ROAD SAFETY AUDIT - Welcome to MassDOT · ROAD SAFETY AUDIT Memorial Avenue (Route 147) between Bridge Street and Union Street Town of West Springfield

ROAD SAFETY AUDIT

Memorial Avenue (Route 147) between Bridge Street and Union Street

Town of West Springfield

September 19, 2017

Prepared For:

MassDOT

Prepared By: Greenman-Pedersen, Inc.

181 Ballardvale Street, Suite 202 Wilmington, MA 01887

Road Safety Audit—Memorial Avenue (Route 147) between Bridge Street and Union Street, West Springfield, MA Prepared by Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. FINAL

Table of Contents

Contents Background ................................................................................................................................. 1

Project Data ................................................................................................................................. 1

Project Location and Description .............................................................................................. 3 Memorial Avenue (Route 147) ............................................................................................................ 3 Union Street ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Bridge Street / New Bridge Street ................................................... 4 Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Price Rite Driveway ........................................................................ 4 Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street ................................................................................... 5 Traffic Volumes .................................................................................................................................. 5 Collision Data ...................................................................................................................................... 6

Audit Observations and Potential Safety Enhancements...................................................... 10 Access Management .......................................................................................................................... 10 Union Street Southbound Channelized Right-Turn Lane .................................................................. 13 Signal Timing .................................................................................................................................... 13 Signal Equipment Condition and Location ....................................................................................... 15 Roadway and Intersection Alignment ............................................................................................... 17 Pedestrian and Bicycle Accessibility and Accommodations ............................................................. 19 Sight Distance and Visibility ............................................................................................................. 22 Pavement Markings and Roadway Condition ................................................................................... 23 Signage ............................................................................................................................................. 26 Public Transportation ........................................................................................................................ 27 Vehicle Speeds .................................................................................................................................. 28 Lighting ............................................................................................................................................. 29 Drainage ............................................................................................................................................ 29 Driver Distraction .............................................................................................................................. 30

Cellular Phones and Electronic Devices ..................................................................................... 30 Retail Development and Train Yard ........................................................................................... 30

Miscellaneous Observations .............................................................................................................. 31 Changes in Collision Patterns ..................................................................................................... 31 Other Development and Roadway Improvement Projects .......................................................... 31

Summary of Road Safety Audit ............................................................................................... 32


List of Appendices

Appendix A. RSA Meeting Agenda Appendix B. RSA Audit Team Contact List Appendix C. Detailed Crash Data Appendix D. Additional Information Appendix E. Road Safety Audit References

List of Figures

Figure 1: Locus Map .................................................................................................................................. 8 Figure 2: Peak Hour Volume Diagram ...................................................................................................... 9

List of Tables

Table 1: Participating Audit Team Members ............................................................................................. 2 Table 2: Traffic Volume Summary ............................................................................................................ 6 Table 3: Intersection Crash Rate Summary ............................................................................................... 7 Table 4: Estimated Time Frame and Cost Breakdown ............................................................................ 32 Table 5: Potential Safety Enhancement Summary ................................................................................... 33


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Background Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. is currently in the process of preparing preliminary design for a roadway improvement project along Memorial Avenue (Route 147) in West Springfield, Massachusetts as part of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Project #608374. The project consists of the reconstruction and improvements of approximately 1.5 miles of Memorial Avenue (Route 147 between Colony Road and Main Street.

Two of the study area intersections, Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Bridge Street / Former New Bridge Street and Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street, including the Big Y, Firestone Tires, and former Sunoco driveways (Figure 1, Page 8), have been identified by MassDOT as high-crash locations and are therefore eligible for funding through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). MassDOT guidelines require that a Road Safety Audit (RSA) be conducted during the preliminary design stages for any MassDOT-funded project that is considered HSIP-eligible. To be categorized as HSIP eligible, an intersection must be within the top five percent of crash clusters in its respective Regional Planning Commission’s (RPC’s) boundaries. The two study area intersections are considered HSIP-eligible based on MassDOT’s online database and recorded crash cluster data from 2012-2014 from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC). The Price Rite driveway on Memorial Avenue (Route 147) is located in close proximity to the two HSIP-eligible intersections. Queues that extend from the signal at Union Street regularly block traffic entering and exiting the Price Rite driveway, which contributes to collisions at this location. Therefore, the Price Rite driveway was included as part of this RSA, although it is not specifically part of an HSIP cluster. The New Bridge Street roadway connection between Memorial Avenue and Union Street was discontinued in December 2012 as part of a private development. This change in roadway geometry is described in more detail in the Other Development and Roadway Improvement Projects section.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) defines an RSA as a formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multidisciplinary team. Consistent with MassDOT standards, this RSA was conducted during the preliminary design (pre-25% Design) stage to allow recommendations contained within this RSA to be incorporated into the design of improvements along Memorial Avenue (Route 147). Recommendations from the RSA that will be included in the design are typically added to the plan revisions prior to the Design Public Hearing in order to give the most realistic presentation to the public.

Project Data Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. (GPI) of Wilmington, Massachusetts facilitated an RSA on Tuesday, August 15, 2017 at the study area intersections, with the pre- and post-audit meetings held in the auditorium at the Town Hall on Central Street in West Springfield, Massachusetts. A copy of the RSA agenda can be found in Appendix A.


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As indicated in Table 1, the audit team was comprised of a cross-section of state, regional, and local engineering, planning, enforcement, maintenance, and emergency response professionals, and was assembled in conjunction with input from the MassDOT Traffic Safety Management Unit. Contact information for all audit team members is provided in Appendix B.

Table 1: Participating Audit Team Members Audit Team Member Agency/Affiliation James Czach Town of West Springfield – Town Engineer Katina Syner MassDOT District 2 Kush Bhagat MassDOT Traffic Safety Kevin Fitzgerald MassDOT Traffic Safety Elsa Chan MassDOT Traffic Safety Douglas Mattoon Town of West Springfield – Director of Planning David Klingener Springfield Area Transit Company (SATCO) Josh Rickman Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) Gary Roux Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) Bill Flaherty Town of West Springfield – Fire Chief Sgt. Hubert S. Rees Town of West Springfield – Police Department Laura Hanson MassDOT District 2 – Bike/Ped Coordinator Rebecca Brown Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. (GPI) Douglas Halpert Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. (GPI) Christopher Howard Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. (GPI)

RSA participants were provided with materials to review prior to the audit meeting, which included:

• Weekday morning, weekday evening, and Saturday midday peak period traffic volume counts,

• Collision diagrams summarizing location, type, and severity of the collisions occurring at the intersections between 2010 and 2016,

• Summary table of all reported crashes between 2010 and 2016 including date, day of week, time of day, type of collision, lighting condition, weather, roadway surface condition, crash severity, age of drivers, report number, and brief narrative description of the collision,

• Histograms and charts summarizing the crash month, day of week, time of day, manner of collision, lighting condition, weather condition, and roadway surface condition,

• MassDOT’s Safety Review Prompt List, and

• RSA Agenda

Participants were also encouraged to visit the site prior to the audit to review safety elements of the intersection and consider items listed on MassDOT’s Safety Review Prompt List during their visits.


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A pre-audit meeting was held at 10:00 AM in the auditorium of the West Springfield Town Hall on Tuesday, August 15, 2017 to discuss the audit process, review the distributed materials, identify the collision patterns observed at the intersection, and discuss safety issues that audit participants had experienced individually. The pre-meeting was immediately followed by a site visit to observe the operations and safety of the audit location. Handwritten notes and photographs were collected to document the observations made by the audit team members. The group walked through the intersection together noting any factors that may be contributing to the collision patterns identified during the pre-audit meeting, as well as any items that may present a potential safety risk in the future. The audit team returned to the West Springfield Town Hall following the audit field visit for a post-audit meeting, which included a review of the observations made by the team in the field and discussion of potential improvements to reduce collisions and enhance the safety of the RSA location.

Project Location and Description The RSA focused on the intersection of Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Bridge Street / Former New Bridge Street and Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street including the Price Rite, Firestone Tires, F.L. Roberts (former Sunoco), and Big Y driveways. A Site Location Map depicting the RSA location in relation to the surrounding streets is provided in Figure 1.

Memorial Avenue (Route 147) Memorial Avenue (Route 147), in the vicinity of the RSA intersection, is an east-west urban principal arterial roadway maintained by the Town of West Springfield. Memorial Avenue (Route 147) provides a connection between River Street and the Town of Agawam to the west, and US Route 5 and the Memorial Bridge to the east. Memorial Avenue (Route 147) generally contains two travel lanes in each direction separated by a striped double yellow center line, with dedicated turning lanes at intersections. A 5-foot concrete sidewalk is provided along the northerly side of Memorial Avenue (Route 147) along the corridor and a variable width sidewalk (mixture of concrete and asphalt sections) is provided along the southerly side of Memorial Avenue (Route 147). There are no bicycle accommodations provided along Memorial Avenue (Route 147). There is no posted speed limit along Memorial Avenue (Route 147) in the vicinity of the study area. However, the statutory speed limit of 30 miles per hour (MPH) would govern. Land uses along Memorial Avenue (Route 147) consist of a mix of commercial uses.

Union Street Union Street is a north-south urban minor arterial to the north of Memorial Avenue (Route 147) and an urban collector to the south of Memorial Avenue (Route 147), respectively, and is maintained by the Town of West Springfield. Union Street is informally known as Union Street Extension south of Memorial Avenue (Route 147) in online resources; however, it is an unofficial designation and shall be referred to as Union Street for the purposes of this report. Union Street provides a connection between Palmer Avenue to the south and Park Avenue (US Route 20) to the north. Union Street generally consists of one travel lane in each direction, separated by a double-yellow centerline and variable width shoulders. A 5- to 6-foot concrete sidewalk is provided along both sides of Union Street north of Memorial Avenue (Route 147). There are no bicycle accommodations provided along Union Street. There is no posted


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speed limit along Union Street in the vicinity of the study area. However, the statutory speed limit of 30 miles per hour (MPH) would govern. Land uses along Union Street consist of a mix of commercial uses.

Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Bridge Street / New Bridge Street Bridge Street and New Bridge Street formerly intersected Memorial Avenue (Route 147) along a curve to form a three-way, unsignalized Y-shaped intersection. Prior to 2014, the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) eastbound and westbound approaches consisted of two 12-foot general purpose lanes with directional flow separated by a raised concrete median. Due to the high number of crashes at this location, a guardrail was installed within this median in the spring of 2013. Bridge Street and New Bridge previously acted as two parallel one-way roadways that intersected Memorial Avenue (Route 147). Bridge Street provide one-way westbound access from Union Street to Memorial Avenue (Route 147), and consisted of a single general-purpose lane approximately 28-feet wide. New Bridge Street provided one-way eastbound access between Memorial Avenue (Route 147) and Union Street, and consisted of a single general-purpose lane approximately 28-feet wide. As part of a private development project that is currently under construction in the lot bounded by Memorial Avenue (Route 147), Bridge Street, and Union Street, the New Bridge Street right-of-way was discontinued and this property conveyed to the developer to construct a retail plaza with drive-through bank. As mitigation for the project, the Bridge Street approach was narrowed and reconstructed to meet Memorial Avenue (Route 147) at a less acute angle for traffic calming and safety benefits. The Bridge Street westbound approach is under STOP control while the Memorial Avenue eastbound and westbound approaches operate under free-flow conditions.

A 5-foot sidewalk separated by a variable width grass strip is provided along the northerly side of Memorial Avenue (Route 147) on both sides of the intersection. A variable width sidewalk is provided along the southerly side of Memorial Avenue (Route 147), with back of sidewalk indeterminate from the Chevrolet car dealership parking lot. A sidewalk is also provided along the northerly side of Bridge Street east of the intersection. There were formerly no crosswalks nor Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant access ramps provided at this intersection. As mitigation for the retail development at the intersection, a crosswalk with ADA-compliant ramps was installed on the Bridge Street approach. There are no bicycle accommodations at this intersection.

Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Price Rite Driveway The Price Rite Driveway intersects Memorial Avenue (Route 147) to form a three-way, unsignalized intersection. The Memorial Avenue (Route 147) eastbound and westbound approaches consist of two 12-foot general purpose lanes with directional flow separated by a striped double yellow centerline. The Price Rite Driveway is located within the taper area for the eastbound left-turn lane at Union Street. The Price Rite Driveway northbound approach is wide enough to accommodate two lanes but is striped to consist of a single general-purpose lane approximately 25-feet wide with directional flow separated by a hatched painted median. The Price Rite Driveway northbound approach is under STOP control while the Memorial Avenue eastbound and westbound approaches operate under free-flow conditions.


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A 5-foot sidewalk separated by a variable width grass strip is provided along the northerly side of Memorial Avenue (Route 147) at the intersection. A variable width sidewalk is provided along the southerly side of Memorial Avenue (Route 147) on both sides of the intersection with back of sidewalk indeterminate from the Chevrolet car dealership parking lot. There are no sidewalks provided along either side of the Price Rite Driveway into the shopping plaza. There are no crosswalks or ADA-compliant access ramps provided at this intersection. In addition, there are no bicycle accommodations at the intersection. There is a Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) bus stop located on Memorial Avenue (Route 147) just west of the Price Rite driveway on both sides of the roadway. However, there are no bus pull-outs nor shelters provided.

Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street Union Street intersects Memorial Avenue (Route 147) to form a four-way, signalized intersection. The Memorial Avenue (Route 147) eastbound and westbound approaches consist of a 12-foot exclusive left-turn lane, a 12-foot exclusive through lane, and a 12-foot shared through/right-turn lane with directional flow separated by a double yellow centerline. There are no lane lines striped on the Union Street northbound approach; however, there are arrow pavement markings that consist of an exclusive left-turn lane and a shared through/right-turn lane. The Union Street southbound approach consists of an 11-foot exclusive left-turn lane, a 12-foot exclusive through lane, and a 12-foot channelized right-turn lane. Directional flow along Union Street is separated by a double yellow centerline.

A 5- to 6-foot sidewalk separated by a variable width grass strip is provided along both sides of three of the four approaches. The Union Street northbound approach does not provide sidewalks on either side of the roadway. In addition, the sidewalk located on the southerly side of Memorial Avenue westbound approach does not extend past the Firestone driveway to the existing access ramp located on the southeast corner. A striped area is provided; however, access is blocked by the traffic signal cabinet. Crosswalks are provided across all four approaches and the channelized right-turn on Union Street southbound. The existing ramps are not ADA-compliant and no detectable warning panels are provided at any of the ramps. Pedestrian traffic signals are provided at both ends of all crosswalks except for the channelized right-turn on Union Street southbound; however, the existing equipment does not meet current ADA or Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards. There are no bicycle accommodations provided at the intersection.

The intersection operates under fully-actuated, uncoordinated signal control with wire loop detection. The Memorial Avenue (Route 147) eastbound and westbound left-turn movements operate under protected-only phasing with a leading protected left-turn phase. The Union Street northbound and southbound approaches operate under concurrent phasing. An exclusive pedestrian crossing phase is provided for all approaches except the Union Street southbound channelized right-turn.

Traffic Volumes GPI collected manual turning movement counts (TMCs) at the study area intersections during the weekday morning (7:00 to 9:00 AM) and weekday evening (4:00 to 6:00 PM) peak periods on Thursday, June 11, 2015 and during the Saturday midday (12:00 to 2:00 PM) peak period on Saturday, Jun 13, 2015. These counts included all vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic passing through the intersection. The


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detailed count sheets, separated into 15-minute intervals, are included in Appendix D and a summary of the counts is depicted in Figure 2.

In addition to the TMCs, automatic traffic recorder (ATR) counts were collected from Thursday, June 11, 2015 to Saturday, June 13, 2015 to collect weekday and Saturday daily traffic volumes along Memorial Avenue (Route 147) west of York Street, west of Union Street, and West of Main Street. The detailed count data is provided in Appendix D and a summary is provided in Table 2.

Table 2: Traffic Volume Summary Location/Time Period Daily Volume

(vehicles per day) Peak Hour Volume (vehicles per hour)

K Factor (%)

Directional Distribution

Route 147 West of York Street

Weekday a 13,471 1,125 8.4 60% WB Saturday 13,373 1,202 9.0 52% EB

Route 147 West of Union Street

Weekday a 16,381 1,317 8.0 52% WB Saturday 15,444 1,281 8.3 55% EB

Route 147 West of Main Street

Weekday a 20,603 1,690 8.2 52% EB Saturday 19,602 1,661 8.5 61% EB

a Weekday data based on Thursday, June 11, 2015 ATR counts

Collision Data GPI reviewed available crash data and collision reports on record with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), Town of West Springfield Police Department, and MassDOT Crash Portal records for the seven-year period from 2010 to 2016 for the study area intersections.

Memorial Avenue / Bridge Street / New Bridge Street – The intersection experienced a total of 61 collisions (8.7 collisions per year) and a crash rate of 1.2 crashes per million entering vehicles (c/mev), which is greater than the statewide average of 0.58 c/mev and the District 2 average of 0.70 c/mev for unsignalized intersections. Of these collisions, 69 percent were single vehicle, 15 percent were rear-end, 5 percent were angle and sideswipe each, and 8 percent were sideswipe opposite direction, head-on, bicycle/pedestrian, and unknown collisions. Approximately 41 percent of collisions occurred under darkness and 46 percent occurred during inclement weather conditions. In addition, 25 percent of collisions occurred during the weekday evening (3:00 to 6:00 PM) peak period. There does not appear to be a strong correlation between the number of crashes and the hosting of the Big E in September as there is only 10 percent of collisions occurring in that month. The detailed collision data and a summary collision diagram are included in Appendix C.

It is important to note that a guardrail was installed in the median on Memorial Avenue (Route 147) in spring 2013. The majority of collisions occurred prior to the installation of the guardrail. In addition, improvements are currently under construction to eliminate the New Bridge Street leg of the intersection and reduce the acute angle of the Bridge Street approach. It is currently unknown what impact these improvements will have on the collision occurrence at this intersection.


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Memorial Avenue / Price Rite Driveway – The intersection experienced a total of 15 collisions (2.1 collisions per year) and a crash rate of 0.30 crashes per million entering vehicles (c/mev), which is less than the statewide average of 0.58 c/mev and the District 2 average of 0.70 c/mev for unsignalized intersections. Of these collisions, 67 percent were angle, 27 percent were rear-end, and 7 percent were head-on collisions. Approximately 27 percent of collisions occurred where the driver was distracted and 27 percent occurred when a driver failed to yield the proper right-of-way. There does not appear to be a strong correlation between the number of crashes and the hosting of the Big E in September as there is only 13 percent of collisions occurring in that month. The detailed collision data and a summary collision diagram are included in Appendix C.

Memorial Avenue / Union Street – The intersection experienced a total of 91 collisions (13.0 collisions per year) and a crash rate of 1.28 crashes per million entering vehicles (c/mev), which is greater than the statewide average of 0.77 c/mev and the District 2 average of 0.82 c/mev for signalized intersections. Of these collisions, 41 percent were angle, 38 percent were rear-end, 8 percent were sideswipe same direction, 7 percent were single vehicle, and the remaining 6 percent were head-on, bicycle/pedestrian, and unknown collisions. Approximately 23 percent of collisions occurred under darkness. In addition, 13 collisions occurred at the driveway of the Big Y and 17 collisions occurred at one of the Sunoco Gas Station driveways (crash description was not detailed enough to determine at which driveway). While the crash data refers to the gas station at this intersection as Sunoco, at the time of the field visit the gas station was operated by F.L. Roberts and will be referred to as such for the remainder of the report. There does not appear to be a strong correlation between the number of crashes and the hosting of the Big E in September as there is only 11 percent of collisions occurring in that month. The detailed collision data and a summary collision diagram are included in Appendix C.

The intersection crash rate, per million entering vehicles for the study area intersections compared to the Statewide and MassDOT District 2 averages are provided in Table 3.

Table 3: Intersection Crash Rate Summary Intersection Crash Rate Statewide Crash

Rate a District 2

Crash Rate a Memorial Avenue / Bridge Street b 1.20 0.58 0.70

Memorial Avenue / Price Rite Driveway b

0.30 0.58 0.70

Memorial Avenue / Union Street c 1.28 0.77 0.82

a Average Crash Rates, per million entering vehicles, based on crash information queried on February 9, 2016 – source MassDOT b Unsignalized c Signalized


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Figure 1: Locus Map


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Audit Observations and Potential Safety Enhancements Based on a review of the collision history data and observations during the RSA meeting on Tuesday, August 15, 2017, the RSA team determined that the study area intersections along Memorial Avenue (Route 147) have the following issues that affect safety:

• Access Management • Union Street Southbound Channelized Right-Turn Lane • Signal Timing • Signal Equipment Condition and Location • Roadway and Intersection Alignment • Pedestrian and Bicycle Accessibility and Accommodations • Sight Distance and Visibility • Pavement Markings and Roadway Condition • Signage • Public Transportation • Vehicular Speeds • Lighting • Drainage • Driver Distraction / Frustration • Miscellaneous Observations

The following sections describe in more detail the safety issues identified during the RSA. Several of the issues require further study and engineering to determine the feasibility of implementing enhancements to address them.

Access Management

The F.L. Roberts gas station and car wash (formerly Sunoco) has two large curb cuts on both Memorial Avenue and Union Street. It was noted in the field that the westerly curb cut is located beyond the Memorial Avenue westbound STOP bar, which causes conflicts between egressing vehicles and westbound traffic. It was also noted that each driveway along Memorial Avenue has posted left turn prohibition signage (R3-2) in poor condition. Despite this restriction, 15 crashes occurred with vehicles either attempting to cross three lanes of traffic in order to head eastbound on Memorial Avenue or attempting to cross five lanes of traffic in order to access the Firestone driveway or the Big Y’s right-

Image 1: Turn Restriction Signage at F.L. Roberts Driveway.


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in/right-out driveway across the street. An audit participant noted that a proposal is currently under review by the Town for a small addition to the F.L. Roberts (formerly Sunoco) site. As part of this review, elimination of the driveways on Union Street and Memorial Avenue (Route 147) closest to the signalized intersection is being considered.

The crash data revealed that there were two collisions which occurred with a vehicle backing up into another vehicle at the Big Y driveway. In one instance, this was due to a vehicle traveling on the wrong side of the island. The existing island is small and contains no signage to direct drivers as to which side of the island to travel. It was also noted that the Big Y right-in/right-out raised island is located within the Town right-of-way. In addition,

there is no signage to indicate that the driveway is restricted to right-in/right-out only movements. Four collisions occurred on Memorial Avenue as a result of vehicles making a left-turn exiting the Big Y driveway.

It was noted that the head-in parking along the Firestone Driveway has led to near hits with drivers needing to back out of spaces into Memorial Avenue. An audit participant noted that that the firestone parking along Memorial Avenue may be within Town right-of-way, and a near-collision was observed during the RSA meeting when a SUV attempted to back into Memorial Avenue to exit a parking space and was nearly struck by a vehicle on Memorial Avenue. The driveway is located in close proximity to the signalized intersection and lacks definition from the roadway. Therefore, backing vehicles are not anticipated by drivers. This is also not ideal for pedestrians to have vehicles backing up over the sidewalk path regardless of the actual terminus of sidewalk, as it is assumed that pedestrians continue to walk through the parking lot to the marked crosswalks at the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection.

The Price Rite Driveway at Memorial Avenue, while not a high crash location, is heavily influenced by the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection to the east. It was observed that a heavy vehicle traveling westbound attempting to turn left into the Price Rite Driveway was almost rear-ended by another heavy vehicle who was traveling westbound on Memorial Avenue, in the inner lane, and was forced to make a quick lane change. In addition, audit participants found it challenging to make a right-turn onto Memorial Avenue from Union Street and make a quick left into Price Rite. It is anticipated that this “weave” like movement is more prevalent than using the access driveway on the Union Street northbound approach because it is within the line of sight from the Union Street southbound approach. In addition, the layout of the parking and drive aisles near the Union Street driveway results in more conflicts and turning maneuvers. Once within the plaza parking lot when entering from Memorial Avenue, the first drive aisle is located extremely close to Memorial Avenue and provides reversed angle and head-in parking spaces for a two-way drive aisle, which may be confusing for entering patrons, and could cause queuing to extend back onto Memorial Avenue and result in a collision.

The Central Chevrolet dealership is located along the southerly side of Memorial Avenue on the curve opposite Bridge Street. It was observed that there is a general lack of vertical granite curbing along the

Image 2: Wide Curb-Cuts at F.L. Roberts Gas Station along Union Street.


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site frontage as well as a lack of delineation between edge of roadway, sidewalk, and parking lot. An audit participant noted that the approximately 18 feet of pavement is used for car carrier deliveries and the relocating of display vehicles. It was also noted that vehicles had been previously struck within the dealership which could be due to vehicles losing control through the horizontal curve and a lack of vertical separation from the roadway. Trucks parked along the front of the Central Chevrolet may be parked within the right-of-way.

Audit participants identified the following potential resolutions for this safety issue:

• Install MUTCD-compliant signage and pavement markings to enforce turn restrictions.

• Consider cross-access easements and existing driveway reconfiguration for future redevelopment to accommodate the closing or reconfiguration of existing driveways along Memorial Avenue.

• Delineate the right-of-way line along the Central Chevrolet and Firestone properties to re-establish tree belt and sidewalks.

• Coordinate with Firestone to deter parking in spots adjacent to Memorial Avenue.

• Investigate opportunities to provide shared parking and access for the Firestone and Big Y.

• Reconstruct splitter island at Big Y driveway to reinforce the turn restriction.

• Evaluate the construction of a raised median barrier on Memorial Avenue to prohibit vehicles crossing 3-5 lanes of traffic to make left-turns.

• Evaluate the elimination of the two closest curb cuts to the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection at the F.L. Roberts gas station as part of the site plan review process.

• Evaluate implementation of turn restrictions at the Price Rite Driveway to eliminate weave from Union Street southbound approach and create a right-in/right-out driveway.

• Evaluate options to reconfigure the parking layout for the Price Rite property as part of a future site plan review.

• Evaluate the feasibility of a road diet with two-way left-turn lanes for the Memorial Avenue corridor to facilitate access to businesses.

• Consider installation of granite curbing, fences, and grass buffers to separate businesses, sidewalks, and roadways.


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Union Street Southbound Channelized Right-Turn Lane The Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection provides wide radii at all four corners of the intersection to accommodate heavy vehicle traffic. The Union Street southbound approach also provides a channelized right-turn movement. This movement is technically uncontrolled given that there are neither traffic signals nor signage to dictate the right-of-way on the approach and therefore acts as a defacto YIELD condition. There are also no pavement markings to designate a STOP bar or YIELD line so vehicles encroach upon the striped crosswalk to improve their sight lines. An audit participant noted that under current MassDOT standards, a channelized right-turn lane would need to be signalized to be included as part of the rest of the signalized intersection. The channelized right-turn lane would also need to be equipped with pedestrian signals at both ends of the crosswalk. This is currently the only unsignalized pedestrian crossing within the intersection. Based on the collision data, two rear-end collisions occurred when a following vehicle failed to stop for a stopped vehicle on this channelized right-turn. In addition, one collision occurred when a vehicle on Memorial Avenue eastbound made a U-turn and struck a vehicle exiting the channelized right-turn. Another collision occurred when a driver lost control and struck the signal post on the channelization island.

Audit participants identified the following potential resolutions for this safety issue:

• Consider removal of the channelized right-turn and adjust turning radii.

• Signalize the channelized right-turn and provide adequate pavement markings, detection, and pedestrian signals.

Signal Timing The Memorial Avenue (Route 147) eastbound and westbound left turn movements operate as protected, lead phases which operate on recall for every cycle.

The Union Street northbound and southbound phases operate concurrently and provide permitted left-turns. The wide turning radii at the intersection and current alignment of the approaches forces left-turning vehicles to cross two lanes of traffic and often leaves vehicles stranded in the intersection at the end of the phase. An audit participant noted that in times of heavy congestion, drivers attempt to “beat the light” and become stranded in the intersection. Once they realize their mistake, some attempt to reverse direction and cause a collision. When vehicles pull into the intersection to wait to turn left, they

Image 3: Wide Channelized Right-Turn on Union Street Southbound Approach.

Image 4: Vehicles Stranded Beyond the STOP Bar on Union Street Southbound.


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are no longer able to see the signal heads mounted on the span wires. In addition, the alignment of the Union Street northbound and southbound approaches create path overlap for opposing left-turn movements. During periods of heavy congestion, drivers from all approaches enter the intersection without sufficient space available on the receiving approach to be able to clear the intersection before the light turns red. This leaves drivers stranded in the intersection and can cause gridlock or collisions with vehicles on opposing approaches that enter on green without noticing the stranded vehicle.

In addition, excessive queuing and delay along Memorial Avenue and through the intersection result in driver frustration and vehicles running the red light, particularly during the Big E when traffic volumes are higher due to fair traffic. The clearance intervals for all movements are the same four seconds of yellow and one second of red. There are multiple collisions where a driver failed to stop in time to avoid a collision or attempted to beat the light. Twelve collisions occurred over the 7-year analysis period that involved angle-collisions from opposing approaches and may have been the result of vehicles left either stranded in the intersection or attempting to “beat the light”. At least three collisions identified a driver running a red light.

To reduce congestion and improve safety at Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection, audit participants suggested:

• Provide protected left-turn phases for the Union Street northbound and southbound approaches. This analysis was previously completed to determine whether protected phasing would provide sufficient intersection operations but has not yet been implemented.

• Adjust signal timing to meet existing, seasonal, and future demands. This measure would require additional analysis to determine whether protected phasing would provide sufficient intersection operations.

• Consider installation of adaptive signal control to adjust to daily and seasonal traffic demands.

• Stripe a “Do Not Block The Box” style marking and install corresponding “DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION” (R10-7) signage. This will help police with enforcement and indicate to drivers that they should not enter the intersection unless sufficient space exists on the receiving lane to allow them to clear the intersection. The issue of a fine would require a special ordinance through the Town Council and Mayor.

• Reprogram the yellow, red, and pedestrian clearance intervals to ensure efficient and safe operations.

• Increase enforcement activities for red-light running and blocking of the intersection.

• Consider installation of dilemma zone detection to reduce the possibility of vehicles getting rear-ended from sudden stops or running red lights.

There is no transit signal priority provided at the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection to assist the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) Bus Route #14 buses traveling eastbound and westbound through the intersection. Representatives from PVTA noted that their buses do have preemption devices to hold the signal. During the RSA field visit, PVTA also noted that their routes are designed so buses execute left turns at signalized intersections and right turns at unsignalized intersections wherever possible to improve efficiency. To improve operations and bus access, the following should be considered:


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• Install transit priority equipment and reprogram the signal controller to hold the through movement green to allow buses to proceed through the intersection when the transit priority is activated.

There is no emergency preemption provided at the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection to assist the emergency service vehicles traveling through the intersection. This intersection can become heavily congested during peak periods, particularly during the Big E. To improve operations and emergency response, the following should be considered:

• Install emergency preemption equipment and reprogram the signal controller to hold the through movement green to allow first responders to proceed through the intersection when the priority is activated.

The pedestrian phase follows the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) through movements as an exclusive pedestrian phase and is only activated when a button is pressed. During the RSA meeting, the pedestrian phase appeared to be too short to allow pedestrians to safety cross during the FLASHING DON’T WALK phase. In addition, pedestrians may need to wait a long time to receive the WALK signal due to the 104 second cycle length at the intersection. As a result, some pedestrians were observed crossing against the DON’T WALK indication to avoid waiting. Three collisions involving pedestrians, including one fatal collision, occurred at this intersection over the 7-year study period. To improve pedestrian safety, audit participants recommended:

• Retime pedestrian clearance phases to ensure pedestrians can safety cross the intersection.

• Install ADA and MUTCD-compliant pedestrian signals and push-buttons crossing the channelized right-turn.

• Evaluate the need for pedestrian refuge areas if pedestrian crossing distances exceed 60 feet.

• Evaluate a concurrent pedestrian phase with mainline phases with leading pedestrian intervals to reduce overall cycle length of intersection.

Signal Equipment Condition and Location The signal heads for the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection are hung on span wire which runs from span wire posts placed on the northeast and southwest corners. The placement of these signal heads may give the appearance to drivers that they have cleared the intersection once they have passed underneath the signal span-wire, and may be a contributing factor to rear-end crashes on these approaches. In addition, these signal heads may not be visible to vehicles after they have entered the intersection, which is particularly a safety concern for vehicles waiting to turn left on permitted phases within the intersection.

Image 5: Span Wire Signal Heads with Signage Rotated Away From Intended Lane.


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The traffic signal backplates are not louvered, which could contribute to greater movement in the wind, and lack retro-reflective strips. An audit participant noted that the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) corridor experiences “wind tunnel” like forceful winds which blow the signal heads about the span wire and also experiences issues with solar glare given the east-west nature of the roadway. While these issues were not noted as the primary causes for collisions at the intersection according to the crash reports, they are still potential contributing factors. There are Left Turn Only (R3-5) signs provided on the span wire for the Memorial Avenue eastbound and westbound approaches. However, they are angled in such a manner that they are visible to the Union Street northbound and southbound approaches as well, which leads to confusion. Additionally, heavy vehicles waiting at the intersection and overgrown vegetation obstruct visibility of the signal heads. Trees located along the northerly side of the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) westbound approach to the intersection block visibility of the signal heads. To improve traffic signal efficiency and safety, audit participants recommended:

• Relocate signals heads on mast-arms or span wire on the far side of the intersection for the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection approaches as per the recommended locations in the MUTCD.

• Evaluate the installation of supplemental side-mounted and/or near-side signal heads where heavy vehicles cannot obstruct visibility.

• Install louvered backplates with retro-reflective strips to reduce wind load and provide greater visibility of signal heads during night hours.

• Relocate and replace signage as necessary to align with the appropriate lane.

• Trim and/or clear overgrown vegetation to improve sight lines of signal equipment.

The existing pedestrian signal heads and push-buttons are in poor condition and are not ADA nor MUTCD-compliant. The hollow hand-man signals are difficult to see from the opposite curb ramp. Several of the LED lights are out in the signal heads. There are no audible signals or countdown indications provided, nor is there any indication to pedestrians that the signal has registered a call when a pedestrian activates the push-button. As a result, some pedestrians may think that the pedestrian signals are not working due to the long cycle length and the poor condition of the equipment, entering the intersection during the DON’T WALK phase. To improve pedestrian safety and accessibility, audit participants recommended the following:

• Install new ADA and MUTCD-compliant Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) and push-buttons with audible tones / vibrotactile signals and countdown indications.

• Consider installation of pedestrian refuge areas with supplemental signals and push-buttons for crossings exceeding 60 feet.


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The signal utilizes loop detectors within the roadway for vehicles. However, it was noted that the loops for the Memorial Avenue eastbound approach are located far beyond the existing STOP bar. The placement of the STOP bar used to be closer to the center of the intersection and has since been moved back because drivers would encroach in front of the STOP bar and not be detected. It was noted that the Town of West Springfield does not have the capability to maintain video detection and would need the help of a contractor. There is no bicycle detection located at the intersection. In addition, there is no preemption equipment provided for emergency vehicles or transit priority. The following measures were recommended to address this issue:

• Evaluate the relocation of loop detectors in the roadway for all movements.

• Evaluate the installation of video detection for all movements at the intersection including bicycles. This measure would be supplemental to existing loop detection or a replacement.

• Install emergency preemption equipment and reprogram the signal controller to hold the through movement green to allow first responders to proceed through the intersection when the priority is activated.

Image 6: STOP Bar Placed More Than Half Way Behind Beginning of Loop Detector.

Although no crashes seem to be attributed to the above issues, these are still safety issues that should be addressed.

Roadway and Intersection Alignment The Union Street northbound and southbound approaches are not directly aligned in a manner where the opposing left-turns are directly opposite with one another. As a result, the left-turns must cross effectivley two lanes of travel and the paths of opposing left-turns overlap, creating the potential for head-on or side-swipe collisions between opposing left-turns. The offset alignment of the left-turns causes opposing vehicles waiting to turn left to block visibility of through traffic from each other’s view. In addition, there is path overlap between left-turns and through movements in the same direction. As a result, the through movements must jog around the turning queue in order to reach the departure side.

As a result of the geometry, left-turning vehicles are often left trapped in the intersection at the end of the green phase. In addition, there are wide curb radii at all four corners of the intersection to accommodate heavy vehicles. The skewed nature of the Union Street northbound and southbound approaches creates naturally larger turning radii on the northeast and southwest corners of the intersection. During the RSA

Image 7 Aerial view from Bing Maps Showing Skewed Alignment of Union Street.


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field visit, it was observed that heavy vehicles attempting to make a left turn onto Union Street must utilize the entire receiving lane in order to avoid conflict with northbound vehicles. It was also noted that heavy vehicles attempting to make a right turn onto Memorial Avenue eastbound cross into the inner of the two lanes before transitioning to the outer lane.

The existing rate of horizontal curvature of Memorial Avenue at Bridge Street is higher than the maximum rate for 30 mph roadways. In addition, the inside lane of the Memorial Avenue eastbound approach widens at the curve which directs drivers into the apex. These geometric factors combined with inclement weather and poor pavement conditions may be contributing to the high number of single vehicle collisions. A church used to be located at the corner of New Bridge Street, on the northerly side of Memorial Avenue, with a statue out front and had expereienced crashes from vehicles leaving the roadway. In spring 2013, a guardrail was installed in the median but the curvature of the roadway was not adjusted. The frequency of crashes at this location has decreased since the installation of the guardrail.

As part of the construction of the Florence Bank, located on the northerly side of Memorial Avenue between Bridge Street and Union Street, New Bridge Street was eliminated. The Bridge Street westbound approach was recently reconstructed; however, the alignment of the approach could still be more perpendicular to improve sight lines and reduce speed of approaching vehicles. The acute approach angle increases the difficulty for drivers looking for approaching vehicles which forces them to encroach closer to the roadway and beyond the painted STOP bar which is located beyond 15 feet from the edge of roadway. The lack of deflection does little to reduce the speed of an approaching vehicle or restrict right turns from the Memorial Avenue westbound approach. The alignment of the crosswalk gives the appearance that Bridge Street continues to intersect Memorial Avenue (Route 147) at an acute angle. The access ramp on the southerly side of the crosswalk directs pedestrians into Memorial Avenue, rather than to the ramp on the opposite side of the roadway.

In addition, the curb ramps which were recently constructed do not line up perpendicular to the Bridge Street approach which increases the crossing distance and leaves pedestrians exposed longer. Furthermore, the newly constructed ramps do not have release angles facing towards each other, which is detrimental to those who are visually impaired.

The following measures may be implemented to address these safety concerns:

• Evaluate the reduction of curb radii for all corners of the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection to reduce speed of turning vehicles.

• Realign the Union Street northbound and southbound approaches so the left-turn lanes are opposite each other and eliminate the jog of through movements.

• Restripe the receiving lanes for Union Street in order to provide better alignment of the through lanes.

• Evaluate the alignment of the horizonal curve of Memorial Avenue at Bridge Street to reduce the rate of curvature to an acceptable level to reduce vehicles leaving their lanes when navigating the curve.


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• Evaluate whether the horizonal curve of Memorial Avenue at Bridge Street should be superelevated to prevent vehicles from leaving the roadway through the turn.

• Install signage to indicate drivers should reduce speed in advance of the horizontal curve on Memorial Avenue at Bridge Street, including radar speed indication.

• Install radar speed indication signs on Memorial Avenue in advance of the curve at Bridge Street to alert drivers to the curve and the need to slow down.

• Realign Bridge Street westbound approach to improve sight lines, reduce approach speed, and reinforce the right-turn restriction from Memorial Avenue westbound onto Bridge Street.

• Reconstruct pedestrian access ramps at Bridge Street to provide a perpendicular crossing.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Accessibility and Accommodations Pedestrian signals with push-button actuation are provided for pedestrians to receive a WALK signal at the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection. However, the signal heads are faded, in poor condition, and are not MUTCD-compliant. The pedestrian push-buttons are not all located on level landings and are not MUTCD or ADA-compliant. There are no pedestrian signals or push-buttons for the channelized southbound right-turn lane. Sidewalks are provided along both sides of all approaches except the northbound approach; however, the existing sidewalks are in poor to good condition with a lack of ADA-compliant access ramps. The crossing distance for all approaches, with the exception of the southbound channelized right-turn, is in excess of 60 feet and do not provide pedestrian refuge where required by ADA standards.

None of the accessible curb ramps provided at the intersection are ADA-compliant or provide detectable warning panels. All access ramps provided at the intersection are located at the terminus of a specific crosswalk except the southeast corner which is apex and serves two crosswalks. The channelized turning island on the Union Street southbound approach provides ramps for three directions but only provides one push button for crossing the southbound and eastbound approaches. In addition, the triangular transition landing separating the three ramps is less than the five-foot minimum square, level landing required by ADA standards.


• Reconstruct curb ramps with ADA-compliant ramps and detectable warning panels on all corners of the intersection.

• Install ADA and MUTCD-compliant Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) with countdown signal indications within standard proximity to ramp openings.

• Install new ADA and MUTCD-compliant Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) and push-buttons with audible tones / vibrotactile signals and countdown indications. APS provide audible tones and vibrotactile surfaces to indicate the WALK and DON’T WALK phases to pedestrians with vision and hearing impairments.


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• Install new ADA and MUTCD-compliant pedestrian signals with one push-button per crosswalk on each corner of the intersection.

• Evaluate the construction of pedestrian refuge islands where needed to reduce crossing distance of 60 feet or more and exposure to vehicles.

• Evaluate the construction of sidewalk or multi-use path along both sides of Union Street to provide greater accessibility to the retail developments from Memorial Avenue.

The crossing distance for Memorial Avenue at the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Price Rite Driveway intersection across the driveway northbound approach is approximately 54-feet wide with no crossing island. There are no ADA-compliant access ramps or crosswalks at the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Price Rite driveway intersection despite the presence of sidewalks along the southerly side of Memorial Avenue. The existing sidewalk is in poor to good condition with, minor cracks, vegetation growth through panels, and heaving. There are no sidewalks provided within the Price Rite development from the driveway to safely navigate patrons towards the store frontage.

There is break in the grass strip buffer, along the northerly side of Memorial Avenue, which appears to have previously been a ramp to the Price Rite Driveway and pedestrian loading pad for the previously occupied chuch. A crossing at this location would be directly opposite the driveway northbound approach and not to a receiving access ramp. There are PVTA bus stops located on both sides of Memorial Avenue at this intersection; however, there are no crosswalks nor bus shelters for pedestrians to wait for a bus.


Image 8: Lack of Bicycle Accommodations on Memorial Avenue.

• Construct curb ramps with ADA-compliant ramps and detectable warning panels on all corners of the intersection.

• Install crosswalk pavement markings across the Price Rite driveway and pedestrian warning signage.

• Construct ADA-compliant sidewalk or multi-use path along southerly side of Memorial Avenue with grass buffer to provide additional separation.

• Evaluate the construction of sidewalk, trimming of overgrown vegetation, and construction of pedestrian refuge islands within Price Rite Parking property as part of a future site plan review to reduce crossing distance and exposure to vehicles.

• Evaluate the relocation of PVTA bus stop locations to signalized intersections to encourage pedestrians to cross at controlled intersections.


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There is a lack of delineation by vertical separation, change of material, or curbing between the edge of roadway, sidewalk, and the Central Chevrolet dealership right-of-way along the southerly edge of Memorial Avenue just south of Bridge Street. The lack of delineation results in vehicles being parked close to the roadway for greater exposure and thus limits pedestrian accessiblity where parked vehicles encroach on the sidewalk. This issue also occurs during time of delivery where a car carrier may park off the side of the road or vehicles are being rotated on the lot. While the driveway access to the dealership is acceptable for vehicles, there are no compliant ramps or distinction from sidewalk. The overall lack of vertical granite curbing along the dealership frontage is likely to ease the manuverability of parked vehicles; however, this results in greater exposure for pedestrians from vehicles in the roadway.

The following measures were recommended to address this safety issue:

• Install 6-inch vertical granite curbing along the southerly side of Memorial Avenue to provide vertical separation from the roadway.

• Evaluate use of different materials to differentiate between the roadway, sidewalk, and the Central Chevrolet dealership right-of-way.

• Evaluate the use of fencing, bollards, landscape buffers, concrete vehicle wheel stops, or granite strip to provide vertical separation between the Central Chevrolet dealership right-of-way and back of sidewalk.

• Evaluate the closure of existing curb-cuts and narrowing main driveway at Central Chevrolet property to provide greater physical separation for pedestrians from edge of roadway.

There are currently no bicycle lanes or other bicycle pavement markings provided within the vicinity of the intersections. Bicyclists traveling along any of the approaching roadways must cross multiple lanes of traffic to make left-turning movements. An audit participant noted that due to the high travel speeds along the Memorial Avenue corridor, it is dangerous for cyclists to be in the roadway.

The following measures would improve safety for bicyclists traveling through the intersection:

• Consider installing bicycle detection pavement markings and appropriate R10-22 signage on each approach to indicate to bicyclists where to wait to receive a green signal.

• Install dedicated bicycle lanes on each approach to the intersection.

• Evaluate feasibility of installation of bicycle detection at the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection. This may include loops or video detection.

• Evaluate the feasibility of buffered bike facilities and separated bike facilities where possible.

Image 9: Recently Constructed Ramps and Crosswalk at Bridge Street.


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Sight Distance and Visibility As previously noted, vehicles parked along the southerly side of Memorial Avenue at the Central Chevrolet dealership combined with the rate of horizontal curvature may be restricting the sight distance through the horizontal curve in the roadway as well as pedestrian accessibility. These may be contributing factors to the 25 crashes which occurred with vehicles traveling along Memorial Avenue in the eastbound direction.

As previously noted, there is a crosswalk across the channelized right-turn movement from Union Street southbound to Memorial Avenue (Route 147) but a lack of STOP bar or any traffic control. Similarly, the recently painted STOP bar on Bridge Street is placed more than 15 feet from the edge of travel way and was observed during the RSA field visit to be encroached beyond in favor of better sight lines. An audit participant noted that the traffic signals for the Memorial Avenue westbound approach are partially blocked by tree branches.

The recently constructed Florence Bank has planted young trees along its sight frontage which has the potential to limit sight distances in the future with the current alignment on Bridge Street. To improve sight lines and improve safety, the audit team recommended:

Image 10: Horizontal Sight Distance Limited by Parked Vehicles at Central Chevrolet.

• Evaluate the alignment of the horizonal curve of Memorial Avenue at Bridge Street to reduce the rate of curvature to an acceptable level to better keep vehicles on the roadway through the turn.

• Evaluate whether the horizonal curve of Memorial Avenue at Bridge Street should be superelevated to better keep vehicles on the roadway through the turn.

• Install signage to indicate drivers should reduce speed in advance of the horizontal curve on Memorial Avenue at Bridge Street, including radar speed indication.

• Install an electronic Signal Ahead (W3-3 mod) sign in advance of horizontal curve for vehicles traveling eastbound on Memorial Avenue to warn of potential queues downstream.

• Evaluate limits of Town right-of-way to prohibit parking of display vehicles where sight lines are obstructed.

• Stripe limits of Town right-of-way on pavement to inform abutters where to legally park their vehicles.

• Verify any sight line easements for Central Chevrolet and Florence Bank properties.

• Install STOP bar and YIELD pavement markings where appropriate for adequate sight distances and vehicular control for Union Street southbound channelized right-turn lane and Bridge Street.


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• Evaluate landscaping plan for Florence Bank to ensure sight distances are not adversely affected by new plantings. Town to check site work meets site plan approval.

• Trim overgrown vegetation to improve sight distance and visibility of traffic signal equipment.

During winter months, snow removal vehicles pile snow in the immediate corners of the intersection, which reduce the turning radii and impede sight lines through the intersection. While snow piles were not directly listed as an issue in the crash data, the snow removal policy was not clear for the roadway and is handled separately from the adjacent property owners. To improve sight lines and improve safety, the audit team recommended:

• Improve snow removal efforts during winter months to fully clear the intersection, including median islands and corners.

• Coordinate with adjacent property owners to ensure snow piles do no obstruct sight lines.

Pavement Markings and Roadway Condition The pavement markings at the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection are highly faded. It was noted that the painted markings for crosswalks and lane lines had been reapplied within the last year. Many of the turning lane designation arrows are not MUTCD-compliant and are only located at the intersection.

The Memorial Avenue eastbound receiving lanes in front of the Firestone store, east of Union Street, are highly faded which give the appearance of a wide single lane where the roadway is intended for two lanes. The eastbound and westbound approaches, at Union Street, lacks extension lines for the exclusive left-turn lane where the roadway splits from two lanes to three. This lack of lane delineation leads to confusion and jockeying for position which could contribute to the number of sideswipe and rear-end collisions. The double yellow centerline appears to be faded from cross traffic between F.L. Roberts and the Big Y driveway where vehicles are crossing five lanes of traffic. In addition, the STOP bar for the Memorial Avenue westbound approach to Union Street is placed approximately 24 feet back from the

crosswalk which leads to driver confusion as to who has the right-of-way out of the F.L. Roberts Driveway, which is placed partially in front of the STOP bar.

There is a lack of lane delineation for both Union Street northbound and southbound approaches due to faded pavement markings. An audit participant noted that this creates queuing issues during peak commute hours. There is also a lack of advanced lane designation pavement markings in addition to those located at the intersection which leads to driver confusion for which lane to occupy. As previously mentioned, the Union Street southbound channelized right-turn lane lacks a STOP bar or YIELD “shark teeth” pavement markings prior to the crosswalk.

Image 11: MUTCD Non-Compliant Pavement Markings on Union Street Southbound.


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During the RSA field visit, it was noted that there was an area of ponding located at the southeast corner of the intersection. It was also noted that there were locations of degraded pavement from severe cracking along the edge of roadway, rutting, and heaving.


• Reapply existing pavement markings with MUTCD-compliant markings for improved visibility.

• Evaluate the application of recessed wet reflective polyurea or thermoplastic markings for improved visibility and durability.

• Evaluate the application of recessed reflectors within the roadway for improved visibility.

• Provide a mill and overlay and regrade cross-slope to improve roadway surface and drainage.

• Evaluate need for two approach lanes for the Union Street northbound approach.

• Install gore lines on the Union Street northbound approach to reduce lane width while maintaining access for heavy vehicle turns.

The Price Rite Driveway is approximately 50 feet wide, which is wide enough for two northbound approach lanes and two southbound receiving lanes. However, the driveway is striped for one lane in each direction with a slightly raised, yellow hatched median. The STOP text and bar are highly faded. The Memorial Avenue eastbound approach begins to widen through the intersection from two lanes to three to become the turning lanes at Union Street; however, there is a lack of extension lines which leads to confusion of which lane to occupy. This confusion could contribute to the number of rear-end collisions. As previously mentioned, there is little distinction between the edge of roadway, sidewalk, and PVTA bus stop at the Price Rite driveway.




• Evaluate the length of taper for designated turning lanes and provide extension lines to reduce confusion through the intersection.

• Evaluate the application of colored concrete or stamped concrete for visual and texture differences to denote different uses of the roadway.

• Consider installation of high-friction pavement surfaces.


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The Memorial Avenue eastbound and westbound approaches at the Memorial Avenue / Bridge Street intersection provides two lanes in each direction with pavement markings in poor condition. There is evidence of roadway rutting along Memorial Avenue at Bridge Street in the horizontal curve which could contribute to the number of drivers losing control of vehicles during inclement weather and traveling at high speeds. Travel lanes widen along Memorial Avenue eastbound approaching the curve with narrow inside and outside shoulder which makes it more comfortable to travel at high rates of speed. The inside shoulder to the raised median with guardrail is offset by less than one foot and the outside shoulder is offset from the edge of roadway varies from 0-to-2-feet.

An audit participant noted a significant amount of debris along the inside lane of Memorial Avenue along the guardrail which obstructs the shoulder pavement marking and decreases friction of the roadway through the curve. It was noted that road debris is cleared up annually with an added sweep potentially in preparation for the Big E. The crown of the roadway dips down towards the raised median which causes debris to settle and carries the speed of turning vehicles towards the center of the roadway.


Image 12: Damaged Guardrail and Roadway Debris Along the Median on Memorial Avenue Eastbound.



• Evaluate the application of recessed reflectors within the roadway and on guardrail for improved visibility.


• Evaluate the use of high friction pavement materials through the Memorial Avenue horizontal curve.

• Evaluate the schedule of street sweepers to clear roadway debris.


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Signage There is an overall lack of compliance with existing signage throughout the corridor. Multiple signs are either posted at heights below the minimum standard set by the MUTCD, damaged, highly faded, lack retro-reflectivity, under sized, placed too close together, or oriented the wrong way. For example, there is a “Keep Right” (R4-7) sign located at the easterly end of the guardrail, facing Memorial Avenue westbound, which is posted far below the seven-foot minimum required by MUTCD standards. This sign is accompanied by a horizontal alignment warning sign (W1-1aL) which is also posted too low and appears to be not far enough in advance of the curve. There is also a horizontal alignment warning sign (W1-1aR) with advisory speed sign for the Memorial Avenue eastbound approach. The locations of the signs were set from a safety study in 2015. However, the signage heights do not meet MUTCD standards.

There is currently no advanced lane delineation signage on any approach to the Memorial Avenue / Union Street intersection. Combined with the high number of curb-cuts along either side of the approaching roadways, this can cause confusion for drivers who are unfamiliar with the area. This issue has the potential to be exacerbated during The Big E Festival due to the lack of wayfinding signage. An audit participant noted that GPS services like Google Maps and Waze still had New Bridge Street in their maps which could also contribute to driver confusion. The lack of wayfinding signage throughout the study area extends to destinations for truck prohibitions at the CSX bridge over Union Street north of the Memorial Ave / Union street intersection.


Image 13: Various Signage Posted Below Minimum Standards.

• Replace all inadequate signage within the study area with MUTCD-compliant signage and position accordingly. New signage placement should also take into consideration not to clutter or overwhelm drivers.

• Remove extraneous and redundant signage.

• Evaluate the installation of wayfinding signage and heavy vehicle prohibitions.

• Coordinate with adjacent property owners to replace turn restriction signage.

• Consider installation of reflectorized object marker (OM1-1) signage to both ends of the median barrier to increase visibility.

Image 14: General Sign Clutter and Variable Height Posting Located on Memorial Avenue Eastbound.

There is a lack of MUTCD-compliant signage at the newly reconstructed Bridge Street approach to Memorial Avenue. There is only one sign “DO NOT


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ENTER” sign on Bridge Street, which is located too far from the intersection and is not MUTCD-compliant. There is also a lack of reflectors within the guardrail and chevron signage to accentuate the curve. There is also a lack of signal ahead warning signage prior to the horizontal curve which could give warning of potential queues.


• Replace all inadequate signage within the study area with MUTCD-compliant signage and position accordingly. New signage placement should also take into consideration not to clutter or overwhelm drivers.

• Install turn restriction (R3-X) and Do Not Enter (R5-1) signage at the Bridge Street intersection with Memorial Avenue for greater visibility.

• Install chevron signage and guardrail reflectors at horizontal curve along Memorial Avenue for greater visibility.

Public Transportation PVTA noted that there are multiple bus stops along the Memorial Avenue corridor. The PVTA bus has under-utilized bus stops located on both Memorial Avenue eastbound and westbound approaches at the Price Rite Driveway. It was noted that these stops are underutilized because most passengers prefer to utilize the stop at Union Street to cross at signalized crosswalks. As previously mentioned, there is a lack of delineation between the bus stop and the sidewalk. There are no bus turn-outs nor passenger shelters provided which could potentially cause rear-end collisions where a trailing vehicle does not anticipate a stop in travel or side swipe collisions where the trailing vehicle attempts to quickly change lanes in an effort to pass the stopped bus.

There is no stop located within the Price Rite plaza as PVTA prefers to avoid providing stops within plazas due to the increased time of the route. This forces passengers to cross Memorial Avenue where it widens to a five-lane cross-section in order to access the stop location on the northerly side of the roadway. Many shopping centers are not designed for fixed bus routes and therefore do not provide adequate turning radii for 30-foot, 35-foot, and 40-foot buses which PVTA operates. The change in driving behavior of a parking lot differs from the roadway which increases the exposure PVTA has to potential claims.

There is a bus stop located in the Big Y parking lot which experienced approximately 60 passengers daily. It was noted that Big Y and Price Rite are the two closest grocery stores to downtown Springfield which is considered a food desert.

The following measures were recommended to address this public transportation issue:

• Evaluate the closure of underutilized bus stops to increase efficiency of routes and passenger safety.

• Evaluate the placement of bus stops on the departure side of intersections to avoid sudden stops and increase efficiency of routes and the corresponding intersections.


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• Evaluate the application of colored concrete or stamped concrete for visual and textural differences to denote different uses of the roadway.

• Evaluate the construction of bus turn-outs, landing pads, passenger shelters, bicycle parking racks, real-time signage of arrival times at bus stops, and conduit to power real-time signage.

• Coordinate with adjacent property owners to ensure snow piles do no obstruct sidewalk connection to plazas.

Vehicle Speeds There are no speed regulations nor posted speed limits for the study area roadways. Memorial Avenue (Route 147) provides warning signage for 25 mph westbound and 30 mph eastbound through the horizontal curve at the intersection with Bridge Street. There is a “THICKLY SETTLED SLOW AREA” sign located on Memorial Avenue (Route 147) eastbound approach at the intersection with Union Street. Audit participants noted that vehicles traveling faster than the statutory speed limit are a safety issue throughout the Memorial Avenue corridor. This is particularly a problem in the vicinity of Bridge Street where the wide travel lanes results in unsafe travel speeds. Vehicles traveling too quickly for the roadway curve were noted as a contributing factor in eleven of the single vehicle collisions that occurred at this intersection during the study period. The following measures may assist in reducing excessive speeding through the intersection:

• Increase enforcement activities for excessive speed within the study area.

• Install radar feedback speed indication signs along Memorial Avenue (Route 147) approaching the horizontal curve at Bridge Street.

• Reduce travel lane widths and provide consistent shoulder widths throughout the study area, especially along curve, to provide perception of narrower roadway and lower travel speeds.

• Evaluate the establishment of speed regulations for Memorial Avenue and install corresponding regulatory signage. Consider establishing speed regulations after reconstruction of study area to accurately represent the roadway’s geometry and other components influencing speed.

• Evaluate guardrail design against the speed of the roadway to determine if a crash attenuator is warranted for the Memorial Avenue westbound approach. Attenuator already installed on the Memorial Avenue eastbound approach.


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Lighting Roadway lighting is provided along both sides of Memorial Avenue throughout the study area. During the RSA field visit, it was noted that there is a missing luminaire arm on the northwest corner of the Memorial Avenue / Union Street intersection where it was previously damaged in a crash and a missing light pole on the northerly side of Memorial Avenue, west of Bridge Street, which is in excess of the standard 300 foot spacing. There are no LED street lights provided. It was noted that Town has previously inquired with the local energy companies but no consumption rate has been provided yet. The limitations of over roadway lighting could be a

contributing factor for the approximately 23 percent of crashes which occurred under “dark-lighted roadway” conditions.

In addition to the two missing poles, it was noted that a couple of existing light poles are located within the 1.5-foot offset required from the edge of roadway and lack vertical granite curbing as a physical barrier. It is unclear from the RSA field visit how much light produced from local businesses such as the Florence Bank, Central Chevrolet dealership, CSX billboards, F.L. Roberts gas station, and others contribute to light on the roadway.

The following are potential measures to improve roadway lighting:

Image 15: Missing Roadway Lighting Luminaire on Memorial Avenue.

• Conduct an illumination study to decipher if the existing lighting meets Town/State recommended standards for driver visibility at study area intersections.

• Install light poles where missing and relocate existing poles to comply with MassDOT standards for lateral offset.

• Install MUTCD-compliant signage with retro-reflectivity which will catch the light of approaching vehicles.

Drainage The roadway profile for the study area roadways is predominately flat throughout the study area. Audit participants noted that Union Street under the CSX rail overpass, north of Memorial Avenue, is an isolated 100-year flood plain and must be drained during periods of heavy rain. A previous ponding issue at Bridge Street has been resolved due to the installation of a catch basin as part of the Florence Bank construction. There is an overall lack of vertical granite curbing with 6-inch reveal throughout the study area including the site frontage of the recently constructed Florence Bank. Approximately 54 percent of crashes where roadway conditions were listed at wet, snow, ice, or sandy which could be due to insufficient drainage.

The following are potential measures to improve drainage:


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• Install vertical granite curbing with 6-inch reveal throughout the study area to improve collection of roadway runoff.

• Clean existing catch basins to ensure peak efficiency.

• Evaluate Town of West Springfield’s storm water design capacity to see if current infrastructure can accommodate peak storm water overflow conditions and potential increase in demand.

• Evaluate existing catch basin locations and/or the need for additional drainage structures.

Driver Distraction

Cellular Phones and Electronic Devices Audit participants noted that the use of cellular phones and other electronic devices while driving is a potential safety risk throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as in the vicinity of the RSA locations. Participants stated that vehicles often run the red light at the intersection either because they are not paying attention or want to beat the signal or the driver next to them. Ten of the reported collisions at the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection noted a driver running or failing to stop at a red light where roadway conditions or failure to make a proper turn was not also a contributing factor. The following are potential measures to reduce driver distraction through the intersection:

• Implement a state-wide education campaign to reduce the use of cellular phones while driving.

• Install “Intersection Ahead” or “Signal Ahead” signs on each approach to alert drivers’ attention to the presence of the intersection.

• Remove and stack excess signage to reduce sign clutter near and within intersection.

Retail Development and Train Yard Audit participants noted that the high number of retail and gas station signage may be distracting to drivers. The newly constructed Florence Bank provides a drive-up ATM machine which queues with vehicle lights pointed towards the roadway, in advance of the machine, which may be a distraction for drivers on Memorial Avenue eastbound. An audit participant noted that there is supposed to be a berm to block headlights from shining into the roadway as presented in the submitted site plans. In addition, the CSX train yard and billboards are located just north of Bridge Street and are in clear view of drivers along Memorial Avenue. It was

Image 16: CSX Rail Yard in Clear View from Memorial Avenue.


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noted that the Big E offered to do landscaping work for CSX but did not hear back on the offer. The following are potential measures to reduce driver distraction:

• Install appropriate landscaping (i.e. evergreen trees, bushes, etc.) along the edge of Town right-of-way to limit visibility of CSX train yard.

• Coordinate with CSX to install fence along the edge of Town right-of-way to limit visibility of CSX train yard and provide security.

• Coordinate with Florence Bank to provide landscaping to block headlights of queuing vehicles for the drive-through ATM. Town Planning and Development department to check site work meets site plan approval.

Miscellaneous Observations

Changes in Collision Patterns It was noted during the pre-audit meeting that the number of single vehicle collisions at the Memorial Avenue horizontal curve at Bridge Street has decreased significantly since the installation of a guardrail within the median in spring 2013. During 2014, five single vehicle collisions occurred with vehicles striking or going over the median, while only one occurred in 2015 and 2016 combined. The number of vehicles leaving the roadway also decreased. The likely cause for the drop in vehicle collisions was noted to be the installation of a guardrail in the median which gives more perspective to the turn and provides a more robust barrier between opposing flows of traffic.

Other Development and Roadway Improvement Projects The recently constructed Florence Bank, located at 560 Memorial Avenue between Bridge Street and Union Street, has provided geometric changes to the study area as part of their off-site improvements. In addition to the reconstruction of sidewalk along the site frontage, other improvements include the realignment of Bridge Street, discontinuation of New Bridge Street, construction of wheelchair ramps, and the construction of a right-in/right-out driveway along Memorial Avenue. An audit participant noted that the lip of the driveway does not meet the roadway surface and has left a gap. In addition, the scored concrete in the driveway does little to prohibit left turns out of the site.

As part of the development, the property now includes area that was formerly New Bridge Street. While New Bridge Street did not appear to be a significant factor in the crash data, this one-way eastbound roadway has been eliminated from the intersection of Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Bridge Street, reducing the curb cut width and providing a visual cue to drivers of the curvature in the roadway.

The F.L. Roberts gas station and car wash development located on the northeast corner of the Memorial Avenue / Union Street intersection is proposing to construct a 570 square foot (SF) addition to the carwash. While this project is not anticipated to result in an increase in trips through the study area, the plans must go through review as part of a special provision previously agreed by the owners. The currently proposed layout calls for the closure of the southerly driveway on Union Street and the westerly driveway on Memorial Avenue, eliminating the two driveways closest to the signalized intersection. The Town has requested that suggestions from the RSA serve as a guide to any further mitigation for the development prior to approval.


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Summary of Road Safety Audit Table 5 provides a summary of each safety issue and potential safety enhancement discussed during the audit. For each safety issue and corresponding potential safety enhancement, its potential safety payoff, the estimated time frame for completion, the estimated construction cost, and the Jurisdiction, is provided.

Table 4 provides a summary of the criteria used to categorize the time frame and cost associated with each safety enhancement. The safety payoff is more subjective and was based on the number of collisions that may be reduced or eliminated by implementing the particular safety enhancement. For example, evaluate the construction of a raised median barrier to prohibit vehicles crossing 3-5 lanes of traffic. Replacing turn restriction signage, however, would provide a low safety payoff as it does not provide a physical prohibition to turning vehicles. A “Low” safety payoff was assigned to any enhancements that were not likely to reduce collision occurrence as no collisions during the study period resulted from issue. A “Medium” safety payoff was assigned to safety enhancements that would address one to four of the collision occurring during the study period. A “High” safety payoff was assigned to enhancements that would address five or more of the collisions.

Many of the potential countermeasures could serve to address multiple safety deficiencies previously addressed. For the summary below, each counter measure is listed only once for the sake of being concise.

Table 4: Estimated Time Frame and Cost Breakdown

Time Frame Costs

Short-Term <1 Year Low <$10,000 Mid-Term 1-3 Years Medium $10,001-$50,000

Long-Term >3 Years High >$50,000


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Table 5: Potential Safety Enhancement Summary Safety Issue Potential Safety Enhancement Safety Payoff Time Frame Cost Jurisdiction

Access Management

Install MUTCD-compliant signage and pavement markings. Medium Short-Term Medium

Town of West Springfield / Property

Owners Consider cross-access easements and existing driveway reconfiguration for future redevelopment.

Medium Long-Term Low Town of West

Springfield / Property Owners

Delineate right-of-way line along the Central Chevrolet and Firestone properties.

Low Long-Term Low Town of West


Coordinate with Firestone to deter parking in spaces adjacent to Memorial Avenue

Low Short-Term Low Town of West


Investigate opportunities to provide shared parking and access for the Firestone and Big Y.



Reconstruct splitter island at Big Y driveway. Medium Mid-Term Low


Owners Evaluate the construction of a raised median barrier on Memorial Avenue.

Medium Mid-Term High Town of West Springfield

Evaluate the elimination of the two closest curb cuts at the F.L. Roberts gas station as part of the site plan review process.

High Short-Term Low Town of West


Evaluate implementation of turn restrictions at the Price Rite Driveway.

Low Long-Term Low Town of West Springfield


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Access Management

Evaluate options to reconfigure the parking layout for the Price Rite property as part of a future site plan review.



Consider installation of granite curbing, fences, and grass buffers to separate businesses, sidewalks, and roadways.

High Long-Term High Town of West


Evaluate the feasibility of a road diet with two-way left-turn lanes for the Memorial Avenue corridor.

Medium Long-Term High Town of West Springfield

Union Street Southbound Channelized Right-Turn Lane

Consider removal of the channelized right-turn and adjust turning radii.


Signalize the channelized right-turn and provide adequate pavement markings, detection, and pedestrian signals.

High Long-Term High Town of West Springfield

Signal Timing

Provide protected left-turn phases for the Union Street northbound and southbound approaches.

High Long-Term Low Town of West Springfield

Adjust signal timing to meet existing, seasonal, and future demands.


Consider installation of adaptive signal control. Medium Long-Term High Town of West

Springfield Stripe a “Do Not Block The Box” style and install corresponding R10-7 signage.

Medium Long-Term Low Town of West Springfield

Reprogram the yellow, red, and pedestrian clearance intervals. Low Short-/Long-

Term Low Town of West Springfield


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Signal Timing

Increase enforcement activities for red-light-running and blocking of the intersection.

Low Ongoing Medium Town of West Springfield

Consider installation of dilemma zone detection. Low Long-Term Medium Town of West

Springfield Install transit priority equipment and reprogram the signal controller to hold the through movement green.

Medium Short-Term Low Town of West Springfield

Install emergency preemption equipment and reprogram the signal controller.


Retime the pedestrian clearance phases. Low Short-/Long-


Install ADA and MUTCD-compliant pedestrian signals and push buttons on channelized right-turn.


Evaluate need for pedestrian refuge areas where crossing distance exceeds 60 feet.


Evaluate a concurrent pedestrian phase with mainline phases with leading pedestrian intervals.



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Signal Equipment Condition and Location

Relocate signals heads on mast-arms or span wire on the far side of the intersection for the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Street intersection.


Evaluate the installation of supplemental side-mounted and/or near-side signal heads where heavy vehicles cannot obstruct visibility.


Install louvered backplates with retro-reflective strips. Low Short-Term Low Town of West

Springfield Relocate and replace signage as necessary. Low Short-Term Low Town of West

Springfield Trim and/or clear overgrown vegetation. Medium Short-Term Low Town of West

Springfield Install ADA and MUTCD-compliant Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) and push-buttons with audible tones / vibrotactile signals and countdown indications.

Median Mid-Term High Town of West Springfield

Consider installation of pedestrian refuge areas with supplemental signals and push-buttons for crossings exceeding 60 feet.


Evaluate the relocation of loop detectors in the roadway for all movements.


Evaluate the installation of video detection for all movements at the intersection including bicycles.

High Long-Term Medium Town of West Springfield


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Roadway and Intersection Alignment

Evaluate the reduction of curb radii for all corners of the Memorial Avenue (Route 147) / Union Streetintersection.


Realign the Union Street northbound and southbound approaches.


Restripe the receiving lanes for Union Street. High Short/Long-


Evaluate the alignment of the horizonal curve of Memorial Avenue at Bridge Street.


Evaluate whether the horizonal curve of Memorial Avenue at Bridge Street should be superelevated.


Install radar speed indication signs on Memorial Avenue in advance of curve near Bridge Street.

High Mid-Term Medium Town of West Springfield

Realign Bridge Street westbound approach. Medium Long-Term High Town of West

Springfield Reconstruct pedestrian access ramps at Bridge Street. Low Short-/Long-



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Pedestrian and Bicycle Accessibility

Reconstruct curb ramps with ADA-compliant ramps and detectable warning panels on all corners of Memorial Avenue / Union Street intersection.


Install ADA and MUTCD-compliant pedestrian traffic signals with countdown indications within standard proximity to ramp openings.


Install ADA and MUTCD-compliant Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) equipment on all crosswalks.


Install new ADA and MUTCD-compliant pedestrian signals with one push-button per crosswalk.


Evaluate the construction of pedestrian refuge islands where crossings exceed 60 feet.


Evaluate the construction of sidewalk or multi-use path along both sides of Union Street.

Medium Long-Term Medium Town of West Springfield

Construct ADA-compliant ramps and tactile warning devices on all corners of Memorial Avenue / Price Rite Driveway



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Install crosswalk pavement markings across the Price Rite driveway a pedestrian warning signage.


Construct ADA-compliant sidewalk or multi-use path along southerly side of Memorial Avenue with grass buffer.

Low Short-/Long-Term Medium Town of West

Springfield

Evaluate the construction of sidewalk, trimming of overgrown vegetation, and construction of pedestrian refuge islands within Price Rite Parking property as part of a future site plan review.

Medium Long-Term Medium Town of West


Evaluate the relocation of PVTA bus stop locations to signalized intersections.

Medium Long-Term Medium Town of West Springfield / PVTA

Install 6-inch vertical granite curbing along the southerly side of Memorial Avenue.

Low Mid-Term High Town of West Springfield

Evaluate use of different materials to differentiate between the roadway, sidewalk, and the Cental Chevrolet dealership right-of-way.


Evaluate the use of fencing, bollards, landscape buffers, concrete vehicle wheel stops, or granite strip to provide vertical separation between the Cental Chevrolet dealership right-of-way and back of sidewalk.

Low Short-/Long-Term Low


Owners


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Evaluate the closure of existing curb-cuts and narrowing main driveway at Cental Chevrolet property.

Low Short-/Long-Term Low


Owners

Consider installation bicycle detection pavement markings and appropriate R10-22 signage on each approach.

Low Short-/Long-Term Low Town of West

Springfield

Evaluate the feasibility of installing dedicated bicycle lanes on each approach to the intersection.

Medium Short-/Long-Term Low Town of West

Springfield

Consider installation of bicycle detection at Memorial Avenue / Union Street; may include loops or video detection


Evaluate the feasibility of buffered bike facilities and separated bike facilities where possible.


Sight Distance and Visibility

Evaluate the alignment of the horizonal curve of Memorial Avenue at Bridge Street.


Install an electronic Signal Ahead (W3-3 mod) sign in advance of horizontal curve for vehicles traveling eastbound on Memorial Avenue.

Low Short-/Long-Term Low Town of West

Springfield

Install signage to indicate drivers should reduce speed in advance of horizontal curve, including radar speed indication.

Medium Mid-Term Medium Town of West Springfield


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Sight Distance and Visibility

Evaluate limits of Town right-of-way to prohibit parking of display vehicles where sight lines are obstructed.

Low Short-Term Low Town of West Springfield

Stripe limits of Town right-of-way on pavement. Low Short-Term Low Town of West

Springfield Verify any Sight Line Easements for Central Chevrolet and Florence Bank properties.

Low Short-Term Low Town of West


Install STOP bar and YIELD pavement markings where appropriate.


Evaluate landscaping plan for Florence Bank. Low Short-Term Low


Owners Improve snow removal efforts during winter months. Low Long-Term Low Town of West

Springfield

Coordinate with adjacent property owners for snow removal. Low Long-Term Low


Owners

Pavement Markings and Roadway Condition

Reapply existing pavement markings with MUTCD-compliant markings.


Evaluate the application of recessed wet-reflective polyurea or thermo-plastic markings.


Evaluate the application of recessed reflectors within the roadway and on guardrail.

Medium Long-Term Medium Town of West Springfield

Provide a mill and overlay and regrade cross-slope. High Long-Term High Town of West

Springfield


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Pavement Markings and Roadway Condition

Consider high-friction pavement surfaces. Medium Long-Term High Town of West

Springfield Evaluate need for two approach lanes for the Union Street northbound approach.


Install gore lines on the Union Street northbound approach. Low Short-Term Low Town of West

Springfield Evaluate the length of taper for designated turning lanes and provide extension lines.


Evaluate the application of colored concrete or stamped concrete. Medium Long-Term High Town of West

Springfield Evaluate the use of high friction pavement materials through the Memorial Avenue horizontal curve.


Evaluate the schedule of street sweepers to clear roadway debris. Low Short-Term Low Town of West

Springfield

Signage

Replace all inadequate signage within the study area with MUTCD-compliant signage and position accordingly.

High Short-Term Low Town of West Springfield

Remove extraneous and redundant signage. Low Short-Term Low Town of West

Springfield Evaluate the installation of wayfinding signage and heavy vehicle prohibitions.

Medium Mid-Term Low Town of West Springfield

Coordinate with adjacent property owners to replace turn restriction signage.

Medium Short-Term Low Town of West



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Signage

Consider installation of object marker (OM1-1) signage at ends of median barrier.


Install chevron signage and guardrail reflectors at horizontal curve along Memorial Avenue.

High Short-Term Low Town of West Springfield

Install turn restriction (R3-X) and Do Not Enter (R5-1) signage at the Bridge Street intersection with Memorial Avenue.


Public Transportation

Evaluate the closure of underutilized bus stops. Low Mid-Term Low Town of West

Springfield / PVTA Evaluate the placement of bus stops on the departure side of intersections.

Low Mid-Term Low Town of West Springfield / PVTA

Evaluate the construction of bus turn-outs, landing pads, passenger shelters, bicycle parking racks, real-time signage of arrival times, and conduit to power real-time signage at bus stops.

Medium Long-Term High Town of West Springfield / PVTA

Coordinate with adjacent property owners to ensure snow piles do no obstruct sidewalk connection to plazas



Vehicle Speeds Increase enforcement activities for excessive speed within the study area.

Low Long-Term Medium Town of West Springfield


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Vehicle Speeds

Install radar feedback speed indication signs along Memorial Avenue (Route 147) approaching the horizontal curve at Bridge Street.


Reduce travel lane width and provide consistent shoulder widths. High Short-Term Low Town of West

Springfield Evaluate the establishment of speed regulations for Memorial Avenue and post signage.


Evaluate guardrail design against the speed of the roadway to determine if a crash attenuator is warranted for the Memorial Avenue westbound approach.


Lighting

Conduct an illumination study. Medium Mid-Term Low Town of West Springfield

Install MUTCD-compliant signage with retro-reflectivity High Short-Term Low Town of West

Springfield Install light poles where missing and relocate existing poles. High Long-Term High Town of West

Springfield

Drainage

Clean existing catch basins. Low Short-Term Low Town of West Springfield

Evaluate Town of West Springfield’s storm water design capacity.


Evaluate existing catch basin locations and/or the need for additional drainage structures.



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Driver Distraction

Implement driver education program on use of cell phones while driving.

Low Mid-Term Medium Town of West Springfield

Install “Intersection Ahead” or “Signal Ahead” signage on approaches.


Install appropriate landscaping (i.e. evergreen trees, bushes, etc.) along the edge of Town right-of-way.


Coordinate with CSX to install fence along the edge of Town right-of-way.



Coordinate with Florence Bank to provide landscaping. Medium Short-Term Low


Owners Remove signage to reduce sign clutter. Low Short-Term Low Town of West

Springfield

Appendix A. RSA Meeting Agenda

Road Safety Audit MEMORIAL AVENUE FROM

BRIDGE STREET TO UNION STREET

Meeting Location: Town Hall, Second Floor 26 Central Street, West Springfield, MA

August 15, 2017 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Type of Meeting: High Crash Location – Road Safety Audit

Attendees: Invited Participants to Comprise a Multidisciplinary Team

Please Bring: Thoughts and Enthusiasm!!

SCHEDULE

10:00 AM Welcome and Introductions

10:15 AM Review of Site Specific Material • Crash, Speed & Volume Summaries – provided in

advance • Existing Geometries and Conditions

11:00 AM Visit the Site • Drive to Price Rite Parking Lot • As a group, identify areas for improvement

12:00 PM Post Visit Discussion / Completion of RSA • Discuss observations and finalize findings • Discuss potential improvements and finalize

recommendations

12:30 PM Adjourn for the Day – but the RSA has not ended Instructions to Participants:

• Before attending the RSA on August 15, participants are encouraged to drive through the intersection and complete/consider elements on the RSA Prompt List with focus on safety.

• All participants will be actively involved in the process throughout. Participants are encouraged to come with thoughts and ideas, but are reminded that the synergy that develops and respect for others’ opinions are key elements to the success of the overall RSA process.

• After the RSA meeting, participants will be asked to comment and respond to the document materials to assure it is reflective of the RSA completed by the multidisciplinary team.

Road Safety Audit MEMORIAL AVENUE

FROM BRIDGE STREET TO UNION STREET

RSA Meeting Conducted Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Draft RSA Report Distributed to Participants Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Participant Comments on Draft RSA Due Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Final Draft RSA Distributed to Participants Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Final Comments on Final Draft RSA Due Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Final RSA Report Distributed Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Appendix B. RSA Audit Team Contact List

Participating Audit Team Members Date: August 15, 2017 Location: West Springfield, MA Audit Team Members Agency/Affiliation Email Address Phone Number Rebecca Brown Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. [email protected] 978-570-2946 Douglas Halpert Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. [email protected] 978-570-2552 Christopher Howard Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. [email protected] 978-570-2970 James Czach Town of West Springfield –

DPW [email protected] 413-263-3244

Katina Syner MassDOT District 2 [email protected] 413-582-1533

Kush Bhagat MassDOT Traffic Safety [email protected] 857-368-9652

Kevin Fitzgerald MassDOT Traffic Safety [email protected]

857-368-9652

Elsa Chan MassDOT Traffic Safety [email protected] 857-368-9652

Douglas Matton Town of West Springfield – Director of Planning

[email protected]

413-263-3058

David Klingener SATCO [email protected] 413-732-2161 ext. 110

Josh Rickman PVTA [email protected] 413-732-6248 ext. 205

Gary Roux PVPC [email protected] 413-718-6045

Bill Flaherty Town of West Springfield – Fire Chief

[email protected]

413-263-3226

Sgt. Hubert S. Rees Town of West Springfield – Police Department

[email protected] 413-263-3210

Laura Hanson MassDOT District 2 – Bike/Ped Coordinator

[email protected] 413-582-0589

mailto:[email protected]


















Appendix C. Detailed Crash Data

Collision

Diagram Crash Number

Crash Date Crash Day Time of

Day Crash Severity Manner of Collision

Number of

Vehicles Light Condition Weather

Condition Road Surface Driver Contributing Code Ages Comments

1 2/25/2010 Thursday 2:19 AM Non-fatal injury

Single vehicle crash 1

Dark - Lighted Roadway Rain Wet

Operating in reckless manner 30

V1 traveling WB on Memorial Ave too fast around curve, jumped over median and rolled onto roof.

2 3/23/2010 Tuesday 1:10 AM

Property damage only (none injured)



Driving too fast for conditions 40

V1 traveling EB on Memorial too fast for conditions, struck median.

3 4/25/2010 Sunday 2:42 AM Non-fatal injury


Dark - Lighted Roadway Clear Dry

Made an improper turn 27

V1 headed EB on Memorial Ave failed to negotiate turn and hopped median, striking guardrail.

4 5/5/2010 Wednesday 12:53

PM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Daylight Not Reported Not reported Inattention 68 Unknown

V1 stopped on Bridge St SB waiting to exit. V2 failed to stop and struck V1.

5 5/17/2010 Monday 4:40 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Daylight Not Reported Not reported Inattention 39 34

V1 and V2 stopped on Bridge St SB. V1 started to move and stopped again. V2 failed to stop and struck V1.

6 7/1/2010 Thursday 10:18

PM Non-fatal injury Single vehicle crash 1

Dark - Lighted Roadway Clear Dry Inattention 48

V1 traveling WB and lost control on corner, striking curb

7 7/14/2010 Wednesday 10:37

AM


Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Not Reported Not reported

No Improper Action 45

V1 traveling WB and lost control, striking tree

8 7/14/2010 Wednesday 11:23

AM




V1 traveling WB, tire popped and spun out of control.

9 7/23/2010 Friday 6:03 PM Non-fatal injury



V1 traveling WB lost control on curve after being cut off by another vehicle and struck median

10 8/5/2010 Thursday 8:00 AM Not reported

Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Not Reported Not reported Unknown 33

V1 traveling WB, lost control and landed on median

11 8/16/2010 Monday 4:07 PM


Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Rain Wet


V1 traveling WB on Memorial Ave lost control and struck median

12 8/22/2010 Sunday 9:32 AM




V1 traveling WB lost control on wet pavement and hit curb

Collision


Crash Date Crash Day Time of Day Crash Severity Manner of

Collision

Number of


Condition Road

Surface Driver

Contributing Code Ages Comments

13 8/22/2010 Sunday 1:05 PM Non-fatal injury Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Rain Wet


V1 headed WB on Memorial Ave too fast, lost control, and landed on median island.

14 8/22/2010 Sunday 1:36 PM


Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Rain Wet Inattention 25

V1 headed WB on Memorial Ave, lost control and struck tree on EB side.

15 9/7/2010 Tuesday 4:49 PM


Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Clear

Sand, mud, dirt, oil, gravel


V1 traveling WB on Memorial Ave, lost control on puddle of motor oil and slid into curb

16 9/8/2010 Wednesday 6:44 AM Non-fatal injury Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Rain Wet

Other improper action 38

V1 traveling WB on Memorial, lost control, spun around, and hit curb

17 9/11/2010 Saturday 7:13 PM


Sideswipe, same direction 2 Daylight Clear Dry

Failure to keep in proper lane 32 23

V1 headed WB on Memorial Ave in inside lane. V2 entering Memorial Ave from Bridge St to outside lane. V1 changed lanes and struck V2.

18 10/28/2010 Thursday 1:23 AM Not reported Single vehicle crash 1

Dark - Lighted Roadway Rain Wet Unknown 25

V1 headed EB on Memorial Ave lost control on wet pavement and struck median.

19 12/14/2010 Tuesday 12:37

AM Not reported Angle 2 Dark - Lighted Roadway Snow Snow


V1 traveling EB on Memorial Ave. V2 exited Chevrolet driveway and struck V1, sending V1 into median guardrail

20 1/25/2011 Tuesday 5:00 AM



Dark - Lighted Roadway Snow Snow


V1 traveling on Memorial Ave slid on snow and hit guardrail

21 2/6/2011 Sunday 6:07 PM Not reported Single vehicle crash 1

Dark - Lighted Roadway Snow Snow


V1 lost control on snow and ran into snowbank.

22 2/19/2011 Saturday 10:53

PM



Dark - Lighted Roadway Clear Dry Swerving to avoid 30

V1 traveling EB on Memorial Ave. Another vehicle cut off V1, V1 swerved and struck curb and median.

23 3/6/2011 Sunday 8:16 PM





V1 traveling WB on Memorial Ave, lost control and struck median.

24 6/30/2011 Thursday 4:32 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Daylight Clear Dry Inattention 46 46

V1 and V2 stopped on Bridge St SB. V1 started to go and stopped, V2 was not looking and struck V1.

Collision Diagram Crash

Number Crash Date Crash Day Time of


Number of



25 7/3/2011 Sunday 8:23 PM Non-fatal injury Single vehicle crash 2 Dusk Rain Wet Unknown 40

V1 traveling WB on Memorial Ave, ran off road in wet conditions to avoid vehicle.

26 8/25/2011 Thursday 1:41 PM




V1 traveling WB on Memorial Ave lost control on wet pavement and hit curb

27 12/26/2011 Monday 4:07 PM Non-fatal injury Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Clear Dry Excessive Speed 49

V1 traveling EB on Memorial Ave too fast and lost control, striking guardrail

28 12/31/2011 Saturday 11:40

PM



Dark - Lighted Roadway Rain Wet Inattention 29

V1 traveling EB on Memorial Ave, missed turn and struck median

29 4/1/2012 Sunday 9:46 PM





V1 traveling EB on Memorial Ave, lost control in rain and struck median.

30 6/22/2012 Friday 4:54 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 3 Daylight Rain Wet Swerving to avoid 22

V1 headed WB on Memorial Ave in left lane. V2 changed from right lane to left lane. V1 swerved to avoid V2, crossed median and struck two cars at Central Chevrolet.

31 7/20/2012 Friday 11:09

AM Non-fatal injury Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Rain Wet


V1 traveling WB on Memorial Ave at unsafe speed, crossed over median, jumped curb, and went through window of Central Chevrolet.

32 7/20/2012 Friday 12:04

PM Non-fatal injury Sideswipe, same direction 3 Daylight Rain Wet

Driving too fast for conditions 48 48

V1 headed WB on Memorial at unsafe speed, lost control and jumped median, striking V2 and pushing it into V3 (fire truck).

33 7/23/2012 Monday 12:16

PM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Daylight Not Reported

Sand, mud, dirt, oil, gravel Unknown 33 40

V1 stopped on Bridge St SB. V2 slid on sand and struck V1.

34 8/20/2012 Monday 6:01 PM


Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Clear Dry


V1 traveling WB on Memorial Ave at unsafe speed, hit curb and tree.

35 9/15/2012 Saturday 5:07 PM


Sideswipe, opposite direction 2 Daylight Clear Dry

Failure to keep in proper lane 22 40

V2 headed WB on Memorial Ave, crossed median and struck V1 headed EB.




Number of


Condition Road

Surface Driver

Contributing Code Ages Comments

36 9/20/2012 Thursday 1:16 AM



Dark - Lighted Roadway Clear Dry Excessive Speed 30

V1 headed EB on Memorial at unsafe speed, failed to negotiate curve and struck median.

37 12/2/2012 Sunday 6:26 AM Non-fatal injury




V1 headed EB on Memorial at unsafe speed, failed to negotiate curve and struck median.

38 12/21/2012 Friday 11:25

AM



Over-correcting, over-steering 16

V1 headed WB on Memorial, lost control of vehicle in rain. V1 struck median and rolled over, landing on tree bed.

39 1/28/2013 Monday 6:09 PM



Dark - Lighted Roadway

Sleet, Hail, Freezing Rain Wet Unknown 40

V1 traveling EB on Memorial Ave, lost control on slippery road, hit curb and Central Chevrolet building.

40 2/15/2013 Friday 1:23 PM Non-fatal injury Rear-end 3 Daylight Clear Dry Inattention 30 40

V1, V2, and V3 headed WB on Memorial Ave. V1 and V2 stopped for traffic. V3 failed to stop and struck V2, pushing it into V1.

41 6/16/2013 Sunday 10:21

PM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 5

Dark - Lighted Roadway Clear Dry Unknown 50

V1 traveling EB on Memorial Ave, lost control and jumped curb, hitting four vehicles at Central Chevrolet

42 7/8/2013 Monday 4:22 PM


Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Clear Wet Unknown 23

V1 traveling EB on Memorial Ave, slid on wet pavement and struck guardrail.

43 7/8/2013 Monday 4:43 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 3 Daylight Clear Wet Unknown 26

V1 traveling EB on Memorial Ave, attempted to stop for disabled vehicle, lost control on wet pavement and spun off roadway, hitting two parked vehicles.

44 7/10/2013 Wednesday 4:37 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Daylight Rain Wet

No Improper Action 30 40

V1 and V2 headed EB on Memorial Ave. V1 slowing for traffic. V2 failed to stop and struck V1.




Number of



45 8/1/2013 Thursday 4:05 PM


Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Rain Wet Unknown 31

V1 traveling EB on Memorial, lost control on wet pavement and struck median.

46 8/26/2013 Monday 9:21 PM Non-fatal injury




V1 traveling EB on Memorial, slid on wet pavement, struck curb and overturned.

47 11/19/2013 Tuesday 4:39 PM


Sideswipe, same direction 2



V1 traveling EB on Memorial in outside lane, veered left and struck side of V2 traveling EB in inside lane.

48 1/15/2014 Wednesday 3:49 AM



Dark - Lighted Roadway Clear Ice


V1 traveling EB on Memorial Ave, slid on black ice and struck median.

49 3/7/2014 Friday 5:18 PM Not reported

Single vehicle crash 1 Dusk Not Reported Not reported Unknown 34

V1 traveling on Memorial Ave struck guardrail

50 4/4/2014 Friday 2:43 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Daylight Not Reported Not reported Inattention 22 20

V1 stopped on Bridge St at Memorial Ave. V2 failed to stop and struck V1.

51 5/2/2014 Friday 3:42 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Other 2 Daylight Not Reported Not reported


V1 headed WB on Memorial Ave when rear wheel fell off, bounced over median, and struck V2 headed EB.

52 5/9/2014 Friday 8:47 PM





V1 traveling WB on Memorial Ave, lost control on wet pavement and slid off roadway.

53 6/2/2014 Monday 8:34 PM


Single vehicle crash 1 Dusk Clear Dry Excessive Speed 25

V1 traveling EB at high rate of speed, lost control, jumping median and running off roadway.

54 7/2/2014 Wednesday 5:09 PM Non-fatal injury Pedestrian 1 Daylight Rain Wet Inattention 70 63

V1 traveling EB on Memorial and struck pedestrian in roadway.

55 10/6/2014 Monday 8:47 PM




Other improper action 40

V1 traveling EB on Memorial struck curb.

56 11/6/2014 Thursday 7:01 PM





V1 traveling WB on Memorial, slid on wet pavement and traveled off road.

57 11/11/2014 Tuesday 6:51 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Head-on 2

Dark - Lighted Roadway Clear Dry Excessive Speed 22 40

V1 headed EB and V2 headed WB at excessive speed. V2 jumped the median and struck V1.




Number of



58 2/19/2015 Thursday 11:43

PM



Dark - Lighted Roadway Clear Dry Excessive Speed 22

V1 headed WB on Memorial Ave hit embankment on north side of road, hit snow bank which forced the vehicle sideways facing EB.

59 5/9/2015 Saturday 7:04 AM


Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Cloudy Dry Excessive Speed 23

V1 headed EB on Memorial Ave hit median barrier on roadway curve traveling 60+ MPH.

60 4/30/2016 Saturday 2:37 PM


Sideswipe, same direction 1 Daylight Clear Dry Inattention 28

PVTA bus on Memorial Ave WB left roadway after spilling coffee and struck a billboard.

61 9/26/2016 Monday 9:36 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2

Dark - Lighted Roadway Clear Dry Inattention 30 16

V1 and V2 on Memorial Ave EB in front of Central Chevrolet.




Number of



1 2/11/2010 Thursday 1:50 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Daylight Not Reported Not reported Follow to close 30 24

V1 and V2 traveling EB on Memorial. V2 following too close and rear-ended V1.

2 5/14/2010 Friday 2:56 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 2 Daylight Cloudy Dry Inattention 58 40

V1 traveling EB on Memorial in inside lane. V2 exiting Price Rite was waved out by another vehicle. V1 did not see V2 and struck V2.

3 1/11/2011 Tuesday 1:16 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 2 Daylight Not Reported Not reported


V1 traveling WB on Memorial Ave attempting to turn left into Price Rite driveway. Several vehicles stopped to let V1 in, but V2 did not. V1 and V2 did not see each other. V1 struck V2, pushing V2 into light pole.

4 6/8/2011 Wednesday 9:56 AM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 2 Daylight Not Reported Not reported Unknown Unknown


5 8/11/2011 Thursday 9:47 AM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Daylight Not Reported Not reported Follow to close 25 27

V1 and V2 traveling WB on Memorial Ave at Price Rite. V1 stopped for traffic. V2 failed to stop and struck V1.

6 9/28/2011 Wednesday 9:40 PM



Failed to yield right-of-way 42 28

V1 exiting Price Rite. V2 headed EB on Memorial Ave. V1 pulled in front of V2 and vehicles collided.

7 11/10/2011 Thursday 8:13 AM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Daylight Cloudy Dry Inattention 65 55

V1 and V2 traveling WB on Memorial Ave. V1 slowed to turn left into Big Lots. V2 failed to stop and struck V1.

8 9/25/2012 Tuesday 10:27

PM

Property damage only (none injured) Head-on 3


Failed to yield right-of-way 21 31 Unknown

V1 exiting left from Price Rite struck front of V2 stopped in EB traffic on Memorial Ave, pushing V2 backwards into V3.




Number of



9 11/21/2012 Wednesday 3:48 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 2 Dusk Cloudy Dry

Visibility Obstructed 61 42

V1 exiting Price Rite and could not see oncoming traffic due to long queues on Memorial EB. V1 struck V2 traveling WB on Memorial Ave.

10 1/22/2014 Wednesday 8:43 AM Non-fatal injury Angle 2 Daylight Clear Dry


V1 exiting Price Rite. V2 headed EB on Memorial Ave. V1 failed to yield to V2 and struck side of V2.

11 3/1/2014 Saturday 3:58 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 2 Daylight Clear Dry Unknown 39 72


12 4/5/2014 Saturday 4:43 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Dusk Not Reported Not reported Inattention 36 Unknown

V1 and V2 exiting Price Rite. V2 failed to stop and struck V1.

13 4/16/2014 Wednesday 11:01

AM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 2 Daylight Not Reported Not reported


V2 exiting Price Rite failed to yield to V1 traveling EB on Memorial Ave.

14 8/29/2014 Friday 4:12 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 2 Daylight Clear Dry

Made an improper turn 53 23

V1 (truck) was traveling WB on Memorial, attempting to turn left into Price Rite. V2 stopped in traffic headed EB on Memorial. V1 failed to navigate turn and struck V2.

15 10/1/2014 Wednesday 6:06 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 2 Dusk Rain Wet Inattention 40 70

V1 traveling WB on Memorial Ave. V2 failed to yield while turning left exiting Price Rite and collided with V1.

Collision


Crash Date Crash Day Time of Day

Crash Severity

Manner of Collision

Number of

Vehicles

Light Condition

Weather Condition

Road Surface

Driver Contributing Code Ages Comments

1 1/16/2010 Saturday 8:13 AM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 2 Daylight

Not Reported

Not reported


V1 was headed EB on Memorial Avenue. V2 failed to yield right-of-way exiting Sunuco across to Century Plaza and struck V1.

2 1/16/2010 Saturday 9:30 PM



Not Reported

Not reported

Failed to yield right-of-way 18 Unknown

V1 was headed EB on Memorial Ave turning left onto Union St. V2 failed to stop for red light headed NB on Union St and struck V1.

3 1/22/2010 Friday 12:55

PM Non-fatal injury Angle 2 Daylight Clear Dry


V1 turned right from Union St SB to Memorial Ave, failing to yield to V2 headed WB on Memorial Ave. V2 struck the side of V1 and hit a tree.

4 3/13/2010 Saturday 12:10

PM


Not Reported

Not reported


V1 headed WB on Memorial Ave. V2 failed to yield right-of-way while turning left exiting Sunuco and struck V1.

5 3/25/2010 Thursday 6:12 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Dusk

Not Reported

Not reported


V1 was stopped for red light headed EB on Memorial Ave. V2 failed to stop and struck V1.

6 4/3/2010 Saturday 12:33

PM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Daylight

Not Reported

Not reported Inattention 45 39

V1 was stopped for red light headed EB on Memorial Avenue. When light turned green, V2 struck the rear end of V1.

7 4/6/2010 Tuesday 11:07

AM


Not Reported

Not reported Unknown 61

V1 was stopped for red light at Memorial Ave & Union St. When light turned green V2 struck rear of V1.

8 4/27/2010 Tuesday 7:17 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 2 Daylight Clear Dry Inattention 41 18

V1 headed NB on Union St. V2 headed EB on Memorial Ave failed to stop for red light and struck V2.

9 5/19/2010 Wednesday 11:14

PM



Dark - Lighted Roadway Cloudy Dry No Improper Action 22 30

V1 was headed NB on Union St and lost control, striking a light pole. Driver of V1 stated he was being chased by V2 and trying to get away.

10 5/26/2010 Thursday 1:32 PM


Not Reported

Not reported Followed too closely 34 48

V1 stopped at red light headed EB on Memorial Ave. V2 failed to stop and struck V1.




Number of

Vehicles

Light Condition

Weather Condition

Road Surface


11 5/27/2010 Thursday 11:42

AM


Not Reported

Not reported No Improper Action 60 42

V1 was traveling WB on Memorial Ave. V2 was exiting Sunoco and turning left. Two WB vehicles stopped to let V2 exit and V1 was unable to see V2 and struck V2.

12 6/9/2010 Wednesday 6:12 PM


Not Reported


V1 entered intersection on green to turn left from Memorial Ave EB to Union St. Light turned red before V1 could make turn. V1 backed up into V2.

13 6/26/2010 Saturday 11:34

AM


Not Reported

Not reported Unknown 77 32

V1 headed SB on Union St at red light, claims V2 backed into her. V2 claims V1 rear-ended her.

14 8/7/2010 Saturday 2:40 PM


Not Reported

Not reported


V1 headed NB on Union St and V2 headed WB on Memorial Ave. Both stated they had the green light and the other ran the red light, colliding with each other.

15 8/25/2010 Wednesday 5:54 PM

Non-fatal injury Angle 2 Daylight Rain Wet

Made an Improper Turn 38 33

V1 exiting Big Y onto Memorial Ave. V2 traveling EB on Memorial Ave turning right into Big Y. V2 turned too wide and struck V1.

16 9/22/2010 Wednesday 3:05 PM


Not Reported


V1 and V2 headed EB through signal at Union St/Memorial Ave. V3 stopped quick to turn left into Sunoco. V2 failed to stop in time and struck V1.

17 9/24/2010 Friday 4:29 PM



V1 exiting Sunoco. V2 traveling WB on Memorial Ave. V1 failed to yield and struck V2.

18 10/22/2010 Friday 9:39 AM


Not Reported

Not reported


V1 exiting Sunoco heading EB on Memorial. V2 exiting Big Y to head WB, failed to yield and struck V1.

19 11/1/2010 Monday 6:56 PM



Not Reported

Not reported Hit and Run 35

V1 stopped at red light on Union St NB. V2 failed to stop, rear-ending V1 and leaving the scene.

20 12/1/2010 Wednesday 4:53 PM




V1 exiting Big Y. V2 traveling EB on Memorial Ave. V1 did not see V2 due to heavy rain and struck V2.




Number of

Vehicles

Light Condition

Weather Condition

Road Surface


21 12/20/2010 Monday 3:59 PM



V1 exiting Sunoco turning left, failed to yield and struck V2 traveling EB on Memorial.

22 12/22/2010 Wednesday 4:06 PM



V1 headed WB on Memorial Ave. V2 traveling SB on Union St failed to yield at light and struck V1.

23 1/13/2011 Thursday 6:23 PM


Dark - Lighted Roadway Clear Snow No Improper Action 21 76

V1 headed WB on Memorial Ave and V2 headed SB on Union St. V2 failed to stop due to snow on roadway and struck V1.

24 6/3/2011 Friday 9:52 AM

Property damage only (none injured) Sideswipe 2 Daylight

Not Reported

Not reported

Improper Lane Change 32 40

V1 and V2 headed EB on Memorial Ave near Fire Stone. V1 changed from left lane to right lane and struck V2.

25 6/16/2011 Thursday 2:53 PM


Not Reported

Not reported


V1 headed EB on Memorial Ave. V2 failed to yield right-of-way exiting Fire Stone and struck V1.

26 8/5/2011 Friday 5:32 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 2 Daylight Cloudy Dry Inattention 18 60

V1 traveling SB exiting Sunoco to Century Plaza collided with V2 traveling WB on Memorial Ave.

27 8/9/2011 Tuesday 6:33 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 2 Daylight Rain Wet


V1 and V2 traveling EB on Memorial Ave. V2 turning left into Sunoco too wide and struck side of V1.

28 9/16/2011 Friday 10:01

AM


Not Reported


V1 and V2 on Union St stopped at red light. V1 could not go when light turned green due to congestion and attempted to back up, striking V2.

29 9/28/2011 Wednesday 10:08

PM


Dark - Lighted Roadway Rain Wet No Improper Action 25 68

V1 was stopped on Memorial Ave EB. V2 (motorcycle) failed to stop due to wet roadway and struck V1.

30 10/1/2011 Saturday 2:17 PM


Not Reported


V1 and V2 stopped at red light on Union St SB. When light turned green, V1 started to go then realized that due to heavy traffic V1 would not make it through the light before it turned red. V1 backed up into V2.

31 10/3/2011 Monday 12:45

PM Unknown Angle 2 Daylight Cloudy Dry Failed to yield right-of-way 18 23

V1 exiting Sunoco failed to yield to V2 traveling WB on Memorial Ave.

Collision



Collision

Number of

Vehicles

Light Condition

Weather Condition

Road Surface


32 10/17/2011 Monday 5:25 PM


Sideswipe, same direction 2 Daylight Clear Dry Inattention 30 50

V1 and V2 traveling WB on Memorial Ave. V1 made improper lane change and struck V2.

33 11/4/2011 Friday 1:12 PM


Not Reported

Not reported


V1 exiting Sunoco heading EB on Memorial. V2 exiting Big Y to head WB, failed to yield and struck V1.

34 11/6/2011 Sunday 11:18

AM Non-fatal injury

Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Cloudy Wet

Other Improper Action 51 23

V1(motorcycle) headed NB on Union St turning right onto Memorial Ave. V2 (bicycle) headed west crossing Fire Stone driveway. V1 struck V2 as V2 entered crosswalk.

35 11/11/2011 Friday 1:36 PM


Not Reported


V1 stopped on Union St SB. V2 failed to stop in time and struck V2.

36 1/19/2012 Thursday 3:05 PM


Not Reported Dry Inattention 41 62

V1 and V2 stopped at Union St and Memorial Ave. V1 states V2 backed into V1, while V2 states V1 rear-ended V2.

37 1/31/2012 Tuesday 4:06 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Daylight Clear Dry Inattention 55 53

V1 and V2 headed SB on Union St turning left onto Memorial Ave. V1 stopped for another vehicle. V2 was unable to stop and struck V1.

38 3/16/2012 Friday 9:54 PM



Not Reported


V1 and V2 exiting Big Y onto Memorial Ave. V2 struck rear of V1.

39 4/7/2012 Saturday 11:25

AM


Not Reported


V1 stopped at red light on Union St SB. V2 failed to stop and rear-ended V1.

40 4/21/2012 Saturday 3:52 PM



V1 headed SB on Union St. V2 turned left in front of V1 and vehicles collided.

41 5/14/2012 Monday 5:41 PM

Non-fatal injury Rear-end 2 Daylight Rain Wet No Improper Action 65 69

V1 and V2 traveling EB on Memorial approaching red light. V2 failed to stop and struck V1.

42 5/18/2012 Friday 9:09 PM



V1 attempted to exit Big Y on the wrong side of the road, realized this and attempted to back up, striking V2 who was also exiting Big Y on the correct side.




Number of

Vehicles

Light Condition

Weather Condition

Road Surface


43 8/30/2012 Thursday 3:10 PM


Not Reported


V1 stopped exiting Big Y onto Memorial Ave. V2 struck rear of V1. Driver of V2 operating with suspended license.

44 9/6/2012 Thursday 6:46 PM Fatal injury

Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Clear Dry Unknown 75 49

V1 headed WB on Memorial Avenue struck pedestrian crossing Memorial Ave in crosswalk.

45 9/17/2012 Monday 5:38 PM


Not Reported


V1 headed EB on Memorial Ave and stopped for Big E congestion. V1 attempted to back-up realizing V1 could not clear intersection and struck V2 headed NB on Union St.

46 11/6/2012 Tuesday 11:35

AM


Not Reported


V1 and V2 stopped at red light on Union St. Driver of V1 leaned over to get tissue and foot slipped off break. V1 struck V2.

47 11/27/2012 Tuesday 5:42 PM

Non-fatal injury



V1 traveling EB turning left, struck pedestrian crossing the roadway.

48 11/28/2012 Wednesday 9:21 PM



Dark - Lighted Roadway Clear Dry No Improper Action 80

V1 traveling WB on Memorial Ave, left roadway and struck object near Big Y

49 12/8/2012 Saturday 10:14

PM



Dark - Lighted Roadway Rain Wet No Improper Action 36

V1 traveling EB on Memorial Ave slid on wet pavement, tires popped and slid across to WB lanes.

50 12/11/2012 Tuesday 9:54 PM




V1 traveling EB on Memorial Ave. V2 exiting left from Sunoco failed to yield and struck V1.

51 12/26/2012 Wednesday 7:47 PM


Dark - Lighted Roadway Snow Snow No Improper Action 23 27

V1 stopped at red light headed WB on Memorial Ave. V2 slid on snow and rear-ended V1.

52 12/27/2012 Thursday 5:42 PM

Non-fatal injury



V1 traveling EB turning left, struck pedestrian crossing the roadway.

53 1/28/2013 Monday 1:03 PM Not Reported Rear-end 2 Daylight Snow Snow No Improper Action 26 34

V1 stopped on Memorial Ave WB. V2 failed to stop due to snow and struck V1.

54 2/11/2013 Monday 4:17 PM


Not Reported


V1 and V2 headed NB on Union St turning right onto Memorial Ave. V2 following too closely and struck rear of V1.



Day Crash

Severity Manner of Collision

Number of

Vehicles

Light Condition

Weather Condition

Road Surface


55 3/12/2013 Tuesday 4:50 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 3 Daylight Rain Wet Inattention 50 80

V1 traveling WB on Memorial Ave, V2 traveling SB on Union St, V3 traveling EB on Memorial Ave. V1 traveled through light as it changed to red. V2 started to move and was struck by V1, pushing V2 into V3.

56 6/15/2013 Saturday 11:16

AM


Operating defective equipment 30 75

V1 was parked at Firestone and V2 was headed EB on Memorial Ave. V1 accelerated suddenly into V2 due to brake failure.

57 6/26/2013 Wednesday 6:27 PM


Not Reported

Not reported Inattention 25 Unknown

V1 stopped at Memorial Ave/Union St. V2 failed to stop and struck V1.

58 7/4/2013 Thursday 10:17

PM



Not Reported

Not reported


V1 traveling SB on Union St turning right onto Memorial Ave. V2 exited Big Lots and made U-turn on Memorial Ave, striking V1.

59 9/19/2013 Thursday 7:14 AM


Single vehicle crash 1 Daylight Clear Dry

Over-correcting/Over-steering 20

V1 turned left illegally exiting Firestone, lost control of vehicle on puddle and collide with electrical transformer

60 9/20/2013 Friday 5:07 PM


Disregard traffic control 44 42

V2 headed SB on Union St on green and continued through as light turned red. V1 headed EB on Memorial Ave collided with V2.

61 9/22/2013 Sunday 12:51

AM



V1 and V2 headed WB on Memorial Ave. V1 was in left lane and attempted to turn right in front of V2 in right lane, striking V2.

62 11/25/2013 Monday 2:37 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Sideswipe 2 Daylight

Not Reported

Not reported Improper Lane Change 57 30

V1 and V2 headed SB on Union St. Both drivers claim other vehicle crossed into their lane, causing side-swipe.

63 12/14/2013 Saturday 11:53

AM


Not Reported Ice No Improper Action 41 56 57

V1 and V2 stopped for red light at Memorial Ave/Union St. V3 failed to stop due to slipper road and struck V2, pushing it into V1.

64 1/27/2014 Monday 2:14 PM


Not Reported

Not reported Inattention 24 Unknown

V1 stopped on Union St NB waiting to turn left. V2 failed to stop and rear-ended V1.

Collision


Crash Date Crash Day Time of Day

Crash Severity

Manner of Collision

Number of

Vehicles

Light Condition

Weather Condition

Road Surface


65 3/26/2014 Wednesday 11:36

AM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Daylight Clear Dry No Improper Action 46 43

V1, V2, and V3 headed SB on Union St turning left onto Memorial Ave. V1 stopped to turn left into Sunoco. V2 stopped, but V3 hit V2.

66 4/5/2014 Saturday 10:03

AM


Not Reported


V1 and V2 stopped on Memorial Ave EB. V2 foot slipped off brake and struck V1.

67 6/10/2014 Tuesday 2:57 PM


Not Reported


V1 stopped at light headed WB on Memorial Ave. V2 failed to stop and struck V1.

68 7/3/2014 Thursday 3:07 PM

Non-fatal injury Angle 2 Daylight Clear Wet Visibility Obstructed 39 32

V1 turning left exiting Sunoco. WB vehicle waived V1 out and V1 was struck by V2 headed WB in inside lane

69 7/18/2014 Friday 6:53 AM

Property damage only (none injured) Not reported 2 Daylight

Not Reported

Not reported Hit and Run 54 Hit and run collision

70 8/30/2014 Saturday 6:32 AM

Property damage only (none injured) Sideswipe 2 Daylight Clear Dry

Improper Lane Change 53 71

V1 and V2 headed WB on Memorial Ave. V1 changed lanes from right to left and struck V2.

71 10/29/2014 Wednesday 2:24 PM

Non-fatal injury Angle 2 Daylight Cloudy Dry


V1 turning left exiting Sunoco. V1 headed WB on Memorial Ave. V1 failed to yield and collided with V2.

72 11/11/2014 Tuesday 4:01 PM


Not Reported


V1 and V2 stopped on Union St. V2 foot slipped off brake and struck V1.

73 12/23/2014 Tuesday 12:33

AM



Not Reported


V1 stopped on Memorial Ave EB. V2 failed to stop and struck V1.

74 1/17/2015 Saturday 5:21 PM



Dark - Lighted Roadway Clear Dry No Improper Action 16

V1 turning into Big Y entrance WB slid over ice and ran up the median and struck a concrete support of a street light.



Day Crash

Severity Manner of Collision

Number of

Vehicles

Light Condition

Weather Condition

Road Surface


75 2/2/2015 Monday 1:22 PM


Sideswipe, same direction 2 Daylight Snow Snow

Failed to keep in proper lane 28 54

V1 stopped on Memorial Ave WB in LT lane. V2 (tractor trailer) stopped on Memorial Ave WB in through lane. Both attempted to turn left.

76 3/1/2015 Sunday 11:42

AM Non-fatal injury Angle 2 Daylight Snow Dry


V1 on Memorial Ave EB. V2 exiting Big Y NB.

77 3/25/2015 Wednesday 9:00 PM




V1 on Union St Ext. NB. V2 on Memorial Ave EB. V1 failed to stop at red light and struck V2. Operator fled the scene.

78 4/6/2015 Monday 10:59

AM



V1 headed SB on Union St. V2 on Union St NB turned left in front of V1 and vehicles collided.

79 4/21/2015 Tuesday 9:15 AM

Non-fatal injury Angle 2 Daylight Clear Wet Inattention 43 25

V1 on Memorial Ave EB. V2 on Memorial Ave WB turning left into 501 Memorial Ave just east of the intersection failed to yield right of way.

80 4/21/2015 Tuesday 5:12 PM



V1 headed EBL on Memorial Ave onto Union St. V2 headed WB on Memorial Ave. V1 attempted to beat the light.

81 6/12/2015 Friday 5:38 PM

Non-fatal injury Unknown 2 Daylight Clear Dry Inattention 53 47

V1 reversed out of lane in front of Big Y parking lot and struck V2 on Memorial Ave EB.

82 8/13/2015 Thursday 5:09 PM

Non-fatal injury

Single vehicle crash 4 Daylight Clear Dry No Improper Action 25 48 - 22

4 Vehicle hit and run. V1 and V2 stopped on Memorial Ave EB. V3 rear-ended V2 which was forced into V1. V4 on Memorial Ave EB could not stop in time rear-ended V3.

83 9/9/2015 Wednesday 7:48 PM



V1 on Memorial Ave EB. V2 exiting Big Y NB failed to yield right or way when existing the lot.

84 12/27/2015 Sunday 5:05 PM


Sideswipe, same direction 2


V1 on Memorial WB. V2 on Union St NB attempting a left-turn. Both claim to have green light.

85 3/6/2016 Sunday 12:23

PM Non-fatal injury Angle 2 Daylight Clear Dry


V1 on Memorial Ave WB. V2 existing F.L. Roberts SB and struck V1 at an angle.

Collision



Collision

Number of

Vehicles

Light Condition

Weather Condition

Road Surface


86 6/2/2016 Thursday 12:30

PM


Sideswipe, same direction 2 Daylight Clear Dry Inattention 28 24

V1 on Memorial Ave WB. V2 existing F.L. Roberts SB and struck V1 at an angle.

87 6/9/2016 Thursday 6:36 PM

Property damage only (none injured) Angle 2 Daylight Clear Dry Unknown 25 27

V1 outside lane and V2 inside lane on Memorial Ave EB. V2 crossed over into V1 lane and sideswiped in the same direction through the intersection.

88 6/16/2016 Thursday 12:36

PM



V1 on Memorial Ave WB. V2 existing Sunoco station SB and struck V1 at an angle.

89 6/26/2016 Sunday 1:19 PM

Non-fatal injury Angle 2 Daylight Clear Dry


V1 on Memorial Ave EB. V2 existing Sunoco station SB attempting to access Big Y parking lot and struck V1.

90 7/5/2016 Tuesday 8:30 AM

Property damage only (none injured) Rear-end 2 Daylight Cloudy Wet Inattention 44 31

V1 and V2 on Union St SB stopped at red light. V1 attempted to back up to make a right turn and struck V2.

91 8/28/2016 Sunday 7:14 PM

Non-fatal injury Head on 2 Dusk Clear Dry


V1 on Memorial Ave EB making a left turn. V2 on Memorial Ave WB. V2 ran red light and struck V1.

Appendix D. Additional Information

Appendix E. Road Safety Audit References

Road Safety Audit References Massachusetts Traffic Safety Toolbox, Massachusetts Highway Department,

www.mhd.state.ma.us/safetytoolbox.

Road Safety Audits, A Synthesis of Highway Practice. NCHRP Synthesis 336. Transportation Research Board, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, 2004.

Road Safety Audits. Institute of Transportation Engineers and U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, www.roadwaysafetyaudits.org.

FHWA Road Safety Audit Guidelines. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 2006.

Road Safety Audit, 2nd edition. Austroads, 2000.

Road Safety Audits. ITE Technical Council Committee 4S-7. Institute of Transportation Engineers, February 1995.

Documents

ROAD SAFETY AUDIT - Welcome to MassDOT · ROAD SAFETY AUDIT Memorial Avenue (Route 147) between Bridge Street and Union Street Town of West Springfield