Low Level Road Improvements Traffic Analysis Report June, 22
Table of Contents. INTRODUCTION.... LOW LEVEL ROAD PROJECT....2 STUDY AREA....2. West-End Corridor Improvements... 2.2.2 East-End Corridor Improvements... 3.3 TRAFFIC VOLUMES... 4.3. Existing Traffic Volumes West End Corridor... 4.3.2 23 Background Traffic Volumes West End Corridor... 6.3.2. General Background Growth... 6.3.2.2 Pinnacle Development Traffic... 6.3.2.3 James Richardson International Traffic... 7.3.2.4 23 Background Traffic... 8.3.3 23 Post-Development Traffic Volumes West End Corridor....3.4 Existing Traffic Volumes East-End Corridor... 2....5 2. ANALYSIS SOFTWARE...5 2.. Synchro...5 2..2 VISSIM...5 2.2 PERFORMANCE MEASURES...6 3. SYNCHRO ANALYSIS...7 3. MODEL DEVELOPMENT...7 3.2 BACKGROUND ANALYSIS RESULTS...7 3.2. West-End Corridor...7 3.3 POST-IMPROVEMENTS ANALYSIS RESULTS...8 3.3. West-End Corridor...8 3.3.2 East-End Corridor...8 4. VISSIM ANALYSIS... 4. 4. VISSIM MODEL... 4. 4.. VISSIM Model for West End Corridor... 4.2 4..2 VISSIM model for East End Corridor... 4.2 4..3 Model Input... 4.2 4..3. Vehicle Composition... 4.2 4..3.2 Vehicle Types... 4.3 4..3.3 Driver Behavior Parameters... 4.3 4..3.4 Traffic Signal Timings... 4.4 4.2 ANALYSIS RESULTS... 4.4 4.2. West-end Corridor... 4.4 4.2.2 East-end Corridor... 4.5 4.2.2. Bicycle Operations... 4.5 i
Table of Contents 5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS... 5. 5. SUMMARY OF RESULTS... 5. 5.2 CONCLUSIONS... 5.2 APPENDIX A Traffic Volumes APPENDIX B Synchro Reports rc c:\users\cradu\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\temporary internet files\content.outlook\valjgg7\cg_3rd street and low level road-synchro analysis 532_djt (2).docx ii
Introduction June, 22. Introduction This analysis was prepared on behalf of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Engineering Department to analyze the improvements proposed as part of the Low Level Road project in North Vancouver, BC. This report presents a summary of the methodology and analysis for the Low Level Road improvements.. LOW LEVEL ROAD PROJECT The Low Level Road project is part of a broader investment and improvement strategy on behalf of the Government of Canada, Province of British Columbia, Port Metro Vancouver, Translink, the City and District of North Vancouver and the private sector. The strategy is designed to facilitate projected port-related growth to meet growing international trade demands, while minimizing the effects of this growth on local communities. Key elements of the project include: Elevating Low Level Road and realigning it to the north. Providing space for two new rail tracks for cargo storage and handling. Eliminating three existing at-grade rail crossings. Providing intersection and road safety improvements between Esplanade/Low Level Road and East 3 rd Street/Cotton Drive/Low Level Road. Completing the Spirit Trail and providing upgraded cycling and pedestrian facilities..2 STUDY AREA The study focuses on the Esplanade E corridor between the St. George s Ave and St. Patrick s Ave intersections and the 3 rd Street-Low Level Road corridor between the Neptune/Cargill Terminal Access and Gladstone Avenue intersections. Figure illustrates the overall study area and the dots on the figure illustrate the studied intersections.
Introduction June, 22 Figure 3 rd Street-Low Level Road-Esplanade Corridor Improvements Study Area STUDY AREA.2. West-End Corridor Improvements The intersections included in the analysis of the west-end corridor traffic operations are:. St. George s Ave and Esplanade E 2. St. George s Ave and Victory Ship Way 3. St. Andrews Ave and Esplanade E Figure 2 West-End Corridor Improvements St. George s Ave St. Andrew Ave St. Patrick Ave Victory Ship Way 2
Introduction June, 22 The proposed design improvements analyzed for the west-end corridor as illustrated in Figure 2 include: Intersection modifications at St.Georges Avenue and Esplanade intersection to allow for the wider turning radius of large trucks. Removing existing Y intersection between Low Level Road and Esplanade and provide access though a full, signalized intersection at St. Andrews Avenue, connecting to Low Level Road. The existing at-grade port access points at St. Andrews and St. Patricks Avenues will be closed, and access to western port facilities would be provided via St.Georges Avenue. A separate 2-lane frontage road with new parking layout on Esplanade between St. Andrews Avenue and St. Patrick s Avenue to provide access for business and residents. Constructing the Spirit Trail on the south side of Esplanade from St Georges Avenue to the St.Andrews Avenue intersection where it would then cross to a median between the Low Level Road and the new frontage road. At-grade pedestrian crossings are provided at the intersections. Bicycle lanes are provided along both sides of the Esplanade / Low Level Road corridor..2.2 East-End Corridor Improvements The intersections included in the analysis of the west-end corridor traffic operations are:. Low Level Road and Cargill/Neptune Terminal Access 2. 3 rd Street and Heywood Street 3. 3 rd Street and Kennard Avenue 4. 3 rd Street and Low Level Road 5. Cotton Dr and Gladstone Avenue Figure 3 East-End Corridor Improvements 3
Introduction June, 22 The design improvements proposed for the east-end corridor as illustrated in Figure 3 include: New Low Level Road and Neptune/Cargill overpass intersection. New 3 rd Street and Low Level Road Intersection. Stop-controlled right-in and right out access at Kennard Avenue intersection. Stop-controlled right-in and right out and left out access at Heywood Street intersection. Bicycle lanes on both sides along 3 rd Street and Low Level Road corridors. Crossings at the new 3 rd Street and Low Level Road intersection facilitates the continuation of the bike lanes as the 3 rd Street and Low Level Road merge into Cotton Drive. The bicycle crossings provided at the intersections are illustrated in Figure 4. Figure 4 Bicycle Crossings at East-End Corridor.3 TRAFFIC VOLUMES.3. Existing Traffic Volumes West End Corridor Turning movement counts at the study area intersections were collected in February and March 22. The Esplanade E / St. Andrew s Ave intersection was counted on February 23, 22 and at the intersections of St. George s Ave with Esplanade E and Victory Ship Way on March 23, 22. The traffic counts were conducted during the and PM Peak Hours from 7:am to 9:am and 4:pm to 6:pm.The raw traffic volumes are included in the Appendix A. The observed and PM peak hour traffic volumes are shown in Figure 5. To account for the daily and monthly variations between the two intersections, the observed traffic volumes were increased to balance the traffic between the two intersections. The balanced volumes are shown in Figure 6. 4
Introduction June, 22 Figure 5 22 Observed Traffic Volumes West End Corridor (93) (2) 96 3 (73) (8) (38) St. George's Ave St. Andrew's Ave 58 47 623 (57) (459) (7) 39 73 3 (42) (49) (2) Esplanade E 3 3 3 33 (94) 3 (23) 4 (864) 378 (64) 5 (4) 4 3 9 2 (39) (7) (6) (8) (4) 26 5 5 (9) 4 (PM) () Victory Ship Way Figure 6 22 Balanced Traffic Volumes (West End Corridor) 96 3 69 5 (57) 39 (42) 682 (459) 76 (59) 3 33 5 (2) 3 (2) Esplanade E 3 3 (994) 447 (64) 55 (25) 4 (39) (7) 6 (6) (9) (4) (96) (2) (84) St. George's Ave (9) (38) St. Andrew's Ave (94) 3 (23) 4 4 6 2 26 6 5 (9) 4 (PM) (3) Victory Ship Way 5
Introduction June, 22.3.2 23 Background Traffic Volumes West End Corridor.3.2. General Background Growth In order to develop the 23 traffic volumes, it was agreed with the City of North Vancouver that a % growth factor would be applied to the existing traffic volumes to estimate the future demand. The balanced traffic volumes shown in Figure 6 were increased by % to obtain the 23 grown volumes shown in Figure 7. Figure 7 23 Grown Traffic Volumes (West End Corridor) 6 (2) (2) (92) St. George's Ave 3 (2) 75 (42) St. Andrew's Ave 57 (63) 43 (46) 75 (55) 788 (56) 34 36 7 (3) 4 (2) Esplanade E 3 3 (3) 33 (25) 5 (93) 49 (7) 567 (28) 5 7 4 7 2 (43) (8) (7) () 29 7 (4) 7 () 4 (PM) (4) 2 Victory Ship Way.3.2.2 Pinnacle Development Traffic The traffic associated with the Pinnacle Development for the 23 horizon volumes were taken from The Shipyard Transportation Study-Report by ISL Engineering and Land Services. Since the peak hour volumes were not included in the report, the PM peak hour volumes were reversed for the peak hour traffic volumes. The additional projected traffic volumes are shown in shown in Figure 8. 6
Introduction June, 22 Figure 8 Pinnacle Area Development 5 35 (5) 35 (5) Esplanade E 3 3 (35) 5 (4) 25 (95) 4 5 5 (25) (5) (35) (5) St. George's Ave St. Andrew's Ave 5 5 4 (PM) (5) 95 Victory Ship Way (5).3.2.3 James Richardson International Traffic Additional traffic to/from the James Richardson International, Vancouver Dry Dock and Pier 94 was also added into the background conditions. The SNC Lavalin North Shore Trade Area Study EMME Model Validation Report, dated March 27, 28 reports additional traffic to/from James Richardson International, Vancouver Dry Dock and Pier 94 from UMA s North Shore Access Study Report dated September 7, 27 as shown in Table. Table Projected 22 Traffic Volumes to/from James Richardson International, Vancouver Dry Dock and Pier 94 Port Site Peak PM Peak Out In Out In James Richardson International 22 48 46 3 Vancouver Dry Dock 64 564 543 243 Pier 94 2 9 9 9 Total 88 62 598 283 7
Introduction June, 22 However, both of the North Shore reports state that it is hard to determine whether the volumes shown in Table are additional traffic over the existing site generated traffic or they are the overall total site generated traffic by 22. To understand the existing activities (22) and future expansion plans, data was collected from James Richardson International, Vancouver Dry Dock and 3 Low Level Road Facility as shown in the Table 2. Table 2 Observed 22 Traffic Volumes to/from James Richardson International, Vancouver Dry Dock and 3 Low Level Road Richardson currently works a 5 x 24 schedule Vancouver Dry Dock/Sea Span 7am 3pm 3pm to pm pm to 7am 6:3am - 3pm 2:3pm - pm Cars 7 43 2 96 96 Trucks Future expansion would move Richardson to a 7 x 24 schedule with the week the same as it is today and additional staff working the weekend. There would be an extra truck per day. 3 Low Level Road (Allowance for future development) 7am 3pm to pm to 3pm pm 7am Cars 45 35 2 Trucks 4 4 4 Future expansion would move Vancouver Dry Dock to add an extra shift pm to 6:3am. The above figures are conservative based in typical usage of the 3 Low Level Road Site. NOTE the site is not suitable for use as container port or bulk handling facility. Any future development would probably utilize the Rail and vessels for shipping of goods, and not use trucks. Traffic volumes related to Port activities used in the analysis were based on the actual existing and future growth information collected from the tenants. The shifts are stretched over eight hours, but for the purpose of this analysis, it is assumed that 5% of the traffic during a shift is coming in and out of the port during the peak hours. The port volumes used in the analysis are shown in Figure 9..3.2.4 23 Background Traffic The 23 background traffic was obtained by adding together the grown traffic volumes shown in Figure 7, the Pinnacle traffic shown in Figure 8 and the James Richardson International traffic shown in Figure 9 to obtain the background traffic volumes shown in Figure. 8
Introduction June, 22 Figure 9 James Richardson International and Vancouver Dry Yard 6 37 (3) 37 (3) Esplanade E 3 3 (37) 4 (44) 53 (87) (53) (6) (37) 2 6 4 (3) St. George's Ave St. Andrew's Ave 6 4 (6) 4 (PM) Victory Ship Way Figure 23 Background Traffic Volumes (West End Corridor) 6 69 75 57 (63) 43 75 (55) 86 (69) 34 89 (93) 4 Esplanade E 3 3 36 (3) 33 (25) 5 (93) 49 (229) 63 (22) 93 (238) (87) (86) (73) (82) (2) (2) (92) St. George's Ave (2) (42) St. Andrew's Ave 67 5 8 2 34 3 57 6 (6) 4 (PM) (9) 27 Victory Ship Way (5) 9
Introduction June, 22.3.3 23 Post-Development Traffic Volumes West End Corridor With the implementation of the proposed corridor improvements, traffic circulation within the study area will change. Therefore, the following adjustments to the existing traffic circulation would be required and the following volumes would result: a. The access road connections to Esplanade (at St. Andrew s Ave, St. Patrick s Ave and Low Level Road) were eliminated. Therefore, the traffic to and from these access roads will be redistributed to the intersections of St. George s Ave/Esplanade and St. George s Ave/Victory Ship Way. b. Existing traffic volumes at St. Patrick s Ave/Esplanade and Low Level Road/Esplanade were redistributed through the modified St. Andrew s Ave/Esplanade intersection. c. Westbound right turns at St. Andrew s Ave/Esplanade were moved to westbound right turns at St. George s Ave/Esplanade intersection. The above changes are graphically depicted in Figure. These redistributed volumes were then added to the background traffic volumes shown in Figure to obtain the post improvement traffic volumes shown in Figure 2. Figure Adjusted to Proposed Configuration 43 (46) -43 (-46) 86 (58) - 43 (2) -4 (-2) Esplanade E 3 3 (58) 6 2 - - - (2) (2) (58) (-4) St. George's Ave St. Andrew's Ave 6-2 46 8 (6) 4 (PM) Victory Ship Way
Introduction June, 22 Figure 2 23 Post Improvement Traffic Volumes (West End Corridor) (2) (2) (92) 6 7 75 34 36 St. George's Ave (2) (42) St. Andrew's Ave 99 (9) 75 (55) 945 (699) 3 (5) Esplanade E 3 3 (3) 33 (25) 5 (93) 49 (3) 636 (22) 96 68 7 87 34 59 (238) (99) (88) (73) (4) 64 (76) 6 4 (PM) (9) 27 Victory Ship Way (5).3.4 Existing Traffic Volumes East-End Corridor Turning movement counts at the study intersections were collected in March 22. The observed volumes are shown in Figure 2. The traffic counts were conducted during the and PM Peak Hours from 7:am to 9:am and 4:pm to 6:pm.The raw traffic volumes are included in the Appendix A. The observed and PM peak hour traffic volumes are shown in Figure 3. With the proposed corridor improvements, traffic circulation within the study area for built conditions will change as shown in Figure 4. Appropriate changes were made to the existing traffic circulation to accommodate the design changes: a. Southbound left turns at 3 rd Street and Kennard Ave were moved to southbound left turns at Cotton Dr/Gladstone Ave. b. Eastbound left turns at 3 rd Street and Kennard were moved to eastbound left turns at Cotton Dr/Gladstone Ave. c. Eastbound and westbound through movements at 3 rd Street and Kennard will be controlled by new traffic signal at 3 rd Street and Low Level Road. The volumes were then balanced along the entire corridor including west end corridor intersections and accommodating the proposed intersection of Low Level Road and Neptune/Cargill intersection. A % growth factor was applied to the existing volumes to derive 23 traffic volumes as shown in Figure 5.
Introduction June, 22 Figure 3 22 Traffic Volumes East End Corridor 7 2 (44) 8 (8) 6 (53) 43 (62) 35 (58) 92 (22) 753 (494) 2 3 3 3rd Street (3) 7 (4) 53 (546) 443 (56) 456 (45) 87 (39) 53 (2) (7) (9) 3 4 Heywood Street (42) (5) 22 2 (2) Kennard Avenue (6) () (35) 4 Gladstone Ave Figure 4 22 Traffic Volumes East End Corridor (Proposed Configuration) Heywood Street (-2) (2) -753 (-494) 3 3 - (3) 3rd Street (-3) -7 (3) 7 7 (-56) -456 (-39) -53 Kennard Ave Gladstone Ave -753 (577) 46 753 (494) Low Level Road (39) 53 XX Peak Hour (XX) PM Peak Hour 2
Introduction June, 22 Figure 5 23 Traffic Volumes East End Corridor (Adjusted) () 8 () 33 Heywood Street (47) 32 (48) 66 (59) 3 (44) 48 (665) 27 (22) 46 (668) 3 (3) 3 3 Kennard Ave Gladstone Ave 3rd Street (96) 78 484 (638) 8 2 3 (3) (22) (54) 44 27 (559) 857 (64) () + 57 867 (57) (624) (243) 63 (64) 6 5 (89) 4 (2) Low Level Road (264) 67-67 XX Peak Hour (XX) PM Peak Hour Another set of adjustments were made to the balanced 23 traffic volumes based on the information available from the other study reports. The traffic volumes for the intersection of Low Level Road and the Cargill / Neptune Terminal Access are based on information in the March 8, 2 MMM group report entitled Low Level Road Improvements Traffic Impact Assessment. These volumes are graphically depicted in Figure 6. Figure 6 23 Traffic Volumes East End Corridor (MMM Group Report) (725) 225 (95) (3) 66 (4) 4 5 (4) 75 (225) Low Level Road -735 XX Peak Hour (XX) PM Peak Hour 3
Introduction June, 22 The volumes were then adjusted to balance for all the intersections along the east-end of the corridor and used in the analysis of east end corridor traffic analysis. These adjusted volumes are graphically depicted in Figure 7. Figure 7 23 Traffic Volumes East End Corridor (Analysis Input) () 8 33 () Heywood Street (47) Kennard Ave (38) (54) 3 (44) 22 (48) 66 (59) 46 (668) 48 (665) 57 (369) 3 (3) 3 3 58 Gladstone Ave 3rd Street (96) 79 484 (899) 8 2 3 (5) 27 (559) 966 (74) 225 (95) + 57 (57) 9 (799) (3) 597 (54) 5 5 (4) 75 (225) Low Level Road (525) 672-672 XX Peak Hour (XX) PM Peak Hour 4
Traffic Analysis June, 22 2. Traffic Analysis 2. ANALYSIS SOFTWARE The analysis for the project was originally undertaken using the VISSIM software package as we felt that it was the most appropriate tool to use in the analysis of the unconventional intersection configuration on the east end of the site. However, following discussions with the City of North Vancouver staff, it was agreed that all analysis would also be prepared in Synchro. It should be noted, that since the software packages analyze the data with different approaches, the results will be different. However, to be conservative, we have considered the worst-case results when making recommendations for the corridor. Below is a brief discussion of each of the software packages. 2.. Synchro Synchro 8 program was used to analyze the intersection operations using the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) methodology as required by the City of North Vancouver. HCM methodology is a widely accepted and familiar tool for analyzing intersection operations. Synchro is a macroscopic analysis and optimization software application. Synchro employs Highway Capacity Analysis (HCM) techniques for signalized and unsignalized intersections. This analysis method generates performance measures for signalized and unsignalized intersections, including average delay and Level of Service (LOS) for each intersection as a whole and per movement basis. Synchro 8 implements the Intersection Capacity Utilization 23 method for determining intersection capacity. This method compares the current volume to the intersections ultimate capacity. 2..2 VISSIM VISSIM is a microscopic, time step and behavior-based simulation model developed to model urban traffic and public transport operations and flows of pedestrians. VISSIM 5.3-9 version was used for this analysis. Intersection signal phasing used in the VISSIM model were imported from the Synchro model developed for traffic volumes for the peak hour and the PM peak hour. The simulation capabilities of VISSIM are unlike typical HCM methods of analysis in that VISSIM tracks individual vehicle interactions in the study corridor that affect overall operating conditions. VISSIM quantifies overall and individual intersection delays more realistically, as well as other measures of effectiveness, such as travel time. VISSIM was used in this study because of its ability to quantify traffic operations of different vehicles separately as needed and its ability to generate measures of effectiveness based on multiple model runs that simulate a range of potential traffic operations scenarios. 5
Traffic Analysis June, 22 2.2 PERFORMANCE MEASURES The following performance measures were used in summarizing the operations performance of the intersection studied using both Synchro and VISSIM programs. The computation methods that each program are different and hence there will be differences in the operation performance results. For each of the scenarios analyzed the following measures were summarized for the and the PM peak hours. Average Vehicle Delay Average Vehicle Delay at intersections: Intersection delay measures the amount of time a vehicle is expected to wait before being able to proceed through an intersection. Level of Service (LOS) LOS is a measure used to quantify the amount of delay experienced by motorists. LOS is used to measure the delay for both individual intersection turning movements and for the intersection as a whole. The HCM defines level-of-service for signalized and unsignalized intersections as a function of the average vehicle control delay. Table 3 summarizes the duration of the delay and corresponding LOS for signalized and unsignalized intersections. Table 3 LOS Criteria LOS Signalized Intersection Unsignalized Intersection A sec sec B -2 sec -5 sec C 2-35 sec 5-25 sec D 35-55 sec 25-35 sec E 55-8 sec 35-5 sec F 8 sec 5 sec 95% Queue Length The 95th-percentile queue is defined to be the queue length (m) that has only a 5-percent probability of being exceeded during the analysis time period. It is a useful parameter for determining the appropriate length of turn pockets. The 95 th percentile queues in Synchro are based on traffic adjusted for 95 th percentile traffic. 6
Synchro Analysis June, 22 3. Synchro Analysis 3. MODEL DEVELOPMENT Two Synchro networks were developed using Trafficware s Synchro Version 8, one for the westend corridor and one for the east-end corridor. The development of the Synchro models consisted of the following general process: The design files were used as reference and Synchro models were created using nodes and links. All links were checked to match with the proposed layout. Projected 23 traffic volumes, pedestrian and bicycle counts were added to the networks. Clearance times for vehicles and pedestrian were calculated and changed from the Synchro default values. Traffic signal control at the study intersections was changed according to the proposed improvements. The network traffic signal cycle lengths and offsets for coordinated signals were calculated. 3.2 BACKGROUND ANALYSIS RESULTS 3.2. West-End Corridor For the West-End Corridor, an analysis was undertaken using the background traffic volumes shown in Figure. This analysis was undertaken to address questions about queuing in the Synchro raised by the City of North Vancouver during their review of the original analysis. The analysis of the background conditions is summarized in Table 4. The of the analysis indicate that all the intersections are anticipated to perform at acceptable LOS E or better with v/c ratios below.9, however the following queuing issues will exist: The anticipated queuing on the eastbound and northbound approaches to the intersection of Esplanade E / St Georges Avenue will exceed the physically available area for queuing (Approximately 3m of storage eastbound and approximately 35m northbound). In the northbound direction the 47m queuing in the and 55m queuing in the PM will spill back into the intersection of St. Georges Avenue and Victory Ship Way and in the eastbound direction the 44m queuing in the PM will extend back onto the mid-block pedestrian crosswalk. 7
Synchro Analysis June, 22 The anticipated queuing on the eastbound approach to the intersection of Esplanade E / St. Andrews Avenue would be 484m which more than doubles the 235m of storage area available. 3.3 POST-IMPROVEMENTS ANALYSIS RESULTS 3.3. West-End Corridor For the West-End Corridor, an analysis was undertaken using the post-improvement traffic volumes shown in Figure 2. The analysis of the background conditions is summarized in Table 5. The of the analysis indicate that all the intersections are anticipated to perform at acceptable LOS E or better with v/c ratios below.9, however the following queuing issues will exist: The anticipated queuing on the eastbound and northbound approaches to the intersection of Esplanade E / St Georges Avenue will continue to exceed the physically available area for queuing (Approximately 3m of storage eastbound and approximately 35m northbound). In the northbound direction the queuing increases m in the and 7m in the PM and in the eastbound direction the queuing increases 9m in the PM. To mitigate these increases in queuing, it is recommended that a sign be added to the intersection of St. Georges Avenue indicating not to block the box and that a sign be added to the eastbound approach to the midblock crossing on Esplanade indicating that vehicles should not stop in the cross walk. The anticipated queuing on the eastbound approach to the intersection of Esplanade E / St. Andrews Avenue would drop significantly with the proposed improvements to approximately 2m which falls well within the 235m of storage area available. 3.3.2 East-End Corridor The projected intersection performance of the west end corridor intersections for the horizon year 23 is summarized in Table 6. The of the analysis indicate that all the intersections are anticipated to perform at acceptable LOS E or better with v/c ratios below.9, however the following queuing issues will exist: The eastbound approach to the Low Level Road/Neptune-Cargill intersection is anticipated to experience queuing of up to 6m during the PM peak hour. However, this queue is anticipated to clear in one cycle and there are no nearby intersections to the west, therefore this queuing is not a major area of concern. Eastbound approach of 3 rd Street and Low Level Road intersection is anticipated to experience a queue of approximately 5m during the peak and 2m during the PM. However, both of these queues can be accommodated within the over 6m of storage between the stop bar and the Heywood Street intersection. 8
Synchro Analysis June, 22 The eastbound left turn lane at the intersection of Cotton Drive/Gladstone Avenue is anticipated to experience queuing of approximately 63m in the PM peak hours. Therefore, we recommend increasing the length of the left turn bay to at least 65m. 9
Synchro Analysis June, 22 Table 4 Synchro Analysis HCM 2 West-End Corridor Intersections Intersection Interval Measure Eastbound Westbound Northbound Southbound LOS Peak Hour Left Thru Right Left Thru Right Left Thru Right Left Thru Right Volumes 33 49 93 89 77 57 67 5 8 75 69 6 LOS A A E C D C V/C ratio.33.53.83.6.7.8 Queue Length (m) 49 3 6 49 3 B St.George s Ave/Esplanade E St.George s Ave/Victory Ship Way PM PM Volumes 3 93 22 93 55 63 86 73 82 92 2 2 LOS B A E D E D V/C ratio.76.5.72.6.7.7 Queue Length (m) 44 35 62 4 52 5 Volumes 28 6 57 3 34 LOS B A A A V/C ratio.38.7.8.9 Queue Length (m) Volumes 9 5 6 87 238 LOS B A A A V/C ratio.26.2.6.5 Queue Length (m) Volumes 5 63 2 4 86 43 36 34 LOS A B A B C D V/C ratio.6.62.5.47.42 Queue Length (m) 4 9 5 85 3 23 Volumes 25 242 64 46 4 42 2 LOS A F B C E St.Andrew s Ave/Esplanade E PM V/C ratio Queue Length (m).7 4.7 483.34 6.5 26 Notes:. 95th percentile queues are based on Synchro results. B A A B E 3.
Synchro Analysis June, 22 Table 5 Synchro Analysis HCM 2 West-End Corridor Intersections Intersection Interval Peak Hour Measure Eastbound Westbound Northbound Southbound LOS Left Thru Right Left Thru Right Left Thru Right Left Thru Right Volumes 33 49 96 3 77 99 68 7 87 75 7 6 LOS A A E C D C V/C ratio.34.64.82.6.68.8 St.George s Ave/Esplanade E Queue Length (m) 44 36.3 57.8.9 45.7.9 Volumes 3 93 22 5 525 9 88 73 4 92 2 2 PM LOS B A E D E D V/C ratio.79.59.7.27.69.7 Queue Length (m) 62.8 5.4 6.6 3 47. 4.8 Volumes 28 6 64 62 35 LOS C A A A V/C ratio.47.8..9 St.George s Ave/Victory Ship Way Queue Length (m) Volumes 22 5 79 99 238 PM LOS C A A A V/C ratio.33.9.7.5 Queue Length (m) Volumes 5 636 945 36 34 LOS B B D D V/C ratio.39.52.35.35 St.Andrew s Ave/Esplanade E Queue Length (m) 4.7 88.2 2.2 2.2 Volumes 25 3 699 42 2 PM LOS B B E E V/C ratio.7.34.46.46 Queue Length (m) 9.8 6.4 6.4 25.6 25.6 Notes: 67. 95th percentile queues are based on Synchro results. B B A A B B 3.2
Synchro Analysis June, 22 Table 6 Synchro Analysis HCM 2 East-End Corridor Intersections Intersection Low Level Road/Cargill- Neptune Terminal Access 3 rd Street/Heywood Street 3 rd Street/Kennard Ave 3 rd Street/Low Level Road Cotton Dr/Gladstone Ave Interval Peak Hour PM PM PM PM PM Measure Eastbound Westbound Northbound Southbound LOS Left Thru Right Left Thru Right Left Thru Right Left Thru Right Volumes 597 5 225 966 5 75 LOS B A A C C V/C ratio.4.4.76.7.7 Queue Length (m) 55.8 5.7 3.7 4.4 4.4 Volumes 3 5 95 74 4 225 LOS B A A D D V/C ratio.69.36.54.43.43 Queue Length (m) 6.5 77.5 34.2 34.2 Volumes 484 46 3 33 8 LOS C C V/C ratio.3.27.4.4 Queue Length (m) 3.8 3.8 Volumes 559 668 44 LOS C C V/C ratio.36.46.. Queue Length (m) 2.5 2.5 Volumes 48 22 LOS B V/C ratio.28.2 Queue Length (m) Volumes 665 48 47 LOS B V/C ratio.46.2 Queue Length (m) 3.2 Volumes 57 9 LOS C B V/C ratio.75.85 Queue Length (m) #4.7 76.6 Volumes 57 799 LOS B B V/C ratio.6.78 Queue Length (m) 2.8 m57.4 Volumes 79 8 2 3 57 66 3 27 58 LOS D A A B C D C V/C ratio.42.43..83..27.4 Queue Length (m) m#23.6 7.2 4..4.4.4 Volumes 96 899 3 369 59 5 54 38 LOS D A B C D D D V/C ratio.5.73.3.86.2.44.9 Queue Length (m) 63. 63.7 67.2 2. 22.7 7 Notes:. 95th percentile queues are based on Synchro results. 2. # 95 th percentile volume exceeds capacity, queue may be longer. (m) Volume for 95 th percentile queue is metered by upstream signal. A B A A A A B B B B 3.
VISSIM Analysis June, 22 4. VISSIM Analysis This section provides a brief description of the VISSIM model development and the traffic operation performance results using VISSIM program. Generally the Synchro analysis resulted in poorer operations and longer queues, therefore the results of the VISSIM analysis are generally not the controlling factor in the recommendations in this report. 4. VISSIM MODEL Two models were developed to study the impact to the peak hour traffic ( and PM) on 3 rd Street Low Level Road corridor with the proposed geometric and traffic signal improvements.. VISSIM Model for west-end corridor 2. VISSIM Model for east-end corridor The development of the VISSIM models consisted of the following general process: The design files were used as background and VISSIM models were created using links and connectors. Bike lanes, pedestrian crossings were added to the VISSIM Models. Synchro models were converted to VISSIM primarily for signal timing inputs (provided in the Appendix). The signal timing parameters were imported, signal heads and detectors were added at each intersection. The priority rules and conflict areas for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles were coded and verified. Vehicle inputs and routing decisions were coded. Initial simulation runs were performed for each model to assess the traffic conditions, priority rules, and multimodal elements on the corridor. After the initial model development, each of the simulation models were analyzed under three distinct simulation runs to assess the performance measures. The analysis was conducted during the peak hour and the PM peak hour. The results presented in the later sections represent average results of three (3) simulation runs. Each simulation run length was 65 minutes; the results are reported for the 6 minutes representing and PM peak hours. 4.
VISSIM Analysis June, 22 4.. VISSIM Model for West End Corridor Model one for west end of the corridor included the following intersections: St. George s Ave and Esplanade E St. George s Ave and Victory Ship Way St. Andrews Ave and Esplanade E 4..2 VISSIM model for East End Corridor Model two for east end of the corridor included the following intersections: Low Level Road and Cargill/Neptune Terminal Access 3 rd Street and Heywood Street 3 rd Street and Kennard Avenue 3 rd Street and Low Level Road Cotton Dr and Gladstone Avenue 4..3 Model Input 4..3. Vehicle Composition Model vehicle composition is used for this analysis: 95% cars and 5% heavy vehicles. % bikes composition was used for the bike lanes. 4.2
VISSIM Analysis June, 22 4..3.2 Vehicle Types Two types of vehicles were used in this VISSIM Analysis: Type Category Length Class Car Car 4. to 4.76 m GP users Heavy Vehicles/Trucks 2 HGV.2 m GP users 4..3.3 Driver Behavior Parameters Model default driver behavior parameters were used in the analysis. 4.3
VISSIM Analysis June, 22 4..3.4 Traffic Signal Timings Intersection signal phasing used in the VISSIM model were imported from the Synchro model developed for traffic volumes for the peak hour and the PM peak hour. Synchro reports are provided in the Appendix. 4.2 ANALYSIS RESULTS 4.2. West-end Corridor Table 7 summarizes the projected vehicle delay and 95% queues by approach at each of the three intersections analyzed for the and the PM peak hours for the west-end corridor intersections. These results represent average results from three (3) simulation runs. The intersection control device at the intersection of St.George s Ave and Victory Ship Way is two way stop control and the other two intersections are traffic signal controlled. All of the intersections are projected to operate at LOS better than the acceptable LOS E. The queuing observed on the eastbound approach is significantly lower in the VISSIM analysis, therefore our recommendations for that approach are based on the Synchro analysis. The results and observations from the animation of the simulation runs indicate that there is queuing on the northbound approach of the St.George s Ave and Esplanade intersection about 66m during the peak hour which is slightly higher than the 62m estimated by the Synchro software 4.4
VISSIM Analysis June, 22 package. Therefore, we maintain a similar recommendation to post signs at the intersection of St. Georges Avenue and Victory Ship Way that vehicles should not block the box. 4.2.2 East-end Corridor Table 8 summarizes the projected vehicle delay and 95% queues by approach at each of the study intersections analyzed for the and the PM peak hours for the east-end corridor intersections. These results represent average results from three (3) simulation runs. The intersections of 3 rd Street/Heywood and 3 rd Street/Kennard Avenue are Stop controlled and all the other intersections are traffic signal controlled. The results and observations from the animation of the simulation runs indicate that there is no excessive queuing on any of the approaches of all the study intersections. During the peak hour 95% queues projected on the westbound approach of the intersection of 3 rd Street and Low Level Road is about m. The queues on eastbound left turn lane at Gladstone/Cotton Drive intersection exceed capacity during the PM peak hour. Weaving and merging of the vehicles to be in the correct lane for appropriate route choices contribute to queue lengths on Gladstone/Cotton Drive intersection in addition to the traffic signal delays. The signal timings were adequate to dissipate queues observed at the traffic signals for all the approaches. The projected LOS for all the intersections are at or better than acceptable LOS E. 4.2.2. Bicycle Operations Bicyclists were modeled in the simulation with separate bike paths with no interaction with the vehicular traffic except at the intersection crossings and the crossings on 3 rd Street and Low Level Road as illustrated in the Figure below. Bike Crossing Bike Crossing 2 4.5
VISSIM Analysis June, 22 The table below indicates bike operational performance statistics for the east-end corridor. The PM peak hour was used for analysis purposes since the bike volumes and the conflicting vehicular traffic are high during the PM peak hour. As indicated by the performance statistics in the table, the average delay for the bike crossing 2 during the PM peak hour is 46 sec. This delay is caused due to the heavy eastbound traffic volumes from Low Level Road going straight and turning left at the intersection of Cotton Drive and Gladstone Avenue. The overall network (east-end corridor VISSIM model network) delay for bikes include the stop delay at the traffic signal intersections. These delays are no greater than typical delays bicyclists encounter at traffic signals. Time Interval Bike Crossing Bike Operational Performance Statistics Bike Avg Delay Volume/hr at (s) the crossing Overall Network Bike Volume/hr Overall Network Bike Delay (s) Peak 2.2 34 3.8 2 5 3 PM Peak 5.7 46 37.7 sec 2 9 45.8 These statistics are average results of three simulation runs. The statistics will differ slightly with the deviations in the arrival timings of the bicyclists at the intersection crossings and at the bike crossings. With no other control devices proposed for these two bike crossings, it is recommended that adequate lighting at the traffic intersections and /or supplemental lighting is provided to ensure clear visibility and safe crossing of the bicyclists. It is also recommended to place bicycle crossing signs to warn vehicular traffic in advance and to promote safety of the bicyclists. 4.6
VISSIM Analysis June, 22 Table 7 Delay and Queue Lengths by Approach West-end Corridor Intersections Intersection Interval Peak Hour Measure Eastbound Westbound Northbound Southbound LOS Left Through Right Left Through Right Left Through Right Left Through Right St.George s Ave/Esplanade E St.George s Ave/Victory Ship Way St.Andrew s Ave/Esplanade E PM PM PM Volumes 33 49 96 3 77 99 68 7 87 75 7 6 Avg Delay 8. 8.3 8.3 7.6 9.4 9.6 34.4 38.8 29.2 27.8 32. 3.6 Queue Length 24. 24. 24. 55.2 55.2 55.2 32.4 32.4 32.4 25.7 25.7 25.7 Volumes 3 93 22 5 525 9 88 73 4 92 2 2 Avg Delay 2.3 8.7 9.4 24.4 7.8 6.6 4.5 43.5 4.8 42.7 37.8 4.8 Queue Length 56.7 56.7 56.7 3.6 3.6 3.6 65.7 65.7 65.7 29. 29. 29. Volumes 28 6 64 62 35 Avg Delay 22.8.9.4.4.2.3 Queue Length 9.7 9.7 Volumes 22 5 79 99 238 Avg Delay 2.7 6 9.3..3 Queue Length 8.4 8.4 Volumes 5 636 945 36 34 Avg Delay 3.5 3.5 3.2 4. 4.3 Queue Length 33.2 33.2 35.2 8.6 8.6 Volumes 25 3 699 42 2 Avg Delay 8 8 5.8 4.2.2 Queue Length 44 44 2.7 65.9 65.9 B B A A B A 4.
VISSIM Analysis June, 22 Table 8 Delay and Queue Lengths by Approach East-end Corridor Intersections Intersection Low Level Road/Cargill- Neptune Terminal Access 3 rd Street/Heywood Street 3 rd Street/Kennard Ave 3 rd Street/Low Level Road Cotton Dr/Gladstone Ave Interval Peak Hour PM PM PM PM PM Measure Eastbound Westbound Northbound Southbound LOS Left Through Right Left Through Right Left Through Right Left Through Right Volumes 597 5 225 966 5 75 Avg Delay 4.9 2.8 5.9 4 3.3 Queue Length 2 9.9 5.5 Volumes 3 54 95 74 4 225 Avg Delay 7.3 5.5 26.3 4.9 4.2 8.7 Queue Length 2.3 8.9 3 2.3 8.9 Volumes 484 46 3 33 8 Avg Delay.5.3.5 6.3 2.2 Queue Length Volumes 559 668 44 Avg Delay.5.5.8 2.4 3.6 Queue Length Volumes 48 22 Avg Delay.3.5.3 Queue Length Volumes 665 48 47 Avg Delay.8.9.3 Queue Length Volumes 57 9 Avg Delay 9.7 27. Queue Length 44.3 7.5 Volumes 57 799 Avg Delay 4.2 2.6 Queue Length 3.6 57 Volumes 79 8 2 57 66 3 27 58 Avg Delay 24.9 2.8 2.6 3.5. 29.5 3.8 Queue Length 7.3 2.2 65.6 4.6 5.8 2 Volumes 96 899 369 59 5 54 38 Avg Delay 4.9 3.9 9.4 6.3 2.8 39.6 42.7 Queue Length 5.6 25 65 42.6 2.4 32 A A A A A A C B B B 4.2
Conclusions and Recommendations June, 22 5. Conclusions and Recommendations The traffic analysis for the Low Level Road project was circulation was undertaken using two different traffic analysis programs. VISSIM was originally chosen as the analysis tool because of the unconventional intersection design required for the intersection of Low Level Road and 3 rd Street. VISSIM is a simulation program that simulates each car's movement and is increasingly used to model complex traffic situations. However, since Synchro, which uses traffic flow and queuing formulas, is the standard tool used for traffic impact analysis in North Vancouver the analysis was also undertaken using this tool. However, to be conservative, we have considered the worst-case results from either software package when making recommendations for the corridor. 5. SUMMARY OF RESULTS All of the study intersections in the west-end and east-end corridor are projected to operate at LOS better than the acceptable LOS E and the volume/capacity ratio below.9 with the proposed improvements in place. This is an improvement over the LOS F and v/c ratio of.7 expected at the intersection of Esplanade E and St. Andrews Avenue if the anticipated background growth takes place and no improvements are made. With the proposed improvements in place there are some areas where considerable queuing is anticipated to occur: At the intersection of the St.George s and Esplanade intersection queuing on the northbound and eastbound approaches will exceed the available storage. In both cases, this queuing is similar to the queuing expected to occur under the background analysis scenario with only minor increases in the length of the queue. Therefore, it is recommended that a sign be added to the intersection of St. Georges Avenue indicating that motorists should not to block the box and that a sign be added to the eastbound approach to the midblock crossing on Esplanade indicating that vehicles should not stop in the cross walk. The eastbound left turn lane at the intersection of Cotton Drive/Gladstone Avenue is anticipated to experience queuing longer than the currently designed storage length, therefore, we recommend increasing the length of the left turn bay to accommodate the anticipated queue. While a number of the other intersections experience queuing that is substantial in nature, none of those queues are anticipated to exceed the available storage area, therefore no additional mitigation measures are proposed. 5.
Conclusions and Recommendations June, 22 5.2 CONCLUSIONS The proposed configuration of the corridor adequately accommodates the projected traffic volumes both for the west-end corridor intersections and east-end corridor intersections with projected LOS at the intersections at or better than acceptable LOS E and the volume/capacity ratio below.9. We feel that the proposed design also addresses the anticipated queues discussed within this report. Therefore, the proposed design adequately accommodates the anticipated 23 traffic volumes. 5.2
Conclusions and Recommendations June, 22 5.