Agenda Text
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Director of Traffic and Parking responding to items approved at the January 25, 2018 meeting.
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Official Text
To the Honorable Board:
Agenda Item 204965
That the Director of Traffic and Parking install a crosswalk at Woods Avenue and Route 16.
The intersection of Woods Ave and Route 16 is under the jurisdiction of DCR (see attached layout plan for Alewife Brook Parkway). The City of Somerville cannot install a crosswalk at this intersection. DCR is the only agency that can install a crosswalk at this location.
Agenda Item 204978
That the Director of Traffic and Parking install a “No Parking Here to Curb” sign on Highland Avenue at the west side of Porter Street, so cars exiting Porter Street can see eastbound traffic on Highland Avenue.
Traffic and Parking has conducted a site review of the intersection of Porter St at Highland Ave. Traffic and Parking agrees that the sight lines for vehicles on Porter St making a turn onto Highland Ave are not optimal. The elimination of a single parking space would only marginally increase the sight line visibility of approaching vehicles but not significantly.
Parking spaces at this location are at a premium. The loss of any parking spaces in this area would be a detriment to the neighborhood.
As the sight line visibility would only be increased minimally and the loss of parking spaces significant, Traffic and Parking does not support this request.
Agenda Item 204983
That the Director of Traffic and Parking put NO TURN signs at Perkins Street and Mt. Vernon Street to prevent cars from driving down the wrong way on Mt. Vernon Street.
There is an existing Do Not Enter sign on Mt. Vernon St SB at Perkins St. A 2nd Do Not Enter sign will be installed at this location.
Agenda Item 204997
That the Director of Traffic and Parking add a properly signed and signaled crosswalk at 45 Beacon Street to enhance safety for residents accessing the Whole Foods Market.
Beacon St is currently under a Mass DOT Reconstruction contract. The contract documents/plans do not include a crosswalk across Beacon St at the above referenced location.
When the construction project is completed and Beacon St is accepted by the City of Somerville at that time this location can be reviewed for the installation of a new crosswalk.
Agenda Item 205061
That the Director of Traffic and Parking install a sign at the mouth of Warren Avenue, instructing truck drivers to avoid that street, as they cannot proceed.
This Board Order is a de facto Heavy Commercial Vehicle/truck exclusion for Warren Ave. In order to exclude through truck traffic from a street/roadway, a Heavy Commercial Vehicle/Truck (carrying capacity of 2 ½ tons or greater) Exclusion Study for the particular roadway must be prepared and submitted to MassDOT for review and approval.
Among other requirements, the submitted Study must have the following :
- A 24 consecutive vehicle count of the roadway. The volume of heavy commercial vehicles must be in the range of 5% - 8% of the total traffic.
- The condition of the pavement structure of the route to be excluded indicates that further repeated heavy wheel loads will result in severe deterioration of the roadway.
- There must be a suitable alternate truck route available for trucks to travel. This alternate route shall have an effective width and pavement structure which can safely accommodate the additional truck traffic. The alternate route must lie wholly within the community making the application or lie partially in an adjacent community but have the adjacent community’s written approval.
Until a Truck Exclusion Study has been prepared, submitted and approved by MassDOT, the above requested sign cannot be installed at the mouth of Warren Ave.
Agenda Item 204972
That the Director of Traffic and Parking remove the leftover sign stump on Sycamore Street, at the corner of Evergreen Avenue.
The stump has been repaired and the pole and sign reinstalled.
Agenda Item 204979
That the Director of SPCD install a crosswalk on Highland Avenue at Porter Street, where a public alley connects to Hudson Street
Traffic and Parking has conducted a site review of Highland Ave at Porter St relative to the installation of a new crosswalk across Highland Ave. When Traffic and Parking surveys a location for a new crosswalk several conditions are reviewed. These conditions include adequate sight distance and stopping sight distance for a crosswalk in both directions approaching a crosswalk. A need for a crosswalk at a particular location i.e. sufficient number of pedestrians crossing the street at a location, location of nearby crosswalks and the presence of American With Disabilities Act (ADA) ramps. The reviewed location did meet the criteria for sight distance and stopping sight distance for a crosswalk. Notwithstanding the above, outside of Central Business Districts (CBD), crosswalks are generally not installed at mid- block locations. Highland Ave at Porter St would be considered a mid- block location. Studies have shown that when crosswalks are installed in mid- block locations pedestrian accidents increase. This phenomenon is caused by motorists not having proper perception reaction time to stop for a pedestrian at a location where generally a crosswalk is not expected. In addition there must be a need for a crosswalk. Pedestrian crossings in an area must be apparent. Transportation Industry/Traffic Engineering Standards require either 20 pedestrian per hour or 60 pedestrians per four hour period for a new crosswalk. This figure must be documented by a valid survey. Traffic Engineering standards also require that the distance between crosswalks a minimum of 300' and that a reasonable distance between crosswalks is 600'. The distance between Porter St and Conwell St where there is an existing crosswalk is approximately 240'. This crosswalk would be the safest area along Highland Ave in the vicinity of Porter St to cross Highland Ave. To install a new crosswalk, a new crosswalk is mandated to comply with the standards of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). These standards mandate ADA ramps (in compliance with the latest ADA ramp specifications) at each end of the crosswalk. There are no ADA ramps for a crosswalk across Highland Ave at Porter St. Based on the above, a crosswalk cannot be installed at this location.
Please contact me if I can be of further assistance.
Suzanne Rinfret
Director, Traffic and Parking