Route 1A Corridor Study in Wrentham

 

 

 

 

 

Project Manager

Chen-Yuan Wang

 

Project Principal

Mark Abbott

 

Data Analysts

Chen-Yuan Wang

Benjamin Erban

 

Graphics

Kenneth Dumas

Kim DeLauri

 

Cover Design

Kim DeLauri

 

 

The preparation of this document was supported

by the Federal Highway Administration through

MPO planning contract #95411 and MPO §5303 contract #98873.

 

Central Transportation Planning Staff

Directed by the Boston Region Metropolitan

Planning Organization. The MPO is composed of

state and regional agencies and authorities, and

local governments.

 

 

December 2017

 

 


 

 

map of the study area for the project - section of Route 1A in Wrentham


 

Abstract

 

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) selected Route 1A in Wrentham, Massachusetts, as the subject of a transportation corridor study following a comprehensive review of 25 corridors in the region. This 3.1-mile section of Route 1A, between the Wrentham Town Common and the Plainville town line, was selected because of the critical need for improvements on the corridor to address safety and mobility issues affecting motor-vehicle drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The corridor has a high crash rate overall and contains several high-crash clusters in two distinct areas, near the Wrentham Common and the Wrentham Outlets commercial district south of Interstate 495.

 

MPO staff, working with a study advisory committee that included representatives of the Town of Wrentham and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), collected data on crashes, traffic volumes and speeds, and other transportation data, conducted safety and operational analyses, and developed recommendations for short- and long-term improvements for the entire corridor. This report documents the analyses, proposed improvements, evaluations, and discussions by the advisory group members, and recommends steps toward implementation. It also includes technical appendices that contain the data and methods used in the study.

 

The benefits expected to result from implementing the major recommendations from this study include the following:

 

This study offers a vision for the corridor’s future development and presents a series of improvement measures for the corridor to operate safely and efficiently. Significant effort and collaboration on the part of all stakeholders, including the Town of Wrentham, residents, owners of adjacent developments, and MassDOT, will be required to achieve this vision.   

table of CONTENTS

 

Abstract

Chapter 1—Introduction

1.1      Study Background

1.2      Study Objectives

1.3      Selection Procedure

1.4      Study Area and Data Collection

1.5      Study Advisory Committee Meetings

Chapter 2—Existing Conditions and Issues

2.1      Corridor Location

2.2      Transit Service

2.3      Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities

2.4      Roadway Conditions and Adjacent Land Uses

2.4.1      Route 1A from Route 140 to Creek Street

2.4.2      Route 1A from Creek Street to I-495 Interchange

2.4.3      Route 1A from I-495 Interchange to Plainville Town Line

2.5      Issues and Concerns

Chapter 3—Roadway Operations Analysis

3.1      Daily Traffic Volumes

3.2      Intersection Traffic, Pedestrian, and Bicycle Volumes

3.3      Intersection Capacity Analyses

3.4      Roadway Travel Speeds

Chapter 4—Crash Data Analysis

4.1      Crash Locations and Crash Clusters

4.2      Crash Rates

4.3      Pedestrian and Bicycle Crashes

4.4      Collision Diagrams and Crash Statistics

Chapter 5—Proposed Improvements

5.1      Route 1A from Route 140 to Creek Street

5.2      Long-term Improvement Plans for the Wrentham Common Area

5.3      Route 1A from Creek Street to I-495 Interchange

5.4      Route 1A from I-495 Interchange to Plainville Town Line

5.5      Potential Use of Existing Utility Corridor as a Multi-Use Trail

5.6      Analyses of Proposed Long-Term Improvements under Projected Future-Year (2040) Traffic Conditions

Chapter 6—Summary and Recommendations

 

table of tables

Table 1. Proposed Improvements: Route 1A from Route 140 to Creek Street

Table 2. Proposed Improvements: Route 1A from Creek Street to I-495 Interchange

Table 3. Proposed Improvements: Route 1A from I-495 Interchange to Plainville Town Line

 

table of figures

Figure 1. Study Area Map: Route 1A Corridor in Wrentham

Figure 2. Daily Traffic Volumes

Figure 3. Weekday Peak-Hour Traffic and Pedestrian Volumes at Major Intersections

Figure 4. Saturday Peak-Hour Traffic and Pedestrian Volumes at Selected Intersections

Figure 5. Weekday Intersection Capacity Analyses

Figure 6. Saturday Intersection Capacity Analyses

Figure 7. Speed Regulations and Estimated 85th Percentile Speeds

Figure 8. Crash Locations (MassDOT Crash Data 2009–13)

Figure 9. Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Route 1A from Route 140 to Creek Street

Figure 10. Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Wrentham Common Area Plan A

Figure 11. Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Wrentham Common Area Plan B

Figure 12. Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Wrentham Common Area Plan C

Figure 13. Projected 2040 Weekday Peak-Hour Traffic Volumes: Wrentham Common Area Improvement Plans

Figure 14. 2040 Weekday Peak-Hour Intersection Capacity Analyses: Wrentham Common Area Improvement Plans

Figure 15. Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Route 1A from Creek Street to I-495 Interchange

Figure 16. Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Route 1A from I-495 Interchange to Plainville Town Line

Figure 17. Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Route 1A from I-495 Interchange to Premium Outlets Boulevard

Figure 18. Projected 2040 Weekend Peak-Hour Traffic Volumes and Intersection Capacity Analyses with Proposed Improvements: Route 1A from I-495 Interchange to Premium Outlets Boulevard

Figure 19. 2040 Weekday Intersection Capacity Analyses with Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Route 1A in Wrentham

 

 

appendices

Appendix A. Participants in Study Advisory Meetings, April 13–September 12, 2017

Appendix B. Pedestrian Report Card Assessment

Appendix C. Intersection Capacity Analyses, Weekday AM/PM Peak Hour, 2017 Existing Conditions

Appendix D. Preliminary Traffic-Signal and Multiway-Stop Warrants Analyses

Appendix E. Intersection Capacity Analyses, Saturday Midday Peak Hour, 2017 Existing Conditions

Appendix F. Corridor and Segment Crash-Rate Worksheets

Appendix G. Intersection Crash-Rate Worksheets

Appendix H. Collision Diagrams and Crash Statistics

Appendix I. Intersection Capacity Analyses, 2040 Weekday AM/PM Peak Hour—Wrentham Common Improvement Plan A

Appendix J. Intersection Capacity Analyses, 2040 Weekday AM/PM Peak Hour—Wrentham Common Improvement Plan B

Appendix K. Intersection Capacity Analyses, 2040 Weekday AM/PM Peak Hour—Wrentham Common Improvement Plan C

Appendix L. Preliminary Analyses of Modern Roundabout Option, Route 1A at Route 140 and Route 140 at Common Street

Appendix M. Intersection Capacity Analyses, 2040 Weekend Midday Peak Hour—Route 1A from I-495 to Premium Outlets Boulevard with Proposed Improvements

Appendix N. Intersection Capacity Analyses, Weekday AM/PM Peak Hour—Projected 2040 Traffic Conditions with Proposed Improvements

Appendix O. MassDOT Project Development Process

 

Chapter 1—Introduction

 

1.1      Study Background

During the development of the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) and the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) conducts outreach to the public, municipalities, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) subregional groups, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to gather feedback and identify transportation problems of concern. Many of the issues identified are related to bicycle and pedestrian accommodation, freight movement, traffic bottlenecks, safety of roadway users, and safe or convenient access for abutters along roadway corridors. These issues can affect not only safety and mobility on a roadway and its side streets, but also quality of life, economic development, and air quality.

 

To address identified concerns, the MPO conducts the Addressing Safety, Mobility, and Access on Subregional Priority Roadways study each year. The purpose of these studies is to identify roadway segments in the Boston region that are of concern to stakeholders, but that have not been identified in the LRTP regional needs assessment. 1 The Subregional Priority Roadways studies focus on arterial or collector roadways and result in recommendations for short- and long-term improvements. Funding for the Route 1A Corridor Study in Wrentham was documented in the federal fiscal year (FFY) 2017 UPWP and a work program approved by the MPO on December 1, 2016. 2

 

1.2      Study Objectives

The Route 1A Corridor Study in Wrentham focused on issues related to safety, mobility, and access, as well as specific issues concerning bicycle and pedestrian transportation, multi-use trail feasibility, and other subjects raised by the stakeholders.

 

The objectives of the study were as follows:

1.3      Selection Procedure

The MPO selected the Route 1A corridor in Wrentham to study through a process that involved assessing potential study locations on 25 roadway corridors in the Boston region. The potential study locations were identified from various sources: suggestions heard during the outreach process for the FFY 2017 UPWP; concerns documented in meeting records from the UPWP outreach process during the past five years; and the MPO’s Congestion Management Process (CMP). The MPO staff assembled detailed data about these roadways and evaluated them according to five selection criteria:

 

 

The Route 1A corridor in Wrentham contains several high-crash locations that must be improved for the safety and mobility of motor-vehicle and truck drivers, transit riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Major portions of the corridor have the potential to be redesigned as a Complete Streets roadway. 4  Improvements to the study site are strongly supported by all stakeholders, including the Town of Wrentham and MassDOT.

 

1.4      Study Area and Data Collection

The study area is a 3.1-mile section of Route 1A between Route 140 near the Wrentham Common to the Plainville town line. All segments of the corridor are under the jurisdiction of MassDOT Highway Division District 5.

 

At the request of MPO staff, MassDOT collected traffic volume data, spot speed data, and intersection turning movement counts (including pedestrian and bicycle movements and the percentage of heavy vehicles) for this study. The data were collected in spring 2017, between May 15 and May 21. The period covers week and weekend days for analysis purposes. MPO staff also collected information from the Town of Wrentham and MassDOT, including recent transportation and land-use studies, information about prospective developments, and multiple-year police crash reports.

 

1.5      Study Advisory Committee Meetings

During the course of the study, MPO staff worked closely with an advisory group whose members included representatives of the Town of Wrentham and MassDOT. (See Appendix A for a complete list of advisory committee members.) Two advisory committee meetings were held to guide and support the study.

 

In the first meeting (April 13, 2017), MPO staff introduced the study, received input about the corridor’s issues and concerns, and coordinated data collection. In the second meeting (September 12, 2017), MPO staff reviewed the findings and the proposed improvements with advisory committee members. After the meetings, staff received comments and revised the proposed improvements accordingly.

 

 

Chapter 2—Existing Conditions and Issues

 

2.1      Corridor Location

Route 1A in Massachusetts is a 95-mile long state highway that runs north to south, from Salisbury Beach at the New Hampshire border to Attleboro at the Rhode Island border. Route 1A connects to four interstate highways (I-95, I-495, I-93, and I-90) and several state highways, and it serves many cities and towns, including Boston.

 

In Wrentham, Route 1A connects I-495 and Route 140 and carries a high proportion of regional traffic. It also is the most significant roadway in town that local residents frequently use to reach the downtown and adjacent communities.

 

The Route 1A study corridor, South Street, is approximately 3.1 miles from Route 140 near the Wrentham Common to the Plainville town. All segments of the corridor are classified as a minor urban arterial. As shown in Figure 1, the corridor connects I-495, Route 140 (principal urban arterial), and three other minor urban arterials, i.e., Route 121 (West Street), Taunton Street, and Creek Street.

 

2.2      Transit Service

The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) provides bus service to 28 communities from Southern Norfolk County and Northern Bristol County to Plymouth County and in the South Shore area.

 

GATRA’s Tri-Town Connector bus route runs between Norfolk Station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail system to the Big Y Supermarket in the Town of Franklin via Route 1A and Route 140. Although the route does not travel in the study corridor, it has a major stop at the intersection of Route 1A and Route 140.

 

The Tri-Town Connector provides eleven round trips during weekdays (six in the morning and five in the afternoon) and eight round trips on Saturday. The frequency of service appears to be sufficient to meet demand, since the buses are not overcrowded.

 

2.3      Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities

Sidewalks exist on both sides of Route 1A in the downtown area of Wrentham from Route 140 to Randall Road. Sidewalks are present only on the north side Route 1A from Randall Road to the intersection of Route 1A at Route 121 (also known as Wampum Corner). No sidewalks exist in the corridor south of Wampum Corner, except a limited section under the bridges of I-495.

No bicycle lanes or separated bicycle lanes exist along the corridor. Roadway shoulders, generally two feet or less in width, are too narrow to accommodate bicycles.

 

There is an electric utility corridor running parallel to Route 1A from Route 140 to the Plainville town line via Wampum Corner and Wrentham Village Premium Outlets (Figure 1). This utility corridor, formerly the right-of-way of the Old Colony Railroad Wrentham Branch, is currently unpaved but graveled for utility maintenance. Since Route 140 is a designated regional bicycle route, residents in the region would benefit if the corridor could be developed into a safe multi-use trail.  

 

MPO staff evaluated the pedestrian accommodation and safety improvement needs for the corridor by applying the Pedestrian Report Card Assessment tool that the MPO recently developed. 5 This tool can be used to grade a given roadway for the quality of pedestrian travel it provides. The assessment for Route 1A in Wrentham indicates that the corridor highly qualifies as in need of improvements for pedestrian accommodation and safety. Appendix B contains detailed results of the assessment.

 

2.4      Roadway Conditions and Adjacent Land Uses

The roadway conditions and adjacent land uses of the corridor vary considerably. Based on the different land-use characteristics, the corridor may be divided into the three sections described below.

 

2.4.1   Route 1A from Route 140 to Creek Street

The section of Route 1A from Route 140 to Creek Street is about one-half mile in length and includes the intersections of Route 1A at Route 140 and at Creek Street. It is a two-lane roadway. The majority of the section is in the downtown business district between Route 140 and Randall Road. It contains a number of local stores, shops, restaurants, Town Hall, and the town’s central open space, Wrentham Common, which occupies the area south of Route 1 near the Route 140 intersection. South of Randall Road, the adjacent land use is primarily residential.

 

Route 140 and Taunton Street join Route 1A and bring additional cross-town and local traffic to the Wrentham Common area. Traffic is busy during peak travel hours, especially during the evening commuting hours. Pedestrians, attracted to Wrentham Common and Sweatt Park and the stores in the downtown area, are active during noontime and evening hours.

 

Sidewalks (five feet or more in width) exist on both sides along Route 1A from Route 140 to Randall Road. South of Randall Road, sidewalks exist only along the north side of the roadway. The sidewalks are separated from the roadway by a five-foot grass traffic buffer.

 

There are 50 on-street parking spaces along both sides of Route 1A from Wrentham Common to the Town Hall. More than half of them (30 spaces) are angle parking; all of these spaces are located on the north side adjacent to the local stores. The angle-parked vehicles block the views of drivers and crossing pedestrians, and vehicles backing out of the spaces often interfere with Route 1A traffic.

 

Route 1A at Route 140 is signalized but the signal control system is outdated. Route 1A at Common Street is unsignalized, with the Common Street approach under stop control. Common Street, connecting Route 1A and Route 140 diagonally, serves as a short cut between the two arterials. The stop-controlled Common Street is congested during weekday peak hours, especially in the evening.

 

Route 1A at Creek Street is unsignalized, with the Creek Street approach under stop control. Creek Street is a popular route that drivers traveling to and from Route 140 use to bypass the congested Route 1A/Route 140 intersection. The stop-controlled Creek Street approach is usually congested during peak hours.

 

2.4.2   Route 1A from Creek Street to I-495 Interchange

The section of Route 1A from Creek Street south to the I-495 interchange is about one and a half miles long. It is a two-lane roadway that passes through a primarily residential district, except for some commercial developments in the vicinity of Wampum Corner (the junction of Route 1A and Route 121).

 

Sidewalks (generally five feet wide) with five-foot grass buffers exist on the north side of Route 1A from Creek Street to Wampum Corner. South of Wampum Corner, no sidewalks exist on either side. There are no bike lanes and roadway shoulders are generally two feet or less in width.

 

There are two major intersections in this section of Route 1A. One, at the intersection of Route 1A and Route 121, has been recently signalized. Traffic is busy during peak hours, but the intersection generally operates acceptably with no major congestion. Vehicles usually can pass the intersection within a signal cycle.

 

The other, at the intersection of Route 1A and Beach Street, is unsignalized, with the Beach Street approach under stop control. Beach Street is a local street connecting Route 1A and Taunton Street and is frequently used by drivers as a short cut to reach Route 1 to the south via Taunton Street. The stop-controlled Beach Street can be congested at times during the peak hours, especially in the evening.

 

2.4.3   Route 1A from I-495 Interchange to Plainville Town Line

The section of Route 1A from the I-495 northbound ramps to the Plainville town line is approximately one mile in length. The two-lane roadway widens to four lanes at the I-495 interchange and continues as four lanes through Wrentham Village Premium Outlets to Wrentham Crossing. South of the Wrentham Crossing intersection, it tapers down to two lanes to the Plainville town line.

 

The adjacent areas in this section of Route 1A are commercial and industrial districts. Wrentham Village Premium Outlets, a very popular large-scale outlet mall, dominates the area west and southwest of the I-495/Route 1A interchange. The mall contains more than 2,000 parking spaces and can only be accessed from Route 1A. Wrentham Crossing was developed recently and is still on the market for undetermined commercial uses. The areas south of Wrentham Crossing are mostly undeveloped land.

 

There are four signalized intersections in this section: Route 1A at the I-495 northbound ramps, Route 1A at the I-495 southbound ramps, Route 1A at Premium Outlets Boulevard, and Route 1A at Wrentham Crossing. Traffic signals at the four intersections are coordinated to advance Route 1A traffic flows.

 

Traffic at the I-495 interchange during weekday peak commuting hours is busy but not overly congested. However, during weekend peak shopping hours, traffic to and from the outlets mall is heavy and can at times affect the interchange operations. On holidays and significant weekends, such as the back-to-school weekend, the extensive traffic attracted by the mall can seriously affects the interchange operations.

 

2.5      Issues and Concerns

Based on discussions with the study advisory committee members and data analyses, major issues and concerns of the corridor are as follows:

 

Issues and concerns about specific locations in the corridor, where analyses identified safety and operational problems, and the proposed improvements are summarized by location in Chapter 5.

 

Chapter 3—Roadway Operations Analysis

 

3.1      Daily Traffic Volumes

Daily traffic volumes are the fundamental data for analyzing traffic intensity and patterns in a roadway corridor. MassDOT conducted Automatic Traffic Recorder (ATR) traffic counts at a number of locations in the corridor and on adjacent streets during the weekday period of May 15 (Monday) to May 19 (Friday), 2017.

 

Figure 2 shows daily traffic volumes at these locations. The numbers in the graphic represent average daily directional volumes collected this May. The two tables in the graphic further summarize the data by count locations, directional split, combined volume of both directions, and adjusted annual average daily traffic (AADT). 

 

The May counts show that the corridor carried a wide range of daily traffic volumes. The busiest section of Route 1A, between the I-495 southbound ramps and Premium Outlets Boulevard, carried nearly 25,000 vehicles per day. The section between downtown Wrentham and Wampum Corner carried about 17,000 to 19,000 vehicles per day. The section from Wampum Corner to I-495 carried about 13,500 vehicles per day, less than all other sections in the corridor.

 

Traffic volumes in May were somewhat higher than the annual average. Adjusted for the seasonal factors, the busiest section of Route 1A, between the I-495 southbound ramps and Premium Outlets Boulevard, carried about 23,000 AADT and the section between downtown Wrentham and Wampum Corner carried about 16,000 to 18,000 AADT.

 

3.2      Intersection Traffic, Pedestrian, and Bicycle Volumes

In addition to daily traffic counts, MassDOT collected turning movement counts at major intersections in the study corridor, including vehicle movements (by vehicle types), bicycle movements, and pedestrian crossings. These data were collected during the morning peak period (7:00 AM – 9:00 AM) and the evening peak period (4:00 PM – 6:00 PM) on Thursday, May 18, 2017, and during the midday peak period (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM) on Saturday, May 20, 2017. MPO staff then identified the peak hour in each of the peak periods for use in various traffic operational analyses.

 

Figure 3 shows the weekday peak-hour traffic and pedestrian volumes at major intersections in the corridor. In general, the Route 1A intersections carried about 1,500 to 2,200 entering vehicles per AM or PM peak hour. The intersections of Route 1A at Route 140 and at Premium Outlets Boulevard carried about 500 more vehicles than the other intersections. Figure 3 also shows the weekday traffic volumes at the three unsignalized intersections on the roadways around Wrentham Common. They all carried about 900 to 1,200 vehicles per peak hour. The pedestrian crossings mainly occurred at the intersections in the downtown area. There were nearly 40 pedestrian crossings at the Common Street intersection and about 10 crossings at the Route 140 intersection the PM peak hour.

 

The turning movement counts provide a snapshot of bicycle activities in the corridor. On Thursday, May 18, the corridor carried two to four bicycles in the AM peak hour and two to three bicycles in the PM peak hour. The bicyclists mostly traveled between downtown Wrentham and Wampum Corner; these trips were likely commuter trips. On Saturday, May 20, more bicycles (four to six per hour) were observed to travel in the corridor between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. Compared to the weekday counts, the Saturday counts show more bicycle activity in Wrentham Common area and the Route 1A section south of I-495. The turning movement counts were collected in the springtime. The corridor’s pedestrian and bicycle volumes presumably would be higher in the summertime.

 

Figure 4 shows the Saturday peak-hour traffic and pedestrian volumes at selected intersections in the corridor. Most intersections in the downtown and Wrentham Common area carried less traffic (about 10 percent) in the Saturday peak-hour than in the weekday PM peak hour. The Common Street intersection had about 50 pedestrian crossings during the Saturday peak hour, more than the crossings in the weekday PM peak hour.

 

On Saturdays, traffic in the I-495 interchange area increases significantly during midday shopping hours. The intersections at the I-495 southbound ramps and Premium Outlets Boulevard carried about 30 to 42 percent more traffic in the Saturday peak hour than in the weekday PM peak hour.

 

It is essential to examine the amount of heavy-vehicle traffic in a study corridor, as an unusually high percentage of heavy vehicles (trucks and buses) may seriously affect roadway operations. The weekday turning movement counts by vehicle type indicate that, on average, at most intersections in the corridor heavy vehicles accounted for about five percent to 10 percent of the traffic in the AM peak hour and about one percent to two percent in the PM peak hour. The percentage of heavy-vehicle traffic was higher at the locations south of I-495, accounting for between eight to 16 percent of the traffic in the AM peak hour and two to three percent in the PM peak hour. The percentage of heavy-vehicle traffic in the Saturday peak hour was similar to that of the PM peak hour at all the major intersections.

 

Data on the percentage of heavy-vehicle traffic by direction of approach to the major intersections are counted in the traffic analyses and the traffic simulation models used in this study. The capacity analyses detailed in the following sections indicate that the existing percentages do not seriously affect traffic operations at any of the intersections.

 

3.3      Intersection Capacity Analyses

Based on the turning movement counts, MPO staff constructed peak-hour traffic models for the entire corridor and conducted capacity analyses for major intersections by using the Synchro traffic analysis and simulation program. 6 The model set consisted of weekday AM, weekday PM, and Saturday midday peak-hour models, with scenarios that assumed existing conditions and various proposed improvement alternatives.

 

Figure 5 shows the results of weekday AM and PM peak-hour capacity analyses for existing conditions at major intersections in the corridor and the level-of-service (LOS) each intersection provides. The LOS was determined based on criteria from the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM). 7 The HCM defines LOS—using a qualitative scale from A to F—for signalized and unsignalized intersections as a function of the average vehicle control delay. 8 For the intersections in a metropolitan urban area, LOS A, B, and C are considered desirable; LOS D and E are considered acceptable; and LOS F is considered undesirable.

 

The signalized intersections on the Route 1A corridor in Wrentham generally operate at LOS C or better in both the peak AM and PM hours, except the intersection of Route 1A at Route 140. The Route 140 intersection operates at LOS F in the PM peak hour. The poor LOS is mainly caused by traffic congestion on the Route 140 northbound approach and the average delay is estimated as more than two minutes per vehicle. The northbound approach has only one lane shared by all movements. Vehicles traveling through the intersection and those making right-turn movements are frequently blocked by left-turning vehicles. Details of the analyses for major intersections in the Synchro 2017 AM and PM models are included in Appendix C.

 

At the unsignalized intersection of Route 1A at Common Street, the westbound approach is estimated to operate at LOS F, with an average delay of more than two minutes in the AM and PM peak hours. MPO staff conducted a preliminary analysis of the need for a traffic signal at the intersection.9 The analysis found that a traffic signal is justified at the intersection, as Warrant 1 (Eight-Hour Vehicular Volume) and Warrant 2 (Four-Hour Vehicular Volume) are satisfied based on the May counts. Appendix D contains the preliminary analysis of signal needs for this and other unsignalized intersections in the study corridor. 10  

 

Figure 6 shows Saturday midday peak-hour capacity analyses for existing conditions at selected intersections in the corridor. In the Wrentham Common and downtown areas, all the intersections operate at an acceptable LOS, including the intersections at Route 140 and at Common Street. However, the northbound approach of the Route 140 intersection and the westbound approach of the Common Street intersection operate at LOS F and there are noticeable delays.

 

In the commercial area around the 1-495 interchange, Saturday peak-hour traffic operations at major intersections deteriorate somewhat from the weekday PM peak hour. The intersection of Route 1A and the I-495 southbound ramps operates at acceptable LOS C, but vehicles on the eastbound left-turn approach (from I-495 southbound to Route 1A northbound) endure extensive delays. The intersection of Route 1A and Premium Outlets Boulevard operates at acceptable LOS C; however, the eastbound left-turn approach (from the mall to Route 1A northbound) operates at LOS E. The left-turning vehicles can use both the inside lane and the center lane (shared with through moving vehicles). The center lane is usually underutilized, however, because the lane designation signs are poorly placed and visitors to the area are not aware that they can turn from that lane.

 

Details of the analyses for major intersections in the Synchro Saturday midday peak-hour model are included in Appendix E.

 

3.4      Roadway Travel Speeds

Wrentham residents have expressed concern about the travel speeds on the Route 1A corridor. In order to examine the prevailing travel speeds versus regulated speeds, MPO staff asked MassDOT to collect spot-speed data during the period when automatic traffic counts were being conducted, from May 15 to May 20, 2017.

 

Figure 7 shows the existing speed regulations and estimated 85th percentile speed at selected locations in the corridor, based on spot-speed counts collected from automatic traffic recorders. The 85th percentile speed is the speed at or below which 85 percent of vehicles passing a given point are traveling, and is the principal value used to establish speed controls by the state.

 

Currently, the posted speed limit on most sections of the corridor is 40 miles per hour (mph) in both directions, except the sections in the downtown area and at Wampum Corner. The sections with other regulated travel speeds are as follows:

 

Most of the speed limit signs for these regulations are placed appropriately along Route 1A, except one on the southbound approach toward Wampum Corner. There is a warning sign, stating “Reduced Speed Limit (20 mph) Ahead,” about 1,500 feet before Wampum Corner, but the speed limit sign itself is difficult for drivers to observe. The sign is located too far from the roadside and hidden by foliage from the adjacent property.     

 

The estimated 85th percentile speeds recorded at the four selected locations on Route 1A generally were one to three mph higher than the regulated speeds, except at the section between Wampum Corner and I-495 where the 85th percentile speed was estimated to be six to seven mph higher than the regulated speed.

 

While the prevailing speeds in the corridor may appear high, the estimated speeds at the four locations indicate that they are all within the acceptable range. 11 No modifications of speed regulation in the corridor are currently proposed. Before any speed regulation could be changed, an engineering study, using speed data collected from radar or laser guns, would have to be undertaken. 12


 

Chapter 4—Crash Data Analysis

 

4.1      Crash Locations and Crash Clusters

Crash data are an essential resource for identifying safety and operational problems in a study area. Analyzing data on the number of crashes and types of collisions that occur at particular locations, and the circumstances under which crashes occur, such as the time of day and roadway surface conditions, also helps to develop improvement strategies. For this study, MPO staff collected two datasets:

 

 

Staff used the MassDOT data to examine crash locations and identify high-crash locations. The police crash reports were used to construct collision diagrams and estimate crash rates for identifying safety and operational problems at the major intersections and in different segments of the corridor.

 

Figure 8 shows the crash locations and crash clusters in the corridor, based on the MassDOT data. Based on MassDOT’s crash cluster data for the years 2012 through 2014, there are five noticeable crash clusters.13 The most significant cluster is at the intersection Route 1A and Premium Outlets Boulevard, where 97 crashes occurred in the three-year period. This location is ranked 22nd among the top 200 crash locations statewide in for that period. The value of the crash severity for this location, as estimated using the Equivalent Property Damage Only (EPDO) scale, is 181.14

 

The other four crash cluster locations are eligible to receive funding through MassDOT’s Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) because they are ranked in the top five percent of crash locations in the Boston Region MPO area, based on 2012–14 MassDOT crash cluster data. The four locations are as follows:

 

 

4.2      Crash Rates

MPO staff estimated that the entire 3.1-mile corridor has a crash rate of 4.53 crashes per million vehicle-miles traveled (MVMT), based on the recent three-year WPD crash reports and an average of the recently collected traffic counts. This crash rate is higher than the statewide average for minor principal arterials (3.70 crashes per MVMT, updated January 2017, based on 2014 crash data).

 

Further, staff estimated the corridor crash rates by four segments based on the adjacent land uses of the roadway. The segment crash rates are as follows:

 

 

The crash rates for the segments in the business and commercial districts are much higher than the state average crash rate, especially the segment between I-495 and Premium Outlets Boulevard. Appendix F contains worksheets showing the crash rate calculations for the corridor segments.

 

Staff also estimated the crash rates at major intersections in the corridor and at Wrentham Common, based on the WPD data and the intersection traffic counts. The crash rate estimated for the signalized intersections are as follows:

 

 

The average crash rate for signalized intersections in MassDOT District 5 is 0.76 crashes per MEV (updated February 2016, based on 2015 crash data). All the signalized intersections above have a crash rate higher than the district average. The crash rate for Route 1A at Route 121 is just above the district average. The two intersections in the I-495 commercial district, Route 1A at the I-495 southbound ramps and at Premium Outlets Boulevard, have a crash rate much higher than the district average.  

The crash rate estimated for the unsignalized intersections in the corridor are as follows:

 

The average crash rate for unsignalized intersections in MassDOT District 5 is 0.58 crashes per MEV. The three intersections at Wrentham Common—Route 1A at Common Street, Common Street at Taunton Street, and Common Street at Route 140—all have a crash rate higher than the district average. The Creek Street intersection has a crash rate almost equal to the district average. Appendix G contains worksheets showing the crash rate calculations for the intersections in the corridor.

 

4.3      Pedestrian and Bicycle Crashes

Figure 8 shows the locations of crashes in the corridor that involved pedestrians and bicyclists, based on both 2010–14 MassDOT crash data and 2014-16 WPD data.16 In total, two pedestrian crashes and one bicycle crash were identified in the seven-year period. The locations, dates, times, and conditions of these crashes are summarized below.

 

 

4.4      Collision Diagrams and Crash Statistics

To investigate safety and operational problems further, MPO staff constructed collision diagrams for the entire corridor—for major intersections and roadway segments between those intersections—based on recent three-year WPD crash reports. The police crash reports, containing descriptions of how and where those crashes occurred, are useful in constructing collision diagrams.

 

Appendix H presents the collision diagrams for locations in the corridor. It also contains a series of tables summarizing the crash data used for each location. The summary statistics include crash severity (property damage only, non-fatal injury, fatality, or unknown), collision type (single-vehicle, rear-end, angle, sideswipe, head-on, rear-to-rear, or unknown), pedestrian or bicycle involvement, time of day, pavement conditions, and light conditions.

 

The collision diagrams are useful in identifying safety and operational problems at major intersections or roadway segments in the corridor. The identified problems are discussed in the context of proposed improvements in the next chapter.       

 

Chapter 5—Proposed Improvements

 

Based on the analyses described in the previous chapters, MPO staff developed a series of short- and long-term improvements to address safety and operational problems on the Route 1A corridor in Wrentham. Short-term improvements generally can be implemented within two years at relatively low cost. Long-term improvements are more complicated and cover larger areas, and require intensive planning and design, and significant funding. As the corridor covers an extensive length of roadway with different land-use characteristics, we describe the proposed improvements in the three sections below.

 

5.1      Route 1A from Route 140 to Creek Street

Table 1 lists the proposed short- and long-term improvements for the section of Route 1A from Route 140 (Franklin Street/East Street) to Creek Street, and documents the issues and concerns associated with this section of Route 1A. Recommendations are provided for the roadway section overall and for specific locations, as well as for roadway and intersections in and around Wrentham Common, as they are interrelated to the Route 1A operations in the downtown area.

 

Major issues and concerns in the section include the following:

 

 

Proposed short-term improvements for this section of Route 1A include the following:

 

 

As shown in Figure 9, the proposed long-term improvements in the segment include the following:

 

 

5.2      Long-term Improvement Plans for the Wrentham Common Area

MPO staff proposed three long-term improvement plans for the Wrentham Common area.

 

As shown in Figure 10, major components of the proposed Plan A improvements include the following:

 

 

As shown in Figure 11, major components of the proposed Plan B improvements include the following:

 

 

As shown in Figure 12, major components of the proposed Plan C improvements include the following:

 

 

Staff developed and designed the three conceptual plans based on examination of projected future-year (2040) traffic volumes and capacity analyses resulting from Synchro models. Figure 13 shows the projected 2040 AM and PM traffic volumes at the major intersections in the Wrentham Common area assuming the proposed roadway layout and traffic controls in the three improvement plans. Figure 14 shows the intersection capacity analyses at major intersections, based on the projected 2040 traffic volumes, for the three plans.  

 

The projected 2040 traffic volumes represent about 12 percent total growth from the current year.19 Traffic circulation patterns in the three plans are different because of each plan’s individual street layout in and around Wrentham Common. The traffic pattern in Plan A would be similar to the existing conditions. The traffic pattern in Plan B would be slightly different from Plan A, as most of the northbound traffic on David Brown Way would divert to East Street northbound via Common Street southbound.

 

The traffic pattern in Plan C would be quite different from Plans A and B. As Common Street would be disconnected from Route 140, the majority traffic on the street would divert to South Street (Route 1A) and East Street (Route 140), via the intersection of Route 1A and Route 140. As a result, the intersection would require a larger layout than Plans A and B in order to accommodate the increased traffic.

 

As shown in Figure 14, the 2040 peak-hour capacity analyses indicate that major intersections in all the three proposed plans would all operate at desirable or acceptable LOS during peak traffic hours. In addition, the proposed stop control changes at the intersection of Common Street and Taunton Street would reduce travel speeds on Common Street and improve safety for all users, especially for pedestrians. Synchro capacity analysis reports for major intersections in the three proposed plans under the projected 2040 traffic conditions are included in Appendices I, J, and K.

 

Staff also examined the possibility of installing modern roundabouts at two intersections: Route 1A at Route 140, and Route 140 at Common Street. Preliminary Synchro tests of the Route 1A and Route 140 intersection indicate that a double-lane roundabout would be required for acceptable traffic circulation at that location. The roundabout would require an inscribe circle measuring about 170 to 180 feet in diameter. The circle would take up Bank Street and the flag-pole square. This option would require potential land taking at two corners of the intersection and the removal of some on-street parking.

 

Synchro tests of the Route 140 and Common Street intersection indicate that a single-lane roundabout would operate acceptably. However, the roundabout would require a 130-foot diameter inscribed circle (not including sidewalks). Although the intersection is located in a relatively wide section of Route 140, substantial land taking on adjacent properties would be required.

 

The analyses indicate that a modern roundabout may not be suitable at either of the two locations. Appendix L contains the preliminary analyses with draft conceptual layouts of the roundabout options.

 

Staff discussed the three proposed plans with the study advisory committee members at the September 12, 2017, meeting. The members generally favored Plan A or Plan B instead of Plan C, mainly because of the consideration that Plan C would increase traffic at the Route 1A and Route 140 intersection and would potentially require land taking from the Wrentham Common.

 

The option of turning Common Street into a one-way street was discussed, but this option was not favored because of the consideration that traffic would increase on Route 1A and Route 140 (in the direction opposite to the one-way street) and that the one-way operation would potentially allow for fast moving traffic.

 

Study advisory committee members also concurred that converting on-street angle parking to parallel parking has several advantages, despite that a number of parking spaces would be lost in the conversion, including reducing traffic congestion and crashes on Route 1A and improving safety and mobility for pedestrians. The loss of parking spaces would be compensated by the additional parking spaces proposed in the three long-term improvement plans. Also, more parking spaces adjacent to the downtown business district could be available from an improvement plan for the Town Hall parking lot.20

 

Reverse (back-in/head-out) angle parking was discussed in the meeting. This option is not a recommendation of this study because of the considerations of the high traffic volumes on Route 1A, the roadway’s limited width, and drivers’ unfamiliarity with this parking maneuver.21 However, this type of parking does have an advantage: from the reverse angle parking position, drivers have a better view of on-road bicycles. This option should be further explored at the design stage.

 

In summary, the three proposed plans would provide general functionality for motorists, slow down traffic on Common Street, and improve safety and mobility for all users at major intersections in the Wrentham Common and downtown area. At this preliminary planning stage, this study does not recommend a specific plan. The three proposed plans can be used by the Town to discuss and advance a final transportation improvement plan for the area.

 

5.3      Route 1A from Creek Street to I-495 Interchange

Table 2 lists the proposed short- and long-term improvements for the section of Route 1A from Creek Street to I-495. Major issues and concerns in the segment include the following:

 

 

Proposed short-term improvements in the segment include the following:

 

 

As shown in Figure 15, proposed long-term improvements in the segment include the following:

 

 

Staff reviewed the Town’s on-line assessors’ maps and estimated that the segments of Route 1A from Creek Street to Route 121 generally have a right-of-way width of about 55 to 60 feet and the segments from Route 121 to I-495 generally have wider right-of-way of about 60 to 70 feet. The proposed additional or new sidewalks and five-foot shoulders for bicycle accommodation would be feasible in most sections without land takings.

 

Staff proposes wide shoulders, instead of striped (designated) or separated bicycle lanes, for bicycle accommodation because they are more suitable for suburban arterials with low volumes of bicycle traffic. Also, shoulders can sometimes be used for school bus and emergency vehicle parking or for other temporary uses. Striped bicycle lanes would require additional treatments at intersections and crossing locations and they should be considered during the corridor design phase providing that the additional treatments at intersections can be addressed. Separated bicycle lanes would require additional right-of-way for the installation of protection measures, which is not available in most sections of the corridor.

 

5.4      Route 1A from I-495 Interchange to Plainville Town Line

Table 3 lists the proposed short- and long-term improvements for the segment of Route 1A from the I-495 interchange to the Plainville town line. Major issues and concerns in the segment include the following:

 

 

Proposed short-term improvements in the segment include the following:

 

 

As shown in Figures 16 and 17, proposed long-term improvements in the segment include the following:

 

During holidays and certain weekends, such as the back-to-school weekend, traffic operations at the I-495 interchange can be seriously affected by vehicles whose occupants are making shopping trips to the Premium Outlets mall. The proposed new I-495 southbound slip ramp alone would not completely mitigate traffic congestion in the area, especially the congestion on Route 1A southbound. Only one right-turn entry currently exists for all vehicles arriving at the mall from I-495 and Route 1A southbound. During peak shopping hours, an extensive traffic queue usually forms on the outside (rightmost) lane of Route 1A, frequently blocking vehicles on the I-495 southbound ramps and affecting traffic operations on the ramps.

 

The proposed continuous right-turn lane from I-495 southbound to Route 1A southbound, the double right-turn lanes to the mall, and the additional lane on Premium Outlets Boulevard would significantly reduce traffic congestion on Route 1A southbound. The continuous lane would allow vehicles coming from the I-495 southbound off-ramp direct access to the mall without making any lane changes or merging with Route 1A southbound traffic. Vehicles traveling from the ramp to Route 1A southbound would need to make only one lane change. Meanwhile, vehicles coming from the I-495 northbound off-ramp could stay on the second lane to enter the mall or to continue on Route 1A southbound.

 

The existing layout necessitates that all vehicles coming from the I-495 southbound off-ramp merge with Route 1A southbound traffic. Those vehicles heading to Route 1A southbound must change lanes in weaving conditions with the Route 1A traffic going to the mall. The proposed improvements would significantly improve safety in this section of Route 1A by reducing the merging activities and alleviating the weaving conditions. During the design phase, further analyses of the proposed improvements should be conducted to assess mobility and safety benefits and to identify any unforeseen safety deficiencies.    

 

Another critical component for reducing Route 1A traffic congestion is the management of the mall’s on-site traffic operations, parking, and traffic circulation. The two on-site traffic signals should be examined for optimization and potential coordination with the Route 1A signals. The mall’s parking demand and supply should be examined and recurring traffic circulation in the mall area should be minimized.

 

Figure 18 shows the projected 2040 weekend peak-hour traffic volumes and intersection capacity analyses for a scenario that assumes implementation of the proposed long-term improvements. The projected 2040 traffic volumes represent about 32 percent total growth from the current year. 22 With the proposed improvements, both intersections at the I-495 interchange would operate at a desirable LOS and the Route 1A intersection at Wrentham Village Premium Outlets would operate at an acceptable LOS. Synchro capacity analysis reports for major intersections on Route 1A between I-495 and Premium Outlets Boulevard under the 2040 traffic conditions are included in Appendix M.

 

The analyses indicate that the combined improvements should improve traffic operations such that the future volumes of traffic can be processed effectively through the intersections. Staff also considered the possibility of constructing a direct link from the existing I-495 southbound off-ramp to Premium Outlets Boulevard or the main parking lot of Premium Village Outlets. This option would require a further study to examine its feasibility.23       

 

5.5      Potential Use of Existing Utility Corridor as a Multi-Use Trail

As mentioned in Chapter 2, a utility corridor runs parallel to Route 1A from Route 140 to the Plainville town line. Residents in the region would benefit if the corridor were developed into a safe multi-use trail.

 

Major factors to consider regarding a multi-use trail in this location include the following:

 

 

Successfully converting the utility corridor into a multi-use trail at this location would require the support of all stakeholders and the negotiation of usage and liability with the utility company and adjacent property owners.24 MPO staff recommends a separate study to explore feasibility.

 

5.6      Analyses of Proposed Long-Term Improvements under Projected Future-Year (2040) Traffic Conditions

 

MPO staff constructed future-year traffic models, projecting to 2040, for the entire Route 1A corridor in Wrentham, based on the roadway layouts with the proposed long-term improvements. Staff conducted future-year traffic analyses based on traffic growth projections from the transportation-planning model recently developed for the MPO’s Long-Range Transportation Plan. The analyses indicate that the proposed long-term improvements would allow Route 1A to operate adequately with the future-year traffic conditions.

 

Figure 19 shows the intersection capacity of major intersections in the corridor under the projected 2040 traffic conditions for the weekday AM and PM peak hours. With the proposed long-term improvements, all intersections would operate at a desirable LOS C or better during the weekday peak hours, except the Lincoln Street intersection (which would operate at an acceptable LOS D in the weekday AM peak hour) and the Farm Road intersection (which would operate at an acceptable LOS D in the weekday AM and Saturday midday peak hours).

 

Synchro capacity analysis reports of the major intersections in the corridor, except those in the Wrentham Common area, under the future-year weekday AM and PM peak hour conditions, are included in Appendix N. Note that the future-year capacity analysis reports for the intersections in the Wrentham Common area are included in Appendices I, J, and K.


 

Chapter 6—Summary and Recommendations

 

This study performed a series of safety and operations analyses, identified safety and operational problems, and proposed a number of short- and long-term improvements to address identified problems in the Route 1A corridor in Wrentham.

 

The recommended key short-term improvements include the following:

 

 

These improvements could enhance safety for all users of Route 1A in Wrentham and improve traffic operations. With a high benefit/cost ratio, these short-term improvements should be considered and implemented as soon as the resources are available from highway maintenance or local Chapter 90 funding.

 

Significantly improving the safety, mobility, and access for all users would require a series of long-term improvements in the corridor, especially in the Wrentham Common area and in the commercial area south of I-495.

 

The benefits expected to result from implementing the major recommendations from this study include the following:

 

 

Based on the existing land uses and transportation conditions, the corridor can be divided into five project areas:

 

 

The study advisory committee considers that three of the five areas are essential for the corridor’s long-term development. The estimated costs of major reconstruction projects to improve these three sections of Route 1A are as follows:

 

 

Implementing these projects would require sufficient resources and coordination efforts. Depending on the available and potential resources and development opportunities, the Town of Wrentham could coordinate all stakeholders and prioritize these projects.

 

This study provides a vision for the corridor’s long-term development and presents a series of improvement measures for the corridor that would allow it to operate safely and efficiently for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Achieving the vision will require significant effort and collaboration on the part of all stakeholders, including the Town, residents, owners of adjacent developments, and MassDOT.

 

The process of implementing the improvements must ensure that all parties concur about how the recommendations should be realized in a resourceful and fiscally responsible manner. The Town must work with MassDOT District 5 to initiate the project, obtain favorable review from MassDOT’s Project Review Committee, and identify potential funding resources by coordinating with MassDOT and the Boston Region MPO.

 

Appendix O details the various steps of MassDOT’s project development process, including a schematic timetable. Information about the project development process also may be found on MassDOT’s website, at http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/planning/Main/PlanningProcess/ProjectDevelopmentProcess.aspx and at

http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Portals/8/docs/designGuide/CH_2_a.pdf.

 

MassDOT recently developed an online tool for both state and municipal proponents to initiate roadway projects. The Massachusetts Project Intake Tool (MaPIT) is a web-based application designed to help proponents map, create, and initiate projects with available in-house Geographic Information System (GIS) resources. The tool can be accessed from the geoPass webpage of Massachusetts GIS for Transportation (geoDOT):

https://massdothpi.esriemcs.com/mapit.

 

An introduction of the tool can be found at
http://scoe.transportation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2017/08/CC1C-MaPIT%E2%80%94MassDOT%E2%80%99s-GIS-driven-Project-Initiation-and-Environmental-Screening-Tool.pdf.

 


 

 

1  A work program for Priority Corridors for LRTP Needs Assessment—FFY 2017 was submitted simultaneously to the Boston Region MPO.

2  Unified Planning Work Program, Federal Fiscal Year 2017, endorsed by the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization on July 28, 2016.

3 Details of the criteria and rating system may be found in the Central Transportation Planning Staff’s technical memorandum “Selection of Study Location: FFY 2016 Addressing Safety, Mobility, and Access on Subregional Priority Roadways,” February 17, 2016.

4 According to Smart Growth America, a Complete Street is a street for everyone. Complete Streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders, of all ages and abilities. Complete Streets allow for ease of crossing the street, walking to shops, and bicycling to work.

5 Pedestrian Level-of-Service Memorandum, Ryan Hicks and Casey-Marie Claude, Boston Region Metropolitan Organization, January 19, 2017.

6 Synchro Version 9.0 was used for the analyses. This software is developed and distributed by Trafficware Ltd. It can perform capacity analysis and traffic simulation (when combined with SimTraffic) for an individual intersection or a series of intersections in a roadway network.

7 Highway Capacity Manual 2010, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington D. C.

8 Control delay quantifies the increase in travel time that a vehicle experiences due to a traffic signal or other type of control. It also provides a surrogate measure for driver discomfort and fuel consumption.

9 Chapter 4C Traffic Control Signal Needs Studies, Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 2009 Edition with Revisions 1 and 2, Federal Highway Administration, US Department of Transportation, May 2012.

10 Warrant 1 requires that specific traffic conditions (observed vehicular volumes higher than specified minimum volumes) exist for each of any eight hours of an average day.

11 Based on “Procedures for Speed Zoning on State and Municipal Roadways” (MassDOT Highway Division, May 2012), establishing speed regulations require that at speed observation locations, the established safe speed shall not be more than seven mph below the 85th percentile speed, and not higher than the 95th percentile speed.

12 To establish or modify speed controls, MassDOT requires the collection of speed data by radar gun or laser gun at critical locations at intervals not to exceed 0.25 miles, in addition to vehicle trial runs in the study area. 

13 A crash cluster is identified by mapping a circle with a 25-meter (82-foot) radius from each crash location, and observing where the spheres of two or more crashes overlap.

14 MassDOT uses approximated EPDO values to rank the statewide top 200 crash locations. In the estimation, crashes that result in a fatality are weighted by 10, crashes that cause injury are weighted by five, and crashes that cause property damage only (or the severity of the crash is unknown), are not weighted.

15 A further review of the crash data found that some crashes occurred on I-495 but were geocoded on Route 1A. Excluding those crashes, the section actually has an EPDO value of 39, instead of 52.

16 In this study, the term “pedestrian crashes” refers to crashes that involve at least one vehicle and one pedestrian; “bicycle crashes” refers to crashes that involve at least one vehicle and one bicycle. No crashes between at least one bicycle and one pedestrian were identified in the available data.

17 Doubling up of a standard regulatory, warning, or guide sign enhances the conspicuity of the standard sign by adding a second identical sign on the left-hand side of the roadway. It is permissible per the requirements of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD, Chapter 2: Section 2A.15) and the Federal Highway Administration’s guidelines of Proven Safety Countermeasures. In this case, the sign on the left-hand side would supplement the obscured sign on the right-hand side.

18   A preliminary analysis of the intersection’s hourly approaching volumes indicates that it meets the MUTCD criteria for a multiway stop control. The preliminary analysis is included in Appendix D.  

19 The traffic growth projection is based on the transportation-planning model recently developed for the MPO’s Long-Range Transportation Plan. The model predicts that traffic in the Wrentham downtown area would increase 0.5 percent annually from 2017 to 2040 in both AM and PM peak periods.

20 The Town plans to expand the parking lot and improve access to it if the adjacent commercial building and parking lot at the corner of Route 1A and Common Street becomes available.

21 Similar to the regular angle parking, reverse angle parking spaces would still require a minimal clearance of 28 feet (18 feet for parking space plus 10 feet for back-in maneuvering) and would encroach on the right of way of Route 1A traffic.

22 The MPO’s regional travel-demand model predicts that the area south of I-495 would experience significant traffic growth of about 1.5 percent annually from 2017 to 2040.

23 The link would likely be a loop ramp. There are some constraints to building a ramp in this location, however, including the adjacent utility corridor and a small area of marsh and bog wetlands. 

24 There are a number of examples of utility corridors redesigned as multi-use trails in the country, such as Power Trail near Fort Collins in Colorado and St. Ignace to Trout Lake Trail in Michigan. In Massachusetts, Eversource is currently working with Department Conservation and Recreation and local municipalities to develop some sections in the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail.

25 These costs estimates are based on the general expenses of similar projects. The estimates contain only design and construction costs, not right-of-way, utility relocation, or other contingency costs, and are based on 2017 dollars.

 

 

Table 1.
Proposed Improvements: Route 1A from Route 140 to Creek Street

Location

Issues/Concerns

Short-Term Improvements

Long-Term Improvements

The section in general

  • The two-lane section in the downtown business district has considerable traffic volumes during AM and PM peak hours
  • Route 140 and Taunton Street, joining Route 1A at Wrentham Common, has considerable traffic volumes during peak hours
  • Common Street, connecting Route 1A and Route 140 diagonally through Wrentham Common, becomes a cut-through route during peak hours with fast moving traffic
  • Prospective developments on the north side of Route 1A are likely to increase traffic at the already congested intersections
  • High crash rates at the intersections of Route 1A and Route 140, Route 1A and Common Street, and at the intersections adjacent to Wrentham Common 
  • Angle on-street parking interferes with Route 1A traffic and hinders the views of pedestrians and drivers
  • Lack of separated bicycle accommodations
  • Traffic signals are not equipped with a  preemption function for emergency vehicles
  • Consider converting the existing two-way stop control to all-way stop control at the intersection of Taunton Street and Common Street (requires further engineering review)
  • Consider converting the existing angle-parking to parallel parking (requires collaboration with the adjacent businesses)
  • Change the traffic control on Common Street at Route 140 from Yield to Stop
  • Stripe yield lines (shark teeth) at mid-block crosswalks to alert approaching drivers of pedestrians
  • Regularly maintain crosswalk pavement markings
  • Double up stop signs, so that signs are on both the left and right sides of the street, to enhance drivers’ views to the stop control at Creek Street
  • Further study and design the three proposed improvement plans for the roadways in the Wrentham Common and downtown area
  • Reconstruct and upgrade the outdated signal system at the Route 140 intersection
  • Close Bank Street and redesign the area as a flag-pole square connecting Wrentham Common and Sweatt Park
  • Reconstruct the Common Street intersection
  • Rearrange on-street parking on the north side of Route 1A between Route 140 and Common Street
  • Reconstruct Route 1A from Randall Road to Creek Street by adding five-foot shoulders on both sides for bicycle accommodation, a five-foot grass buffer, and five-foot sidewalks on the south side for pedestrians
  • Reconstruct and signalize the Creek Street intersection
  • Include an emergency-vehicle preemption function in all the new and upgraded traffic signals

Route 1A at Route 140

  • Large number of crashes (22 in the past three years)
  • Nearly 30% of the total crashes were left-turn crashes (there are no left-turn lanes)
  • Traffic congestion on almost all approaches, especially on Route 140 northbound, during PM peak hours
  • Outdated traffic signal equipment with low visibility of post-mounted signal indications
  • Southbound right-turn slip lane (Bank Street) allows fast moving traffic, causing unsafe conditions for pedestrians 
  • Consider striping a short left-turn bay on the northbound approach (requires further engineering review)
  • Regularly maintain crosswalk pavement markings
  • Reconstruct the intersection with an expanded layout by adding left-turn lanes on the Route 140 approaches and Route 1A westbound (depending on the selection of Wrentham Common improvement plans)
  • Remove the right-turn slip lane and redesign the area as a small square connecting Wrentham Common and Sweatt Park
  • Upgrade the signal system with mast arms, new signal indications, and accessible count-down pedestrian signals
  • Relocate fire hydrants at the corners of the intersection

Route 1A at Common Street

  • Traffic congestion on the stop-controlled Common Street during peak hours, especially in the afternoon
  • Drivers have difficulty viewing all other approaches because of the relatively large intersection layout
  • Wide eastbound right-turn radius allows for fast moving traffic and creates a long pedestrian crossing distance
  • Angle-parking interferes with intersection operations 
  • 18 crashes in the past three years, three involving an angle-parked vehicle backing to Route 1A traffic
  • Increase the size of the stop sign on Common Street
  • Consider converting angle-parking to parallel parking
  • Reconstruct the intersection to have a smaller layout by reducing the right-turn curb radius and extending the sidewalk on the south side of Route 1A
  • Add a left-turn bay on both approaches of Route 1A
  • Signalize the intersection with accessible count-down pedestrian signals (Wrentham Common Plan A or B)
  • Maintain unsignalized (Wrentham Common Plan C)
  • Convert angle-parking to parallel parking

Common Street at Taunton Street/David Brown Way

  • Traffic congestion on the stop-controlled Taunton Street during peak hours
  • High travel speeds on Common Street
  • 10 crashes in the past three years, four of them causing injuries
  • Crash rate higher than the average for District 5 unsignalized intersections
  • Poor sight distances, because of the skewed intersection layout, make it hard for drivers to see pedestrians
  • No crosswalk on Common Street westbound
  • Consider converting the existing two-way stop control to all-way stop control (requires a further engineering study with updated traffic counts and examination of sight distances from all approaches)
  • Regularly maintain pavement markings
  • Reconstruct the intersection to a regular layout by relocating David Brown Way, as in the proposed Wrentham Common improvement plans
  • Covert the stop control to all-way stop control (Wrentham Common Plan A or B)
  • Move the stop control from Common Street to Taunton Street/David Brown Way (Wrentham Common Plan C)
  • Add crosswalk on Common Street westbound after the intersection reconstruction

Common Street at Route 140

  • Intersection layout similar to a highway merging ramp allowing Common Street traffic to enter Route 140 at high speeds  (currently under Yield control)
  • Intersection layout makes left turns from Route 140 dangerous as there are potential high-speed conflicts between left-turning vehicles and through-moving vehicles on Route 140
  • nine crashes in the past three years, four of them left-turn crashes
  • Crash rate higher than the average for District 5 unsignalized intersections
  • Poor sight distance toward Route 140 from Common Street
  • Change the traffic control on Common Street at Route 140 from Yield to Stop
  • Regularly maintain pavement markings
  • Reconstruct the intersection by realigning Common Street so that it intersects Route 140 perpendicularly (Wrentham Plan A or B)
  • Change the intersection to stop control and add a crosswalk on Common Street (Wrentham Plan A)
  • Signalize the intersection and add crosswalks on Common Street and Route 140 (Wrentham Plan B)
  • Disconnect Common Street from Route 140 by forming a cul-de-sac on Common Street (Wrentham Plan C)

David Brown Way at Route 140

  • David Brown Way cuts through Wrentham Common diagonally and intersects with Route 140 in a wide angle, allowing vehicles to make right turns from Route 140 at fast speeds
  • Intersection location is very close to the intersection of Route 1A and Route 140 and affects its operation
  • Most crashes occurring at this intersection have probably been miscoded as Route 1A/Route 140 crashes 
  • Only one crash identified from Wrentham Police Department crash reports
  • Increase the size of the stop sign on David Brown Way
  • Regularly maintain pavement markings
  • Realign David Brown Way to  intersect perpendicularly with Route 140
  • Maintain stop control or convert to a traffic signal control, depending on the selection of Wrentham Common improvement plans
  • Reconstruct the intersection according to Wrentham Common improvement plans

Route 1A at Creek Street

  • Stop sign located away from the stop line and obscured by a tree and nearby vegetation
  • Traffic congestion on the stop-controlled Creek Street during peak hours
  • Difficult and unsafe left turns to and from Creek Street
  • 11 crashes in the past three years, seven involving a vehicle turning to or from Creek Street
  • Faded stop-line and crosswalk pavement markings
  • Relocate the stop sign closer to the stop line
  • Add (double up) a stop sign on the left side of Creek Street to enhance drivers’ views of the stop control
  • Stripe the faded pavement markings
  • Trim overgrown vegetation at the corners of Creek Street
  • Reconstruct the intersection by adding a left-turn bay on Route 1A eastbound and on Creek Street
  • Signalize the intersection with accessible count-down pedestrian signals
  • Add a crosswalk on Route 1A under the signalization

 


 

Table 2.
Proposed Improvements: Route 1A from Creek Street to I-495 Interchange

Location

Issues/Concerns

Short-Term Improvements

Long-Term Improvements

The section in general

  • Two-lane section in mostly residential area, except a business district located at the junction of Route 121 (Wampum Corner) 
  • High proportion of commuter traffic during AM and PM peak hours
  • Sidewalks (with a five-foot grass traffic buffer) exist only on the north side of Route 1A from Creek Street to Wampum Corner
  • No sidewalks on either side of Route 1A from Wampum Corner to the I-495 interchange
  • Lack of separated bicycle accommodations
  • Speed limit sign on Route 1A southbound toward Wampum Corner is located too far from the roadside and hidden in vegetation
  • Double up stop signs, so that signs are on both the left and right sides of the street, to enhance drivers’ views of from the stop control on Beach Street
  • Improve pavement markings and sidewalk conditions at the Route 121 intersection
  • Regularly maintain roadway pavement markings
  • Regularly clear overgrown vegetation
  • Relocate the speed limit sign on Route 1A southbound to a roadside location where it is easy for drivers to observe
  • Reconstruct Route 1A from Creek Street to Route 121 by adding five-foot shoulders on both sides of Route 1A for bicycle accommodation, a five-foot grass buffer, and five-foot sidewalks on the south side for pedestrians
  • On Route 1A from Route 121 to the I-495 interchange, plan to include five-foot shoulders and five-foot sidewalks on both sides (five-foot grass buffers are desirable, at least on the north side, to accommodate the existing utility poles) when future reconstruction or development projects emerge
  • Add a southbound left-turn bay at the Beach Street intersection
  • Add a crosswalk at the Route 121 intersection  and upgrade the sidewalks on the northwestern side to standard five-foot clearance

Route 1A at Beach Street

  • Approaching Route 1A on Beach Street, drivers’ view to the stop sign is obscured by a tree
  • Traffic congestion on the stop-controlled Beach Street during peak hours, mainly in the afternoon
  • Difficult and unsafe left turns to and from Beach Street
  • Nine crashes in the past three years, four involving a vehicle from Beach Street colliding with a vehicle traveling straight on Route 1A
  • Faded stop line on Beach Street 
  • Add a stop sign on the left side of Beach Street
  • Restripe the faded stop line
  • Trim overgrown vegetation on the corners of Beach Street
  • As part of the corridor reconstruction plan, add a left-turn bay on Route 1A southbound and on Beach Street
  • Continue monitoring traffic conditions and crash data at the intersection
  • Consider a traffic signal if traffic and safety conditions seriously deteriorate

Route 1A at Route 121 (West Street)

  • No crosswalk exists on the Route 1A northbound approach or on the south side of Route 1A and Route 121
  • 19 crashes in the past three years in the intersection vicinity
  • Nearly half of the crashes (eight) are related to a vehicle turning to or from the adjacent businesses
  • Four crashes involved a vehicle turning to or from the adjacent gas station
  • Driveways at the gas station are wide and undefined, with one located very close to the intersection
  • Sidewalks near the gas station are  absent  because of the wide driveway openings
  • Signal system has bicycle sensing capacity, but there are no pavement markings indicating bicycle waiting areas
  • Some sidewalks on the northwestern side of the intersection are narrow asphalt strips
  • Recently signalized intersection operating at desirable level of services during peak hours
  • No proposed changes of intersection operations
  • Consider narrowing the driveway at the gas station and making the one close to the intersection “right-out” only and leave the other one open to all traffic
  • Restripe the faded pavement markings for bicycle green light waiting areas
  • As part of the roadway reconstruction plan, add a crosswalk on the Route 1A northbound approach with necessary curb ramps and pedestrian signals and push buttons
  • Upgrade the sidewalks on the northwestern side of Route 1A (from the gas station to Riverside Drive) to standard five-foot clearance
  • Continue monitoring traffic conditions and crash data for necessary improvements (evaluations show that the intersection capacity is acceptable under 2040 predicted  traffic volumes)

 

Table 3.
Proposed Improvements: Route 1A from I-495 Interchange to Plainville Town Line

Location

Issues/Concerns

Short-Term Improvements

Long-Term Improvements

The section in general

  • Four-lane section of Route 1A that runs through the business districts between the I-495 northbound ramps and Wrentham Crossing experiences busy traffic in the evening and weekend peak hours
  • Traffic to Wrentham Village Premium Outlets seriously affects Route 1A and I-495 interchange operations during weekend and holiday peak hours
  • Traffic is projected to increase significantly with  the Wrentham Crossing project already in place and potential developments of the currently vacant commercial-industrial districts
  • New I-495 southbound slip on-ramp, as a mitigation measure from the Wrentham Crossing project, currently under 25% functional design
  • High crash rate in the section between the I-495 northbound ramps and Premium Outlets Boulevard
  • Large number of crashes at the intersections of the I-495 southbound ramps and Premium Outlets Boulevard
  • No sidewalks, except a limited section under I-495
  • Lack of separated bicycle accommodations
  • Continue monitoring crash conditions at the I-495 southbound ramps and the Premium Outlets Boulevard intersections, as MassDOT recently installed a new flashing yellow arrow signal display to improve safety for left-turning vehicles at two intersections
  • Continue monitoring traffic conditions and crash data in this section
  • Regularly maintain pavement markings
  • Propose additional mitigation measures in conjunction with the new I-495 southbound slip ramp to improve traffic operations and pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, these measures include the following:
    • Rearrange Route 1A travel lanes between I-495 and Premium Outlets Boulevard to provide a continuous right-turn lane from I-495 southbound merging with Route 1A southbound
    • Add a travel lane on Premium Outlets Boulevard westbound
    • Add a lane to the existing off-ramp from I-495 southbound to Route 1A northbound
    • Rearrange Route 1A travel lanes to include five-foot shoulders on both sides for bicycle accommodation
  • Work with adjacent businesses to provide sidewalks for pedestrians
  • Conduct a comprehensive parking and traffic management study to improve parking and traffic circulation in the Premium Outlets mall

Route 1A at I-495 Southbound Ramps

  • Traffic operating acceptably during weekday peak hours, but usually affected by spill-back queues from the Premium Outlets during weekend peak hours
  • Very large number of crashes—46 crashes in the past three years and 13 of them resulted from conflicts between left-turning vehicles from Route 1A northbound and southbound through traffic
  • Continue monitoring crash conditions in light of the recently installed flashing yellow arrow display to improve safety for left-turning vehicles on Route 1A northbound   
  • Continue monitoring traffic conditions and crash data at the intersection
  • Construct a new I-495 southbound slip on-ramp and close the existing loop on-ramp (from the Wrentham Crossing project)
  • Add a lane to the existing off-ramp from I-495 southbound to Route 1A northbound
  • Rearrange Route 1A northbound travel lanes
  • Redesign and re-coordinate traffic signal

Route 1A at Premium Outlets Boulevard

  • Traffic operating acceptably during weekday peak hours, but congested during weekend peak hours
  • Large number of crashes—36 crashes in the past three years and 22 of them resulted from conflicts between left-turning vehicles from Route 1A northbound and southbound through traffic
  • Premium Outlets Boulevard is frequently congested during peak shopping hours and hinders Route 1A traffic from entering the mall   
  • Premium Outlets Boulevard eastbound center lane is usually underused by left-turning traffic exiting the mall
  • Continue monitoring crash conditions in light of the  recently installed flashing yellow arrow display to improve safety for left-turning vehicles on Route 1A northbound
  • Examine the two traffic signals at the mall and explore the potential of optimizing and coordinating them with the signal at this intersection
  • Advise Premium Outlets to add a travel lane on Premium Outlets Boulevard westbound
  • Move the lane designation sign, which is obscured by vegetation, on the boulevard eastbound to a more observable location
  • Add a travel lane on Premium Outlets Boulevard westbound (this can also be considered as a short-term measure to somewhat mitigate the current traffic congestions)
  • Work with Premium Outlets and request a comprehensive parking and traffic management study to improve parking and traffic circulation around the mall
  • Consult with Premium Outlets regarding adding sidewalks on Route 1A in conjunction with the future I-495 southbound slip ramp project
  • Redesign and re-coordinate traffic signal

Route 1A at I-495

Northbound Ramps

  • Traffic operating desirably during weekday and weekend peak hours
  • 18 crashes in the past three years and 12 of the crashes (seven causing injuries) were conflicts between left-turning vehicles from Route 1A southbound and northbound through traffic
  • No exclusive southbound left-turn lane and signal phase
  • Continue monitoring traffic conditions and crash data at the intersection
  • As part of the corridor reconstruction plan (I-495 southbound ramps to Premium Outlets Boulevard), consider adding an exclusive southbound left-turn lane or changing the southbound inside through lane to exclusive left-turn lane (requires a further engineering study and modifications of Route 1A southbound layout and signal indications)
  • Redesign and re-coordinate traffic signal

 

 


 

Figure 1.
Study Area Map: Route 1A Corridor in Wrentham

 

Figure 1 is a map showing the study area, the Route 1A corridor in Wrentham.

 

 

 

 

Figure 2.
Daily Traffic Volumes

 

Figure 2 is a map showing the daily traffic volumes on sections of Route 1A in Wrentham.

 

 

Figure 3.
Weekday Peak-Hour Traffic and Pedestrian Volumes at Major Intersections

Figure 3 is a map with diagrams showing weekday peak-hour traffic and pedestrian volumes at major intersections on Route 1A in Wrentham.


 

 

Figure 4.
Saturday Peak-Hour Traffic and Pedestrian Volumes at Selected Intersections

Figure 4 is a map with diagrams showing Saturday peak-hour traffic and pedestrian volumes at selected intersections on Route 1A in Wrentham.


 

 

Figure 5.
Weekday Intersection Capacity Analyses

Figure 5 is a map with diagrams showing weekday level of service and average delay per vehicle for intersections on Route 1A in Wrentham.


 

 

Figure 6.
Saturday Intersection Capacity Analyses

Figure 6 is a map with diagrams showing Saturday level of service and average delay per vehicle for intersections on Route 1A in Wrentham.


 

 

Figure 7.
Speed Regulations and Estimated 85th Percentile Speeds

Figure 7 is a map with overlays showing speed regulations and estimated 85th percentile speeds for Route 1A in Wrentham.


 

 

Figure 8.
Crash Locations (MassDOT Crash Data 2009–13)

Figure 8 is a map with overlays showing the locations of crashes, and crash clusters, which occurred on Route 1A in Wrentham.


 

 

Figure 9.
Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Route 1A from Route 140 to Creek Street

Figure 9 is a map that illustrates the proposed long-term improvements to sections of Route 1A between Route 140 and Creek Street. An inset contains an illustration of the proposed roadway cross section.


 

 

Figure 10.
Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Wrentham Common Area Plan A

Figure 10 is a map that illustrates the proposed long-term improvements to Route 1A at the Wrentham Common area (Plan A).


 

 

Figure 11.
Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Wrentham Common Area Plan B

Figure 11 is a map that illustrates the proposed long-term improvements to Route 1A at the Wrentham Common area (Plan B).


 

 

Figure 12.
Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Wrentham Common Area Plan C

Figure 12 is a map that illustrates the proposed long-term improvements to Route 1A at the Wrentham Common area (Plan C).

 


 

 

Figure 13.
Projected 2040 Weekday Peak-Hour Traffic Volumes: Wrentham Common Area Improvement Plans

Figure 13 contains three diagrams that provide weekday peak-hour traffic volumes, projected to the year 2040, for the three Wrentham Common Area Improvement Plans.


 

 

Figure 14.
2040 Weekday Peak-Hour Intersection Capacity Analyses: Wrentham Common Area Improvement PlansFigure 14 contains three diagrams that provide weekday level of service and average delay per vehicle, projected to the year 2040, for the three Wrentham Common Area Improvement Plans.

 


 

 

Figure 15.
Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Route 1A from Creek Street to I-495 Interchange

Figure 15 is a map that illustrates the proposed long-term improvements to sections of Route 1A between Creek Street and the Interstate 495 interchange. Two insets contain an illustration of the proposed roadway cross sections.


 

 

Figure 16.
Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Route 1A from I-495 Interchange to Plainville Town Line

Figure 16 is a map that illustrates the proposed long-term improvements to sections of Route 1A between the Interstate 495 interchange and the Plainville town line. An inset contains an illustration of the proposed roadway cross sections.


 

 

Figure 17.
Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Route 1A from I-495 Interchange to Premium Outlets Boulevard

Figure 17 is a map that illustrates the proposed long-term improvements to sections of Route 1A between the Interstate 495 interchange and Premium Outlets Boulevard.


 

 

Figure 18.
Projected 2040 Weekend Peak-Hour Traffic Volumes and Intersection Capacity Analyses with Proposed Improvements: Route 1A from I-495 Interchange to Premium Outlets Boulevard

Figure 18 contains two diagrams that provide weekend peak-hour traffic volumes, level of service, and average delay per vehicle, projected to the year 2040 and assuming the implementation of the proposed improvements, for the section of Route 1A between the Interstate 495 interchange and Premium Outlets Boulevard.


 

 

Figure 19.
2040 Weekday Intersection Capacity Analyses with Proposed Long-Term Improvements: Route 1A in Wrentham

Figure 19 is a map with diagrams showing weekday level of service and average delay per vehicle, projected to the year 2040 and assuming the implementation of the proposed long-term improvements, for intersections on Route 1A in Wrentham.

 


 

Appendices