Congestion Management Report DANIEL WEBSTER HIGHWAY, MERRIMACK Segment Length: 9.9 miles Daily Traffic Volumes: 13,000-21,000 Analysis Period: July August 2015 Number of Traffic Signals: 14 Number of travel lanes: 2-4 Roadway Class: I (Statewide Corridor Other, Minor Arterial) and IV (Local Road, Minor Arterial) Serving as a major north-south corridor for Merrimack, this segment of the Daniel Webster Highway overlaps with U.S. Route 3. The route runs from the southeastern to the northeastern portion of the town, paralleling the F.E. Everett Turnpike and the Merrimack River. In Merrimack, the Daniel Webster Highway includes a number of industrial, commercial, and residential uses. As this road passes through the neighborhoods of Reeds Ferry and Merrimack Village, there is some level of pedestrian and cycling activity along the route. However, the sidewalk network throughout the corridor in Merrimack is sporadic. From Greeley Street (which connects to Exit 11 on the Turnpike) to Bedford Road (which connects to Exit 12 on the Turnpike), the Daniel Webster Highway is designated as a Class IV Road, as this portion of Merrimack is considered an urban compact area. Due to this designation, this section of the Highway is maintained by the Town of Merrimack. The remainder of the Daniel Webster Highway within Merrimack is designated as a Class I road, which is maintained by the State of New Hampshire. Since this segment parallels the F.E. Everett Turnpike, it is an alternative commuting route for those working within southern New Hampshire and the metropolitan Boston area. It is also a vital road for freight transportation and local attractions, including the Merrimack Premium Outlets and Anheuser-Busch Brewery. Due to its role as a commuting corridor and its mixture of uses, the Daniel Webster Highway is expected to have some degree of congestion during peak travel times. Future projects on the F.E. Everett Turnpike may help to alleviate traffic congestion on the Daniel Webster in Merrimack, since the Highway tends to collect spillover traffic during peak travel hours. Report, travel time runs and data analysis conducted by 2017
AM Peak Period Actual & Expected Travel Times Corridor Extents: Daniel Webster Highway, Bedford Town Line to Nashua City Line Expected Travel Time during the Morning Commute 16 minutes and 51 seconds, traveling in northerly direction based upon posted speeds and free flowing traffic 16 minutes and 35 seconds, traveling in southerly direction based upon posted speeds and free flowing traffic Actual Travel Time during the Morning Commute:* Northbound Southbound 17 minutes and 48 seconds 16 minutes and 44 seconds 57 seconds (6%) longer than expected 11 seconds (1%) 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.
PM Peak Period Actual & Expected Travel Times Corridor Extents: Daniel Webster Highway, Bedford Town Line to Nashua City Line Expected Travel Time during the Evening Commute 16 minutes and 51 seconds, traveling in northerly direction based upon posted speeds and free flowing traffic 16 minutes and 35 seconds, traveling in southerly direction based upon posted speeds and free flowing traffic Actual Travel Time during the Evening Commute:* Northbound Southbound 21 minutes and 00 seconds 18 minutes and 00 seconds 4 minutes and 9 seconds (25%) longer than expected 1 minute and 25 seconds (9%) 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.
AM Travel Time Ratios (7:00am 9:00am) Corridor Extents: Daniel Webster Highway, Bedford Town Line to Nashua City Line 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 noncongested segment. Southbound Congestion does not occur during the morning peak period in the southbound direction along the entire length of the corridor, as indicated by ratios of 1.06 or less. On average, travel along the corridor in the southbound direction during the morning commute takes approximately 28 seconds (3%) shorter as compared to free-flow conditions. Northbound Congestion does not occur during the morning peak period in the northbound direction along the entire length of the corridor, as shown in the figure on the left with ratios of 1.08 or less. On average, travel along the corridor in the northbound direction during the morning commute takes approximately 2 seconds (0.2%) shorter as compared to free-flow conditions.
PM Travel Time Ratios (4:00pm 6:00pm) Corridor Extents: Daniel Webster Highway, Bedford Town Line to Nashua City Line 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 during the evening peak period in the southbound direction along the entire length of the corridor. On average, travel along the corridor in the southbound direction during the evening commute takes approximately 1:59 minutes (12%) longer as compared to free-flow conditions. Northbound Congestion occurs during the evening peak period in the northbound direction between Industrial Boulevard and Baboosic Lake Road with ratios of 1.96 and 2.01, respectively. On average, travel along the corridor in the northbound direction during the evening commute takes approximately 5:42 minutes (33%) longer as compared to free-flow conditions.
A Commercial Corridor The form of the Daniel Webster Highway through Merrimack reflects the suburban character of the Town. While there are segments of the corridor which have infrastructure for pedestrian and bicycling movement, the Highway primarily services automobile transportation. No on-street parking exists along the Daniel Webster Highway in Merrimack, but there is a plentiful supply of off-street parking. This contributes to the ease of motor vehicle travel along the corridor. There is a definitive change in the character of the corridor depending on whether it is within the urban compact area (a Class IV road). The southern portion of the road, outside the urban compact area has more industrial uses. When the Daniel Webster Highway becomes a Class IV road, there is a an increase in the number of curbs cuts and a decrease in the speed limit. This reflects the many commercial uses that exist along this segment, including retail, restaurant and office establishments. Within the urban compact area, there are also many single family and multi-family dwellings. These residences, which are in close proximity to the commercial uses, contribute to the village-like feel along this segment of the Highway. The Daniel Webster Highway through Merrimack generally operates as it should because it is reasonable to expect traffic along the corridor to be congested given the mix of uses. The fact that there is some motor vehicle congestion means the corridor is a desirable location. Whereas motorists may find it frustrating that it takes longer to travel the corridor, retail business owners surely welcome the vibrant environment that may attract customers.
Project Highlight F.E. Everett Turnpike Widening As part of the 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program, the two lane sections of the F.E. Everett Turnpike from Exit 8 in Nashua to the I-293 interchange in Bedford will be widened. This will make the Turnpike consistently three lanes from the Massachusetts border to I-293. This project is one of the strategies outlined in Nashua Regional Planning Commission Congestion Management Process. It is considered a traditional way to deal with congestion. The expected benefits of this improvement project are that it will increase the capacity of the road, which may reduce congestion, and improve safety and air quality. Although the widening of the Turnpike is not a project that is on the Daniel Webster Highway, it is expected to have significant effects on the Merrimack segment. F.E. Everett Turnpike Interchange 11 is one major point of congestion because the onramp lane merges onto the Turnpike right at the point where the number of travels lanes drops from three to two. When there is a larger amount of congestion of the Turnpike at this bottleneck point, drivers will get off the Turnpike and use the Daniel Webster Highway in Merrimack to avoid the increased traffic (as evidenced in the PM Travel Time Ratios). This has effects on the local traffic that uses the Daniel Webster Highway during peak driving times. Probe Travel Time Data The Nashua Regional Planning Commission plans to complete an additional congestion analysis of the Daniel Webster Highway in Merrimack after the impacts of the improvements on the F. E. Everett Turnpike are fully in effect. Probe Data analysis was not included in this report, as in other Congestion Management reports. This is due to limited availability of probe data for this segment of the Daniel Webster Highway and for the time period when this study was done.
Projects There are several infrastructure projects along and near the Daniel Webster Highway that could impact the corridor. Previously completed projects focused on improving the ease of access to the Daniel Webster Highway, such as the removal of the Exit 12 tolls. Future projects prioritize congestion reduction and improved safety, such as widening the F.E. Everett Turnpike. The Nashua Regional Planning Commission plans to complete an additional congestion analysis of the Daniel Webster Highway in Merrimack after the impacts of the improvements on the F. E. Everett Turnpike are fully in effect.