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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPVH HEALTH SYSTEM, HARMONY CAMPUS, 2ND FILING, INFRASTRUCTURE - PDP - 32-98D - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 2 - TRAFFIC STUDY�0 The travel distance from the Timberline/Timber Creek intersection to the Harmony/Snow Mesa intersection is approximately 4020 feet via Timberline Road and Harmony Road. The travel distance between these two points is approximately 4060 feet via Snow Mesa Drive and Timber Creek Drive. Given that the speeds on Snow Mesa Drive and Timber Creek Drive will be lower than that on the arterial streets, the travel time via the arterial streets will be faster. Therefore, it is concluded that most motorists will not use the Snow Mesa Drive/Timber Creek Drive route. The travel distance from the Timberline/Timber Creek intersection to the middle of the Preston Center commercial area is approximately 6665 feet via Timberline Road and Harmony Road. The travel distance between these two points is approximately 6370 feet via Timber Creek Drive, Snow Mesa Drive, and Timberwood Drive. The speeds will be lower via the latter route compared to those on the arterial street. It is likely that the travel time would be about the same. As such, there is a higher likelihood that more motorists would use the neighborhood street if they knew about this route. The route through the neighborhood could be lengthened (time) by introducing some traffic calming techniques to mitigate the "cut through" traffic. Preston Junior High School serves the south portion of Fort Collins. Students who are driven to this school from locations south and west of the Timber Creek Neighborhood currently have a route from Timberline Road via Stetson Creek Drive/Rock Creek Drive/Corbett Drive that will not involve Snow Mesa Drive. Also, depending upon home location, a faster route will' be via Kechter Road and Corbett Drive. Therefore, it is concluded that the Snow Mesa Drive connection will not have a significant impact on these trips. Traffic volumes on Snow Mesa Drive will decrease as this street goes south from Harmony Road. The northernmost link could have as much as 10,000-12,000 vehicles per day (vpd). However, as streets and driveways intersect with Snow Mesa Drive, the volume will steadily decrease to 4800- 5000 vpd near Timberwood Drive. South of Timberwood Drive, the traffic volume will likely be 3000-3500 vpd. These volumes are commensurate with those of a collector street. Even though the volumes just south of Harmony Road will exceed the thresholds for that of a collector street, it is recommended that the classification of Snow Mesa Drive remain a collector street. It is not good practice to change street classification of a street every time the volume changes. It is more appropriate to increase the number of lanes in the short segments where the traffic volumes will be higher. It is concluded that Snow Mesa Drive is appropriately classified as a collector street. While there will likely be some "cut through" traffic using Snow Mesa Drive and Timber Creek Drive, it is not likely that it will be excessive. The area streets will carry traffic volumes that are commensurate with their classifications. The connection of Snow Mesa Drive to Harmony Road will have a positive benefit to the residents of the Timber Creek Neighborhood with regard to travel time and convenience. Removing some traffic from the arterial streets will have a positive benefit to the City traffic operations. It is important to note that the development of the PVH South Campus does not cause the impacts described above, but rather this development provides the means for completion of the planned street system in this area. E-d bEOS6990LS H3iim C M3H11dW dSb:iO b0 bI ueC CO M O CD 0 0 U 0 J 7 O J w 2 a z w S z J t7 N n N N W a: V J W 0 .7 W `1 oTO: Dean Barber, Mcwhinney Real Estate Services Ln Angie Milewski, BHA Design Cameron Gloss, Fort Collins Planning Director Co Joe Frank, Fort Collins Long Range Planning o a) FROM: Matt Delich ti DATE: January 14, 2004 SUBJECT: Poudre Valley South Campus - Requested traffic information for Snow Mesa Drive (File: 0363ME05) 0 N 0) . CO This memorandum provides information and opinion with regard to cc p the expected traffic volumes on Snow Mesa Drive when it is connected rn from Harmony Road south to Timber Creek Drive (Timber Creek Neighborhood). Snow Mesa Drive is classified as a collector street. Timber Creek Drive is classified as a collector street. It is a expected that the Harmony/Snow Mesa intersection will be signalized in the future. It is my understanding that some residents of the Timber Creek Neighborhood, south of the PVH South Campus, expressed concern with regard to "cut through' traffic once the street connection is made. The subject link of Snow Mesa Drive has long been shown on the Fort Collins Master Street Plan. Snow Mesa Drive currently ends as a 'stub" at the north property line of the Timber Creek Neighborhood, indicating that it is expected to continue to the north. The Fort Collins Master Street Plan also shows Timberwood Drive (a collector street) intersecting with Snow Mesa Drive within the PVH South Campus area. Timberwood Drive continues to the east intersecting with Corbett Drive, which serves the Preston Neighborhood. The Snow Mesa Drive connection will positively serve the current/future residents of the Timber Creek Neighborhood. It will O provide an alternative route for these residents to get to/from Harmony Road and to get to/from the schools and commercial land uses W within the Preston Neighborhood. This link will also connect the z Timber Creek Neighborhood to the medical related land uses that will Wbe on the PVH South Campus. The Snow Mesa Drive connection will z enable the above trips to occur without using Timberline Road and, in O most cases, without using the Harmony/Timberline intersection. The a connectivity of neighborhoods is generally considered to be positive, since it can shorten intra/inter-neighborhood trips and reduce a traffic on the arterial street system. This can improve the z operation at arterial/arterial intersections, such as the Harmony/ Timberline intersection. With this convenience, comes the ability H . for external trips to "cut through" the Timber Creek Neighborhood. 05 This "cut through" is often categorized by residents as negative. u Determination of the "cut through" traffic is almost impossible to M predict. About the best that can be analyzed is the likelihood of it F occurring for different trips. - 2.d 4602699OL6 H3I130 C M3H11HW dbb:10 40 bi ueC