SLABTOWN ROAD CORRIDOR STUDY AUGUST 2014

Transcription

1 SLABTOWN ROAD CORRIDOR STUDY AUGUST 2014 Prepared by: Lima-Allen County Regional Planning Commission 130 W. North Street Lima, Ohio Phone: Fax: The preparation of this report was financed in part by the Federal Highway Administration, the Ohio Department of Transportation, the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and local units of government. The contents of this report do not reflect the official view and/or policies of the Federal Highway Administration, the Ohio Department of Transportation, or the Ohio Department of Public Safety. This report does not constitute a standard specification or regulation.

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this study is to document traffic flow, operational characteristics and warranted improvements, in order to enhance traffic operations and safety on the Slabtown Road corridor. Slabtown Road was selected for study because of local concerns regarding truck traffic volume, narrow roadway widths and motor vehicle crashes. From its southern termini at SR 81 to the Allen Putnam county line, Slabtown Road spans miles in length. The corridor is situated roughly parallel to SR 65 and is readily accessible off I-75, exits 127 and 130. Within Bath and Monroe townships, Slabtown Road provides access to 16 roadways. The Allen County Engineer s Office has jurisdictional roadway maintenance responsibilities on Slabtown Road; although, intersecting roadways fall under county, township and state jurisdictions. As per the Federal Functional Classification System (FFCS), Slabtown Road is currently classified as a Rural Minor Collector north of Bluelick Road and an Urban Collector south of Bluelick Road. Across the corridor, Slabtown Road averages 1,850 vehicles per day, equating to 6.77 million vehicle miles of travel (MVMT) annually. A corridor LOS calculated for the AM, NOON and PM peak hours resulted in a satisfactory LOS for the entire corridor, with 8 miles operating at LOS A. Of concern, however, were the 85 th percentile speeds, especially north of Hook-Waltz Road, where 85 th percentile speeds ranged from 61 to 68 mph. Unsafe speeds coupled with deficient roadway widths, particularly north of Lincoln Highway, seemed to be a contributing factor in numerous departure crashes. For the study period, excluding deer and alcohol related crashes (15/1), there were a total of 44 documented crashes along the corridor, equating to a crash rate of 2.17 million vehicle miles traveled (MVMT). Of the 44 crashes, a total of 14 crashes resulted in an injury, equating to an EPDO rate of 8.37 per MVMT. Also, a total of 28 crashes were found to be intersection related, with half (14 of the 28) of the intersection-related crashes contributed by the motorist-at-fault s failure to yield. Due to the significant traffic volume, crashes, and/or injury-type crashes: the Ada, Bluelick, State and Lincoln intersections were studied more in-depth. These four intersections contributed to 71.4% of intersection-related crashes on the corridor. The crash rates for these intersections ranged from 0.57 to 2.30, with Bluelick and State Road intersections representing the low and high ends of the spectrum, respectively. Based on traffic, crash and corridor environment data, safety/operational recommendations and justifications were derived. Suggested improvements to the corridor include: upgrading or installing signs; selectively enforcing speed limits; widening width-deficient segments of the corridor; and, painting/repainting edge lines along the corridor. The total cost of all recommended improvements was estimated at $1,119,275. With an expected annual rate of return of $141,373, the payback period for all improvements would be just under eight years. The estimated cost of the Ada Slabtown intersection recommended improvements are $1,475, resulting in an estimated rate of return of 253%. The estimated cost of the Bluelick Slabtown intersection recommended improvements are $64,000, resulting in an estimated rate of return of 15%. The estimated cost of the State Slabtown intersection recommended improvements are $29,200, resulting in an estimated rate of return of 22%. The estimated cost of the Lincoln Slabtown intersection recommended improvements are $2,000, resulting in an estimated rate of return of 771%. i

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... i TABLE OF CONTENTS... ii LIST OF TABLES & ILLUSTRATIONS... iii 1 SLABTOWN ROAD CORRIDOR STUDY 1.1 Introduction Methodology/Data Overview ASSESSMENT OF OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS 2.1 Land Use/Traffic/Traffic Generators Corridor Level of Service (LOS) Roadway Widths Crash Data Crashes by Type Recommendations INTERSECTION ANALYSES 3.1 Slabtown & Ada Crash Data Operational Characteristics Summary and Recommendations Slabtown & Bluelick Crash Data Operational Characteristics Summary and Recommendations Slabtown & State Crash Data Operational Characteristics Summary and Recommendations Slabtown & Lincoln Crash Data Operational Characteristics Summary and Recommendations APPENDICES A COLLISION DIAGRAMS... A-1 B TRAFFIC COUNT/SPEED DATA... B-1 C INTERSECTION LOS ANALYSES... C-1 D SUPPORTIVE PAVEMENT & SIGNAGE DOCUMENTATION... D-1 E CORRIDOR LEVEL OF SERVICE... E-1 ii

4 LIST OF TABLES & ILLUSTRATIONS TABLES PAGE Table 1 Slabtown Land Use in Acres and by Percent Land... 3 Table 2 Employment within Half-Mile of Slabtown Road... 3 Table 3 Slabtown Road Intersection Traffic Volume... 4 Table 4 Slabtown Intersection Traffic Volume by Vehicle Type... 4 Table 5 Speed Analysis by Intersection Leg (No Stop)... 5 Table 6 Non-Intersection Crashes by Type... 6 Table 7 Crash Type by Contributing Cause... 7 Table 8 Crash Type by Lighting Condition... 7 Table 9 Crash Severity by Year... 7 Table 10 Contributing Cause by Year... 7 Table 11 Crash Type by Pavement Condition... 7 Table 12 Crash Severity by Crash Contributing Cause... 7 Table 13 Adverse Weather Crash Severity by Year... 7 Table 14 Adverse Weather Crashes by Road Curvature/Grade... 7 Table 15 Crash Severity by Crash Type... 8 Table 16 Crashes by Year and Day of Week... 8 Table 17 Crash Type by Month... 8 Table 18 Crash Summary by Month... 8 Table 19 Crashes at Intersection... 9 Table 20 Intersection Crashes by Type... 9 Table 21 Intersection Crashes by Lighting... 9 Table 22 Intersection Crashes by Contributing Cause... 9 Table 23 Adverse Weather Crashes at Intersections... 9 Table 24 Intersection Crash Severity... 9 Table 25 Rate of Return: Economic Analysis Worksheet: Slabtown Road Corridor Table 26 Slabtown & Ada: Crashes by Type and Contributing Cause Table 27 Slabtown & Ada: Intersection Volume, Level of Service, Delay & Speed Table 28 Rate of Return: Economic Analysis Worksheet: Slabtown & Ada Table 29 Slabtown & Bluelick: Crashes by Type and Contributing Cause Table 30 Slabtown & Bluelick: Intersection Volume, Level of Service, Delay & Speed Table 31 Rate of Return: Economic Analysis Worksheet: Slabtown & Bluelick Table 32 Slabtown & State: Crashes by Type and Contributing Cause Table 33 Slabtown & State: Intersection Volume, Level of Service, Delay & Speed Table 34 Rate of Return: Economic Analysis Worksheet: Slabtown & State Table 35 Slabtown & Lincoln: Crashes by Type and Contributing Cause Table 36 Slabtown & Lincoln: Intersection Volume, Level of Service, Delay & Speed Table 37 Rate of Return: Economic Analysis Worksheet: Slabtown & Lincoln ILLUSTRATIONS Illustration 1 Slabtown Road Corridor... 1 Illustration 2 Land Use... 3 Illustration 3 Traffic Volume (AADT)... 4 Illustration 4 Level of Service... 5 Illustration 5 Deficient Width... 6 Illustration 6 Crashes by Type... 7 Illustration 7 3-Year Crash Rate per 2-Mile Segments Including Intersection Crashes... 9 iii

5 LIST OF TABLES & ILLUSTRATIONS (Continued) ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Illustration 8 Slabtown & Ada Pictures Illustration 9 Slabtown - Ada Intersection Illustration 10 Slabtown & Bluelick Pictures Illustration 11 Slabtown - Bluelick Intersection Illustration 12 Slabtown & State Illustration 13 Slabtown - State Intersection Illustration 14 Slabtown & Lincoln Illustration 15 Slabtown - Lincoln Intersection iv

6 SECTION 1 SLABTOWN ROAD CORRIDOR STUDY 1.1 Introduction Slabtown Road is a north/south roadway with its southern termini located approximately 1.3 miles east of Exit 127 on Interstate 75. Slabtown Road spans miles in length, from its southern termini at SR 81 to the Allen-Putnam county line. Within Allen County, Slabtown Road supports approximately 6.77 million vehicle miles of travel (MVMT) annually. Slabtown Road runs roughly parallel to SR 65 and is readily accessible off I-75 at exits 127 and 130. The corridor varies in width from 18 to 22 feet. Within the county, the roadway intersects 16 roadways located in Bath and Monroe townships. The Allen County Engineer s Office has jurisdictional roadway maintenance responsibilities on Slabtown Road; although, intersecting roadways fall under county, township and state jurisdictions. As per the Federal Functional Classification System, Slabtown Road is currently classified as a Rural Minor Collector north of Bluelick Road and an Urban Collector south of Bluelick Road. However, because the corridor serves through traffic and provides connectivity between the Lima Urbanized Area and the Village of Columbus Grove (Putnam County), the roadway is a candidate for re-classification as a higher order roadway on the federal functional classification system. Slabtown Road was selected for study because of local concerns expressed over truck traffic volume, narrow roadway widths and motor vehicle crashes. The purpose of the study is to document traffic flow and operational characteristics on the Slabtown Road corridor from SR 81 north to the Allen-Putnam county line and suggest warranted improvements to enhance overall safety. 1.2 Methodology/Data The report s methodology is predicated upon: conducting crash analyses, speed and delay studies, capacity analysis, and operational/design recommendations. Crash reports covering the 2010 through 2012 period were obtained from the Ohio Department of Public Safety. Using detailed crash report information, collision diagrams were prepared for each intersection and mid-block location. In addition, crash summary tables were developed to provide insight into the type, severity and contributing factors of each crash. Traffic volumes and 85 th percentile speeds were collected over 24-hour periods and documented using Numetric Hi-Star traffic equipment. HCS software was used to determine corridor and intersections levels of service (LOS) in terms of delay and the measure of driver discomfort experienced. A rate of return analysis is included, to provide a measure of the effectiveness of certain operational/design recommendations made herein. ILLUSTRATION 1 SLABTOWN ROAD CORRIDOR 1

7 1.3 Overview This study is composed of several distinct sections. The introduction is followed by the report methodology. Section 2 highlights aspects of the Slabtown Road corridor examining its land use and traffic generators located along the corridor. Operational characteristics of the corridor are identified inclusive of average daily traffic, level of service, roadway widths and crash data. Section 2 concludes with summary recommendations at the corridor level. Section 3 examines 4 intersections located upon the corridor. Operational data, crash characteristics and recommendations are offered for each. The Study is supported by various appendices to provide a more detailed account of operational conditions. 2

8 SECTION 2 ASSESSMENT OF OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS 2.1 Land Use/Traffic/Traffic Generators Current land use characteristics are defined in Table 1 and summarized as a mix of single-family, lowdensity residential parcels and rural agricultural land uses. Quasi-public land uses can be found at the south end of the corridor, with a smattering of commercial and industrial land use north up to Bluelick Road. Land use between Bluelick Road and Lutz Road appears to be a mix between agriculture and low-density homes; however, north of Lutz Road appears to be restricted to agricultural-based land uses. The Land Use Illustration depicts land use ½ mile wide over the course of the corridor. ILLUSTRATION 2 LAND USE Table 2 identifies employment within 1/2 mile of the Slabtown Road corridor. The largest traffic generator on the corridor is the Bath Local School District located near the intersection of Slabtown and Bible roads. The Ford Lima Engine Plant located 8,500 from the intersection of Bible and Slabtown roads is TABLE 1 SLABTOWN LAND USE IN ACRES AND BY PERCENT LAND Agriculture 4, % Commercial % Exempt/Public % Industrial/Mfg % Residential % Road/Street % Utility % Grand Total 6, % also a major generator of traffic along the corridor. Other public sector generators impacting the corridor include the Allen County Educational Service Center, Marimor Industries as well as the Allen County Farm Park, which generates especially high traffic volumes at special educational events (e.g. Apple Butter Festival, Civil War Re-enactments, etc.) held over the course of the summer and fall months. The residents of the Highland Lakes and Pine Lakes subdivisions also contribute to the AADT on Slabtown Road. Table 3 and the Traffic Volume Illustration on page 3 depict AADT over the course of the corridor. TABLE 2 EMPLOYMENT WITHIN HALF-MILE OF SLABTOWN ROAD NAICS Trade Street City Employees North Dixie Truck Trailer 2050 N Dixie Lima Trugreen Chemlawn 2083 N Dixie Hwy Lima Inergy Propane, LLC 2120 N Dixie Hwy Lima Pester Investments 2642 Pine Run Lima NA Bath Middle School 2700 Bible Rd Lima Bath High School 2850 Bible Rd Lima Bath Elementary School 2501 Slabtown Rd Lima Mallard Properties 2801 Slabtown Rd Lima NA U S Painters 3070 Cynthia Dr Lima NA Fultz Sign Co 3350 Slabtown Rd Lima Smith Media Group 2620 N Dixie Hwy Lima Lynn Thompson 115 Highland Lake Dr Lima Lords Enterprises 7200 Slabtown Rd Columbus Grove Debbies Driving Academy 8149 Slabtown Rd Columbus Grove Buckeye Tractor Corp Slabtown Rd Columbus Grove 5 3

9 Slabtown Road experiences moderate traffic volume. The adjusted average daily traffic (AADT) varied along the corridor from a high of 2,662 vehicles per day (VPD) to just 742, which equates to approximately 1,850 VPD. Table 4 suggests the percent of trucks documented on the corridor varied from approximately 4% to less than 1%. TABLE 3 SLABTOWN ROAD INTERSECTION TRAFFIC VOLUME Slabtown Intersection Average ADT Average AADT MEV (ADT) MEV (AADT) MEV (AADT) Rank Ada Road 5,839 5, Dixie Hwy 4,555 4, Pine Lake Drive 3,032 3, Bible Road 3,457 3, Bluelick Road 9,532 8, Highland Lakes 2,659 2, Sugar Creek 2,550 2, Lutz Road 2,303 2, State Road 2,380 2, Lincoln Hwy 3,116 2, Hook Waltz Road 2,030 1, Hillville Road 2,182 1, Miller Road 1,818 1, Eversole Road 2,083 1, Searfoss Road 1,769 1, Begg Road 1,874 1, TABLE 4 SLABTOWN INTERSECTION TRAFFIC VOLUME BY VEHICLE TYPE Slabtown Intersection Passenger Small Truck Commercial Truck Tractor Trailer Tractor Trailer Rank Ada Road 5, Dixie Hwy 4, Pine Lake Drive 3, Bible Road 3, Bluelick Road 9, Highland Lakes 2, Sugar Creek 2, Lutz Road 2, State Road 2, Lincoln Hwy 2, Hook Waltz Road 1, Hillville Road 2, Miller Road 1, Eversole Road 1, Searfoss Road 1, Begg Road 1, ILLUSTRATION 3 TRAFFIC VOLUME (AADT) 4

10 ILLUSTRATION 4 LEVEL OF SERVICE 2.2 Corridor Level of Service (LOS) There are 16 roadways that intersect Slabtown Road -- all of which are stop-controlled. Only 4 of the intersections inclusive of Lincoln Highway, Bluelick Road, Dixie Highway and SR-81 (southbound) require traffic to stop on Slabtown Road. Slabtown Road has a journalized speed limit of 55 mph, with the exception of a 20 mph school zones near Bible Road and south of Dixie Highway. A corridor LOS calculated for the AM, NOON and PM peak hours resulted in a satisfactory LOS for the entire corridor, with 7.99 miles operating at LOS A. The LOS Illustration depicts the LOS along the corridor for the PM period. The 55 mph legal speed limit and lack of stop/signalized intersections promoted traffic flow and limited delays experienced while traversing the corridor. Of concern, however, were the 85 th percentile speeds documented over the study area. North of Hook Waltz Road 85 th percentile speeds varied from 61 to 68 mph and reflected a general disregard for the legal speed limit. LOS reports for the AM, Noon and PM peak periods by direction of travel and arterial class can be found in Appendix C. Table 5 provides insight as to the extent and degree of speed violations by specific roadway segment. TABLE 5 SPEED ANALYSIS BY INTERSECTION LEG (NO STOP) 85th Average Mode Intersection Leg Percent Speed Speed Speed 85th Percent Rank Ada Road Ada W of Slabtown Ada Road Ada E of Slabtown Dixie Hwy Dixie E of Slabtown Dixie Hwy Dixie W of Slabtown Pine Lake Slabtown N of Pine Lake Pine Lake Slabtown S of Pine Lake Bible Road Slabtown S of Bible Bible Road Slabtown N of Bible Highland Lakes Slabtown N of Highland Lakes Highland Lakes Slabtown S of Highland Lakes Sugar Creek Slabtown N of Sugar Creek Sugar Creek Slabtown S of Sugar Creek Lutz Road Slabtown N of Lutz Lutz Road Slabtown S of Lutz State Road Slabtown N of State State Road Slabtown S of State Lincoln Hwy Lincoln E of Slabtown Lincoln Hwy Lincoln W of Slabtown Hook Waltz Road Slabtown N of Hook-waltz Hook Waltz Road Slabtown S of Hook-waltz Hillville Road Slabtown N of Hillville Hillville Road Slabtown S of Hillville Miller Road Slabtown N of Miller Miller Road Slabtown S of Miller Eversole Road Slabtown N of Eversole Eversole Road Slabtown S of Eversole Searfoss Road Slabtown N of Searfoss Searfoss Road Slabtown S of Searfoss Begg Road Slabtown N of Begg Begg Road Slabtown S of Begg

11 2.3 Roadway Widths Roadway width on Slabtown Road varies from 18 to 22. The segment of Slabtown Road between Lincoln Highway and Eversole Road was found to have the narrowest width of just 18 for nearly 3.5 miles. ILLUSTRATION 5 DEFICIENT WIDTH ODOT has established minimum roadway width criteria based on the roadway type (urban/rural), functional classification, ADT and speed limits. South of Bluelick Road, Slabtown is classified as an urban collector, which requires just 10 of roadway width. Except for the 0.69 miles between Ada Road and Dixie Highway (deficient by 1 foot), this section is considered to be of adequate width. However, because Slabtown north of Bluelick to Hillville Road is classified as a rural minor collector with a posted speed of 55 mph and approximately 2,000 ADT, this section is considered to be deficient unless the roadway width measures a minimum of 12 feet per lane. On average, Slabtown Road north of Bluelick to Hillville Road is deficient in roadway width by 6 feet. Other sections that are deficient include: the segment between Bluelick Road and Lincoln Highway (3 deficient of a 24 roadway) and north of Hillville Road (2 deficient of 22 roadway). Research has indicated that narrow roadway widths and the lack of a shoulder are strongly correlated with roadway departure crashes. From a systems perspective, increased vehicle size, speed, and traffic volumes have increasingly placed motorists on older, narrow roads at a safety disadvantage. Narrow roads without shoulders consistently experience the most serious and most prevalent roadway departure problems; and, road widening is a reasonable solution to this problem. While widening may not be the immediate answer because of budget constraints, ensuring adequate pavement and shoulder width removes the primary, contributing cause associated with roadway departures. Table 6 reviews midblock crashes by type. The Deficient Width Illustration depicts the departure from the required lane widths. Gross construction costs associated with widening the Slabtown Road corridor, exclusive of costs associated with engineering, ROW acquisition, clearing & grubbing, drainage improvements, bridge/culvert improvements, were estimated at $1,011,800. TABLE 6 NON-INTERSECTION CRASHES BY TYPE Road Section Fixed Head Overturn Rear Grand Sideswipe Object On End Total Pine Lake - Bible Bluelick - Highland Lakes Sugar Creek - Lutz Lutz - State Lincoln - Hook-Waltz Hook-Waltz - Hillville Hillville - Miller Miller - Eversole Eversole - Searfoss Grand Total

12 2.4 Crash Data Crash reports obtained for Slabtown Road span a period from January 1, 2010 through December 31, Over this 3-year period, there were a total of 60 crashes, which includes 15 animal crashes and one (1) alcohol/drug related crash. All animal and alcohol/drug-related crashes have been excluded from crash rates and summary crash tables. While no fatalities were documented, crash severity was a concern. Data suggests that nearly half of all crashes (20 of 44 crashes) occurred in adverse weather conditions with most occurring in the months of January and February. The crash rate over the entire corridor approached 2.17 crashes per MVMT. The Crash by Type Illustration reveals all crashes over the study period by location and type. Tables 7 through 24 provide more specific information. 2.5 Crashes by Type Of the 60 crashes, the most frequent types of crashes were 16 fixed object crashes, followed by: 15 animal related, 13 angle and five (5) rear end crashes. These types of crashes accounted for 49 of the 60 total crashes, or 81.7% of the crashes (fixed object: 26.7%; animal related: 25.0%; angle: 21.7%; and rear end: 8.3%). A majority of the crashes were intersection related (28 of the 44 crashes, or 66.7 % of the non-animal crashes). Including the animal and drug/alcohol related crashes, 46.7% of crashes are intersection related, which is on par with the average rate of intersection crashes (roughly 45% and 40% for Allen County and national average, respectively). Half (14 of the 28) of these intersection related crashes were contributed by the motorist-at-fault s failure to yield. Of the 28 intersection crashes, only one (1) crash was caused by a motorist running a stop sign (Slabtown and SR-81 intersection), and it did not result in an injury. This indicates that the stop control is working effectively, but that motorists are seemingly: having difficulty making the right decision, not paying close enough attention, or misreading/not seeing the traffic at intersections. ILLUSTRATION 6 CRASHES BY TYPE TABLE 7 CRASH TYPE BY CONTRIBUTING CAUSE Contributing Cause Angle Backing Fixed Object Head On Left Turn Overturn Rear End Sideswipe Grand Total Failure To Control Failure To Yield Followed Too Closely/ACDA Improper Backing Left Of Center None Other Improper Action Ran Stop Sign Swerving To Avoid Unknown Unsafe Speed Grand Total TABLE 8 CRASH TYPE BY LIGHTING CONDITION Lighting Conditions Angle Backing Fixed Object Head On Left Turn Overturn Rear End Sideswipe Grand Total Dark-No Lights Dark-Rd Lights Dawn Daylight Grand Total TABLE 9 CRASH SEVERITY BY YEAR Crash Type Grand Total Injury Property Damage Grand Total TABLE 10 CONTRIBUTING CAUSE BY YEAR Contributing Cause Grand Total Failure To Control Failure To Yield Followed Too Closely/ACDA Improper Backing Left Of Center None Other Improper Action Ran Stop Sign Swerving To Avoid Unknown Unsafe Speed Grand Total TABLE 11 CRASH TYPE BY PAVEMENT CONDITION Crash Type Ice Slush Snow Wet Grand Total Angle Fixed Object Head On Overturn Rear End Sideswipe Grand Total TABLE 12 CRASH SEVERITY BY CRASH CONTRIBUTING CAUSE Contributing Cause Injury Property Grand Damage Total Failure To Control Failure To Yield Followed Too Closely/ACDA Improper Backing Left Of Center None Other Improper Action Ran Stop Sign Swerving To Avoid Unknown Unsafe Speed Grand Total TABLE 13 ADVERSE WEATHER CRASH SEVERITY BY YEAR Crash Type Grand Total Injury Property Damage Grand Total TABLE 14 ADVERSE WEATHER CRASHES BY ROAD CURVATURE/GRADE Contour Adverse Weather Crashes Curve Level 1 Straight Grade 3 Straight Level 16 Grand Total 20 7

13 TABLE 15 CRASH SEVERITY BY CRASH TYPE Crash Type Injury Property Grand Damage Total Angle Backing Fixed Object Head On Left Turn Overturn Rear End Sideswipe Grand Total TABLE 16 CRASHES BY YEAR AND DAY OF WEEK Crash Type Grand Total Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Grand Total TABLE 17 CRASH TYPE BY MONTH Crash Month Angle Backing Fixed Head Left Rear Grand Overturn Sideswipe Object On Turn End Total Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Grand Total TABLE 18 CRASH SUMMARY BY MONTH Crash Type Snow/Icy Adverse Weather All Crashes Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Grand Total

14 TABLE 19 CRASHES AT INTERSECTION Intersection Crashes Percent of Total MEV 3 Yr Crash Rate Ada 5 18% Begg 1 4% Bible 2 7% Bluelick 5 18% Dixie 1 4% Hillville 1 4% Lincoln 4 14% Lutz 1 4% Pine Lake 1 4% Searfoss 1 4% State 6 21% Total/Avg % TABLE 20 INTERSECTION CRASHES BY TYPE Intersection Angle Backing Fixed Left Rear Grand Overturn Object Turn End Total Ada Dixie Pine Lake Bible Bluelick Lutz State Lincoln Hillville Searfoss Begg Grand Total TABLE 21 INTERSECTION CRASHES BY LIGHTING Intersection Dark No Dark-Rd Grand Dawn Daylight Lights Lights Total Ada Dixie Pine Lake Bible Bluelick Lutz State Lincoln Hillville Searfoss Begg Grand Total ILLUSTRATION 7 3- YEAR CRASH RATE PER 2- MILE SEGMENTS INCLUDING INTERSECTION CRASHES TABLE 22 INTERSECTION CRASHES BY CONTRIBUTING CAUSE Cause Ada Dixie Pine Grand Bible Bluelick Lutz State Lincoln Hillville Searfoss Begg Lake Total Failure To Control Failure To Yield Followed Too Closely Improper Backing None Other Improper Action Ran Stop Sign Swerving To Avoid Unknown Unsafe Speed Grand Total TABLE 23 ADVERSE WEATHER CRASHES AT INTERSECTIONS Intersection Adverse Weather Related Percent of Total Grand Total Ada 0 0% 5 Dixie 1 100% 1 Pine Lake 1 100% 1 Bible 0 0% 2 Bluelick 3 60% 5 Lutz 1 100% 1 State 1 17% 6 Lincoln 0 0% 4 Hillville 1 100% 1 Searfoss 1 100% 1 Begg 0 0% 1 Grand Total 9 32% 28 TABLE 24 INTERSECTION CRASH SEVERITY Intersection Injury PDO Grand Total EPDO Ada Dixie Pine Lake Bible Bluelick Lutz State Lincoln Hillville Searfoss Begg Grand Total

15 2.6 Recommendations The following recommendations with the associated justifications are offered to improve the safety and level of service of the Slabtown Corridor. (1) Widen deficient pavement to comply with current standards (Estimated Cost: $1,011,800 excluding ROW acquisition). Rationale: Research has indicated that narrow roadway widths and the lack of a shoulder are strongly correlated with roadway departure crashes. From a systems perspective, increases in vehicle size, speed, and traffic volumes have increasingly placed motorists on older, narrow roads at a safety disadvantage. Narrow roads without shoulders consistently have the most serious and most prevalent roadway departure problems, and road widening is a reasonable solution to this problem. However, the estimated rate of return for this improvement is -7%, and that is assuming that all crashes will be affected by this improvement. (2) It is recommended that edge lines and centerlines be painted/repainted along Slabtown Road (Estimated Cost: $8,000). Rationale: On a road that is deficient in surface and shoulder width to begin with, edge and center lines would at least provide the driver with a better sense of the roadway surface edge. There have been multiple overturn and fixed-object/loss-of-control crashes where deficient surface/shoulder width and lack of an edge or center line may have been a contributing factor. Because road widening would require an investment greater than a million dollars, painting edge and center lines would be a minimally-invasive, cost-effective solution to potentially off-set the roadway s narrow width. The estimated rate of return for this improvement is 559%; however, that is assuming that all crashes are affected by this improvement. (3) Enforce selective speed control, particularly north of Lincoln Highway, where 85 th percentile speeds are above 63 mph. Rationale: 85 th percentile speeds are particularly high, especially for a narrow roadway. In some cases, speeding is a contributing cause to roadway departure crashes, as well. (4) Consideration should be given to reduce the speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph on Slabtown Road between Bluelick and Ada. It is recommended that a speed study be performed to verify traffic conditions, in order to warrant a reduction in the speed limit on this section ($2,000). Rationale: Slabtown Road south of Bluelick Road is classified as an Urban Collector and considered to be mostly residential, with two stop-controlled intersections, two school zones and the I-75 overpass. While it would be difficult to go 55 mph or faster through this section, the speed limit signs would act as a warning to motorists that the existing conditions do not purport travelling at 55 mph. The speed limit is commonly set at or below the 85th percentile speed; and across this section, the highest 85 th percentile speed was North of Bluelick, with an 85 th percentile speed of 47.9 mph. (5) Improve limited sight distance looking south from westbound Eversole Road (Estimated Cost: $500). Rationale: The sight distance could be improved by trimming the trees south of Eversole Road. The limited line-of-sight at this intersection makes it difficult for motorists to traverse it safely. (6) Fix/replace Truck Entrance Ahead sign, located northbound Slabtown Road ¼ mile south of Hook-Waltz Road (Estimated Cost: $300). Rationale: Currently, the sign is bent, away from the roadway, and is not visible to motorists. The suggested improvements have a total estimated cost of $1,022,600, resulting in an estimated rate of return of 0.57%. 10

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17 SECTION 3 INTERSECTION ANALYSES 3.1 Slabtown & Ada Ada (SR 81) and Slabtown roads meet at a three-leg intersection in south-central Bath Township, approximately 1.3 miles east of the Ada Road and I-75 junction. This intersection provides access to nearby traffic generators such as: the Allen County Educational Services Center; Bath Township Elementary, Middle and High schools; Miramor Industries; Bath Township Hall; the Allen County Board of Disabilities; as well as the Johnny Appleseed Metro Parks. The surroundings are comprised of mostly lowdensity, single-family residences and quasi-public facilities. Pursuant to the Federal Functional Classification System (FFCS), this section of Ada Road is classified as an Urban Minor Arterial and this section of Slabtown Road is classified as an Urban Collector. On average, the Ada - Slabtown intersection experiences 5,410 vehicles per day (VPD), or 1.97 million entering vehicles (MEV), annually. This intersection ranks second in terms of traffic volume among intersections on the Slabtown Road corridor. This intersection also experiences heavy truck traffic, with an average of 230 tractor-trailers per day, or nearly 4% of all vehicles. The Slabtown - Ada intersection is stop-controlled for traffic traveling southbound on Slabtown Road. The speed limit for each approach is 55 mph. The 85 th percentile speed for this section of Ada Road measured 61.5 mph. From the approach to the intersection, Ada Road consists of two 12 wide lanes (one for each direction) and Slabtown Road consists of two 9.5 wide lanes (one for each direction). The intersection appeared to be in fair-to-poor condition, as there was noticeable patching, potholes and cracking, especially toward the northeast corner of the intersection. On Slabtown Road, edge lines and centerlines appeared to be worn, and no stop bar was present. It should also be noted that a Stop Ahead sign was present for the Slabtown southbound approach Crash Data Crash reports spanning the 3-year period of January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2012 were obtained and reviewed for purposes of this analysis. Over this 3- year period, there were a total of five crashes that were related to the Slabtown Ada intersection. An intersection with an average of 5,410 vehicles per day (VPD) and five crashes equate to a 3-year crash rate of 0.84 crashes per million vehicle miles traveled (MVMT). Of the five crashes, three occurred in 2012 and two occurred in These crashes were classified as three angle crashes, while one each were classified as fixed object and left turn crashes. Contributing crash circumstances were three failure to yield actions, a failure to control action and a ran stop sign action. Crashes were considered to be mild in severity, as none of the crashes resulted in an injury. Weather and lighting were not considered to be a factor, as none of the crashes were underadverse weather conditions and only the fixed object crash occurred at night (with overhead roadway lights present). TABLE 26 SLABTOWN & ADA: CRASHES BY TYPE AND CONTRIBUTING CAUSE Contributing Cause Angle Fixed Object Left Turn Grand Total Failure To Control Failure To Yield Ran Stop Sign Grand Total

18 3.1.2 Operational Characteristics Traffic counts were taken using Hi-Star counters at this intersection on 7/19/2011. The average adjusted daily traffic (AADT) entering the intersection was 5,410 vehicles per day. A level of service analysis was also performed at this intersection on 5/27/14 during the peak hour (5:00 6:00 PM). The Intersection Capacity Uitilzation (ICU) LOS for this intersection was calculated and the Ada Slabtown intersection received an A rating, with an ICU of 34.0% and an average delay of 1.6 seconds. See the table below for further details regarding the traffic, level of service, speed and delay for each approach. TABLE 27 SLABTOWN & ADA: INTERSECTION VOLUME, LEVEL OF SERVICE, DELAY & SPEED Traffic Characteristics Southbound Eastbound Westbound Approach Approach Approach Total Volume (AADT) 415 2,404 2,591 5,410 Peak Hour LOS (5-6 PM) B A A Average Delay (sec) th Percentile Speed (MPH) Summary and Recommendations In summation, this intersection has experienced five crashes during the 3-year period of , resulting in a crash rate of 0.84 crashes. Recommendations for this intersection are as follows: (1) Add a stop bar 10 feet from the edge of the road for the southbound traveling lane; improve pavement markings (Estimated Cost: $1,200). Rationale: Because this intersection is a well-traveled intersection with a high percentage of truck traffic, a stop bar could be added to emphasize where motorists should stop. (2) Upgrade Stop Ahead warning sign with newer W3-1 (30 x 30 ) Stop Ahead warning signs and add reflective strip to sign (Estimated Cost: $350). Rationale: ODOT is replacing older Stop Ahead warning signs with newer (W3-1) signs, to better draw the attention of motorists. (3) Upgrade existing stop sign with oversized stop sign (36 x 36 sign), add reflective strip and CROSS TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP plaque (W4-4P) to sign (Estimated Cost: $375). Rationale: More of an emphasis could be made for motorists to stop at this well-traveled intersection. (4) Intersection warning signs with Slabtown Road placard should be placed at the appropriate locations along Ada Road (Estimated Cost: $700). Rationale: An advanced intersection warning signing would attract the attention of motorists prior to any conflicting movements at the intersection. The suggested improvements have a total estimated cost of $1,475, resulting in an estimated rate of return of 253%. 13

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20 ILLUSTRATION 8 SLABTOWN & ADA PICTURES Slabtown Ada: looking S from southbound Slabtown Slabtown Ada looking W from southbound Slabtown Slabtown Ada: looking E from southbound Slabtown Slabtown Ada: looking N from Bath Twp Hall Parking 15

21 Illustration 9 16

22 3.2 Slabtown & Bluelick Bluelick and Slabtown roads meet at a four-leg, 4-way-stop-controlled intersection in north central Bath Township, approximately 2.03 miles north of the Ada and Slabtown Road intersection. This intersection provides access to nearby traffic generators such as: the Bluelick General Store; United Methodist Church; Woodbriar Subdivision; Magnam Truck & Auto; Dream Marine; Best Value Inn as well as Clark Gas Station. The surroundings are comprised of mostly low-density, single-family residences and agricultural land uses, with a smattering of business to the east near the I-75 junction and the Woodbriar Subdivision to the west. Pursuant to the Federal Functional Classification System (FFCS), this section of Bluelick Road is classified as a Rural Minor Arterial and this section of Slabtown Road switches at this intersection from an Urban Collector to Rural Minor Collector, from south-to-north, respectively. On average, the Bluelick - Slabtown intersection experiences 7,947 vehicles per day (VPD), or 2.9 million entering vehicles (MEV), annually. This intersection ranks first in terms of traffic volume among intersections on the Slabtown Road corridor. This intersection experiences an average of 77 tractor-trailers per day, which equates to less than 1% of all vehicles. This intersection is stop-controlled for all approaches. The speed limit is 55 mph for the Slabtown Road approaches and 45 mph for the Bluelick Road approach. From the approach to the intersection, Bluelick Road consists of two 11 wide lanes (one for each direction) and Slabtown Road consists of two 10.5 wide lanes (one for each direction). The intersection appeared to be in fair condition, as there was evidence of rutting and edge cracking, especially at the east corners of the intersection. On Slabtown Road, edge lines and centerlines appeared to be worn, and no stop bar was present. It should also be noted that Double Stop and Stop Ahead signs were present for all approaches Crash Data Crash reports spanning the 3-year period of January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2012 were obtained and reviewed for purposes of this analysis. Over this 3- year period, there were a total of five crashes that were related to the Slabtown Bluelick intersection. An intersection with an average of 7,947 vehicles per day (VPD) and five crashes equate to a 3-year crash rate of 0.57 crashes per MEV. Of the five crashes, four occurred in 2012 and one occurred in These crashes were classified as three angle crashes and two rear end crashes. The contributing crash circumstances were three failure to yield actions and a two followed too closely/acda actions. One crash at this intersection resulted in an injury. The weather and road conditions may have been a factor for 60% of the crashes. In addition, the lighting conditions may have been a factor for 60% of the crashes that occurred at night (with overhead roadway lights present). TABLE 29 SLABTOWN & BLUELICK: CRASHES BY TYPE AND CONTRIBUTING CAUSE Contributing Cause Angle Rear End Grand Total Failure To Yield Followed Too Closely/ACDA Grand Total

23 3.2.2 Operational Characteristics Traffic counts were taken using Hi-Star counters at this intersection on 8/8/2013. The average adjusted daily traffic (AADT) entering the intersection was 7,947 vehicles per day. A level of service analysis was also performed at this intersection on 5/28/14 during the peak hour (4:00 5:00 PM). The Intersection Capacity Utilization (ICU) LOS for this intersection was calculated and the Bluelick - Slabtown intersection received an A rating, with an ICU of 41.6% and an average delay of 11.3 seconds. See the table below for further details regarding the traffic, level of service, speed and delay for each approach. TABLE 30 SLABTOWN & BLUELICK: INTERSECTION VOLUME, LEVEL OF SERVICE, DELAY & SPEED Traffic Northbound Southbound Eastbound Westbound Characteristics Approach Approach Approach Approach Total Volume (AADT) 909 1,037 3,027 2,974 7,947 Peak Hour LOS (4-5 PM) A A B B Average Delay (sec) th Percentile Speed (MPH) Summary and Recommendations In summation, this intersection has experienced five (5) crashes during the 3- year period of , resulting in a crash rate of 0.57 crashes per MEV. One (1) crash at this intersection resulted in an injury. Weather, lighting and road conditions may have been a factor for 60% of the crashes. The recommendations for this intersection are as follows: (1) Eliminate parking and move portable sign that is in the road right-ofway (ROW) southeast of the intersection. The ROW extends 30 feet on each side of the centerline of Bluelick and Slabtown roads (Estimated Cost: $200). Rationale: The parking and sign should not be in the ROW. Motorists parking and exiting the lot create an additional conflict near this well-traveled intersection. (2) Add stop bars 10 feet from the edge of the road in each stop direction; upgrade intersection, pavement markings (Estimated Cost: $1,000). Rationale: Because this intersection is a well-traveled intersection with a high percentage of truck traffic, a stop bar could be added to emphasize where motorists should stop. (3) Upgrade Stop Ahead warning signs with newer W3-1 (30 x 30 ) Stop Ahead warning signs and add reflective strips (8) to signs (Estimated Cost: $2800). Rationale: ODOT is replacing older Stop Ahead warning signs with newer (W3-1) signs, to better draw the attention of motorists. (4) Improve intersection turning radius, particularly on the east side of the intersection (Estimated Cost: $60,000). Rationale: Currently, there is not adequate space for trucks to safely complete turns, particularly for trucks turning right onto Bluelick from northbound Slabtown and trucks turning right onto Slabtown from westbound Bluelick. There was noticeable track marks off the road to support this conclusion. Note: A four-way stop warrant study was conducted for the Bluelick and Slabtown intersection, and based on volume at the intersection a four-way stop is not warranted. Traffic volume on Slabtown Road was only high enough for 4 of 18

24 the required eight hours. In addition, the 70% peak hour volumes and the 70% four-hour volumes were not enough to justify a four-way stop. The intersection sight distance was then checked for obstructions, and no significant obstructions were detected. Under this scenario, the average delay was also cut from 11.3 to 5.2 seconds and the intersection level of service remained an A. This would also reduce fuel consumption and limit emissions. However, once a four-way stop is installed, conversion to a two-way stop is considered to be difficult and risky, as habitual drivers may continue to expect a four-way stop. Conversion of a four-way stop to a two-way stop intersection may increase crashes to over 40%. It is not recommended that this intersection be converted to a two-way stop controlled intersection, despite the perceived benefits, because a two-way stop intersection would likely increase the number of crashes. The suggested improvements have a total estimated cost of $64,200, resulting in an estimated rate of return of 15%. 19

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26 ILLUSTRATION 10 SLABTOWN & BLUELICK PICTURES Slabtown Bluelick: looking W from northbound Slabtown Slabtown Bluelick: looking north Slabtown Bluelick: Looking E from eastbound Bluelick Slabtown Bluelick: looking N from westbound Bluelick 21

27 Illustration 11 22

28 3.3 Slabtown & State State and Slabtown roads meet at a 5-point intersection at the northern boundary of Bath Township and the southern boundary of Monroe Township, approximately 4.01 miles north of the Ada and Slabtown Road intersection. This intersection does not provide access to any heavy, nearby traffic generators. The surroundings are comprised of mostly agricultural land uses, with a few large-lot, single-family residences. Pursuant to the Federal Functional Classification System (FFCS), this section of State Road is classified as a Rural Local Road and this section of Slabtown Road is classified as a Rural Minor Collector. On average, the Bluelick - Slabtown intersection experiences 2,384 vehicles per day (VPD), or 0.87 million entering vehicles (MEV), annually. This intersection ranks eighth in terms of traffic volume among intersections on the Slabtown Road corridor. This intersection experiences an average of 38 tractor-trailers per day, which equates to less than 2% of all vehicles. Despite that the north and southbound Slabtown lanes are free from stop-control, the Slabtown - State intersection has six stop-controlled approaches. The speed limit for all approaches is 55 mph. Despite that traffic/speed readings were taken at the bend of the road, the 85 th percentile speed for this section of Slabtown Road measured at 58 mph, which is 23 mph faster than the advisory speed at this s-bend curved intersection. From the approach to the intersection, State Road consists of two 9 wide lanes (one for each direction) and Slabtown Road consists of two 10.5 wide lanes (one for each direction). In addition, the channelized turn lanes were measured at only 8 wide. The intersection appeared to be in good condition; however, the stop-controlled, turn lanes appeared to be in disrepair. There did not appear to be edge lines and centerlines on State Road or the stop-controlled, turn lanes, and no stop bars were present at this intersection. It should also be noted that while there are curve ahead warning signs with speed advisory placards, that there are no chevrons for the s-bend curve at this intersection Crash Data Crash reports spanning the 3-year period of January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2012 were obtained and reviewed for purposes of this analysis. Over this 3- year period, there were a total of six crashes that were related to the Slabtown State intersection. An intersection with an average of 2,384 vehicles per day (VPD) and six crashes equate to a 3-year crash rate of 2.30 crashes per MEV. Of the six crashes, four occurred in 2012, while one, each, occurred in 2011 and These crashes were classified as: three angle crashes; one backing crash; one fixed object crash; and one overturn crash. The contributing crash circumstances were: three failure to yield actions; one improper backing action; one other improper action action; and one failure to control action. Two crashes at this intersection resulted in an injury. The road conditions may have been a factor for one of the crashes. In addition, the lighting conditions may have been a factor for one of the crashes that occurred at night (with no overhead roadway lights present) Operational Characteristics Using Hi-Star counters, traffic counts were taken at this intersection on 3/20/2012. The average adjusted daily traffic (AADT) entering the intersection was 2,384 vehicles per day. A level of service analysis was also performed at this intersection on 5/27/14 during the peak hour (4:00 5:00 PM). The Intersection Capacity Uitilzation (ICU) LOS for this intersection was calculated and the State - Slabtown intersection received an A rating, with an ICU of 18.9% and an average delay of 1.8 seconds. See the table below for further details regarding the traffic, level of service, speed and delay for each approach. 23

29 TABLE 32 SLABTOWN & STATE: CRASHES BY TYPE AND CONTRIBUTING CAUSE Contributing Cause Angle Backing Fixed Object Overturn Grand Total Failure To Control Failure To Yield Improper Backing Other Improper Action Grand Total TABLE 33 SLABTOWN & STATE: INTERSECTION VOLUME, LEVEL OF SERVICE, DELAY & SPEED Traffic Northbound Southbound Eastbound Westbound Characteristics Approach Approach Approach Approach Total Volume (AADT) 1,005 1, ,384 Peak Hour LOS (4-5 PM) A A A B Average Delay (sec) th Percentile Speed (MPH) Summary and Recommendations In summation, this intersection has experienced six crashes during the 3-year period of , resulting in a crash rate of 2.30 crashes per MEV. Two crashes at this intersection resulted in an injury. The recommendations for this intersection are as follows: (1) Install 12 chevron signs (W1-8) with reflective strips; three signs for each curve in each direction. According to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), signs should be at least 4 feet in height, place at right angles to oncoming traffic and spaced approximately 120 feet apart from one another (Estimated Cost: $4,600). Rationale: Chevrons should be installed to help guide motorists through the s-bend curve. According to the MUTCD, chevrons are required for a curve where the reduced speed warning is greater than 20 mph (i.e., from 55 mph to 35 mph). (2) Install raised reflectors on edge lines and centerlines for both directions through the s-bend curve ($4,500). Rationale: Raised reflectors would help guide motorists through the s-bend curve, especially at night or during adverse weather conditions. (3) Add yellow reflective strips to curve ahead warning signs (Estimated Cost: $100). (4) Convert from a six-way stop to a two-way stop for east-west traffic on State Road; remove channelized turn lanes, fill, level and seed area (Estimated Cost: $20,000). Rationale: In most cases, this conversion would not adversely affect traffic flow, and the intersection would be simplified, enabling motorists to make safe decisions, quickly and easily. As it stands, because the intersection is a 5-point/6-stop controlled intersection, additional conflict points are introduced. For instance, an additional conflict point is introduced when a motorist turns left at the skew point and another motorist turns right (or left) at a channelized turn lane. This scenario could be dangerous, as it is difficult to process what traffic is doing and from which direction. In addition, the channelized turn lanes worsen the line-of-sight, especially for those turning left from the off-chute onto Slabtown Road. The only positive with the current design is that it 24

30 enables motorists turning onto State Road a path that will not impede motorists travelling from behind. While this may be considered an advantage over the proposed design, it still introduces unnecessary conflicts, worsens line-of-sight and could be confusing to motorists. In addition, if the decision is made to forgo conversion, the channelized turn lanes are in a state of disrepair, and would require maintenance to improve the poor condition of the lanes. The suggested improvements have a total estimated cost of $29,200, resulting in an estimated rate of return of 22%. 25

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32 ILLUSTRATION 12 SLABTOWN & STATE Slabtown State: looking W from S northbound channelized turn lane Slabtown State: looking N from S southbound channelized turn lane Slabtown State: looking S from westbound State Road Slabtown State: looking N from N northbound channelized turn lane 27

33 Illustration 13 28

34 3.4 Slabtown & Lincoln Lincoln Highway and Slabtown Road meet at a four-leg intersection in south-central Monroe Township, approximately 5.01 miles north of the Ada and Slabtown Road intersection. This intersection does not provide access to any heavy, nearby traffic generators; although, it bears mentioning that the Village of Cairo is approximately 1.24 miles to the west of the intersection. The surroundings are comprised of mostly agricultural land uses, with a smattering of low-density, single-family residences. This intersection is stop-controlled for north and southbound Slabtown Road. The speed limit is 55 mph for each approach. The 85 th percentile speed for this section of Lincoln Road measured 62 mph. Pursuant to the Federal Functional Classification System (FFCS), this section of Lincoln Highway is classified as a Rural Major Collector and this section of Slabtown Road is classified as a Rural Minor Collector. On average, the Lincoln - Slabtown intersection experiences 2,702 vehicles per day (VPD), or 0.99 million entering vehicles (MEV), annually. This intersection ranks ninth in terms of traffic volume among intersections on the Slabtown Road corridor. This intersection experiences an average of 30 tractortrailers per day, which equates to less than 1% of all vehicles. From the approach to the intersection, Lincoln Highway consists of two 11 wide lanes (one for each direction). Slabtown Road consists of two 10.5 wide lanes to the south of Lincoln Highway (one for each direction) and two 9 lanes to the north of Lincoln Highway. The intersection appeared to be in good condition. On Slabtown Road, edge lines and centerlines appeared to be faded. It should also be noted that double stop and Stop Ahead signs were present for Slabtown north and southbound approaches Crash Data Crash reports spanning the 3-year period of January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2012 were obtained and reviewed for purposes of this analysis. Over this 3- year period, there were a total of four crashes that were related to the Slabtown Lincoln intersection. An intersection with an average of 2,702 VPD and four crashes equate to a 3-year crash rate of 1.35 crashes per MEV. Of the four crashes, two occurred in 2012 and 2 occurred in These crashes were classified as three angle crashes and one fixed object crash. The contributing crash circumstances were three failure to yield actions and one swerving to avoid action. Three crashes at this intersection resulted in an injury. The weather and lighting were not considered to be a factor, as none of the crashes occurred under adverse weather conditions and all crashes occurred in the daylight. TABLE 35 SLABTOWN & LINCOLN: CRASHES BY TYPE AND CONTRIBUTING CAUSE Contributing Cause Angle Fixed Object Grand Total Failure To Yield Swerving To Avoid Grand Total Operational Characteristics Traffic counts were taken using Hi-Star counters at this intersection on 8/08/2013. The average adjusted daily traffic (AADT) entering the intersection was 2,702 vehicles per day. A level of service analysis was also performed at this intersection on 5/29/14 during the peak hour (4:00 5:00 PM). The Intersection Capacity Uitilzation (ICU) LOS for this intersection was calculated and the Lincoln - Slabtown intersection received an A rating, with an ICU of 19.4% and an average delay of 6.6 seconds. See the table below for further details regarding the traffic, LOS, speed and delay for each approach. 29

35 TABLE 36 SLABTOWN & LINCOLN: INTERSECTION VOLUME, LEVEL OF SERVICE, DELAY & SPEED Traffic Northbound Southbound Eastbound Westbound Characteristics Approach Approach Approach Approach Total Volume (AADT) ,702 Peak Hour LOS (4-5 PM) B B A A Average Delay (sec) th Percentile Speed (MPH) Summary and Recommendations In summation, this intersection has experienced four crashes during the 3-year period of , resulting in a crash rate of 1.35 crashes per MEV. Three crashes at this intersection resulted in an injury. The weather and lighting were not considered to be a factor, as none of the crashes occurred under adverse weather conditions and all crashes occurred in the daylight. The recommendations for this intersection are as follows: (1) Further consideration is warranted into switching stop control from Slabtown Road to Lincoln Highway ($2,400). Rationale: At this intersection, Slabtown Road currently experiences more traffic than Lincoln Highway. During the peak hour, the current design results in an average delay of 6.6 seconds, where as the proposed design (switching stop control from Slabtown to Lincoln Highway) would reduce delay by 1.7 seconds. In addition, the proposed design would increase fuel economy by roughly 2.9 mpg/peak hr, while reducing Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitric Oxide (NOx) and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by 0.12 kg/peak hr, 0.02 kg/peak hr and 0.03 kg/peak hr, respectively. While this may seem insignificant, forecasted over several months or years, this design change would result in a significant reduction of harmful emissions while simultaneously reducing delay. Furthermore, safety could very well be improved over time, as fewer motorists would be stopping to find a gap in traffic. (2) Intersection warning signs with Slabtown Road placard should be placed at the appropriate locations along Lincoln Highway (Estimated Cost: $700). Rationale: An advanced intersection warning signing would attract the attention of motorists prior to any conflicting movements at the intersection. (3) The tree to the northeast side of the intersection should be trimmed to increase the line-of-sight for Slabtown southbound traveling traffic (Estimated Cost: $300). Rationale: The sight distance would be improved by trimming the tree northeast of the Lincoln Slabtown intersection. (4) Move stop bar up to appropriate distance back from edge of roadway, northbound Slabtown Road; upgrade pavement markings (Estimated Cost: $1,200). Rationale: The stop bar is currently 23 feet from edge of roadway, but it should be 10 feet from edge of roadway. Motorists may be stopping too far back, which worsens the line-of-sight of cross-traffic. Pavement markings could be improved in the process of correcting the stop bar location. The suggested improvements have a total estimated cost of $2,000, resulting in an estimated rate of return of 771%. 30

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37 ILLUSTRATION 14 SLABTOWN & LINCOLN Slabtown Lincoln: looking N northbound Slabtown Slabtown Lincoln: looking W northbound Slabtown Slabtown Lincoln: looking E northbound Slabtown Slabtown Lincoln: looking E southbound Slabtown 32

38 Illustration 15 33

39 APPENDIX A: COLLISION DIAGRAMS

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107 APPENDIX B: TRAFFIC COUNT/ SPEED DATA

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165 APPENDIX C: INTERSECTION LOS ANALYSES

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181 APPENDIX D: SUPPORTIVE PAVEMENT & SIGNAGE DOCUMENTATION

182 Bridge at Sugar Creek; deck in deteriorating condition Approaching State Road D-1

183 Approaching U.S. 30 overpass Atop U.S. 30 overpass Double stop ahead signs approaching Lincoln Highway D-2

184 Lincoln Hwy dual STOP signs; lit stop sign Examples of patching and bleeding north of Lincoln Hwy Truck entrance to the left; less than 1 foot shoulder; no edge lines D-3

185 Intersection warning sign Longitudinal and edge cracking Bridge weight Limit at 12 tons - south of Eversole Road D-4

186 Edge cracking, bleeding and patching present. Hidden intersection, just south of Eversole Road Culvert north of Eversole D-5

187 Recently repaved; noticeable gravel shoulder - less than 3 feet Looking south from westbound Eversole Road; view hidden by tree line D-6

188 Longitudinal cracking and edge cracking Bridge load limit Truck entrance D-7

189 Approaching Lincoln Hwy Lincoln Hwy; dual STOP signs; stop sign lit Hidden drive; crossing overpass of U.S. 30 D-8

190 State Road s-curve with speed limit placard Slabtown Road to State Road - looking south Slabtown Road to State Road - looking north D-9

191 No chevrons despite the warning sign placard suggesting a speed of 35 mph on a 55 mph road At intersection of State Road - looking south Sugar Creek three-way intersection warning sign at bridge D-10

192 School bus stop ahead warning Sign No edge lines and edge cracking Dual stop ahead signs at Bluelick Road intersection D-11

193 Approaching Bluelick Road intersection At Bluelick Road; dual stop; signs at four-way stop Approaching I-75 overpass; cracking in pavement; no edgelines; faded centerline D-12

194 approaching I-75 overpass; no edgelines; longitudinal cracking; no shoulder I-75 overpass; could use guard rail reflectors School Ahead sign D-13

195 School Zone Speed Limit sign School zone School zone D-14

196 Approaching Dixie Highway; end school zone at Pine Lakes; school ahead after Dixie Hwy Dixie Highway Stop Second school zone D-15

197 Noticeable bleeding; no shoulder; stop ahead warning sign before SR 81 SR 81 intersection D-16

198 APPENDIX E: CORRIDOR LEVEL OF SERVICE

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