CHAPTER B EXISTING CONDITIONS - Government of New York

[Pages:11]CHAPTER B EXISTING CONDITIONS

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B-1 DATA COLLECTION AND INVENTORY

A comprehensive inventory of available information on existing roadway, traffic and environmental conditions in the study area was compiled. The inventory information is intended to establish a database for evaluating the existing conditions and for identifying the type and extent of specific problems within the study area.

B-1.1 Data Review

Available data regarding existing traffic, roadway, socioeconomic, and environmental conditions within the study area were obtained from a variety of sources. The basic intent of the inventory task was to utilize, to the greatest extent practicable, the most recent data available from previous studies. Since much of the available data preceded the 1991 time frame, and did not reflect consequences of major new developments and land use changes in the study area, the following supplemental field surveys were performed during the months of April through June, 1991:

! Field reconnaissance trips

! Updated machine counts ! Turning movement counts ! Travel time and delay survey ! Vehicle classification

! Automobile occupancy

! Origin-destination survey ! M ajor generator driveway counts ! Queuing study

In addition to the work in this regard performed for the original Corridor Planning Study Report, efforts were undertaken to document changes on the corridor which have occurred in the intervening years. These efforts included:

! Updated machine counts (2000) ! Documentation of physical roadway changes by state forces or private development work

under permit

B-1.2 Inventory of the Highway Physical Condition

Physical inventory data was collected for Route 347 and other major roadways in the study area. Information on the existing roadway characteristics, (pavement widths, shoulders, sidewalks, lane delineations, clearances, speed limit, etc.) was obtained from field inspection trips. Intersection inventory data was collected at the 37 major intersections within the study area, in terms of roadway widths, travel lanes, signal timing and phasing data.

Route 347 is comprised of two segments with unique characteristics. These two segments, from the Northern State Parkway to the Route 454 diverge, and from the Route 454 diverge to Route 25A have distinctly different cross sections. Between the Northern State Parkway and Route 454 diverge there are 3 travel lanes in each direction. The existing cross section on this segment is

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presented on Figure 2. The exception to this is westbound from Old Willets Path to the Northern State Parkway where a fourth thru lane was added in 1993. The easterly portion from the Route 454 diverge to Route 25A generally consists of 2 travel lanes in each direction. The existing cross section on this segment is presented on Figure 3.

Sections of 3rd lane have been installed on Route 347 in several areas under highway work permit. This includes: Eastbound ! West of Route 111 to East of Route 111 ! West of M oriches Road to East of Hallock Road ! West of C.R. 97 to east of Pond Path Drive ! West of Old Town Road to east of Old Town Road Westbound ! East of Route 111 to West of Brooksite Drive ! East of Southern Boulevard to west of C.R. 16 ! Pond Path Drive to west of M oriches Road ! East of Old Town Road to west of Old Town Road All thru lanes are 12 feet in width. A four foot left shoulder and a minimum of a ten foot right shoulder are generally provided along its entire length. The exception to this is in some areas where a 3rd lane has been added under highway work permit. In some of these areas, the former shoulder area was reconstructed to form the 3rd lane leaving little or no shoulder. Although not a formal bicycle lane, the shoulders on Route 347 are utilized by bicycle traffic. Additional left turning lanes are provided at all intersections with median openings. While the existing shoulders are often used for right turns at intersections with public streets and major commercial driveways, they are generally not striped as right turn lanes and the pavement in these shoulder areas is generally not full depth.

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Click Here To View Figure 2 18

Click Here To View Figure 3 19

There are no parking lanes on Route 347.

B-1.3 Traffic Volumes

As part of this original study effort, extensive traffic volume data was collected via directional, 24-hour, automatic traffic recorder (ATR) counts at over 53 locations throughout the Route 347 Corridor.

The 1991 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) on Route 347 was 68,100 vehicles on the six lane section between the Northern State Parkway and Route 454 diverge and averaged approximately 45,000 vehicles from the Route 454 diverge to Route 112. East of Route 112, the AADT's fall off substantially to approximately 24,000 vehicles. The 1991 AADT's on sections of Route 347 are presented on Table 2.

Additional ATR counts were performed in 2000 on a corridor-wide basis on the Route 347 mainline. The results of these additional counts are also presented in Table 2.

Table 2 Average Annual Daily Traffic (Vehicles Per Day)

Segment Northern State Parkway to Route 454 Diverge Route 454 Diverge to Route 111 Route 111 to Terry Road Terry Road to Route 25 Route 25 to Moriches Road Moriches Road to Nicolls Road (C.R. 97) Nicolls Road (C.R. 97) to Old Town Road Old Town Road to Route 112 Route 112 to Route 25A

1991 68,100 50,400 46,900 47,000 40,500 49,300 40,400 41,400 24,300

2000 61,900 53,000 54,500 48,800 46,600 62,900 50,800 46,400 38,000

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An examination of Table 2 reveals that the Route 347/454 overlap section is no longer the most heavily traveled section of roadway on the AADT basis. Worthy of note is that while the AADT's on all other sections have increased, the overlap of Route 454 and Route 347 has experienced a decrease in daily volume.

Volumes on Route 347, like many other area roadways, exhibit a pronounced peaking nature during the A.M . and P.M . peak commuter periods. As most of the major employment centers are to the west, these peaks occur westbound in the A.M . peak and eastbound in the P.M . peak. The westbound A.M . peak is generally higher than the eastbound P.M . peak, particularly on the western end of the corridor. This difference is less pronounced farther east. The westbound A.M . peak can be characterized as lasting generally from 6:30 to 9:00 A.M . slightly longer on the west end and shorter on the east end. The P.M . peak, although not as high tends to last for a longer period, generally from 3:00 to 6:00 P.M .

B-1.4 Speed, Delay, and Travel Times

In order to better assess current quality and efficiency of traffic flow along the Route 347 Corridor, a speed and delay study was conducted between the Northern State Parkway on the west and Route 25A on the east. Speed and delay studies were performed using the "floating car" technique. A vehicle equipped with special measuring equipment drives the corridor as an average vehicle on the roadway would. The equipment records such measures as distance, speed, numbers of stops, and stopped delay. These studies were performed during the A.M . (7:00 9:00) and P.M . (4:00 - 6:00) peak periods as well as midday (10:00 A.M . to 3:00 P.M .).

The posted speed limit along Route 347 for the entire length of the project is 55 mph. Travel speed and delay runs were conducted in 1994 along the length of Route 347 during the A.M . and P.M . peak periods of traffic. The average operating speeds along Route 347 during the A.M . and P.M . peak hours are considerably lower than the posted speed limit due to the presence of the existing traffic signals and also due to the recurrent congestion which is evidenced at signalized intersections. Average travel speeds in the peak directions were found to be 32 mph westbound in the A.M . peak period and 28 mph eastbound in the P.M . peak period. The off-peak 85th percentile speed away from the influence of traffic signals on the six lane portion of the Route 347/Route 454 overlap was observed to be 58 mph. The off-peak 85th percentile speed on the eastern four lane section was observed to be 63 mph. Average speeds through the corridor including intersection delay in off-peak directions are below 40 mph due to traffic signal green time required by high side street volumes and the progression of the signal systems being programmed to favor the peak direction. Average speeds in the corridor during the midday period of 10:00 A.M . to 3:00 P.M . are similar to off-peak directions during the A.M . and P.M . peaks. M idday average speeds are 37 mph eastbound and 39 mph westbound.

Travel times from one end of the corridor to the other were also recorded. In the A.M . peak period a time of 24 minutes eastbound and 27 minutes westbound was evidenced. In the P.M . peak period travel times were greater at 31 minutes eastbound and 27 minutes westbound.

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B-1.5 Vehicle Classification and Occupancy Counts

Vehicle classification counts were performed at 5 locations during the peak and off-peak periods during the same hours as the turning movement counts. The data collector was responsible for the classification of the following vehicle types: 1) passenger cars and station wagons, 2) panel, pick-up and single unit trucks, 3) tractor trailers, and 4) buses. The results of the classification study indicate that tractor trailers or buses comprise only 2% or less of the total traffic on Route 347 at the locations studied. At these same 5 locations the occupancy rates of passenger vehicles were observed. Average vehicle occupancy is expressed as a decimal and is simply the total persons passing a point divided by the number of vehicles (average persons per vehicle). The results of these occupancy counts are presented in Table 3. Vehicle occupancy ranges from a low of 1.07 to a high of 1.28 persons per vehicle. The higher occupancy rates are associated with the midday and P.M . peak periods, probably due to a higher percentage of trips other than commuting trips within the traffic stream. Low average occupancy during peak commuter periods indicates that measures taken to promote carpooling could result in a significant reduction in the number of vehicles using the roadway at these times.

Table 3 Route 347 Vehicle Occupancy

Passengers Per Vehicle

Time of Day

Direction on Route

347/454

New Highway

Route 111

Route 25

Nicolls Road

Route 25A

A.M. Peak

Eastbound

1.11

1.07

1.10

1.16

1.15

7:00-9:00 A.M.

Westbound

1.10

1.12

1.11

1.14

1.15

Midday

Eastbound

N/A

1.24

1.27

1.25

N/A

11:00-2:00 P.M.

Westbound

N/A

1.17

1.19

1.27

N/A

P.M. Peak

Eastbound

1.13

1.13

1.16

1.19

1.28

4:00-6:00 P.M.

Westbound

1.25

1.24

1.20

1.26

1.45

N/A - Occupancy counts were not performed at this location for this time period.

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