Community Advisory Committee Meeting #1 November 19, 2014 Presentation Team Matt Fulda, Greater Bridgeport Regional Council Chris Granatini, P.E., Tighe & Bond Craig Yannes, P.E., PE PTOE, Tighe & Bond Francisco Gomes, AICP, ASLA, Fitzgerald & Halliday
Agenda Introductions Project Overview Identify Project Goals & Objectives Data Collection Task Existing Condition Conditions Assessment Initial Future Conditions Assessment Project Schedule / Next Steps Open Discussion
Study Team Town of Stratford Greater Bridgeport Regional Council (GBRC) Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) Tighe & Bond Prime Consultant Fitzgerald & Halliday Sub-Consultant
Project Goals and Objectives Establish the Most Important Issues and Deficiencies to Mitigate Provide a Study Vision to Guide the Study Team during Development elopment of Improvement Concepts Facilitate Measuring the Effectiveness of Improvements relative to Study Goals Define the Study Direction from a Local, Regional, and State Perspective
Data Collection Traffic Volumes Travel Time Study Collision Data Transit Data Bike/Ped Data Traffic Conditions Signs and Pavement Markings Photographs and Videos Intersection Sight Distances Traffic Signal Timings/ System Coordination Settings Base Mapping/Aerial Imagery Data (GIS) Environmental Data
Traffic Volumes 24 Hour Automatic Traffic Recorder Counts (ATR) Directional Volumes and Speeds at 11 locations Peak Hour Turning Movement Counts (TMC) 7 Study Area intersections» Morning Peak Hour (7 9 AM)» Sikorsky Shift Change Peak Hour (2 4 PM)» Afternoon Peak Hour (4 6PM) Historical CTDOT Traffic Volume Data Triennial i 24 hour ATR counts for Route 110 and Merritt Parkway Ramps from 1997 through 2013
Current Traffic Volumes - Summary
Turning Movement Volumes AM Peak: Lowest Peak Hour Volumes Throughout the Weekday Heaviest Traffic Between Rt. 15 Ramps and Oronoque & Warner Hill Roads Sikorsky Shift Change Peak High Volumes at Sikorsky Gates #2 & #3 Lower Volumes from Merritt Parkway PM Peak Highest Volumes of the Weekday Heavy Volumes between Merritt Parkway ramps and Oronoque & Warner Hill Roads in Both Directions
Travel Time Study Identifies Delays & Congestion along Corridor Advises on Corridor Progression Issues Study Car either followed a car or drove no faster than 5 MPH over Speed Limit Most significant congestion during weekday afternoon peak hour Intersections with Oronoque Lane, Sikorsky Gate #3 and Route 15 SB Ramps/Navajo Lane cause the most delay due to closely spaced intersections and high volume competing traffic streams
Travel Time Study Route 110 NB
Travel Time Study Route 110 SB
Travel Speed Observations
Traffic Operations Three Analysis Periods Morning Peak Hour (7:30 8:30 AM) Sikorsky Shift Change Peak Hour (3:00 4:00 PM) Afternoon Peak Hour (4:45 5:45 PM) Synchro 8.0 Traffic Analysis Software Traffic Model Inputs Balanced Intersection Turning Movement Counts Existing Traffic Signal Timings Intersection Geometry / Lane Use Calibrated to Observations of Existing Traffic Operations Analysis Results Level of Service (LOS) Average Delay, A F Grading System v/c ratio volume carried versus capacity Queue Length of Vehicles stopped at Intersections by Lane
Level of Service
Level of Service LOS A - Little to No Delay LOS B - Desirable level with relatively low delay LOS A/B LOS C - Conditions with average delays LOS D - Influence of Congestion More Noticeable. Delays still acceptable. LOS C/D LOS E - High delay values. Considered by many agencies to be the limit it of acceptable delay. LOS F - Unacceptable to most drivers with high delay; arrival rates exceed the capacity. LOS E/F
Existing Traffic Operations
Traffic Safety 479 total crashes from 2007 through 2012 479 total crashes from 2007 through 2012 Almost 50% rear-end type 46% sideswipes and turning related crashes Consistent Annual Collision Frequency
Contributing Factors 46% following too closely rear-end crashes 20% Failed to grant ROW turning collisions 9% improper lane change - sideswipes
Traffic Safety Crashes By Intersection Oronoque Lane 25% of all collisions 117 total 20/year Warner Hill Road/ Sikorsky Gate #2 22% of all collisions 107 total 18/year Intersections Warrant further Review to improve Safety
Traffic Safety Alternative Modes 3 crashes involving bicyclists 1 crash involving pedestrian
Multi-Modal Transportation Reviewed Existing Infrastructure Pedestrian Routes/Sidewalks Bike Routes Roadway Widths/ Shoulders Identified Current Sidewalk Locations and Gaps Reviewed Existing i Bus Service Upcoming Meeting with Greater Bridgeport Transit Receive data on bus lines Reviewed Statewide Bike Planning Documents Opportunities to Accommodate Bikes on Study Area Roadways
Multi-Modal Transportation Bike/Ped Infrastructure is Limited Sikorsky Estuary Walk is the only significant bike/ped asset and is primarily recreational Crosswalk facilities are limited Bus stop lack shelters and other amenities
Natural Resources Surface Water Resources: Housatonic River, east of study area Ground Water Resources: Area not in an aquifer protection zone Floodplains: Zones AE and X Wetlands: None within the study area Threatened and Endangered Species and Critical Habitats: Natural Diversity Database Areas within Study Area Historic Register Properties: None Section 4(f) and 6 (f) properties: None within Study Area Sensitive Noise Receivers: Two within Study Area Hazardous Risk Sites: Five in total
Natural Resources Natural Diversity Database Area The eastern and southern portion of the study area are within the NDDA (approximate location of endangered, threatened and special concern species and significant natural communities) Intertidal Marshes Located outside of the study area
Floodplains Floodway Located to the east (outside of) the study area Flood Zone AE & X Border the eastern margin of the study area Intersect Route 110 between Oronoque Lane and Warner Hill Road
What Do We Know Existing Conditions Traffic Volumes Peaked in Mid-Late 2000 s and Shown a Slight Decline Since Heaviest Traffic Volumes during Afternoon Peak Hour 4:45 and 5:45 PM Closely Spaced Intersections at Sikorsky South Gate Cause Coordination Issues Vehicles blocking intersections Significant traffic delays and congestion, poor progression Poor Lane Utilization during Peaks due to the Heavy Volume of Turning Traffic
What Do We Know Existing Conditions Observed Travel Speeds are 5-10 Miles per Hour above Posted Speed Limit along portions of Route 110 Corridor lacks Pedestrian/Bicycle cle facilities and basic Transit Amenities Collision History at Warner Hill Road and Oronoque Lane warrants further Investigation to Improve Safety
Future Traffic Volume Forecast Forecast Existing Volumes to 2034 Future Volumes Basis for Future Traffic Analysis Model 0.25% Annual General Growth Rate Based on Historical Traffic Data Trends 2014 Existing Traffic Volumes 0.25% Growth 20 Years (~5.1%) 2034 Future Traffic Volumes
2034 Future Traffic Operations 2034 Projected Traffic Volumes Utilizes Existing Lane Use, Geometry, Traffic Signal Operations Provides Assessment of System under No-Build Scenario Identifies Areas where Improvements are p Necessary to Mitigate Projected Traffic
Future Traffic Operations
Optimized Traffic Conditions Optimize Signal Timing to Balance Delays Keeping Existing Geometry Utilize 2034 Future Traffic Volumes Optimization of Signal Timing Splits Optimization of Network Offsets Adjustment of Corridor Cycle Lengths AM Peak Hour 80 seconds to 90 seconds Sikorsky Shift Change Peak Hour 80 seconds to 70 seconds
Optimized Future Traffic Results Optimization Improves Overall Traffic Flow but Capacity Issues Remain Overall LOS D throughout Corridor Delays Balanced on Route 110 & Side Street approaches Increasing Delays on the Side Streets LOS E/F, over-capacity operation, and/or significant queues still exist on the following approaches: Warner Hill Road Route 15 NB and SB exit ramps Sikorsky Gates #2 and #3 Main Street-Putney Rt. 110 NB at Oronoque Rt. 110 SB at Rt. 15 SB Ramps, Ryder s Lane and Route 15 NB Ramps
Future Areas of Concern Congestion/ Delay focused between Oronoque Lane and the Route 15 SB Ramps Balancing Route 110 and Side Street Traffic is Critical to Efficient Operations entering and along Route 110 Traffic Growth above general growth rate of 0.25% per year will further exacerbate significant capacity issues High Accident Intersections Warner Hill Road/Sikorsky Gate #2 and Oronoque Lane
Project Schedule / Next Steps Existing Conditions Final Memo December 2014 Economic Development Analysis January 2015 Realignment Scenarios March 2015
Open Discussion