West Hartford Road Diet and Safety Study ITE Northeastern District Meeting Session 2A Complete Streets May 22, 2018
North Main St. - Classified as a principal arterial
But provides high levels of access Residential neighborhood Connects two main nodes- West Hartford Center and Bishops Corner shopping plaza Narrow road widths, narrow sidewalks and buffers, no shoulders High speeds 10 10 10 10
North Main Street A street by context
A road by design
Defining the Issues
Why a road diet? Multiple threat intersections 3 2 1
Speed Observations North Main Street s design communicates speed to motorists. This speed radar sign confirms this:
PM Peak Hour speeds high despite higher traffic Posted Speed
Why does speed matter? 10-15 20-25 30-35 40+ MPH MPH
Crash history confirms problem Major intersections have highest crash frequency Top Five Collision Types for All Crashes Turning- Intersecting Paths 19% Turning- Fixed Object Opposite 8% Direction 12% Sideswipe- Same Direction 26% Rear-end 35% DO YOU THINK SAFETY IS AN ISSUE ON NORTH MAIN STREET? No Yes 90% Yes No 10% Fixed Object Sideswipe-Same Direction Turning-Opposite Direction Rear-end Turning-Intersecting Paths
Crash rate comparison
Outreach
Public Outreach Outreach Technical Study Committee Pop up events (Bishop s Corner and LaSalle Farmer s Markets) Online survey 322 respondents Direct mailing to 1,500 residents Town eblast and Facebook page Three-day public workshop Public meeting
Survey Results Where do you live in relation to North Main Street? On North Main Street On a local street near North Main Street Elsewhere in West Hartford Not in West Hartford
Survey Results How do you travel on North Main Street? Check all that apply. 120.0% 100.0% 80.0% 60.0% 40.0% 20.0% 0.0% Car or other Automobile Bicycle Walking Public Transportation
Survey Results Do you think safety is an issue on North Main Street? Yes No
Survey Results How ambitious should the Project Team be in the planning and design process? Reimagine it all, impress us with some big ideas Keep it simple, and address maintenance and traffic safety needs Keep it as is, it works fine already
How much traffic can a road diet handle? Intersection of North Main Street and Albany Avenue 25,300 Intersection of North Main Street and Brace Road 17,600
Road Diet Extents Bishops Corner and West Hartford Center have traffic volumes that make a road diet challenging Haynes Road Bishop s Corner Road Diet feasible on North Main Street from Haynes Road to Brace Road Brace Road WH Center
Concept 1
Concept 2
Side path for low speed/inexperienced riders
Concept 3a
Concept 3b
Concept 3c
Road diet transitions
Connections to Bishop s Corner Near-term Long-term
Connections to West Hartford Center
Other ideas to calm traffic and improves crossings
West Hartford Road Diet and Safety Study
Extra slides for Q&A
Comparison to South Main Street North Main Street 15,000 to 20,000 ADT 193 crashes over 1.7 miles 64 crashes per year 39 crashes per mile per year South Main Street 14,600 ADT 46 crashes over 1.2 miles 15 crashes per year 13 crashes per mile per year 4%-17% less traffic 147 fewer crashes 49 fewer crashes/yr 66% reduction
What can be done to address unsafe driving behavior? Lower speed limit? Likely to be ignored Information and awareness campaign? Complimentary strategy Enforcement? Long-term effectiveness unlikely Traffic control/calming measures? Limited applicability Change road design to support appropriate and safe speeds? Most likely option to be successful
Queues at intersections after road diet
Traffic impact considerations The queuing analysis Is based on the highest volume hour of the day Assumes nobody will change driving behavior Make trips during a less busy time Take an alternate route Choose a different mode Presents a worst-case scenario
Potential Diversion to Trout Brook Drive?
Queues at intersections after traffic diversion
Road diet advantages and issues Advantages Fewer and less severe crashes Less non-recurrent congestion Slower speeds Shorter crossings Better driver visibility Space for bicyclists Buffer for pedestrians Potential side street access improvements Potential increase to property value Potential issues Slight increase in travel time during peak hours Longer queues at intersections during peak hours Can t extend section through Bishop s Corner or from Brace to Farmington Ave May not be suitable for less experienced bicyclists May contribute to air quality hot spots Motorist/cyclist education
Implementation flow chart