Link back to Traffic Committee Meeting Minutes
Police Chief Taylor A.B. Mills, Chairman
Sgt. David Horte, Representative for Chief Mills
Lt. John Haley, Representative for Chief Mark Duff
Harry Sylvester, DPW
Paul K. Healey, Planning Board
Leslie Kehoe
Harold Goldstein
Scott Peterson
TO: Board of Selectmen
FROM: Chief Taylor Mills
RE: Minutes of October 13, 2010 – Traffic Committee Meeting
DATE: October 14, 2010
PRESENT: John Haley, Lieutenant, Hingham Fire Department
David Horte, Sergeant, Hingham Police Department
Harry Sylvester, Hingham DPW
Paul K. Healey, Hingham Planning Board
Leslie Kehoe
Harold Goldstein
Scott Peterson
Sgt. Horte called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
A motion was made by Paul Healey, seconded by Scott Peterson, to accept the minutes of the previous meeting on 9/22/10. Unanimous vote in favor.
I. Main Street/Cushing Street/South Pleasant Street Intersection
Sgt. Horte introduced traffic engineer John Morgan of Coler & Colantonio, the company hired by the Town to compile data for the intersection. Mr. Morgan
presented the preliminary data he obtained from the traffic study, noting that a report will
be completed in a few weeks. The preliminary findings showed that approximately 6,000 vehicles travel on Cushing Street daily, 24,000 vehicles travel northerly on
Main Street daily and 19,500 vehicles travel southerly on Main Street daily. Traffic counts were conducted in September 2010 at peak hours for two hours.
Queuing at Cushing Street to make the turn onto Main Street was 12 cars maximum. The main problems noted are volume of traffic and lack of gaps in traffic on Main Street for cars to gain access from Cushing Street. There are ¼ fewer gaps than necessary. Due to these existing conditions, Mr. Morgan made a preliminary assessment of placing the level of service at this unsignalized intersection an F. Mr. Morgan suggested that possible solutions would be a traffic signal, a standard roundabout or elongated roundabout. The data compilation conducted by Hingham Police Department revealed that the maximum wait time was 2.5 min. to exit
Cushing Street on to Main Street. It was reported that there were also a number of near misses when attempting to exit, but no specific counts.
According to Mr. Morgan, the Mass. Dept. of Transportation specifies that a crash rate of .62 accidents per every million car trips annually is considered to be the average crash rate. Based on the data he reviewed, the crash rate for this intersection is .68, slightly above the norm. Mr. Morgan predicted that left as it is, there could be longer queues at Cushing Street and increased delays due to traffic volume. The possible solutions to address this include: (1) traffic signal, (2) roundabout or (3) elongated roundabout to improve the level of service and decrease delays. Based upon the preliminary traffic data, Mr. Morgan stated that he does see the need for traffic control measures at the intersection. Ultimately, however, the Town would decide based upon the recommendation of the Traffic Committee and the traffic study conducted by Coler & Colantonio.
Traffic Committee members proceeded to ask questions pertaining to the study. Harold Goldstein asked if there had been a study of South Pleasant Street. Mr. Morgan stated that there had been but the traffic volume was much lower. The level of service was rated F as well due to the wait times but actual delays were less due to reduced usage. Mr. Morgan indicated that all intersecting side streets on to Main Street where a left turn is taken have a similar problem and are very difficult to get out of. Scott Peterson asked if Mr. Morgan favored a traffic signal or a roundabout as the solution to which Mr. Morgan replied that either one would work.
When asked if Coler & Colantonio had installed roundabouts in the area, Mr. Morgan replied that they had installed two; (1) one in Norfolk Center and (2) the other in Avon near the IKEA store. The intersection would be a viable area for a roundabout due to the amount of town-owned land. Harold Goldstein asked about the cost for each. The traffic light alone would cost approximately $200,000 and the roundabout would be similar but that does not include extra work needed to the surrounding area. Mr. Morgan noted that cost estimate was not part of the C&C study.
Harry Sylvester observed that 2009-2010 were left off in study data from Mass. DOT. He noted that detours in 2009 due to Main Street construction reduced accidents.
Sgt. Horte reported that there have been 3 accidents at the intersection to date for 2010.
None of the accidents resulted in personal injury.
Paul Healey asked whether there would be a need to redesign the current intersection if either solution was adopted. No work was undertaken to address this issue. When asked if a traffic light was installed, Mr. Morgan was asked to articulate the number of warrants which this light satisfied to justify a light. Of the eight possible warrants, those speaking to volume and crash rates were cited as the basis for his opinion. In terms of the accidents that occurred in this intersection, there was no differentiation made as to those involving personal injury and property damage, nor any analysis as to the nature of the accidents, i.e. rear enders, head-on, angle crashes. When asked what options would be to have to be included to accommodate the offset of South Pleasant Street, whose degree of angle did not comply with existing rules of regulations of the Planning Board, Mr. Morgan indicated that a three way traffic signal without S. Pleasant Street included might work better.
On the other hand, if a four way signal is installed, there could be different green light phases (or a dedicated green light for South Pleasant Street) which would result in further delays for Main Street traffic taking it from its current Level of Service A to Level of Service of C. He acknowledged that the delays associated with a signalized intersection were greater than those involving an unsignalized intersection. Mr. Morgan acknowledged that he was familiar with the earlier Coler and Colantonio traffic study of the Main and Cushing & Main and High Street intersections but could not speak to the change in traffic volumes or crash rates from those earlier studies. He was unfamiliar with the 1999 traffic study as well. There was no data analyzed with respect to queuing times at the existing signalized intersection one block north of Main and Cushing Streets.
In response to further questioning by Mr. Healey, Mr. Morgan indicated that there was no sub-surface infrastructure in place for a traffic control signal at Main and Cushing Streets and that would add to the cost of installation as well. There was no analysis done with respect to line of sight issues at the intersection or issues with respect to a leveling course there. There was no data with respect to the crash rate at any other intersection on Main Street, including the signalized one at Main and High Streets. If installed, he recommended the use of Opticon devices for the traffic lights, to which police and fire concurred.
In discussions relative to a roundabout being installed, Mr. Morgan opined that an elongated roundabout could work better since it could be done without land-taking. He indicated that the 150 foot Right of Way should be big enough to support such a design. The State would not need to sign off on the decision since it’s a town-owned road. The work cost may not be impacted by the scenic road status of South Pleasant Street but there would have to be tree hearings in the event of tree removal. He estimated the impact would be a possible loss of one or two trees. The interior island of such a roundabout would be 6o feet in diameter and the roadway width around it would be no less than 25 feet wide. Sgt. Horte observed that a roundabout could make sense due to the configuration of the intersection. A resident inquired as whether a roundabout would be safer to which Sgt. Horte replied that roundabouts result in less serious accidents due to reduced speed. Mr. Healey noted that the earlier research done by the Traffic Safety Committee on the Main and High Street intersection expressly found that a roundabout was an inferior design for a roadway of this nature due to the high volume of traffic.
Main Street resident Geoff Emerson stated that in many cases of high traffic volume areas, roundabouts are failures, with the roundabout on Rte. 3A in Scituate given as an example as well as the rotary at Hingham Harbor. It was explained that rotary is different since it’s two lanes entering on each side instead of the usual one lane for which it’s intended. An abutter is concerned about pollution that came with extended engine idling, noise and dirt. Mr. Emerson stated that an elongated roundabout would be worse and that a traffic light would be a better solution. It would need to include S. Pleasant Street, however. Cushing Street resident Jack McJeffrey observed that with 4.2 accidents per year and more traffic going to High Street, there is no need for a traffic light. More study is needed. Mr. Morgan noted that traffic has increased at .3% per year. Mr. Greg O’Meara of Cushing Street observed that to improve traffic flow on Cushing Street would result in impeding traffic on Main Street. Bernard Peavey of Linden Ponds stated that he had been a resident here for four years and noted that most people he knows avoids turning left from Cushing Street to Main Street in favor of taking Ward Street to access the light at High, Main and French Streets. John Hersey of Hersey Street stated that he also avoids the Main, Cushing and S. Pleasant Street intersection.
It was requested that Mr. Morgan look into the traffic counts and delays for the roundabout on Rte. 3A in Scituate to use as a comparison. Mr. Morgan stated that sensors were not used in the traffic study but would be there if a traffic signal is installed. Harry Sylvester asked if a right turn lane would be needed in the event of a traffic light to which Mr. Morgan replied in the affirmative to facilitate right turns onto Cushing Street. Dennis Hogan of Main Street asked if pedestrian traffic was included in study. Mr. Morgan replied that yes, it was and that there were a total of 8 pedestrians crossing on Cushing Street. Bernard Manning asked if a pedestrian crossing was considered to which Mr. Morgan replied that it could be included in the design for a traffic light. Harry Sylvester stated that the design would include a pedestrian crossing.
Paul Healey introduced Mr. Richard Cook, a retired traffic engineer from BSC and former long time member of the Hingham Planning Board who has agreed to assist the Traffic Committee in reviewing data and making a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Healey reiterated that more study, due diligence, obtaining Mr. Cook’s insight and cost analysis for either proposal are the tasks at hand for the Traffic Committee prior to ultimately making the recommendation to the Selectmen. Mr. Morgan agreed to provide a detailed cost estimate of the installation of a traffic light, dedicated light, pedestrian light functions and a redesign of the intersection to accommodate such a design change.
A motion was made by Harold Goldstein to adjourn and was seconded by Leslie Kehoe.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jan Jacobson
Administrative Assistant
Hingham Police Department