Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-03-03 Traffic Study Results BENSiTOOF & ASSOCIATES, INC. TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS 10417 EXCELSIOR BOULEVARD, SUITE TWO / HOPKINS, MN 55343 / (612) 23 8-1667 / FAX (612) 238 -1671 March 3, 1999 refer to file: 99 -16 MEMORANDUM TO: Bruce Dischinger, kder Student Transportation Services, Inc. OA 3 FROM: James A. Bensho6fand Bryant J Ficek RE: Traffic Study Results for Proposed Bus Facility on Stagecoach Trail in Oak Park Heights BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This is to present the results of the traffic study performed for the proposed bus facility on Stagecoach Trail in the City of Oak Park Heights. The proposed site is located to the west of Stagecoach Trail just north of 5 Street. The new facility will provide full operations for Ryder including office area, bus storage, dispatch, and maintenance. This proposed development would replace Ryder's existing facility located in Stillwater, Minnesota. As we understand, two questions have arisen regarding the traffic implications of the proposed development. The first point pertains to the volume increase that the proposed bus facility would cause on Stagecoach Trail and the ability of this roadway to accommodate the projected increase. The second part relates to the effects of the proposed development on sight distance and safety for the residential driveways located immediately south of the Ryder site. This memorandum is to effectively address the preceding two questions. TRAFFIC VOLUMES AND CAPACITY OF STAGECOACH TRAIL Stagecoach Trail is a County State Aid Highway providing travel north and south. In the proposed site location, Stagecoach Trail is a two -lane road (one lane of travel in each direction) with paved shoulders and curbs. The southbound geometrics increase to two lanes south of the proposed Ryder site around an "S" curve and then decrease back to one lane. Existing volumes on Stagecoach Trail were obtained from traffic counts taken by Washington County. The counts were taken at a location just north of the site for the proposed Ryder Bus Facility during the months of May and July in 1998. From these counts, the Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) was determined to be 1,357. The proposed Ryder Bus Facility can be split into three separate parts for trip generation purposes: buses, employees, and deliveries. The traffic generated by these parts can further be divided into traffic to and from the south and traffic to and from the north. Based on TRAFFIC FLOW The greatest number of buses to come and go on this proposed site is the 90 route buses schedule for the Stillwater Area School District on regular school days. On a normal day of operation, the first school bus leaves the site at 5:45 A.M. Buses continue to depart for their morning school runs through 7:15 A.M. The heaviest times of departure are between 6:00 A.M. and 6:30 A.M. The buses begin returning from the morning assignments at 8:20 A.M. and continue until approximately 9:45 A.M. Currently, 30 of these buses (35 %) do not return during the midday because of regular assignments that keep them on the road. In addition, some of the drives have been authorized to "park out" at their place of residence between routes. This means that a significant number of the 90 buses that leave the site in the morning do not return until after their afternoon (P.M.) assignment. In the afternoon, those vehicles that return to the site between A.M. and P.M. routes begin to leave the facility at 1:30 P.M. and continue departures through 2:15 P.M. Upon completing afternoon route assignments, buses begin returning to the site at 3:45 P.M. and continue through 5:00 P.M. The Stillwater Area School District encompasses neighborhoods north to and including Withrow and Marine on the St. Croix, and south to and including Afton and Woodbury. Because of the vast size of the District and school locations, routes are designed to begin at the perimeters of the District and flow toward the schools. In the afternoon, this pattern is reversed, dropping passengers as the bus leaves the school and moves to the perimeter. As a result, when buses leave the yard in the morning, they are dispersing from the site at many different times and in many different directions. Conversely, in the afternoon the variety of last drop sites and times dictates that arrival times back at the bus facility are spread over a period of time and from all directions. This type of routing eliminates any potential for heavy traffic congestion. a r U a 0 U Now Now 0 Ryder Without With R der 1999 Volume 1,356 1,666 2020 Volume 2577 2,887 Estimated Daily Volume Between Ryder Level of Development and North Service Capacity 310 A 6 ,600 B 7,900 PROPOSED C 91000 RYDER BUS FACILITY Estimated Daily Volume Without With Between Ryder Ryder der Development and South �_ 346 1999 Volume 1,357 1,703 2020 Volume 2,577 2,924 N NOT TO SCALE [ RYDER STUDENT J-r URRENT GURE 1 NSPORTATION TRAFFIC STUD FOR PROPOSE AND FUTURE SHOOF&ASSOCIATES RYDER BUS FACILAILY TRAFFIC VOLUMES PORTATION ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS N STAGECOACH TRAIL Mr. Bruce Dischinger. -4- i March 3, 1999 SIGHT DISTANCES Sight distance measurements were taken for the residential property bordering on the south edge of the proposed Ryder site. This residential property has three driveways on Stagecoach Trail. For the northern most drive, sight distances were measured looking north and south along Stagecoach Trail. Plenty of sight distance was available to the looking south on the other two drives, so only the sight distance facing north was examined at those locations. Sight distances were measured using standards presented in the Mn/DOT Road Design Manual. The standards involve measuring sight distance from a position 10 feet from the edge of the road looking to the center of the approaching lane of traffic. In addition to these measurements, we also recorded the sight distances from a position five feet from the edge of the road. Table 1 summarizes the distances measured for each driveway and direction. TABLE 1 SIGHT DISTANCE MEASUREMENTS Driveway for Available Sight Residence just Direction Distance from the Edge Distance along south of Rvder site Facing of the Road (feet) Stagecoach Trail (feet) Northern north 10 192 north 5 319 south 10 189 south 5 354 Middle north 10 207 north 5 225 Southern north 10 234 north 5 248 All sight distances were obstructed by vegetation growing on both the Ryder site and on the subject residential property. Another factor affecting the sight distance for the northern driveway is the slope of the ground. Several photos were taken of the area where the sight distances were measured. The position and direction of the photos are shown in Figure 2. Figure 3 shows the actual site photographs taken. O U O O PROPOSED RYDER BUS FACILITY View B: West edge of road looking north Driveways for Residential Property Adjacent to Southern fie `" c Border of Ryder East side of road View D: looking south West edge of road looking south View A: East side of road looking north N NOT TO SCALE RYDER STUDENT TRANSPORTATION 2 OCATION AND DIRECTION BENSHOOF&ASSOCIATES, INC. [EE GURE F SITE PHOTOS TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS View A Mew B - Ai View C Vlew D I- +R R � v( Note: See Flgure 2 for View Posltion RYDER STUDENT TRANSPORTATION TRAFFIC STUDY FIGURE 3 FOR BENSHOOF & ASSOCIATES INC. PROPOSED RYDER BUS FACILITY SITE PHOTOS TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS Mr. Bruce Dischinger• -7- • March 3, 1999 The Mn/DOT Road Design Manual provides minimum sight distance standards for various speeds. The posted speed limit for Stagecoach Trail is 35 miles per hour. However, there are cautionary signs of 25 miles per hour posted for the curie on which the subject residential property is located. Therefore, 25 miles per hour was used to determine the standard sight distances. Table 2 compares the sight distances measured at the residential property to the sight distance standards listed by Mn/DOT. The design standard distances are only compared to those sight distances measured at ten feet back from the edge of the road, which is the standard distance. TABLE 2 COMPARISON BETWEEN MEASURED AND STANDARD SIGHT DISTANCES Available Sight Mn/DOT Road Residential Distance Design Standard Scenario Drivewav Measured (feet) Sight Distance (feet) Left Turn from driveway to Stagecoach Trail with Vehicle Northern 192 350 Approaching from the Left Middle 207 350 Southern 234 350 Left Turn from driveway to Stagecoach Trail with Vehicle Northern 189 287 Approaching from the Right Right Turn from driveway to Stagecoach Trail with Vehicle Northern 192 287 Approaching from the Left Middle 207 287 Southern 234 287 All sight distances measured fall short of the minimum standard sight distances for all the scenarios listed above. Removal of vegetation along Stagecoach Trail on both the Ryder site and the residential property would increase the line of sight for all positions and directions. Another factor to consider is that the majority of traffic generated by the proposed Ryder Facility would be buses. Since buses are higher and wider than most other vehicles, motorists in one of the subject driveways could see a bus from a longer distance than the available sight distances recorded in Table 2. Mr. Bruce Dischingeo -8- i March 3, 1999 CONCLUSIONS Based on the information presented in this report, we have developed the following conclusions: • Though the volume on Stagecoach Trail will increase with the proposed bus facility, Stagecoach Trail will operate at level of service A both without and with the proposed development. This high quality level of service is provided presently and will continue through the year 2020. The proposed Ryder bus facility will not cause any significant increase in delay for motorists using Stagecoach Trail. • The existing sight distances along Stagecoach Trail for the driveways serving the residence just south of the Ryder site do not meet current State standards. • These existing sight distances could be improved significantly if vegetation along Stagecoach Trail is cleared both on the Ryder site just north of the property line and on the subject residential property. • Another implication of the Ryder development from a sight distance standpoint is that many of the site trips will be buses, which are easier to see than most other vehicles because they are wider and higher. On an overall basis, we are confident that the Ryder bus facility will not cause congestion or safety problems on Stagecoach Trail. The Ryder organization can in fact create a safety improvement if they are willing to clear vegetation in their southeast corner in order to improve sight distances along Stagecoach Trail for the residential property owner just south of the Ryder site.