Bridgewater
Complete Streets
Prioritization Plan and
Pedestrian Safety
Assessment
Presented by
Luciano Rabito
Manager of Complete Streets
Presented to
Bridgewater, MA
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
6:30 P.M.
What is a Complete Street?
 Complete Streets defined:
A Complete Street is one that
provides safe and accessible options
for all travel modes – walking, biking,
transit, and vehicles – for people of
all ages and abilities
 Complete Streets improvements
Amherst Route 116 – Mt. Holyoke Visitor Center Bus Stop
may be large scale such as corridor
wide improvements or focused on
the needs of a single mode at
a single location
Greenfield – Greenfield Community College Roundabout
PLANNING/PRIORITIZATION
Safety Benefits of Complete Streets
Interventions to reduce
pedestrian crashes:
Sidewalks
88% (FHWA)
Shoulders
71% (FDOT)
Interventions to reduce crashes:
Medians
40% (NCHRP)
Road diets
8 – 49% (ITE)
Countdown signals
25% (FHWA)
PLANNING/PRIORITIZATION
ADA Benefits of Complete Streets
 18.7% of Americans have some
type of disability that limits
mobility (including physical,
visual, and hearing impairments)
 Complete Streets feature curb
cuts, high visibility crosswalks,
and other designs for travelers
with disabilities
 Complete Streets reduce
isolation and dependence
PLANNING/PRIORITIZATION
Economic Benefits of Complete Streets
 Investment in a community’s walkability typically
increases land value 70-300%
 Above-average Neighborhood Walk Score translates
into improved local economy
 About $4,000-$34,000 higher real estate
 Retail sales increase by 30
 About $4,000 - $34,000 higher real estate sales
prices by 30%
~ Healthier Communities Through Design,
American Institute of Architects (AIA)
PLANNING/PRIORITIZATION
Transit, Equity and Health Benefits of Complete Streets

Low to moderate income households
spend a greater percentage of income on
public transportation

Environmental justice households are
less likely to own a vehicle; those with
disabilities, children and the elderly may
not be able to drive

Car-centric communities limit
opportunities for daily physical activity

Complete Streets provide:
•
•

Improved public transportation options
More options for transportation
Allowing all types of users to:
•
•
•
Minimize travel costs
Increase daily exercise
Safely reach more destinations
and opportunities
Complete Streets Funding Program History


Program was released February 2, 2016

The MassDOT Capital Investment Plan (CIP) provides funding for this
program over the next five years set at $50 million

121 municipalities have passed Complete Streets Policies that scored 80
or above, and 53 have submitted Prioritization Plans
For FY 16 and FY 17, there was $12.5M of funding
available from Casino Funds
PROGRAM/FUNDING
Funding to Date
Tier 3 Project Funding
(Round 1: FY 2017)
• 11 Projects totaling $4.4M
Tier 3 Project Funding
(Round 2: FY 2017)
• 15 Projects totaling $5.5M
Tier 2 Prioritization Plan Funds
(FY 2017)
• 50 Municipalities given
Technical Assistance for
their Prioritization Plans,
totaling $2.6M
CS Funding Program Snapshot
 Three Tiers for entry into the Program
 Planning Assistance to support CS Prioritization Plan –
up to $50,000 available to any community (Reimbursable)
 CS Construction – up to $400,000 (Reimbursable)
 Eligible list of CS infrastructure and roadways. Design is
not an eligible expense
 $12.5M to be spent over the next two years (2016-17)
 Beyond FY17, there is a proposed $50M over
5 Years in the CIP
CS Funding Program Framework

Tier 1
Training and Complete Streets Policy Development

Tier 2
Complete Streets Prioritization Plan Development

Tier 3
Project Approval and Notice to Proceed for
Construction
Prioritization Plan Process
 Compile existing studies, plans, projects, etc.
 Map areas of concern and areas of potential
 Gather input from the community and from Town officials
 Work with Town to identify a list of potential projects
 Prioritize projects based on potential, need, input from
community, and Town officials’ priorities
HSH PRIORITIZATION PROCESS
Potential Pedestrian Utility
Walking to Points of
Interest
HSH PRIORITIZATION PROCESS
Pedestrian Level of Comfort
 Shows quality of existing
sidewalks and gaps in the
sidewalk network
 Criteria considered include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pavement quality
Sidewalk width and
pinch points
Vertical or horizontal buffers
Grade separation
Continuity
Potential vehicle/
pedestrian conflict
Vegetation
Land use
Road speed and
traffic volumes
West Springfield, MA
HSH PRIORITIZATION PROCESS
Bicycle Level of Comfort
HSH PRIORITIZATION PROCESS
Bicycle Level of Comfort
 Local roads and trails are
comfortable for novice-level
cyclists
 High speed or high volume
roads are low comfort
expect for strong and
fearless riders
 Criteria considered include:
•
Road speed and
traffic volumes
•
Number of lanes
•
Type of existing
bicycle facilities
•
Intersection characteristics
West Springfield, MA
Pedestrian and Bicycle Crashes 2012-2014
 Crash sites
indicate
potentially
unsafe
conditions
 Pedestrians and
cyclists may
avoid other
unsafe locations
altogether
Pedestrian Crashes
Bicycle Crashes
HSH PRIORITIZATION PROCESS
Persons with Disabilities
 Persons with disabilities are
less likely to have access to
motor vehicles and have
greater need for walking,
biking, and transit options for
daily activities
 ADA improvements, like curb
ramps, are more crucial in
these areas
 Proposed projects in areas
with higher populations of
persons with disabilities
will be prioritized higher
Source: American Community Survey 5-year Estimates
HSH PRIORITIZATION PROCESS
Community and Municipal Input: WikiMapping
Go to: http://wikimapping.com/wikimap/Bridgewater.html
HSH PRIORITIZATION PROCESS
Community and Municipal Input
 Input from Bridgewater Town officials
 Input from community mapping
session – Tonight!
 WikiMapping –
Active and ongoing!
HSH PRIORITIZATION PROCESS
Community and Municipal Input: Mapping Session
 Break out groupsdiscuss and mark up
the maps provided
 Note where you
believe improvements
are needed for ADA,
walking, bicycling,
and transit
 Ideas for improvement
projects are welcome
Prioritization Plan
Key Points
 Projects do not need to be constructed in order of priority
• However, projects may only receive Tier 3 funding if
they’re included on the list
 Projects must be fully designed or require little/no design
to be funded
• Funds cannot be used for design
 Funds cannot be used on state-owned roads for FY 2018
• There may be a permitting process to allow this in the future
CS Funding Program Framework

Tier 1
Training and Complete Streets Policy Development

Tier 2
Complete Streets Prioritization Plan Development

Tier 3
Project Approval and Notice to Proceed for
Construction
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
Tier 3 Project
Agawam, MA
Springfield Street (Route 147) at North Street and Maple Street
AGAWAM, MA
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
Tier 3 Project
Agawam, MA
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ASSESSMENT
Central Square
 Goal: Evaluate pedestrian safety and infrastructure in Central Square
for pedestrian safety plan through an approved Town of Bridgewater
Complete Streets Prioritization Plan
 Approach: Analyze circulation patterns and assess safety, and ADA
accessibility. Utilize data collection from Complete Streets and
Toolkit strategies to develop a plan
To left:
WikiMap
comments of
Central Square as
of 4/21/17 (and
more to come!)
To right:
Pedestrian Crash
data from GIS of
the area
EXISTING CENTRAL SQUARE CONDITIONS
Bicycle Challenges
 No bicycle infrastructure; cyclists are riding on the sidewalk
with pedestrians
 Since vehicles are traveling at high speeds, the probability of
serious injury is higher for those traveling via bicycle
 There are no bicycle-specific accommodations at intersections
EXISTING CENTRAL SQUARE CONDITIONS
Traffic Circulation
 Junction of inter-regional


state routes
• Broad Street (Route 18)
• Main Street (Route 28)
• Summer Street (Route 104)
30,000 vehicles on a
typical weekday
• Equal north/south travel
• Slightly downward trend
of traffic according to
historical data
• Presence of heavy trucks
Emergency fire signals allow
the Fire Department to enter
the rotary in a contraflow
direction as needed
Emergency Fire Signals
EXISTING CENTRAL SQUARE CONDITIONS
Intersections
EXISTING CENTRAL SQUARE CONDITIONS
Intersections: Pedestrian Push Buttons
EXISTING CENTRAL SQUARE CONDITIONS
Signalized Intersection (North)
 Northern Side – Broad St./Main St./Summer St.
Four-Way Signalized Intersection
• Top 5 Percent Intersection Crash Clusters as identified
by MassDOT
• Turning vehicles are observed not yielding to pedestrians
EXISTING CENTRAL SQUARE CONDITIONS
Signalized Intersection (North)
 Northern Side – Broad St./Main St./Summer St.
Four-Way Signalized Intersection
• Crossing distances are long due
to angled alignment of crosswalks
• Pedestrian delays are significant due
to actuated signal phase sequences
• Not enough walk time is allotted to
cross Central Square under a single
pedestrian phase. Pedestrians
must stop at the island to wait again
Crosswalk
Crossing
Distance (ft)
Crossing Time
Needed (sec)
Ped Delay
(sec)
1
Main Street west (Ø6, P4-P5)
78.5
22.4
44.4
2
Broad Street north ( Ø3, P6-P7)
73.0
20.9
44.4
3
Summer Street east (Ø2, P8-P9)
76.0
21.7
44.4
4a
Central Square south (east, Ø3, P1-P10)
39.0
11.1
48.9
4b
Central Square south (west, Ø4, P2-P3)
40.0
11.4
45.2
EXISTING CENTRAL SQUARE CONDITIONS
Intersection: Unsignalized Mid-Block Pedestrian Crossings
EXISTING CENTRAL SQUARE CONDITIONS
Crosswalks Along the Common
 6 crosswalks provide connectivity utilizing safe paths
through the park
 Poor pedestrian visibility when attempting to cross towards the
Common due to parked cars
 Angled crosswalks and lack of curb extensions create longer
crossing distances for pedestrians
Crossing
Distance
(ft)
Time
Needed
(sec)
Central Sq NB @ Lucky Star Gas
42.5
12.1
Central Sq NB @ My Sister & I
54.0
15.4
Central Sq NB @ Bedford Street
54.0
15.4
Central Sq SB @ Church Street
48.0
13.7
Central Sq SB @ M&S Auto Repair
40.0
11.4
Central Sq SB @ Better Bean Coffee
42.0
12.0
Crosswalk
Ave. roadway width is 42’
(curb to curb)
Existing Central Square Conditions:
Intersections- Yield/Stop-Controlled Ped Crossings
EXISTING CENTRAL SQUARE CONDITIONS
Yield-Controlled Intersection (South)

Southern Side – Two Yield-controlled access points to
Central Square
•
South Street and Church Street merge from west
•
Bedford Street and School Street merge from south and east

Vehicles exiting rotary are accelerating and traveling at high speeds,
crosswalks at Route 104/Route 28 are dangerous for pedestrians

Long crossing distances and lack of pedestrian islands make it
daunting to enter the crosswalk safely
Small sign does not
attract enough
attention to vehicles
that they must stop
for pedestrians
Next Steps
1. Data collection and analysis
2. Continued stakeholder input
3. Project identification and prioritization
For more information:
Luciano Rabito
Manager of Complete Streets
Howard Stein Hudson
[email protected]
Questions?
Complete Streets Toolkit
Rapid Flashing Beacon
Flashing Signage
Road Diet
High Visibility Crosswalk
Complete Streets Toolkit
In Street Crosswalk Sign
Curb Ramp with Tactile Warning Strips
Raised Crosswalk
Pedestrian Refuge Island
Complete Streets Toolkit
Tightened Curb Radii
Speed Hump
Movable Speed Hump
Speed Display Signage
Complete Streets Toolkit
Standard Bike Lane
Protected Bike Lane
Side Path
Wayfinding