Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment

Transcription

1 Transportation Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment Prepared by: AECOM Morrison Drive tel Ottawa, ON, Canada K2H 8S fax Project Number: Date: March 2013

2 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment Statement of Qualifications and Limitations The attached Report (the Report ) has been prepared by AECOM Canada Ltd. ( Consultant ) for the benefit of the client ( Client ) in accordance with the agreement between Consultant and Client, including the scope of work detailed therein (the Agreement ). The information, data, recommendations and conclusions contained in the Report (collectively, the Information ): is subject to the scope, schedule, and other constraints and limitations in the Agreement and the qualifications contained in the Report (the Limitations ); represents Consultant s professional judgement in light of the Limitations and industry standards for the preparation of similar reports; may be based on information provided to Consultant which has not been independently verified; has not been updated since the date of issuance of the Report and its accuracy is limited to the time period and circumstances in which it was collected, processed, made or issued; must be read as a whole and sections thereof should not be read out of such context; was prepared for the specific purposes described in the Report and the Agreement; and in the case of subsurface, environmental or geotechnical conditions, may be based on limited testing and on the assumption that such conditions are uniform and not variable either geographically or over time. Consultant shall be entitled to rely upon the accuracy and completeness of information that was provided to it and has no obligation to update such information. Consultant accepts no responsibility for any events or circumstances that may have occurred since the date on which the Report was prepared and, in the case of subsurface, environmental or geotechnical conditions, is not responsible for any variability in such conditions, geographically or over time. Consultant agrees that the Report represents its professional judgement as described above and that the Information has been prepared for the specific purpose and use described in the Report and the Agreement, but Consultant makes no other representations, or any guarantees or warranties whatsoever, whether express or implied, with respect to the Report, the Information or any part thereof. Without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing, any estimates or opinions regarding probable construction costs or construction schedule provided by Consultant represent Consultant s professional judgement in light of its experience and the knowledge and information available to it at the time of preparation. Since Consultant has no control over market or economic conditions, prices for construction labour, equipment or materials or bidding procedures, Consultant, its directors, officers and employees are not able to, nor do they, make any representations, warranties or guarantees whatsoever, whether express or implied, with respect to such estimates or opinions, or their variance from actual construction costs or schedules, and accept no responsibility for any loss or damage arising therefrom or in any way related thereto. Persons relying on such estimates or opinions do so at their own risk. Except (1) as agreed to in writing by Consultant and Client; (2) as required by-law; or (3) to the extent used by governmental reviewing agencies for the purpose of obtaining permits or approvals, the Report and the Information may be used and relied upon only by Client. Consultant accepts no responsibility, and denies any liability whatsoever, to parties other than Client who may obtain access to the Report or the Information for any injury, loss or damage suffered by such parties arising from their use of, reliance upon, or decisions or actions based on the Report or any of the Information ( improper use of the Report ), except to the extent those parties have obtained the prior written consent of Consultant to use and rely upon the Report and the Information. Any injury, loss or damages arising from improper use of the Report shall be borne by the party making such use. This Statement of Qualifications and Limitations is attached to and forms part of the Report and any use of the Report is subject to the terms hereof. AECOM: AECOM Canada Ltd. All Rights Reserved. DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc

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4 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment Table of Contents Statement of Qualifications and Limitations Distribution List 1. Introduction Overview Previous Studies Study Area Transportation Network Road Network Transit Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Existing Conditions Traffic Volumes Traffic Operations Future Conditions Future Projections Traffic Distribution and Assignment Total Traffic Volume Traffic Control and Geometric Requirements Future Traffic Operations Conclusions and Recommendations List of Figures Figure 1. Campus Master Plan Parking Locations (2010)... 2 Figure 2. Existing and Planned Campus Street System... 4 Figure 3. Existing Transit Service... 5 Figure 4. Campus Map... 6 Figure Traffic Volumes... 8 Figure 6. Traffic Volumes 2013 post construction Figure 7. Traffic Volumes in List of Tables Table 1. City of Ottawa - Level of Service... 3 Table 2. Carleton Trip Generation... 7 Table 3. Existing 2013 Baseline Traffic Operations... 9 Table Buildout Traffic Operations Table Traffic Operations Appendices Appendix A. Appendix B. Traffic Counts/Traffic signal timing supplied by City of Ottawa Synchro Simulation results page DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc

5 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment 1. Introduction 1.1 Overview Carleton University is one of Ottawa s largest employers, with more than 900 faculty members and 1,000 support staff. Carleton University is Canada s capital university and serves more than 26,000 students 1. Carleton University is located minutes south of Ottawa s city centre and is easily accessible by car, bus, and light rail. The 2010 Campus Master Plan indicates that transportation priority at the University is pedestrians, bicycles, transit, cars, and trucks through the use of incentives for multiple vehicle occupancy and increased parking charges. The University also continues to support the City of Ottawa s continual improvement of rail and bus initiatives. The City of Ottawa s O-Train expansion project will shut down the O-Train line for 18 weeks between April 27, 2013 and September 2, To take advantage of the O-Train shutdown, Carleton is fast-tracking the design and construction of a new 600 space parking structure to be built over the Light Rail Transit line. As part of this project, a northern extension of Campus Avenue to Colonel By Drive is planned. The Master Plan suggests that this may alleviate some of the current rush hour congestion. We are preparing this Transportation Impact Assessment, consistent with the City of Ottawa s Guidelines dated October The milestone schedule for the parking garage is compressed with construction beginning in April 2013 and construction completion in August This report considers the traffic impact based on the August 2013 completion of the 600 space parking structure and redistribution of traffic. 1.2 Previous Studies The 2010 Campus Master Plan provided locations for campus parking and states that: Parking stalls will be provided throughout the campus, increasingly under cover, while the number per person will decrease over time as carpool and transit use increase. The parking locations suggested by the Campus Master Plan are shown in Figure 1. The parking lot being fast tracked is P6C in the northern end of campus. It is expected that 600 parking spaces will be available in P6C by the end of 2013, with an additional 600 spaces available through a three-storey expansion in the future. The exact date for the three story expansion to P6C is unknown. For this study we have assumed a 5 year horizon. The ultimate configuration for the P6 parking lot includes 3 parking structures (P6A, P6B, P6C), each with 1200 parking spaces. This configuration would provide Carleton with 3600 additional parking spaces. This plan is a longterm plan with a 30 year expected horizon. 1 Accessed March 18, 2013 DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc 1

6 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment Figure 1. Parking Locations The City of Ottawa Rideau Canal Multi-Use Crossing Environmental Assessment (August 2012) analysed intersection operations at Colonel By Drive and Queen Elizabeth Driveway. Traffic volumes on Colonel By Drive included a 1% annual growth rate to remain consistent with the City s Lansdowne Revitalization Transportation Impact Assessment Study and Transportation Demand Management Plan (July 2010). As part of the Lansdowne TIS, a 5% background growth rate over 5 years was used to project future traffic on Bronson Avenue. 1.3 Traffic Operations Level of Service (LOS) is used by the HCM 2010 to describe the quality of service of a transportation facility. There are six levels defined, ranging from A to F. LOS A represents the best operating conditions from the traveller s perspective and LOS F represents the worst. DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc 2

7 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment The volume to capacity ratio represents the capability of a transportation facility to accommodate the traffic demand. As the v/c ratio approaches 1.00 there is an increased possibility of delays and queuing. Once the v/c ratio exceeds 1.00, excessive delays and queues are expected. They City of Ottawa s Traffic Impact Assessment Guidelines (2006) indicates that mitigation measures will be required for signalized intersections with a v/c ratio greater than 0.90, except in the urban core where 1.0 is acceptable. The City of Ottawa has adopted criteria that directly relate the v/c ratio of a signalized intersection to a LOS rating. These categories are shown in Table 1. Table 1. City of Ottawa - Level of Service Level of Service Volume to Capacity Ratio A 0 to 0.60 B 0.61 to 0.70 C 0.71 to 0.80 D 0.81 to 0.90 E 0.91 to 1.00 F > Study Area Transportation Network 2.1 Road Network Carleton University is accessed by two existing roads: Colonel By Drive and Bronson Avenue. Colonel By Drive is a north-south scenic parkway that is managed by the National Capital Commission (NCC). The NCC maintains the scenic natures of the parkway by limiting signage, prohibiting commercial vehicles, restricting access, and landscaping. At Carleton, Colonel By Drive is a two lane, undivided roadway with a posted speed limit of 60 km/h. The Colonel By Drive/ University Drive intersection is currently signalized with a southbound left turn lane and a northbound right turn lane entering Carleton University on Colonel By Drive and a westbound channelized right turn bay exiting Carleton University from University Drive. Bronson Avenue is a north-south arterial road owned by the City of Ottawa. At Carleton University, Bronson Avenue is a six lane, divided roadway with a posted speed limit of 70 km/h. The Bronson Avenue/University Drive intersection is currently signalized with a southbound channelized right turn bay and northbound left turn lane entering Carleton University from Bronson Avenue and an eastbound channelized right turn bay exiting Carleton University from University Drive. Within the campus, there are four existing roads: University Drive, Campus Avenue, Library Road, and Raven Road. The speed limit on any campus road is 40 km/h unless otherwise posted 2. The existing street system and planned street system from the Campus Master Plan are shown in Figure 2. 2 Carleton University Parking and Traffic Regulations DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc 3

8 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment Figure 2. Existing and Planned Campus Street System 2.2 Transit Carleton is served by the O-Train at the Carleton Station. OC Transpo major routes #4 and #7 serve the campus all day, 7 days a week. Some weekday trips on route #111 are extended from Billings Bridge to Carleton. The existing transit service at Carleton University is shown in Figure 3. DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc 4

9 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment Figure 3. Existing Transit Service 2.3 Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities The existing pedestrian and cycling pathways include sidewalks, pathways between buildings, and tunnels. Their locations are shown in Figure 4. DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc 5

10 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment Figure 4. Campus Map 3. Existing Conditions 3.1 Traffic Volumes The City of Ottawa provided traffic counts at the Colonel By Drive/University and Bronson/University intersections. Both counts were taken in June DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc 6

11 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment We estimated the number of trips entering and exiting Carleton during the typical school year (September to April) using the Institute for Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip General Manual (10 th Edition) and compared the estimate to the traffic data collected. The trip generation rates for the University land use and trips generated are summarized in Table 2. Using the University/College land use (Land use code 550), we can estimate trips generated using number of employees or number of students as our independent variable. The number of trips generated using students (21,500 full time, 4,500 part time) was higher than the number of trips generated using employees (1,900 employees). We selected the trips generated using employees as our independent variable because the manual noted that trip generation rates were generally lower at sites with transit service in close proximity. Carleton has both light rail and bus transit available on campus (Section 2.2). Also, there are 3,500 residence spaces on campus which reduces the number of students travelling to school and it is more typical of employees to own cars than for university students. For both peak hours, the regression equation was most appropriate. We estimated the distribution of trips based on the June 2011 traffic counts. Table 2. Carleton Trip Generation Peak Equation Entering Exiting University / College (550) Total Bronson Colonel By Total Bronson Colonel By AM T = 0.65(X) PM T = 0.61(X) The trips generated by using the ITE trip generation rates were fairly close to the traffic data volumes collected. The difference between the two values was within 10-20%. We used the trips calculated by the trip generation rates in our analyses. To be consistent with recent traffic studies in the area (Section 1.2), we applied an annual growth rate of 1% to the 2011 traffic volumes to determine the 2013 traffic volumes on Bronson Avenue and on Colonel By Drive. DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc 7

12 C Colonel By Drive University Drive (78) 291 (2313) (175) 78 (106) 154 (63) 120 (149) 51 (48) 57 (497) 70 (114) 277 (120) (68) (1884) Bronson Avenue 334 (524) 33 (26) 74 (55) 42 (242) (403) (127) University Drive km Local Roads O-Train Track Built-up Areas Vegetation Signalized Intersecion AM Volumes (PM Volumes) Carleton University Parking Lot PC6 Transportation Impact Study Figure 5 - Existing Traffic Volumes (2013) Datum: GCS NAD 1983 Projection: MTM9 Sources: City of Ottawa, GeoGratis, NRCan

13 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment 3.2 Traffic Operations Using Synchro version 8 with the Highway Capacity Manual 2010 (HCM) parameters, we analyzed the existing traffic operations at the University Drive/ Colonel By Drive intersection and at Bronson Avenue/ University Drive. Traffic signal timing plans were provided by the City of Ottawa. Table 3. Existing 2013 Baseline Traffic Operations University Drive Colonel By Drive Westbound Northbound Southbound Left Right Through Right Left Through AM v/c LOS C A A A A A PM v/c LOS D A A A A A University Drive Bronson Avenue Eastbound Westbound Northbound Southbound Left Through Right Left Through/Right Left Through/Right Left Through Right AM v/c LOS C A A A C E E E F A PM v/c LOS C A A A C D D C F A 4. Future Conditions 4.1 Future Projections Our baseline traffic volume projections are for the 2013 and 2018 time horizons. We selected 2013 because it is the anticipated build-out year for P6C and 2018 because it is build-out of the next stage of the project. The final stage of the project is anticipated for 30 years from now, in This horizon year is beyond the current planning horizon for the Ottawa Transportation Master Plan and therefore has not been considered in this report. Planning horizons greater than 20 years can be unpredictable and the assumptions can be very uncertain for that far into the future. The future traffic projections include existing traffic, background growth and the traffic from the new campus road and parking structure. In this instance, our existing traffic volumes (Section 3.1) are our baseline projections for Based on the Rideau Canal Multi-Use Crossing EA and the Lansdowne Revitalization TIS and TDM Plan, we have used a 5% background growth rate over 5 years to project future traffic. This is approximately 1% growth per year. We have carried this assumption throughout our analysis. DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc 9

14 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment 4.2 Traffic Distribution and Assignment The parking structure will provide parking spaces for trips generated by Carleton and will not be a trip generator. It may be expected that drivers will shift from the open air parking areas at the north of the campus to the covered parking structure. Due to the construction of the parking garage, some of the existing parking spaces will be lost. The net increase in parking will be 520 new parking spaces. It is expected that only a portion of the new spaces will be used by current students and staff. The intention of the new parking structure is to plan for the future when new academic facilities will be constructed. It is at that time, at the 2043 horizon, that the new parking structure will be fully utilised. Since the parking lots at the north end of the campus are 86% filled at peak times, it not expected that the additional parking spaces will generate more traffic. A conservative estimate of 25% utilisation of the parking garage may be considered based on the current parking utilisation rates. During the AM peak hour, 27% of the current parking spaces are being filled by the traffic arriving on campus. Using the same filling rate and the expected usage of the parking garage, an additional 35 trips to the Carleton University campus is suggested for the AM peak hour. In the PM peak hour, 24% of the parking spaces are vacated. Therefore, 31 vehicles are expected to depart campus during the PM peak hour. The new access to Carleton University from Colonel By Drive will redistribute some trips already generated by Carleton University. We considered the existing traffic patterns at the Bronson Avenue and Colonel By Drive intersections and the location of the parking spaces on campus in order to assign trips to the new access at Colonel By Drive. 4.3 Total Traffic Volume The total traffic volume expected for 2013 once the parking garage has been completed is shown in Figure 6. By 2018, another 600 parking spaces are expected to be added to the parking structure. Although, no new university facilities are expected to be constructed during this time period, it may be possible that additional vehicles will use the parking garage. Using the same estimates for utilisation of the parking garage and filling rates during peak hours, it is assumed that an additional 40 vehicles will arrive at the parking garage in the AM peak hour and an additional 36 vehicles will depart from the parking garage during the PM peak hour. The traffic volumes for 2018 are shown in Figure 7. DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc 10

15 C 362 (540) 28 (10) 711 (450) Colonel By Drive 102 (111) 5 (44) 60 (10) University Drive (78) 279 (2313) (175) 78 (106) 159 (63) 72 (127) 51 (50) 57 (439) 70 (114) 286 (120) (68) (1884) Bronson Avenue 339 (568) 28 (16) 726 (479) 45 (47) 42 (206) 285 (51) University Drive km Local Roads O-Train Track Built-up Areas Vegetation Signalized Intersecion Unsignalized Intersection AM Volumes (PM Volumes) Carleton University Parking Lot PC6 Transportation Impact Study Figure 6 - Traffic Volumes at Buildout (2013) Datum: GCS NAD 1983 Projection: MTM9 Sources: City of Ottawa, GeoGratis, NRCan

16 C 375 (565) 29 (10) 732 (470) Colonel By Drive 102 (116) 5 (52) 72 (76) University Drive (81) 279 (2427) (175) 81 (111) 164 (63) 72 (127) 51 (52) 57 (455) 74 (120) 295 (120) (72) (1976) Bronson Avenue 352 (602) 28 (16) 759 (499) 45 (47) 42 (206) 285 (51) University Drive km Local Roads O-Train Track Built-up Areas Vegetation Signalized Intersecion Unsignalized Intersection AM Volumes (PM Volumes) Carleton University Parking Lot PC6 Transportation Impact Study Figure 7 - Traffic Volumes (2018) Datum: GCS NAD 1983 Projection: MTM9 Sources: City of Ottawa, GeoGratis, NRCan

17 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment 4.4 Traffic Control and Geometric Requirements With the low traffic volumes expected at the parking lot entrance on Colonel By Drive, stop control at the new access location for the minor leg will be appropriate. A single lane entry and exit is suggested for the new access road. The existing lanes on Colonel By Drive should be a shared through/left in the southbound direction and a shared through/right in the northbound direction. 4.5 Future Traffic Operations Using Synchro version 8 with the Highway Capacity Manual 2010 (HCM) parameters, we analyzed the 2013 traffic operations at three intersections once Parking Lot P6C is completed. The signalized intersections we analyzed included University Drive/ Colonel By and Bronson Avenue/ University Drive. We also analyzed traffic at the new stop controlled intersection on Colonel By at the north end of campus. Table Buildout Traffic Operations University Drive Colonel By Drive Westbound Northbound Southbound Left Right Through Right Left Through AM v/c LOS C A A A A A PM v/c LOS D A A A A A University Drive Bronson Avenue Eastbound Westbound Northbound Southbound Left Through Right Left Through/Right Left Through/Right Left Through Right AM v/c LOS A A A A D E D C E A PM v/c LOS C A A A D D C C F A New Road Colonel By Drive Westbound Northbound Southbound AM v/c LOS A - - PM v/c LOS A - - The results of the analysis indicate that the additional trips from the parking garage and the redistribution of some trips to alternate intersections have little impact on overall intersection operations. There are some movements that DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc 13

18 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment have an improvement in v/c ratio with the addition of the new access location due to the redistribution of trips. There are other movements that have an increased v/c ratio due to the additional trips. The changes to the v/c ratios due to the parking garage construction are minor. Using Synchro version 8 with the Highway Capacity Manual 2010 (HCM) parameters, we analyzed the 2018 future traffic operations at the signalized intersections of University Drive/ Colonel By and Bronson Avenue/ University Drive. We also analyzed traffic at the new stop controlled intersection on Colonel By at the north end of campus. Table Traffic Operations University Drive Colonel By Drive Westbound Northbound Southbound Left Right Through Right Left Through AM v/c LOS C A A A A A PM v/c LOS D A A A A A University Drive Bronson Avenue Eastbound Westbound Northbound Southbound Left Through Right Left Through/Right Left Through/Right Left Through Right AM v/c LOS A A A A D E E C F A PM v/c LOS D A A A D D D D F A New Road Colonel By Drive Westbound Northbound Southbound AM v/c LOS A - - PM v/c LOS A - - The results of the analysis indicate that the additional trips from the parking garage and the redistribution of some trips to alternate intersections have little impact on overall intersection operations. There are some movements that have an improvement in v/c ratio with the addition of the new access location due to the redistribution of trips. There are other movements that have an increased v/c ratio due to the additional trips. The changes to the v/c ratios due to the parking garage construction are minor. DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc 14

19 AECOM Carleton University Parking Lot P6C Transportation Impact Assessment 5. Conclusions and Recommendations The new parking structure at the Carleton University campus will generate few new trips since the existing parking lots are not currently used to full capacity. The new garage is being built for future expansion of the campus planned for a 30 year horizon. Some existing trips will be redistributed on the road network and some new trips will also be generated. A new intersection will be created on Colonel By Drive at the location of the access road to the parking structure. Stop control for the access driveway is the recommended traffic control at this intersection. No additional lanes are required on Colonel By Drive and the existing lanes are recommended to be shared through/left and through/right lanes. The additional traffic has little impact on the intersections on Colonel By Drive/ University Drive and Bronson Avenue/ University Drive. The levels of service related to the v/c ratios remain the same as for the existing condition. Some traffic signal timing modifications may be required at the 2018 horizon period but any changes are related to the background of traffic volumes on Bronson Avenue rather than new traffic related to the parking structure. DRAFT RPT Traffic Impact Assessment.Doc 15

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