4.8 TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY

Transcription

1 4.8 TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY CONTENTS BACKGROUND STREET NETWORK PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE FACILITIES PUBLIC TRANSIT TRAFFIC AND CONGESTION TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES BACKGROUND Kingson s ransporaion sysem is well inegraed wihin he Souh Shore region. Regional highways, including Roue 3, which runs norh-souh hrough he easern secion of own and Roue which runs eas-wes in he souhern secion, conribue o Kingson s local ransporaion nwork. Roue 3A, which runs parallel o Roue 3, provides srong connecions bween Kingson s neighborhoods, Town Cener, commercial disrics, and he regional ransporaion nwork. Connecions o he MBTA commuer rail service are accessed by residens of Kingson and he greaer region via he Kingson Commuer Rail saion, a erminus of he Kingson/Plymouh line. The commuer rail connecs o Boson s ransi sysem a Souh Saion (Red Line) in downown Boson. Much of Kingson s perceived raffic congesion resuls from peak period commuing raffic (i.e. residens of Kingson, Plymouh, Duxbury and he oher surrounding owns driving o and from work). Alhough he enire ransporaion nwork includes more han jus auomobiles, he ransporaion conversaion invariably is dominaed by raffic, congesion, and cars. When asked abou key issues in Kingson oday, residens paricipaing in communiy meings and inerviews for he maser plan process were nearly unanimous: conneciviy and congesion were key concerns. The las Maser Plan was compled in 1998 and idenified several raffic issues, as well as a lack of alernae ransporaion modes for residens. The bigges raffic concern semmed from he exising road layou which funnels mos of Kingson s major arerials hrough he Town Cener, resuling in increasing congesion a he core. Ciizens also expressed concern regarding ou-of-own vehicles conribuing significanly o raffic volumes. A greaer emphasis on sidewalks, bicycle infrasrucure, as well as increased public ransporaion opions connecing high aciviy areas wihin he own o reduce local raffic were also suggesed by ciizens during he 1997 Maser Plan Forum. 4.8: Transporaion & Mobiliy Page 4.8.1

2 The 1998 Maser Plan oulined hree primary goals o improve own circulaion: Prepare a comprehensive raffic infrasrucure plan. Develop plans for ravel hroughou he Town for bicycles and pedesrians. Creae alernaive ransporaion modes wihin he Town oher han he auomobile. Reducing raffic generaion and ber disribuing volumes was he focus of he ransporaion improvemens suggesed in he Maser Plan. The Plan suggesed higher densiy residenial and commercial developmen in areas ha could be served by public ransporaion, such as he Town Cener and Kingson Collecion o reduce he need for residens o drive for local daily rips. Addiions o he major road nwork in Kingson by creaing alernae corridors for eas-wes and norh-souh links o exising arerials were also recommended o relieve raffic congesion in he Town Cener. The Maser Plan also idenified a need o collaborae wih he MBTA and oher agencies o upgrade road access o he MBTA commuer rail saion, as well as explore opions for rerouing regional raffic from Roue 3A o Roue 3 wih he Old Colony Regional Planning Commission (OCPC) and Massachuss Highway Deparmen. The Kingson Collecion, MBTA Commuer Rail Saion and Town Cener were designaed as poenial candidaes for enhanced pedesrian and bicycle faciliies. Though he 1998 Maser Plan recognized he limied mark poenial for public ransporaion wihin Kingson due o low densiy, i suggesed a limied sop shule service connecing he mos frequenly accessed desinaions in own could evenually serve he area. Some projecs in Kingson ha sem from or were suppored in he 1998 Maser Plan have been compled. For insance, Roue 27 in he norhwes secion of Town near Silver Lake Regional High School was improved including he consrucion of a sidewalk, sormwaer, and waer and sewer improvemens. The sidewalks were only insalled on one side (he souh side) bu have been a popular horoughfare for area residens as well as providing a safe roue for school children. The exension of Roue as a limied access highway as well as he complion of he MBTA saion, were wo major projecs suppored by he Maser Plan and since compled. A he ime, i was projeced ha hese wo major ransporaion improvemens would resul in significan economic growh. Since he developmen of he 1998 Maser Plan, a number of ransporaion sudies have been prepared by he Town and he OCPC and provide key resources o he Town Old Colony Traffic Volumes Repor (OCPC) 2007 Kingson Smar Growh Disric Design Sandards and Procedures (Town) 2007 Corridor Sudy: Roue 3A (OCPC) 2010 Elder Avenue Traffic Sudy (OCPC) 2011 Brook Sre a Elm Sre Traffic Sudy (OCPC) 2011 Phase 1 Bicycle and Pedesrian Conneciviy and Livabiliy Sudy (OCPC) 2012 Landing Road Traffic Sudy (OCPC) 2012 Regional Transporaion Plan (OCPC) 4.8: Transporaion & Mobiliy Page 4.8.2

3 2013 Bicycle and Pedesrian Conneciviy and Livabiliy Sudy (OCPC) 2015 Transporaion Improvemen Program, FFY (OCPC) 2017 Transporaion Improvemen Program, FFY (OCPC) These sudies were performed eiher as par of ongoing programming conduced by OCPC or as specific sudies aimed a addressing a poenial need idenified by one of heir member communiies. These sudies provide remendous amouns of daa from which he Maser Plan is able o idenify a number of key rends and needs STREET NETWORK Kingson has a well-esablished nwork of sres. Over hree cenuries, he Town has grown in an organic slemen paern around a cenral village and naural resources wih many of he major roadways originaing from early walking pahs along he Jones River and oher local waercourses. THOROUGHFARE HIERARCHY Kingson s sre nwork includes a hierarchy of arerial, collecor and local sres. Roue 3 is a limied access highway which serves as a long disance ravel corridor, wih wo exis in Kingson ono Roue 3A, he main norh-souh arerial. Exi 9 provides access o Roue 3A souh of Town Cener and Exi 8 provides access o he rail area near he Kingson Collecion. A hird exi, Exi 10, is locaed in Duxbury o he norheas of he Kingson-Duxbury Town Line bu provides direc access o Roue 3A in Kingson. Roue is a limied access highway ha conveys raffic in an eas-wes direcion hrough he souhern porion of Town. However, here are no inerchanges connecing Kingson local roads o Roue. Residens access Roue via inerchanges in Plymouh wih Commerce Way (which is souh of he Kingson Collecion) and a Roue 3. Kingson s eas-wes arerials and collecors are Roue 27, Roue 106 and Roue 80. Nearly all major roads are wo lane faciliies. Few inersecions have cener urn lanes, he Kingsbury Square Plaza and Summer Hill (Sop & Shop) Plaza areas a he norhern end of Roue 3A are an excepion. The Kingson Collecion is accessible via Kingson Collecion Mall Way, one of he few 4 lane faciliies in Kingson. The map below illusraes he general sre nwork, paerns and conneciviy in Kingson. This ype of sre nwork is ypical of many Massachuss owns. Some of he newer neighborhoods in he wesern porions of Kingson were buil laer and have a more suburban sre paern wih wider and more sandard righs-of way, curvilinear roadways, dead-ends, and cul-de-sacs. These neighborhoods are also furher from Town Cener and major arerials, making hem less accessible by foo o public ransporaion and services. 4.8: Transporaion & Mobiliy Page 4.8.3

4 Sc STREET NETWORK KINGSTON, MA ho ol S r King To wn Wa y ee 27 " ) 53 " ) 27 Pe m br ok e S ree u Ro a e3 Tr em o re n S Wap S umm er S re e 3A " ) a pi ng R o d " )3 3 " ) ree Ev erg ree n S Elm M S r e e ai n S re 3A I ndi R oa Kingson MBTA Saion d Kingson Collecion r W ay ay 80 " ) P l y m p o n R oa d LEGEND S am s S r e Su m m d o Sa m s Ro a Dae: June 2016 ad Drawn By: Ro e Daa Source: Town of Kingson c na ESRI, MassGIS ur rv Ca o er R ad en H ill w Se v gh ce Hi er op Ch e sh y e rr S r Bi e ur 80 S Co m m ree Co S on d an P Br k oo Fe de r F al Kingson, MA o ree e r S ,000 o s S re 0.5 Miles 2,000 Fe 4,000

5 STREET DESIGN The cross secion of many of he local roads especially he newer roads is governed by he Town of Kingson Subdivision Regulaions, which were originally approved in 1970 and largely revised in November, The Subdivision Regulaions provide Sre Design sandards for all newly consruced roads in owns including arerials, collecors, sub-collecors, and local roads and include design sandard for righ-of-way widh, pavemen widh, sidewalks, c. All recenly approved and newly proposed sres are regulaed and designed for compliance wih hese sandards. The Subdivision Regulaions also provide guidance for he design of bikeways and sormwaer managemen relaed o he consrucion of new roads. Older sres, ha were developed prior o he promulgaion of he Subdivision Regulaions, are less consisen wih regards o pedesrian faciliies such as sidewalks PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE FACILITIES Supporing bicycling and pedesrian infrasrucure and programs was a prioriy of he 1998 Kingson Maser Plan as i is oday. Advanages o shifing ransporaion paerns from one ha relies predominanly on moorized vehicles include: ber congesion managemen, improvemens in public healh, reduced environmenal impac, and fosering a sense of communiy. The Massachuss Deparmen of Transporaion (MassDOT) has esablished a visionary saewide goal of ripling he modal share of ravel by bicycle, ransi and walking in Massachuss. Kingson s fledgling cycling and walking infrasrucure nwork presens a promising opporuniy for improvemen ha could conribue o he sae goal and alleviae local raffic congesion as a resul of modal shif. SIDEWALKS Kingson s sidewalk nwork is marginal and sporadic, largely limied o main road corridors and sres in and around he Town Cener. The 2014 MassDOT Sidewalk Invenory shows some residenial developmens have isolaed sidewalk nworks wihin heir neighborhoods, disconneced from he res of own. In general, sidewalks are difficul o raverse; mos are narrow, poorly defined, include obsrucions such as elephone poles and mailboxes, have cracked or have uneven surfaces and are missing wheel chair ramps a inersecions. In denser commercial areas along Roue 3A, such as Main Sre eas of Roue 3 and Summer Sre norh of he rain racks, he high number and widh of curb cus resuls in poor conneciviy even hough sidewalks do exis. Grade or landscape separaion bween he ravelled way and sidewalks do no exis in some areas, providing lile proecion for pedesrians from vehicles. 4.8: Transporaion & Mobiliy Page 4.8.5

6 PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE KINGSTON, MA Claire Salonsall Bikeway LEGEND Sidewalk Type One Side Only Boh Sides DCR Trails Dae: June 2016 Drawn By: BFC Daa Source: MassDOT, AMC, Town of Kingson, ESRI, MassGIS Bay Circui Trail MassDOT 2013 Bike Faciliy Invenory Exising Envisioned MBTA Commuer Rail o Proeced Open Space Miles Fe 0 1,000 2,000 4,000 Kingson, MA

7 The OCPC evaluaed Kingson s pedesrian and bike infrasrucure in heir couny-wide Bicycle and Pedesrian Conneciviy and Livabiliy Sudy (Phase 1 was compled in 2011 and a final repor published in 2013). The sudy dermined pedesrian and bike levels of service based on facors affecing conneciviy and safy. Pedesrian Level of Service (PLOS) is based on he pedesrians experience while walking bween inersecions. Safy can be improved by providing new sidewalks, widening exising sidewalks, and a greaer degree of separaion from raffic. High raffic volumes and speeds, as well as wider sres impede pedesrians perceived safy. The conclusions of he sudy sugges fairly low level of service based on boh safy and conneciviy. Wih he excepion of Summer Sre bween Evergreen Sre and is merge wih Main Sre, mos main roads appear o have lesser pedesrian safy and poor (or moderae) pedesrian conneciviy. Areas near Kingsbury Plaza, pedesrian safy is of special concern. BIKE FACILITIES Kingson currenly does no have srongly defined or dedicaed bicycle faciliies along public roads. The 2013 MassDOT Bicycle Invenory indicaes an exising recreaional cycling roue (Raboh Road) bween he souhern end of he Kingson Collecion and he area locaed o he souh of he MBTA rain saion. Similar o he PLOS, bicycle LOS for urban sres relae o bicycliss comfor and perceived safy. Higher vehicle volumes and speeds, greaer heavy-vehicle percenages, and presence of parking all decrease he bicycliss perceived comfor and exposure o raffic. To increase BLOS, bike lanes and wider roadway shoulders, can be implemened and pavemen qualiy improved. The Bicycle and Pedesrian Conneciviy and Livabiliy Sudy found ha mos roues have lesser bicycle safy and poor bicycle conneciviy. The Sudy does no propose specific bike/pedesrian faciliies, bu recommends bike lanes along exising roads wih sidewalks o provide connecions o he MBTA rain saion wih he commercial disric on Roue 3A (Main Sre). Bike lanes connecing Main Sre o he beaches are also suggesed. TRAILS AND GREENWAYS Kingson has a few regional recreaional pahs passing hrough own. The Bay Circui Trail connecs parks, open spaces and waerways in easern Massachuss. In Kingson, he rail passes hrough Silver Lake Sancuary, souh o he Cranberry Waershed Preserve and Hahaway Preserve before urning eas hough Sampson Park and reaching he coasal endpoin of he rail a Kingson Bay. (Map of he local rail and greenway sysem are included in Secion 4.4: Open Space & Recreaion). The lesser known Claire Salonsall Bikeway from Boson o Cape Cod ravels hrough Kingson along Roue 80 and Elm Sre, connecing Plymouh and Plympon. The enire roue is no very well marked, as few of he original bikeway signs remain and maps are necessary o navigae he Bikeway. The Town of Kingson also has he Cross Town Bike Trail which predominanly follows exising roads. However, cycliss share he ravelled way wih vehicles along he roue and here are no dedicaed bike lanes or pavemen markings indicaing a shared vehicular and bicycle pah. 4.8: Transporaion & Mobiliy Page 4.8.7

8 As in many New England communiies, Kingson is lacking in dedicaed bike faciliies as well as he appropriae delineaion of bicycle faciliies. This lack of bicycle faciliies was brough up numerous imes in many of he communiy oureach meings and charres PUBLIC TRANSIT MBTA COMMUTER RAIL The Kingson/Plymouh MBTA Commuer Rail Line ravels bween Souh Saion in Boson and Kingson wih service on weekdays and limied service on weekends. The roue forks in Kingson, wih one branch erminaing a he Kingson Rail Saion or coninuing o he alernae erminus in Plymouh a Cordage Park. This service is inended for commuers ravelling from he Souh Shore o Boson. Based on daa obained, including he MBTA Ridership and Service Saisics publicaions (Bluebooks), as well as direc correspondence wih he MBTA, saisics regarding commuer rail ridership shows a declining rend in ridership on he enire line since 2003, and mos significanly from 2008 onwards. Average Passengers per Weekday (Kingson Saion) AVERAGE INBOUND PASSENGERS PER WEEKDAY KINGSTON STATION VS. KINGSTON/PLYMOUTH LINE Average Passengers per Weekday (Enire Line) Kingson Saion Kingson/Plymouh Commuer Rail Line The number of inbound passengers boarding a Kingson Saion on average weekday is presened in Figure 5. I shows a similar declining rend since The reasons for his and overall barriers o using he commuer rail service should be furher explored bu may be due o a general decrease in ravel following he recession in Originally, he MBTA offered rain service on weekends on he Kingson/Plymouh line, bu due o declining ridership and lack of funding, weekend service was 4.8: Transporaion & Mobiliy Page 4.8.8

9 disconinued in This service was resored in 2014 due o higher demand and coninues o operae despie low ridership numbers. Apar from he MBTA Commuer Rail, Plymouh & Brockon Sre Railway Company provides a privae commuer bus service bween Kingson and Boson on weekdays. Commuers board a Kingsbury Plaza and disembark a Souh Saion or Park Square in Boson. BUS SERVICE/PUBLIC TRANSIT The Greaer Aleboro Taunon Regional Transi Auhoriy (GATRA) serves 28 communiies in souhern Massachuss, including Kingson. GATRA has wo bus roues, Marshfield/Duxbury/Kingson and Freedom/Libery Link, connecing Kingson wih neighboring owns o he norh and souh. Boh buses sop a he Kingson Collecion. The Marshfield/Duxbury/Kingson Line also sops a Kingsbury Plaza owards he norh end of own, and infrequenly sops a he Kingson Rail Saion or Hillcres Road. The Freedom/Libery Link sops a he Kingson Rail Saion 4 imes a day, in addiion o he Kingson Collecion. GATRA BUS ROUTES SERVICING KINGSTON: FREEDOM/LIBERTY LINK (LEFT) AND MARSHFIELD/DUXBURY/KINGSTON LINK (RIGHT) 4.8: Transporaion & Mobiliy Page 4.8.9

10 TRANSIT KINGSTON, MA Kingsbury Plaza Kingson MBTA Saion h ne ou l Li ym ai Pl r R TA e B u M mm o C Independence Mall LEGEND GATRA Bus Sops Bus Sop GATRA Bus Roues Freedom Link Kingson Duxbury Marshfield MBTA Commuer Rail Kingson/Plymouh (Old Colony) Dae: June 2016 Drawn By: BFC Daa Source: GATRA, Town of Kingson, ESRI, MassGIS Kingson, MA o , Miles 2,000 Fe 4,000

11 PARATRANSIT (ACCESSIBILITY) Kingson s Council on Aging (KCOA) seeks o increase ransporaion accessibiliy and inclusion of all members of he communiy. The on demand curb-o-curb ransporaion program run by he KCOA provides pararansi services for individuals wih disabiliies and seniors who are unable o access fixed roue services or drives. According o he 2014 Kingson Annual Repor, he KCOA program includes 2 vans, and in 2014 drove over 20,000 miles. Based on 2010 demographic daa, he median age in Kingson is 42 years. As he populaion ages, demand for such services will likely increase, especially given he limied fixed roue bus service in Kingson. By 2025, Kingson s senior populaion will have increased significanly. Seniors who do no drive bu for whom mobiliy is less of a concern do no need o access curb-o-curb services and would benefi from addiional fixed roue ransi (bus) services TRAFFIC AND CONGESTION Transporaion daa was collaed from a variy of sources, including OCPC, MassDOT, and Town of Kingson repors o evaluae raffic and congesion characerisics in Kingson. This secion summarizes he informaion and idenifies observable rends based on synhesizing he daa. In general, Town wide raffic volumes and safy condiions do no appear o be increasing over ime. TRAFFIC VOLUMES AND VOLUME/CAPACITY RATIOS ON PRIMARY CORRIDORS The level of raffic is commonly measured by auomaed raffic couns. Average Annual and Daily Traffic (AADT) volumes are coninuously recorded by a machine emporarily fixed o he roadway for several days. Over he pas 40 years OCPC and MassDOT have conduced raffic volume couns nearly 300 imes a 92 disinc locaions in Kingson. Traffic volumes are repored as he average number of vehicles passing over a road segmen per day (vpd). Analyzing his daa over periods of ime reveals if volumes are increasing or decreasing over ime. Of he 92 surface sre coun locaions (excluding Roues 3 and ), 14 locaions have been couned five or more imes. These key locaions give us he bes summary of he own s raffic volume rends. As demonsraed in he able below measured volumes have dropped a 12 of 14 locaions since he Maser Plan was las compled in Some of hese decreases are considerable showing volume reducions as grea as 33%. According o he daa analyzed, average daily volumes have increased a only wo key locaions bween 1997 and These increases are modes and average approximaely one percen per year, which is ypical background raffic growh. To summarize, he hisorical raffic daa indicaes ha he oal number of vehicles driving along Kingson surface sres has decreased over he pas 17 years. One explanaion for his decrease may be ha Roue, which opened in lae 2004, has divered some regional raffic from Kingson sres. However, many of he observed declines in raffic volumes began prior o he opening of Roue. Four coun locaions show paricularly ineresing rends, and demonsrae he overall rend ha raffic volumes on Kingson Sres are generally declining (See map below). 4.8: Transporaion & Mobiliy Page

12 Su TRAFFIC AND ACCIDENTS KINGSTON, MA mm er Sc re ol S ho Sr Kin g Tow n Wa y ee Pembroke S. a Lake S. 3 Accidens per Year (6 Year Average) P em Summer S. a Roue 3A C he s nu S ree 3 Accidens per Year (6 Year Average) br ok e S re S re Summer Sre ad ppi ng R o W a 1 06 d Main S. a Brook S. 2 Accidens per Year (6 Year Average) ee Ev erg reen Sr õ Å re Main S. a Howlands Ln. 1 Accidens per Year (6 Year Average) ks M Elm ee S re Po n o dr r ks n S re e I n d ia n ad Co r ay er LEGEND Pa r Traffic in g Wa ys P ly m p o n R o Traffic Volume Trends ( ) ad 1.0% - 1.9% Increase r ee S mos Sa Hisory Six Year Average Crash Pl y d mmeasured po n R Acciden Locaion oa Dae: June 2016 d ad Ro Drawn By: BFC e c Daa Source: MassDOT,rna u l F MassGIS Town of Kingson, ESRI, ra e d Fde oa R ow ad Me h u So en ha m d Se v oa er R en H il ls Roa W re rv Ca -3.9 % % Decrease -.09% - 0.9% Neural 2.0% - 2.9% Increase S N e ls ay w W gh ce Hi op Ch y err ee sh e S r Bi S ur mm oo Br ai Co Roa Main S. a Summer S. 4 Accidens per Year (6 Year Average) oo ny a e 3 Br Cou Rou e 3a Rou Main S. m o na Pembroke S. Tre 2 Accidens per Year (6 Year Average) Kingson, MA -2.9% % Decrease Sa m re e on S S r e o s -1.9% % Decrease Traffic Coun Loaions e ; mme r S r u TrafficSCoun Loaions o , Miles 2,000 Fe 4,000

13 TRAFFIC VOLUME CHANGES IN SELECT LOCATIONS SINCE 1998 Sre Couned Locaion Year couned AADT (vpd) Mos Recen Year Couned AADT (vpd) % change MAIN ST (RT 3A)* N OF PILGRIM HWY (RT 3) % -2.1% DUXBURY WAY (RT 3A) AT DUXBURY T/L % 0.9% MAIN ST (RT 3A) N OF HOWLANDS LN % -0.7% MAIN ST (RT 106)* W OF ELM ST % -1.6% SUMMER ST (RT 3A)* S OF BREWSTER RD % -1.9% PEMBROKE ST (RT 27) N OF WAPPING RD (RT 106) % 1.4% SMITHS LN* OVER PILGRIM HWY (RT 3) % -1.0% EVERGREEN ST W OF SUMMER ST (RT 3A) % -0.5% ELM ST (RT 80) S OF BROOK ST (RT 80) % -1.7% BROOK ST (RT 80) W OF MAIN ST (RT 3A) % -2.0% HOWLANDS LN E OF MAIN ST (RT 3A) % -0.4% ELM ST S OF MAIN ST (RT 106) % -2.6% LANDING RD N OF MAIN ST (RT 3A) % -1.8% MAPLE ST E OF SUMMER ST (RT 3A) % -1.8% *Daa rend shown on Traffic and Accidens Map % change per year Traffic couns aken along Roue 3A a he Roue 3 bridge show ha overall volumes rose slighly in he lae 1990s, bu dropped o well below mid-1980s levels during he mos recen 2009 coun. This decrease may be aribued o an overall decrease in raffic experienced during he recession saring in Average daily volumes in Kingson Town Cener aken a wo differen locaions (on Roue 106 a Elm Sre and Roue 3A a Brewser Road) remained seady unil he lae 1990s. Since he lae 1990 s, average daily volumes have fallen 21% and 29%, respecively. Smih s Lane experienced approximaely 2,000 vehicles per day in Bween 1985 and 2001, average daily volumes increased o 14,000 vpd. Average daily volumes bween 2001 and 2012 decreased o 10,000 vpd. This rend is likely linked o he economic aciviy a he Kingson Collecion as well as decreased economic aciviy in general experienced during he recession saring in : Transporaion & Mobiliy Page

14 AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC VOLUME TRENDS ON PRIMARY CORRIDORS IN KINGSTON MAIN ST (RT 3A) N OF PILGRIM HWY (RT 3) MAIN ST (RT 106) W OF ELM ST SUMMER ST (RT 3A) S OF BREWSTER RD SMITHS LN OVER PILGRIM HWY (RT 3) VOLUME (VPD) YEAR CONGESTION In Kingson, he rends show ha raffic volumes are decreasing bu congesion remains a concern for residens. Congesion can have a number of differen causes and accordingly, can be addressed in a variy of ways. Traffic congesion differs from raffic volume and is more difficul o quanify. Congesion occurs when he volume of raffic approaches or exceeds he capaciy of a roadway secion or inersecion. Commonly ransporaion engineers will repor Level of Service (LOS) for a roadway or an inersecion. LOS scores range from A o F. Any score bween A and D is generally accepable. A score of F means he roadway is full or ha i will ake more han one cycle o make i hrough an inersecion wih a raffic signal. A score of E is marginal. In suburban environmens, inersecion LOS is far more useful han road segmen LOS because congesion is usually experienced a inersecions (To calculae inersecion LOS in Kingson, a full raffic engineering sudy is needed). OCPC compled a dailed raffic sudy of he Roue 3A Corridor hrough Kingson and Plymouh in The sudy evaluaed 17 Kingson inersecions six conrolled by a raffic signal and 11 by sop signs. Five of he six signalized inersecions scored LOS C or ber, while one (Roue 3 souhbound ramps a Exi 10) received LOS F. Meanwhile, four of he 11 sop-conrolled inersecions scored an LOS F. However, for sop-conrolled inersecions, LOS F indicaes congesion only on he minor sre. Congesion does no occur on he major sre (Roue 3A) because he sop sign conrols raffic on he side sre only. Many of he congesed locaions have been idenified in previous sudies. Oher LOS F locaions are a sie driveways where exiing drivers are experiencing significan delays. Collecively, he daa indicaes ha alhough some congesion is experienced on side sres and access driveways, congesion along 4.8: Transporaion & Mobiliy Page

15 Roue 3A is limied. In order o more fully undersand congesion levels away from he Roue 3A corridor, addiional sudy would need o be performed. As menioned above, congesion occurs a inersecions in suburban environmens. Mos inersecions are conrolled by eiher sop signs or raffic signals. A sop-conrolled inersecions, poor level of service resuls when drivers from he sre wih he sop sign (he minor ) don have enough breaks in raffic on he main sre o make heir urn. Long wais make people impaien and encourage risk aking, which can lead o higher crash raes. These problems can be addressed by insalling a raffic signal. While a raffic signal will help drivers on he minor sre exi ou ono he main sre, new delays are inroduced when raffic on he primary sre have o sop on a red signal. New raffic signals are also expensive and are no a shor-erm soluion. Congesion a inersecions already equipped wih raffic signals is ofen easier o address. Some problems can be addressed simply wih minor signal adjusmens a lile or no cos. Oher problems need deeper sudy, which may require new raffic couns and engineering analysis. Where several signals are locaed close ogher, raffic signal coordinaion plans may need o be developed o opimize raffic flow. Inersecion geomries can also be improved. Minor changes involving line paining can be implemened wihin he exising roadway. By reallocaing or adding urning lanes, suble changes can have subsanial benefi. Kingson has many suburban inersecions ha are ypically large and have space for adjusmens. Any of hese improvemens are minor and can be implemened in he shor o medium-erm. Inersecions can also be complely rebuil wih more subsanial invesmen. These projecs should include improvemens o bicycle and pedesrian faciliies where appropriae as well as vehicular congesion and safy benefis. ADA-complian pedesrian ramps, pedesrian signal heads wih coundown legends, bike-sensiive raffic loops, and bike signal heads (where needed) could all be par of new inersecion consrucion. Creaing a safe and comforable crossing for non-auomoive modes of ravel is one sep oward a more livable and susainable ransporaion nwork. CRASH TRENDS The Highway Deparmen idenified 10 key inersecions as locaions of concern due o congesion, safy, or boh. Those locaions are shown in he figure below. Using daa supplied by he Kingson Police Deparmen, crash hisories for each of he key inersecions were dermined. The number of crashes experienced a each of hese inersecions is shown in he able below. Typically, inersecions ha experience greaer han hree accidens per year are considered problemaic. Based on he limied sample size, i appears ha hree inersecions eiher exceed or approach greaer han hree accidens per year Main Sre (Roue 106) and Summer Sre (Roue 3A), Pembroke Sre and Lake Sre, and Summer Sre (Roue 53) and Duxbury Road (Roue 3A). The number of accidens a hese inersecions could poenially be reduced wih geomric improvemens. 4.8: Transporaion & Mobiliy Page

16 CRASH HISTORIES AT KEY INTERSECTIONS 6-Year Main Minor 1 Minor * Ave. Summer Sre Duxbury Road (Roue 3A) (Roue 53) Smih s Lane Roue 3 NB ramps Pembroke Sre Lake Sre Saion Sre Main Sre Summer Sre (Re 3A) Linden Sre (Roue 106) Main Sre Brook Sre (Roue 30) (Roue 3A) Main Sre Pleasan Sre Spring Sre Main Sre Howland s Lane (Roue 3A) Main Sre Pembroke Sre (R 27) Wrapping (Roue 106) Road (R 106) Landing Road Maple Sre Brook Sre Counry Club Way The daa shown above only represens crashes ha are repored. Minor collisions are ypically no repored o he police, or do no me he propery damage hreshold ha requires a repor. Near misses also ypically go undocumened, alhough in almos all cases, locaions wih a high number of near misses also have a high number of repored crashes. In oher words, inersecions wih correcable safy problems are ypically idenified by engineering sudies. TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS OCPC ogher wih member municipaliies prepare a regional Transporaion Improvemen Program (TIP for he region on an annual basis. In Kingson, he following projecs have been included in he TIP since he las Maser Plan in 1998: Compled: Roue : The limied-access highway was compled in 2005 and passes hrough souh Kingson. Roue has no exiss in Kingson; i passes over Roue 80. Roue 27 Reconsrucion: From he own line o Evergreen Sre, a disance of 3.3 miles. Compled in 2010, he work included minor widening, a new drainage sysem, new sidewalk, guardrail insallaion, pavemen markings, new raffic signals, landscaping and new signage. Planned: Roue Roue 53 (Kingsbury Plaza): Geomric and raffic signal improvemens. (From OCPC TIP.) Elm Sre from he Plympon own line o Silver Lake Drive: New sidewalks. (From 2013 Livabiliy Sudy.) Ocean Hill Drive: New sidewalks. (From 2013 Livabiliy Sudy.) Reconsrucion on Roue 106: Main Sre and Wrapping Road. 4.8: Transporaion & Mobiliy Page

17 Recommended: Roue Roue 53: Signal and geomric improvemens. (From 2007 Roue 3A corridor sudy.) Roue Roue 106: Insall new signal and improve geomry (From 2007 Roue 3A corridor sudy.) Roue Landing Road: Improve signs and pavemen markings. Roue Hillop Avenue: Traffic signal improvemens. Roue Roue 3 SB Exi 9: Traffic signal improvemens. Roue Roue 3 NB Exi 9: Insall new raffic signal. Roue Howlands Lane: Insall new raffic signals. Roue Crescen Sre (norhern end): Insall new raffic signals. Roue Roue 106: Traffic signal replacemen and geomric improvemens TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES During several public meings, workshops, lisening sessions, and he Kingson Planning Summi, he Maser Plan Commiee (MPC) own officials, and ciizens of Kingson made numerous commens regarding exising ransporaion challenges and poenial improvemens hey would like o see addressed in he fuure. From all he commens he public shared during he maser plan lisening sessions, improved conneciviy and reducion of congesion were mos prevalen challenges. Improving connecions bween commercial disrics, residenial neighborhoods, he shoreline, he MBTA commuer rail saion, and recreaional areas via improved sidewalks and bike pahs was a highly suppored opporuniy. Wih regards o congesion, Main Sre (Roue 3A) and Town Cener were idenified as areas of concern. Public safy, due o lack of pedesrian faciliies and bike pahs is also a concern. More specific improvemen opporuniies idenified include: Improve he Main Sre (Roue 106) and Summer Sre (Roue 3A) Inersecion. Improve Main Sre o include full deph reconsrucion, curbing, sidewalks, c. from Summer Sre o Elm Sre. Improve he Elm Sre and Main Sre inersecion o include a shorer pedesrian crossing on he souh side of Main Sre. Improve he Spring Sre and Main Sre (Roue 3A) inersecion. This inersecion experiences significan ruck raffic ha is generaed from he L. Knife Disribuion faciliy. Evaluae access ino and ou of he Rocky Nook neighborhood. Howlands Lane provides one roue ino Rocky Nook. One opion o improve his condiion is o connec Bay Breeze Road wih Grays Beach Road. Improve boh inersecions of Crescen Sre wih Roue 3A. Boh he norh and souh geomries provide approximaely 30 degree enrances from Crescen Sre o Roue 3A. 4.8: Transporaion & Mobiliy Page

18 Exend Smihs Lane o Roue 3A o creae a major inersecion and improved access bween he 3A corridor and Kingson Collecion. The Town of Kingson and Plymouh have had many discussions regarding exending William Gould Way ino Plymouh. Kingson has been relucan o move forward due o perceived raffic issues relaed o making his connecion and he poenial diversion of raffic away from Kingson Collecion. Reconfigure he inersecion of Kingson Collecion Mall Way and William Gould Way. Provide more parking in he Town Cener including on-sre public parking and ber coordinaion bween off-sre privae los. Provide a more robus public ransi bus sysem. Provide adequae infrasrucure o address increased raffic from Plymouh such as from Cordage Park on he Roue 3A corridor souh. Provide improved biking and pedesrian faciliies in Rocky Nook. Evaluae reducing lane widhs along Elm Sre o slow raffic and provide space for pedesrian and bicycle faciliies. Evaluae he poenial for a new inerchange off Roue direcly ino Kingson. Provide increased circulaion a he Roue 53 and 3A inersecion off of Exi 10 from Roue 3. Improved circulaion could include he consrucion of a roundabou. Provide ber sidewalks and srescape ameniies from he Town and Counry developmen along 53 o Kingsbury Square and Summer Hill Plaza. Provide ber overall mobiliy in Town Cener including pedesrian and bicycle faciliies, and inernal connecions bween adjacen parking los. Improve he inersecion of Pole Sre wih Roue 3A. Provide ber accessibiliy o he MBTA rain saion from adjacen neighborhoods (exising and fuure). Provide more dedicaed bike roues connecing residenial areas o schools, recreaion areas, commercial disrics, and oher local aribues. Evaluae consrucing a more defined Raboh Road bween he Kingson Collecion and Indian Pond Esaes and/or Roue 80. Relocae/add a rain saion near Town Cener o improve accessibiliy o public ransporaion. Provide ber walkabiliy, vehicular access in he viciniy of Bradford Road, eas of Roue 3A. Add a sidewalk o he Eas side of Landing Road. Add a mixed use/shared pah along Lake Sre near Silver Lake High School. Improve he inersecion of Landing Road and Maple Sre. Provide ber access o Pole Sre recreaion fields from Evergreen Sre and possibly Brookdale Sre o reduce raffic congesion in Town Cener. Many of he sres in newer residenial subdivisions are excessively wide wih limied pedesrian, bicycle, or srescape ameniies. The design sandards in he Subdivision Regulaions should be more conex sensiive and allow for Comple Sres as is planned for in he Smar Growh Overlay Disric adjacen o he Kingson Train Saion. 4.8: Transporaion & Mobiliy Page