HomeMy WebLinkAbout7-ELEVEN @ COLLEGE & MAGNOLIA - PDP/APU - PDP120026 - CORRESPONDENCE - TRAFFIC STUDYIn high density urban areas it is common that there are numerous driveways
entering/exiting onto local streets serving businesses and services and that those
accesses are not always in line with each other. It is expected that for motorists
to operate in high density urban environments that they possess a base level of
skills to navigate the conditions typically found in those environments. We have
to work from a perspective that basic skills and responsibility are present
otherwise the barriers necessary to deal with the lack of that expectation diminish
mobility to an unacceptable and intolerable level. We are a mobile society and
strongly resist having our mobility restrained. One of our primary tasks is finding
a balance of safety and mobility that is not detrimental to prosperity and the many
other wants of citizens.
Thank you for any time you spend responding to this email.
I hope this helps to give more insight into the traffic aspects in the area and gives
more comfort regarding the traffic impacts of the proposed development. Please
feel free to contact me with any further questions or inquiries. Always happy to
talk.
Blair Trautwein
The north bound left can be difficult but it's not necessarily due to factors caused
by activity initiated at or related to traffic from Magnolia activity. The north bound
left turning motorist is dealing with south bound traffic that is largely constrained
due to the Mulberry intersection. The constraints cause slow moving traffic which
results in smaller gaps between cars, making left turns more difficult. The
Mulberry to Magnolia area is also where we change traffic control plans from the
south College traffic plan to the central College traffic plan. Different signal
timings are used on College from Mulberry to Harmony than on College from
Magnolia to Cherry Street. The two College intersections of Magnolia and
Mulberry have different cycle lengths and therefore cannot be coordinated. This
results in some of the congestion in the area also since the two intersections are
not working together.
The Magnolia intersection receives a Green indication on College considerably
quicker than at Mulberry due to different intersection geometry, differing side
street volumes, differing left turning volumes, differing cycle lengths, etc. So
when south bound College goes Red at Mulberry south bound College is still
Green at Magnolia and the advancing traffic doesn't know when the slow moving
south bound traffic will come to a halt. Truly, by law the south bound motorist
should make sure there is room to fully cross an intersection before proceeding
so as to not get stopped in the middle of the intersection but unfortunately the
commuting public isn't always focused and thinking about good driving habits or
what is directly in front of them. The slow movement of the south bound traffic
also reduces the ability to clear south bound traffic passing through Magnolia so
the north bound left can turn. Again, not a condition caused at Magnolia.
Much the same is true for south bound left turns also not being able to move very
swiftly through the downtown area due to parking maneuvers, cars stopping on
College to wait on a parking space, bike and peds crossing throughout College,
and in general due to the activity in the downtown area instilling a general sense
of concern which causes slower moving traffic.
The left turns from College onto Magnolia could be improved by adding left turn
signals but the addition of left turn signalization requires taking time away from
the College north and south bound through Green time which only worsens the
ability to move the high volumes out of the area quicker. It might help move a few
more left turning vehicles but at the expense of worsening the overall College
congestion. Many people believe we like to install traffic signals but nothing is
further from the truth. We choose to install signalization as a last resort, when all
other efforts have failed to improve a condition that would provide positive
benefits.
Finally, I think the study does not take into account someone attempting to turn
left south bound out of the alley or out of 7-11 east bound onto Magnolia —with
the presence of the bank drive through and customers exiting the bank parking lot
and west flow traffic, a left turn can be difficult during peak times of the day. It
will be worse with the 7-11 with it's in and out type of traffic.
The consultant did discuss the alley and traffic leaving or entering from the alley
which is a tight turn. They discussed that as it is the unusual aspect in the area. I
originally wanted the development to take access from the alley and not from
Magnolia since that results in two very closely spaced adjacent accesses from
Magnolia, but it couldn't be made to work.
1 PM is probably more difficult particularly north bound than the morning hours are
and that Friday afternoon is far worse than the other days of the week typically —of
course, volumes are greater in the summer than winter. I have been caught
attempting to make a left hand turn off north bound College onto Magnolia for up
to 10 minutes on some days from noon on.
I concur with your view on the congestion during different days and times of the
day. We typically choose the AM and PM as they normally have consistently
higher main street traffic to deal with. There are certainly times when the Midday
congestion can be more difficult but typically the duration of difficulty is shorter
than the AM or PM duration. Our observations provide that typically the most
significant congestion during the lunch period is roughly a 10 minute period at the
start of the lunch hour and roughly a 5 to 15 minute period nearing the end of the
lunch hour. Whereas the most intense AM and PM congestion periods are
typically 20 minutes to 45 minutes in duration. A longer duration of congestion
allows for other negative issues to develop and cause traffic flow and operational
problems.
It is usually unacceptable to try to base impacts on Monday's and Friday's as
those days experience unusual and inconsistent traffic activity. Those are the
days of the week when traffic varies the most due to what is generally referred to
as weekend activities. Motorists travel differently on Fridays due to weekend
plans or following week business needs, return late or not at all on Monday's.
Weather also plays a significant role in that varying activity as well. That activity
fluctuates considerably based upon many conditions so doing analysis based
upon data from those periods results in over and/or underestimating a
developments impacts. Counts and the resulting analysis of those counts are
typically conducted only on Tuesdays thru Thursdays when more normal and/or
typical traffic conditions are taking place.
Typically much of the traffic a convenience store experiences is from traffic
already on the street passing by the location, what we call "pass -by" trips. Much
of their traffic isn't new traffic that was at home or work and decided to go solely
to the store and back. That is a new trip. More commonly their business is drawn
from motorists in the passing traffic stream on their way to some other
destination and they stop at the store during their commute to the actual
destination. So they are already part of the area traffic, not necessarily new or
additional traffic.
I typically try to avoid approaching Magnolia off of College after noon because of
delays and will go up another street due to the difficulty of making a left hand turn
off of College.
See response to question #2.
That is good in our view as the surrounding streets help take pressure off of
College and allow us to keep traffic control simple at the intersections which
improves traffic dispersion.
In the afternoon, I try to avoid trying to make a left hand turn off of College
southbound to Magnolia. See responses to question #2 and #3.
Generally, I think the study underestimates the effects of the traffic trying to turn
left north bound off of Magnolia (I assume that turning left south bound if
unaffected by the proposed development and I think the study misses the actual
peak drive time of the middle of the day.
Hello Mr. Trautwein,
Thank you for your inquiry. Hopefully you'll find your inquiries addressed. Certainly feel free to
contact me with any further questions or comments.
Please find my replies following each of your questions/comments below.
Ward Stanford
Traffic Systems Engineer
City of Fort Collins Traffic Operations
off: 970-221-6820
fax:970-221-6282
wstanford(dfceov.com
From: Blair Trautwein fmailto:btrautwein(awicklaw.coml
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2012 4:09 PM
To: Ward Stanford
Subject: 7-Eleven at College and Magnolia
Dear Mr. Stanford:
As an owner of a portion of the Clocktower Square Building and a person who uses
Magnolia and the north south alley between College and Mason to access Clocktower
Square, a few comments are in order:
1. 1 did not understand what is shown on your own evaluation of the intersection with
left turns removed. Please explain what is being done and what its impact is.
I'm assuming you are referring to the Mason and Magnolia intersection. Basically
when they came in to discuss the project and what we would expect them to
review we requested they review the intersection as the existing one-way and
with the new 2-way characteristics on Mason for their short and long term
reviews. We failed to let them know that left turns would be restricted in all
directions at that intersection. As such and due to the lower new traffic volumes
this development is expected to generate I did not require them to revise their
review at that intersection. I chose instead to utilize their count data and the City
traffic model to review for any adverse impacts. I typically use our model to verify
a developments findings. In this case I used their estimates in my model but
removed or modified their traffic numbers to reflect the restricted left turn
characteristics and verify the intersection will still operate acceptably.
In general practice left turning traffic typically will cause a lower level of service
due to opposing movements having to contend with the turning traffic (waiting for
turning traffic to clear the roadway) and for delays due to decision making as to
who has the right of way at any given moment plus it can impede multiple
movements moving at the same time therefore reducing capacity. Reducing the
intersection movements to through movements only simplifies the decision
making process and also allows non -conflicting movements such as north and
south bound though traffic to move coincidentally. This simplicity usually equates
to improved traffic flow and operations. My brief review in the City model affirmed
those expectations.
2. For making left hand turns off of College (north bound College left onto west bound
Magnolia) or (Southbound College left on east bound Magnolia), I note that noon to