Congestion Management Report

Transcription

1 Congestion Management Report F.E. EVERETT TURNPIKE (NORTH), MERRIMACK Segment Length: 7.0 miles Daily Traffic Volumes: 60,000-69,000 Analysis Period: May 2015 Number of Traffic Signals: 0 Number of travel lanes: 4-6 Roadway Class: I (Principal Arterial Other Freeways and Expressways) The F.E. Everett Turnpike serves as one of the primary northsouth thoroughfares in southern New Hampshire for vehicular traffic by connecting the state s three largest cities: Manchester, Nashua and Concord. Since the Turnpike runs 44 miles from the Massachusetts border to Concord, the portion within the Nashua Region was divided into 3 segments (North from Exit 13 to 10, Central from Exit 10 to 7, and South from Exit 7 to the Massachusetts State line) in order to comprehensively study congestion during peak periods. The Northern segment is located entirely within Merrimack and extends from Interchange 13 (the Bedford Tolls) to Interchange 10 (Industrial Blvd.), paralleling U.S. Route 3 and the Merrimack River. It contains toll plazas at Exit 13, and on the northbound exit and southbound entrance ramps for Exits 10 and 11. Since this segment connects Nashua with the Bedford-Manchester region, it is a major commuting route for those working within southern New Hampshire and metropolitan Boston area. It is also a vital road for freight transportation and local attractions, including the Merrimack Premium Outlets. Due to its role as a commuting corridor, the F.E. Everett Turnpike is expected to have some degree of congestion during peak travel times. In addition to the high volume of cars at certain peak travel times, contributors to this congestion are segments where travel lanes vary from two to three lanes in either direction, and toll plazas, which require drivers to slow their speed. The Turnpike is operated by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation s Bureau of Turnpikes. Some of the department s recent improvements on the Turnpike to alleviate congestion have been the completion and opening of the Raymond Wieczorek Airport Access Road in 2011 and the removal of Exit 12 off-ramp toll plaza in July Report, travel time runs and data analysis conducted by 2016

2 AM Peak Period Actual & Expected Travel Times Expected Travel Time during the Morning Commute 6 minutes and 28 seconds, traveling in northerly direction based upon posted speeds and free flowing traffic 6 minutes and 11 seconds, traveling in southerly direction based upon posted speeds and free flowing traffic Actual Travel Time during the Morning Commute:* Southbound 6 minutes and 7 seconds 8 minutes and 45 seconds 21 seconds (5%) less than expected 2 minutes and 34 seconds (42%) longer than expected *The actual travel time is based upon a single travel run that was similar in duration and congestion to the average observed travel time.

3 PM Peak Period Actual & Expected Travel Times Expected Travel Time during the Evening Commute 6 minutes and 28 seconds, traveling in northerly direction based upon posted speeds and free flowing traffic 6 minutes and 11 seconds, traveling in southerly direction based upon posted speeds and free flowing traffic Actual Travel Time during the Evening Commute:* Southbound 10 minutes and 22 seconds 6 minutes and 36 seconds 3 minutes and 54 seconds (60%) longer than expected 25 seconds (7%) less than expected *The actual travel time is based upon a single travel run that was similar in duration and congestion to the average observed travel time.

4 AM Travel Time Ratios (8:00am 10:00am) Travel Time Ratio A travel time ratio (TTR) compares the actual (measured) & expected (noncongested) travel times along a corridor. It is assumed that in non-congested conditions, motorists can travel at the posted speed limit. The actual time is the average of several travel time runs. The ratio between the actual time and the expected time would equal 1 for a non-congested segment. Southbound Congestion occurs during the morning peak period between Interchanges 13 and 12. Congestion does not occur between interchanges 12 and 10. On average, travel between Interchanges 13 and 10 in the southbound direction during the morning commute takes approximately 2 minutes and 5 seconds (34%) longer as compared to free-flow conditions. Congestion does not occur in the northbound direction between Interchanges 10 and 13 during the morning peak period, as indicated by ratios that are below the threshold of 1. In fact, motorists can travel above the speed limit in some areas, as indicated by actual travel times that are less than expected travel times.

5 PM Travel Time Ratios (3:00pm 5:00pm) Travel Time Ratio A travel time ratio (TTR) compares the actual (measured) & expected (noncongested) travel times along a corridor. It is assumed that in noncongested conditions, motorists can travel at the posted speed limit. The actual time is the average of several travel time runs. The ratio between the actual time and the expected time would equal 1 for a non-congested segment. Southbound Congestion does not occur in the southbound direction between Interchanges 13 and 10 during the afternoon peak period, as indicated by ratios that are below the threshold of 1. In fact, motorists can travel above the speed limit, as indicated by actual travel times that are less than expected travel times. Congestion occurs during the afternoon peak period in the northbound direction between Interchanges 10 and 11. as indicated by a ratio of Travel between interchanges 11 and 12 approaches congested conditions. On average, travel between Interchanges 10 and 13 in the northbound direction during the afternoon commute takes approximately 3:04 seconds (47%) longer as compared to free-flow conditions.

6 Probe Travel Time Data Travel times from the National Performance Measurement Research Data Set (NPMRDS) are available for the entire extent of the F.E. Everett Turnpike. Weekday travel time data collected in 2015 along three TMCs located as shown in the left-hand figure is summarized by travel speeds. The percent of traffic traveling below the speed limit versus at or above the posted speed limit of 65 mph during the peak and off peak hours for each segment is graphed in figures below and on the following page. The NPMRDS provides roadway performance data for the National Highway System (NHS). The NPMRDS data are derived from instantaneous vehicle probe speed data supplied by a variety of GPS devices carried by both trucks and cars. The data are supplied on a GIS roadway network, which divides the NHS into directional road segments based on the Traffic Message Channel (TMC) standard.

7 Probe Travel Time Data The data indicate that, in general: Freight traffic travels below the posted speed limit of 65 mph through this section of the Turnpike PM peak is most congested, with greater than 75% of travel speeds below 65 mph for both passenger and freight vehicles At least 45% of southbound passenger vehicles travel at or above the posted speed during the PM peak and off peak hours; southbound AM traffic moves a little slower, with over 25% of vehicles traveling at or above 65 mph. The 2015 weekday travel time data was also summarized by average travel speed by hour of day for all vehicle types (passenger and freight combined). traffic slows considerably during the PM peak hours between Exits 10 and 12, where the number of lanes drops from three to two. A similar slow down occurs in the southbound direction during the AM peak, though traffic slows to around 50 mph rather than the 25 mph seen in the northbound PM peak. The bottleneck in the southbound direction occurs between Exits 13 and 11 where there is also a drop from three lanes to two.

8 Backbone of the Regional Economy Lacking alternative means of regional transportation (e.g., passenger rail, inter-city bus service), the F.E. Everett Turnpike serves as a major north-south thoroughfare for residents, commuters, and tourists in the Nashua region to travel within southern New Hampshire and to Massachusetts. Within Merrimack, the Turnpike plays an important role as a connector between the cities of Nashua and Manchester. The homes, office parks, industrial parks, and retail activity that are accessed by this corridor contribute to the region s diverse economy. Due to the high volume of goods, services, and people that travel along this corridor every day, projects that minimize congestion and increase traffic efficiency are essential. Projects There are several infrastructure projects along the F.E. Everett Turnpike that could impact the corridor. While previously completed projects focused on improving the ease of access to the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, future projects prioritize congestion reduction and improved safety. One major cause for congestion is the inconsistent number of travel lanes on the Turnpike, varying from two to three in either direction. Interchange 11 is one major point of congestion because the on-ramp lane merges onto the Turnpike right at the point where the number of travels lanes drops from three to two. The anticipated project of widening the Turnpike to consistently have three travel lanes in either direction may lead fewer instances of lane changes and speed fluctuation. The other major contributor to congestion is the presence of the Bedford Toll Plaza at Interchange 13, which has signage that instructs drivers to lower their speeds from 65 mph to 25 mph as they pass through. Similar to the project completed in 2013 on the F.E. Everett Turnpike in Hooksett, there are plans to replace the Bedford Toll Plazas with Open Road Tolling. By having an electronic collection system overhead drivers would no longer have to stop or slow down. The Nashua Regional Planning Commission plans to complete an additional congestion analysis of the F. E. Everett Turnpike after the impacts of the improvements are fully in effect.