures that may reduce the frequency of crashes and improve the operating level-of-service for all users of the roundabout. Staff from NOACA, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), and the City of Cleveland conducted a Road Safety Audit (RSA) at the location to observe the traffic operation and to document operational issues and recommend countermeasures to improve safety for all roundabout users. A complete crash analysis study was also conducted using ODOT s GIS Crash Analysis Tool (GCAT) to examine the characteristics of reported crashes for years 2009 through The crash analysis showed that the majority of the crashes can be attributed to the users lack of knowledge of roundabout rules. The Highway Capacity Manual and its software were used to evaluate the capacity of the existing geometric layout of the roundabout and its approaches and to examine possible improvement alternatives. The following are recommended measures to improve safety and reduce congestion at the W.14 th Street roundabout: Consider changing the lane use on IR-71 ramp approach to left turn only for the left lane and through and left for the right lane Traffic sign improvements such as larger yield signs, additional lane control signs, directional signs, pedestrians crossing signs and advisory speed limit signs Lane marking improvements including: upgrading pavement markings to a more durable material type, using fish-hook arrows similar to the arrows on the lane-use signs; using Raised Pavement Markings (RPM) along the lane lines within the roundabout Launch an educational campaign and outreach program to educate drivers on how to use and travel through a multi-lane modern roundabout Improve the inner circle landscaping with low-growth shrubberies to provide a more pleasant and welcoming feature that would help lessen the undesirable openness and reduce vehicular speed As a long-term recommendation: improve IR-71 northbound exit ramp alignment to cause traffic to enter the roundabout at a lower speed 1

13 Introduction The City of Cleveland asked NOACA to conduct a safety and capacity study for the W.14th Street roundabout. The City s Division of Traffic Engineering has been receiving safety and congestion complaints from local residents and motorists using the roundabout. NOACA generally conducts Road Safety Audits for high crash locations in the region. This location, however, has not been identified as one having a high number of crashes that needed to be studied. Rather, NOACA and the Ohio Department of Transportation Distict-12 (ODOT-12) staff took a closer look at the crash data for this location and found that crashes reported for the freeway ramps (IR-71 and SR-176 northbound off ramps) and within the roundabout were coded as mainline freeway crashes instead of occurring in the roundabout as stated in the crash reports. As a result this location has not appeared on the list of high crash intersections in the NOACA region. Further examination of the crash reports ranks this location as the 53rd among the top crash locations in the NOACA region. The W.14th Street roundabout was opened to traffic in It is the first and still the only multi- lane modern roundabout in the NOACA region. The roundabout is located in the southwest corner of the Tremont neighborhood. The approaches of the roundabout are W.14th Street from the north, Quigley Road from the east, IR-71 ramp from northwest, SR-176 ramp from southwest and W.14th Street ramp to SR-176 and IR-71 and Valentine Avenue to the west. The roundabout is used by traffic heading to Steelyard Commons shopping center, and by truck traffic serving the Cleveland flats area, and Tremont area. W.14 th Street is frequently used as an alternate route to access the Cleveland CBD area. Two-lane roundabouts are usually more challenging to navigate through than single-lane roundabouts; however if the rules are well known and understood by users they are safer than conventional intersections. Roundabouts reduce vehicular speed and the number of conflict points; the result is a reduction in the more severe crash types such as angle, head-on and left-turn crashes, Figure 1. The purpose of this study is to examine and identify the safety and capacity problems that are encountered by drivers approaching and navigating through the roundabout and to recommend countermeasures that will reduce the frequency of crashes and improve the operational level-of-service for all users of the roundabout. Figure 1: Conflict points for a single-lane cross intersection and a single-lane roundabout 2

14 Existing Conditions The location that is the focus of this study is the roundabout controlled intersection of W. 14 th Street, Quigley Road, and the northbound exit ramps of IR-71 and SR-176. Figure 2 shows the location of the intersection and its proximity to the Cleveland CBD area. Figure 3 is an aerial photograph of the roundabout area. The roundabout is a two-lane five legged facility with four approaches. The average daily traffic (ADT) entering is 25,180 vehicles based on a 24-hour count conducted in July The north leg is W. 14 th Street, which is an urban collector street serving an average daily traffic (ADT) of 17,385 vehicles. The W. 14 th Street approach consists of two lanes: a through-only lane and a shared through, left, and U-turn lane. Figure 4 shows the existing lane use on all approaches. The northbound approach, SR-176 northbound exit ramp, consists of two lanes: a shared right and through lane and a shared through and U-turn lane. The U-turn movement is traffic heading to IR-71 and SR-176 southbound ramps and to Valentine Avenue (access to MetroHealth hospital). The ADT at this approach is 7,310 vehicles. The heaviest movement from this approach is the am peak hour through movement towards downtown Cleveland (632 vehicles/hour (VPH)) while the right turn movement to Quigley Road is very light (75 VPH). The east leg of the intersection is Quigley Road, which is classified as an urban collector. The ADT on Quigley Road is 9,970 vehicles. The lane-use assignment is: a shared right and left lane and a left and U- turn lane. Truck traffic makes up about 36 % and 18 % of the left turning traffic during the am peak and pm peak periods respectively. IR-71 northbound exit ramp approach consists of two lanes and a right-turn yield controlled by-pass. The ADT at this approach is 6,130 vehicles. The left lane is a shared through and left while the right lane is a through only lane, Figure 4. During the am peak, the left turning movement is heavy (725 VPH) with very light through traffic volumes (95 VPH). Long traffic queues in the left lane encourage left turning vehicles to use the underutilized right lane assigned for through traffic movement only. During the am peak hour, the heavy volume of traffic heading to W.14 th Street northbound from IR-71 and SR-176 northbound exit ramps is 1,357 VPH; the return movement is the through pm peak hour traffic volume on W. 14 th Street southbound approach which is 877 VPH. This difference between the am peak and pm peak return movements agrees with the notion that some am peak traffic might consist of traffic avoiding the long queues on IR-71, IR-90 and SR-176 heading towards downtown Cleveland. When the Innerbelt eastbound bridge is fully constructed in 2016, SR-176 will join I-71 northbound as an add lane. This is expected to reduce congestion on I-71 northbound during peak hours, especially the am peak and will reduce the queue jumping of traffic through W 14 th Street to downtown Cleveland. Also, it is important to note that the W. 3 rd Street lift bridge over the Cuyahoga River was not open to traffic during the traffic count or this study s field visits. Once the bridge opens to traffic, it will affect the volume of traffic using the roundabout, especially the Quigley Road leg as it will provide another alternate route to the Flats and the Cleveland CBD. 3

15 ODOT measured the speed on all approaches using pneumatic tubes 20 feet from the roundabout. Table 1 shows the mean speed and the 85th percentile speed in miles per hour (mph) on all approaches during the hours where the traffic is expected to be light. Due to the limited capability of the equipment used to measure the speed, vehicles with speeds below five mph were not recorded. The speed data is showing that more than 50% of traffic on all approaches enters the roundabout at speeds higher than the posted advisory speed limit of 15 mph. The mean speed, however, is close to the posted advisory speed limit on three approaches. Approach Mean Speed (mph) 85 th Percentile (mph) IR-71 Exit Ramp SR-176 Exit Ramp W. 14 th Street Quigley Road ODOT District 12 reviewed the intersection in February 2012 and recommended and implemented the following signage upgrades on IR-71 and SR-176 northbound exit ramp approaches: Upgrading the YIELD and YIELD AHEAD signs to a larger size Post-mounted lane-use signs on all approaches Pedestrian warning signs Diagonal arrow signs AHEAD plaques Fifteen mile per hour speed advisory signs % of Vehicles Approaching at Speeds Exceeding 15 mph 4

16 W 14 th St Quigley IR 71 NB Exit Figure 2: Study Location SR 176 NB Exit 5

17 Figure 4: Existing traffic movement and overhead lane-use signs 6

18 Crash Analysis Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 12 obtained the crash history for the intersection for the pre and post roundabout construction periods, as shown in Table 2. There was an increase in the number of crashes after the construction of the roundabout, but a significant decrease in the percent of injury crashes. The significant change in traffic volumes and pattern, and the lack of initial driver experience and knowledge of using a roundabout might be one of the contributing factors for the increase in the number of crashes. Quigley Road was extended and connected to the roundabout, and Steelyard Commons opened to business around the construction time of the roundabout. Before the construction of Steelyard Commons the majority of traffic was commuters; its opening added a new population of infrequent users not as familiar with the area. Year Frequency of Crashes Total % Injury Crashes Pre-Roundabout Construction % Post- Roundabout Construction % The traffic volumes and pattern changed with the construction of the roundabout Table 2: Crash comparison before and after constructing the roundabout 7

19 A review of the most recent three-year crash history at the roundabout was conducted to establish a profile for the types and patterns of crashes. Crash records for years 2009, 2010, and 2011 were obtained using ODOT GIS Crash Analysis Tools (GCAT) to study and determine the types, contributing factors, approximate locations, and severity of crashes at this roundabout. Records show there were 88 crashes at the roundabout in the three-year period. The predominant types of crashes are sideswipe passing and angle crashes. The reported sideswipe and angle crashes were the result of either wrong lane use or failure to yield to both circulating lanes, Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5: Wrong lane use (purple vehicle in wrong lane) Figure 6: Failure to Yield (purple vehicle fails to yield) 8

20 Figures 7 and 8 below show the frequency and severity of crashes by year, and percentage of injury crashes of total reported crashes. The number of crashes did not show a significant change while the percentage of injury crashes increased from four percent (4%) in 2009 to 20% in This increase may be contributed to the growing familiarity and comfort of commuters with the roundabout, resulting in higher speeds and smaller accepted gaps. Figures 9 through 11 show the frequency of crashes by month of year, day of week, and time of day of their occurrence. Although the frequency of crashes is highest during the evening peak hour, the occurrence of crashes is significant during the afternoon hours (12:00-4:00 pm). This might be due to non-commuter users unfamiliarity with navigating through multi-lane roundabouts. No exceptional pattern is observed for crashes by day of week or by month % 4 13% % Property Damage Crash Injury Crash Figure 7: Crash Frequency by Year and Severity 11 12% Injury Crash 77 88% Property Damage Crash Figure 8: Frequency of Crashes by Severity 9

21 Figure 9: Frequency of Crashes by Hour Figure 10: Frequency of Crashes by Day of the Week Figure 11: Frequency of Crashes by Month 10

22 The reported types of crashes during the analysis period are mainly sideswipe passing and angle crashes, Figure 12. Eighty one percent of the crashes are angle and sideswipe crashes which are caused by either failure to yield for both circulating lanes or failure to use the correct lane when entering or exiting the roundabout. Figure 12: Frequency of Crashes by Type of Crash Figure 13 shows crash contributing factors distribution based on review of crash reports. Twenty five percent of the crashes were due to wrong lane use and 37 % were caused by failure to yield. Sixty percent of the crashes can be attributed to the unfamiliarity of the roadway users with driving a two-lane roundabout. Figure 13: Frequency by Axis Contributing Title Factors 11

23 Figures 14 and 15 show the frequency of crashes by light and road conditions. Seventy two (82%) of the crashes occurred during day time and 11 (13%) occurred during dark hours. Twenty crashes (23%) occurred during adverse road conditions. 2 2% 11 13% 2 2% 1 1% 72 82% Daylight Dark - Lighted Dusk Dawn Light Not Stated Figure 14: Crashes by Light Condition 5% 1% 3% Road-Dry 17% Road-Wet Road-Snow Road-Mud/Sand 74% Road Condition Not Stated Figure 15: Crashes by Road Condition The crash diagram, Figure 16, shows that crashes are concentrated at two corners: the southwest corner and the northeast corner. Most of the crashes are attributed to one of the following factors: not yielding to traffic in either or both lanes of circulating traffic using the incorrect lane, outer lane drivers continuing on the roundabout where they should be exiting changing lanes while circulating the roundabout 12

24 Figure 16: Crash Diagram 13

25 Observations and Recommendations Signage Clear and compelling signage is important for guiding motorists and placing them in the correct lane as they maneuver their vehicles through the roundabout. Signage is also an important part of educating drivers on how to drive through a modern roundabout. Warning, lane-use and directional signs have been installed on all approaches. ODOT recently upgraded the yield signs with 48 x48 signs on IR-71 and SR-176 ramp approaches for better visibility and installed post-mounted lane-use signs on all approaches. A directional sign was installed on the W. 14 th Street southbound approach of the roundabout and was removed shortly after the roundabout opened to traffic due to local opposition of installing a freeway type sign in the neighborhood. The sign was replaced by a post mounted sign, Picture 1. Based on field observation and the predominant drivers behavior at this roundabout, the signage can be further improved as follows: Add a supplemental plaque Yield to Both Circulating Lanes to yield signs on all approaches Increase the size of the Yield signs on W. 14 th Street and Quigley Road approaches Evaluate the location of the existing curb side YIELD sign on W. 14 th Street approach. The sign is not visible for approaching vehicles Increase the size of post-mounted lane-use signs, Picture 2, and add supplemental plaques to include the description Left Lane and Right Lane under the arrow plate, Figure 17 Enhance the visibility of the overhead lane-use signs by increasing their size. The existing overhead lane-use signs on all approaches are small and not easily noticeable, Picture 3 Add destination/directional signs with a circular diagram similar to the sign on Quigley Road, Picture 4, on SR-176 northbound exit ramp and W. 14 th Street southbound approach Change the directional sign on IR-71 northbound exit ramp, Picture 5, to be similar to the directional sign on Quigley Road Increase the size of the roundabout warning signs and speed advisory plaques on all approaches Move the advisory speed and roundabout warning signs on W. 14 th Street and Quigley Road approaches closer to the roundabout Pedestrians were observed to cross the south and east legs of the intersection where no crosswalks or sidewalks are provided. Consider adding No Pedestrian Crossing Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (OMUTCD) pedestrian signs R9-3 or R9-3a on SR-176 and W. 14th Street south legs 14

26 Figure 17: Recommended Lane-use sign Picture 1: Directional sign on W. 14 th Street Picture 2: Lane-use sign on IR-71 northbound exit ramp Picture 3: W. 14 th Street approach overhead lane-use signs Picture 4: Directional sign on Quigley Road approach Picture 5: Directional sign on IR-71 northbound exit ramp 15

27 Pavement Markings Roundabout pavement markings delineate the entries, exits and circulating lanes. They guide drivers and improve their recognition of the changing alignment of the travel lanes. Approach markings, including arrows, complement lane-use signs to guide drivers in lane selection. The lane lines, edge lines and arrows on the circulating lanes and approaches at this roundabout are faded. The concrete pavement at this intersection limits the type of materials that can be used. The paint used for the existing pavement markings is not durable and not visible enough on the concrete pavement. The following recommendations will enhance the durability and visibility of the pavement markings: Upgrade pavement markings: o Use more durable marking material type o Change the arrows on the approaches to fish-hook arrows similar to the arrows on the lane-use signs. It would help emphasize the upcoming control type and differentiate the arrows from those at other types of intersections o Add Raised Pavement Markings (RPM) along the lane lines within the roundabout to improve the visibility of the lines and discourage lane change within the roundabout Add the word ONLY to approach and exit locations where only one movement is permitted Add the word YIELD on all approaches Apply shadow marking to improve visibility as a shorter-term measure 16

28 Lane Utilization The existing lane configuration for IR-71 ramp approach restricts the inner lane to through movement while the curb lane is a shared through and left. The through traffic heading to Quigley Road eastbound is very low, especially during the am peak hour (95 vehicles), while the left-turn traffic heading to W. 14 th Street northbound is very heavy (725 vehicles). This traffic pattern and lane configuration result in an unbalanced lane use where the right lane is underutilized encouraging the left-turn traffic to use the right lane when the queue on the left lane gets longer. The traffic volume on Quigley Road approach is low especially in the am peak, which is the most critical hour. The lane-use assignment can be simplified to reduce the possible conflicts between traffic streams at the northeast corner of the roundabout. The collision diagram shows a concentration of crashes in that area of the roundabout. Therefore: Consider changing the lane use on IR-71 ramp approach to left-turn only for the left lane and through and left-turn for the right lane Consider changing the lane use on Quigley Road approach to right-turn only for the curb lane and left-turn only for the inner lane. This change will increase the delay for the southbound approach traffic but it would simplify the turning movement and confusion and potentially decrease crashes Drivers Behavior and Education Sixty percent (60%) of the crashes were the result of misunderstanding (misconception) of the rules of driving on a roundabout. The most recurring contributing factors are: not yielding to both circulating lanes, resulting in a conflict between the entering vehicle and the exiting inner lane vehicle wrong lane use resulting in conflicts between vehicles on the outer and inner circulating lanes circulating traffic changing lane to exit the roundabout In an effort to educate users on how to drive roundabouts, ODOT placed changeable message signs in 2012 on different locations in the roundabout area for a period of a few days. The study recommends the following to improve the understanding of the rules associated with driving through roundabouts and increase awareness of the advantages of roundabouts: Work with Ohio Department of Public Safety to include roundabout instruction in Ohio Driver s Manual and Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws Include test materials in the drivers verbal or written examinations at the Bureaus of Motor Vehicles Provide the necessary material to drivers education schools and companies 17

29 Prepare and distribute or mail instructional flyers to commercial establishment, trucking companies, and bus operators in the area Include roundabout material on different related organization websites such as the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, ODOT District 12, NOACA and other websites Develop an outreach program to distribute information on the W. 14 th Street roundabout and on roundabouts as a traffic control option for safer operation; consider including games and prizes to attract families, Picture 6 Incorporate the media and local newspapers in outreach programs Display posters and room-size roundabout layouts at schools, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices and other locations Consider using rubber floor mats to display roundabout layouts and vital instructions in public places Picture 6: Roundabout rules explained in NOACA's air quality display 18

30 Pedestrian Pedestrians and cyclists movements on normal weekdays are light at this roundabout. On August 7, 2012, during one of the field observations, high numbers of pedestrians were observed heading to a community event at Steelyard Commons. Pedestrians were observed to cross the south and west legs of the roundabout where no crosswalks are marked. Few pedestrians were observed to cross through the central island. Consider adding No Pedestrian Crossing, OMUTCD pedestrian signs R9-3 or R9-3a signs on OH-176 and W. 14 th Street south legs Geometry and Landscaping One of the roundabout objectives in urban environments is to force traffic to approach, enter and circulate at a low speed. This objective is especially important at the W. 14 th Street roundabout which is a terminal location for two freeway ramps. The speed is managed partly by the approach path deflection achieved by reducing the entry radius. A balance should be accomplished between reducing the radius to control the speed and providing a sufficient radius to accommodate the design vehicle and visibility of adjacent legs. The alignment of IR-71 off ramp entry is offset to the right at a tangential angle and does not provide enough deflection to reduce the speed. The problem is aggravated by the immediate proximity of the W. 14 th Street southbound departure leg where 51 % of the crashes (45 crashes) occurred. Of these, 29 crashes involved a vehicle entering from the IR-71 ramp. The circulating vehicles in this tight corner tend to either change lanes or encroach on the outer lane when exiting southbound on W. 14 th Street. The geometry of the roundabout can be improved by changing the entry location of IR-71 ramp and increasing the distance separating the ramp approach and W. 14 th Street south. Figure 18 shows the possible realignment for IR-71 ramp approach The inner circle landscaping is an important feature of a roundabout. Appropriate, well maintained landscaping limits the available sight distance and will force drivers to reduce their entering speed. A balance should be maintained to insure that the required safe sight distance is available. The landscaping can be enhanced to complement and more define the existing monument in the center of the roundabout. Picture 7 shows the existing monument and landscaping 19

31 Figure 18: Recommended realignment of IR-71 Picture 7: W. 14 th Street roundabout center monument 20

32 Capacity Analysis Methodology The Transportation Research Board s 2010 Highway Capacity Manual, (HCM 2010), and Software (HCS 2010), and Synchro were used to analyze the roundabout capacity and performance based on the level of service (LOS). The level of service (LOS) is a measure of how well an intersection operates under given conditions. The LOS is defined by delays drivers experience while travelling through an intersection. Capacity analysis is used to calculate delays using procedures outlined in the HCM The capacity analysis procedures provide calculated average vehicle delay. This is based on traffic volumes, number of lanes, types of traffic control, grade, channelization, and percentage of heavy vehicles at each intersection. The average vehicle delay at each intersection is assigned a level of service ranging from LOS A, the best, to LOS F, the worst. In the NOACA region, LOS D and better is considered an acceptable level of operation. The LOS for a roundabout controlled intersection and its approaches are shown in Table 3. Control Delay LOS by Volume to Capacity Ratio (v/c) (sec./vehicle) v/c 1.0 v/c > A F > B F > C F > D F > E F >50.0 F F Table 3: Average vehicle delay in seconds per vehicle (s/veh) 21

33 Traffic Volumes Peak hours turning movement counts were extracted from a six-hour video recorded and supplied by ODOT. The traffic count summary is shown in Appendix A. The am peak and the pm peak hours were 7:30 to 8:30 am and 4:30 to 5:30 pm. Traffic forecast, based on NOACA s regional model, shows a decrease in traffic volumes for the year For the purpose of this analysis the critical volume is considered the existing 2012 traffic volumes. The am and pm peak hour volumes are shown on Figure 19. Alternatives The roundabout performance was analyzed for the am and pm peaks for the four alternatives listed below. Table 4 lists a summary of the capacity analyses results. The HCS was used for the capacity analysis with the default values for the critical and follow-up headways, and seconds respectively. Field observations indicate that the peak hour commuter traffic is accepting shorter gaps than the defaults. The default gap values are conservative and the delays are higher than observed. A study will be necessary to obtain the regional gap values that represent local drivers behavior. HCS outputs are included in Appendix B. 22

34 Distinct platoon arrival of the southbound and westbound traffic during the evening peak was observed due to the nearby signalized intersections of W. 14 th Street at Buhrer Avenue and Quigley Road at Steelyard Drive. The Innerbelt project is under construction. Improvements to the Innerbelt Bridge will affect the traffic using the roundabout. Reevaluation of these alternatives will be necessary when the Innerbelt Bridge project is completed. 1. Existing conditions Figure 20 shows the existing eastbound and westbound approaches lane-use configuration. During the morning peak, IR-71 off ramp through traffic to Quigley Road is light compared to the heavy left turning movement to W.14 th Street northbound towards downtown Cleveland. The right lane is underutilized and the long traffic queue on the left lane forces some left turning traffic to use the right lane. The capacity analysis for the existing lane-use configuration results in a LOS F for the left lane. While in actuality the left turning traffic is encouraged to use the right lane resulting in an observed lower delay for the left-turn movement. Figure 20: Existing conditions 23

35 2. Alternative I: Changing the I-71 off ramp approach lane use to left turn only for the left lane and shared through and left for the right lane, Figure 21. The left lane control delay, for the am peak, dropped from seconds to 27.5 seconds while the right lane control delay increased from 8.0 seconds to 19.6 seconds. This lane-use configuration is similar to the observed balance the road users are trying to achieve by using the under utilized right lane. The double left-turn requires the change of the circulating lane lines to divert W. 14 th Street left-turn movement to the outer lane on the southwest corner of the roundabout. Appendix C shows Ohio MUTCD, Figure 3C-7, for double left-turn pavement marking treatment. This alternative requires a single lane eastbound exit on Quigley Road. Figure 21: Alternative I 24

36 3. Alternative II: Change Quigley Road approach lane use to right-turn only for the outer lane and left-turn only for the inner lane, including the changes in alternative I as shown on Figure 22. The circulating lanes between Quigley Road approach and W. 14 th Street approach is reduced to one-lane. The approach and intersection LOS do not improve but traffic stream conflicts can be reduced and lane utilization is simplified which can potentially reduce crashes in the northeast corner of the roundabout. The high percentage of heavy trucks using the roundabout are using the outer lane to access the freeway, this alternative will concentrate the trucks in the inner lane which might create inconvenience for these trucks when circulating the roundabout. Figure 22: Alternative II 25

37 4. Alternative III: Partial two-lane roundabout ODOT evaluated two alternatives based on the forecast traffic volumes, Figure 23, that was originally used to design the roundabout and Quigley Road connector, Figures 24-a and 24-b. The first alternative considered a partial one-lane roundabout and the second a one-lane roundabout both with two right turn by-passes for the ramp approaches. This alternative is ODOT s first alternative. The performance of the roundabout with a single lane and right turn bypass on IR-71 and SR-176 ramp approaches and two-lane westbound and southbound approaches was evaluated. The am peak LOS is F for the shared lane on both IR-71 and SR-176 ramps with control delays of and seconds respectively. Both alternatives did not perform at acceptable levels of service when using the 2012 traffic counts. Figure23: Design year traffic volumes used in 2006 to design the roundabout 26

38 Figure24-a: ODOT Alternative 1: partial single lane roundabout Figure24-b: ODOT Alternative 2: single lane roundabout 27

39 Intersection 28 Table 4: Capacity Analyses summary: Level of Service (LOS)/Delay table Scenario Peak Hour Approach LOS/Delay I-71 Off Ramp Quigley Rd SR-176 Off Ramp W. 14 th St Lane Left Right By Pass Left Right Left Right Left Right Existing AM F/156.7 A/8.0 A/7.0 C/24.9 C/21.9 E/49.3 F/62.3 A/7.0 A/7.3 F/72.43 PM C/20.0 C/17.1 C/24.8 B/10.5 A/7.5 A/8.7 A/9.1 C/18.2 C/21.6 C/15.60 Alternative I Alternative II AM D/27.5 C/19.6 A/7.0 C/24.9 C/21.9 E/49.3 F/62.3 A/7.0 A/7.2 D/33.29 PM C/20.3 C/16.8 C/24.8 B/10.5 A/7.5 A/8.7 A/9.1 C/18.2 C/21.6 C/15.6 AM D/27.5 C/19.6 A/7.0 C/24.9 C/21.9 E/49.3 F/62.3 A/7.8 A/8.3 D/33.44 PM C/20.3 C/16.8 C/24.8 B/10.5 A/7.5 A/8.7 A/9.1 D/25.7 E/36.5 C/20.73 Alternative III AM - F/213.3 A/7.0 F/55.1 F/56.3 F/587.1 A/5.0 bypass A/7.8 A/8.3 F/ PM - D/34.6 A/13.4 B/13.3 A/9.3 C/16.3 A/6.2 bypass D/25.2 E/35.6 C/23.11

40 Recommendations and Conclusion The crash analysis showed that the majority of the crashes can be attributed to the users lack of knowledge of or experience with roundabout use and rules. The recommended safety countermeasures can be categorized as short-term low-cost improvements and long-term high-cost. The short-term low-cost safety countermeasures are lane-use assignment, traffic signs, pavement markings, and landscaping improvements. Lane-use assignment recommendation: Change the lane use on IR-71 ramp approach to double left-turn: left-turn only for the left lane and through and left-turn for the right lane Change the lane use on Quigley Road approach to right-turn only for the curb lane and left-turn only for the inner lane Traffic sign improvements: Add a supplemental plaque Yield to Both Circulating Lanes to yield signs on all approaches Increase the size of the Yield sign on W. 14 th Street and Quigley Road approaches Evaluate the location of the existing curb side YIELD sign on W. 14 th Street approach; the sign is not visible for approaching vehicles Increase the size of the post-mounted lane-use signs and add plaque to include the description Left Lane and Right Lane under the arrow plate Enhance the visibility of the overhead lane-use signs by increasing their size Add destination/directional signs with a circular diagram similar to the sign on Quigley Road on SR- 176 northbound exit ramp and W. 14 th Street southbound approach Change the directional sign on IR-71 northbound exit ramp to be similar to the directional sign on Quigley Road Increase the size of the roundabout warning signs and speed advisory plaques on all approaches On W. 14 th Street and Quigley Road approaches, move the advisory speed and roundabout warning signs closer to the roundabout Relocate the post mounted directional sign on W. 14 th Street approach closer to the roundabout and increase its size. Add Steel Yard Commons to the sign Add No Pedestrian Crossing Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (OMUTCD) pedestrian signs R9-3 or R9-3a signs on SR-176 and W. 14th Street south legs and Quigley Road where no crosswalks are marked 29

41 Pavement markings recommended improvements: Upgrade pavement markings to more durable material type Use fish-hook arrows similar to the arrows on the lane-use signs. Add Raised Pavement Markings (RPM) along the lane lines within the roundabout. Add text ONLY to approach and exit locations where only one movement is permitted Add the text YIELD on all approaches Apply shadow marking to improve visibility as a shorter-term measure Educational Campaign Work with Ohio Department of Public Safety to include roundabout instruction in Ohio Driver s Manual and Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws Provide the necessary material to drivers education schools and companies, commercial establishments, trucking companies and bus operators. Include in the drivers written examinations at the Bureaus of Motor Vehicles material about roundabout rules and proper use Include roundabout material on different related organization websites such as the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, ODOT, NOACA and other websites Develop an outreach program to distribute information on W. 14 th Street roundabout and on roundabouts as a traffic control option for a safer intersection operation and incorporate the media and local newspapers in those efforts Landscaping: Improve the inner circle landscape to provide a pleasant welcoming feature that would help limit the undesirable openness and reduce vehicular speed Consider contracting with a community organization for landscape maintenance Long-range High-cost Countermeasures: Consider changing IR-71 northbound exit ramp alignment to force traffic to enter the roundabout at lower speeds. 30

42 Appendices Appendix A: Peak Hours Traffic Turning Movement Appendix B: Highway Capacity Software Output Appendix C: OMUTCD Double left-turn pavement marking treatment Appendix D: ODOT District 12 review comments i

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44 Appendix A: Peak-hour Turning Movement Count ii

45 iii

46 Appendix B: Highway Capacity Software Output iv

47 v

48 vi

49 vii

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51 ix

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53 xi

54 Appendix C: OMUTCD Double Left-turn Treatment xii

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56 Appendix D: ODOT Interoffice Communication xiii

57 xiv