Traffic Mitigation Plan for the Hartwell Avenue Transportation Management Overlay District

Lexington, Massachusetts

Submitted to: Town of Lexington July 2, 2010

Table of Contents Executive Summary...... i 1.0 Introduction...... 1 1.1 Background...... 1 1.2 Traffic Study Area ...... 2 2.0 Existing Conditions...... 2 2.1 Roadway Segments...... 2 2.2 Traffic Volumes...... 5 2.2.1 Peak Hour Volumes...... 5 2.2.2 Daily Traffic Volumes...... 6 2.2.3 Alternative Modes...... 8 2.3 Traffic Safety ...... 10 2.4 Traffic Operations Analysis...... 12 2.4.1 Level of Service Criteria...... 12 2.4.2 Capacity Analysis ...... 13 2.5 Parking...... 15 2.6 Public Hearing ...... 15 2.7 Existing Conditions Summary ...... 15 3.0 Future Conditions ...... 16 3.1 Land Use Assumptions ...... 16 3.2 Trip Generation Rates...... 18 3.2.1 Trip Generation and Distribution...... 19 3.2.2 Traffic Increases ...... 20 3.3 Future Transportation System Improvements...... 22 3.4 Future Traffic Operations ...... 22 3.5 Suggested Mitigation Strategies ...... 25 4.0 Alternative Transportation Improvement Plans...... 25 4.1 Bedford Street...... 25 4.1.1 Do Nothing Alternative ...... 26 4.1.2 Four-Lane Divided with Bike Lanes...... 26 4.1.3 Four-Lane Divided with No Bike Lanes...... 27 4.1.4 Five-Lane Undivided with No Bike Lanes ...... 28 4.1.5 Comparison of Bedford Street Alternatives...... 28 4.2 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection...... 29

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4.2.1 Do Nothing Alternative ...... 29 4.2.2 Fly-under...... 30 4.2.3 Roundabout...... 31 4.2.4 Modified Signal ...... 31 4.2.5 Comparison of Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection Alternatives ...... 32 4.3 Hartwell Avenue – North Section...... 33 4.3.1 Do Nothing Alternative ...... 33 4.3.2 Three-Lane Undivided with Bike Lanes...... 33 4.3.3 Four-Lane Undivided with Bike Lanes...... 34 4.3.4 Five-Lane Undivided with No Bike Lanes ...... 34 4.3.5 Five-Lane Divided with No Bike Lanes ...... 35 4.3.6 Four-Lane Divided with Bike Lanes...... 36 4.3.7 Comparison of Hartwell Avenue North Alternatives ...... 36 4.4 Hartwell Avenue – South Section...... 37 4.4.1 Do Nothing Alternative ...... 37 4.4.2 Three-Lane with Sidewalk...... 38 4.4.3 Four-Lane with Multi-Use Path...... 38 4.4.4 Five-Lane with Multi-Use Path ...... 39 4.4.5 Comparison of Hartwell Avenue South Alternatives ...... 40 4.5 Wood Street ...... 40 4.5.1 Do Nothing Alternative ...... 40 4.5.2 Truck Restrictions...... 41 4.5.3 Turn Restrictions...... 42 4.5.4 Airport Road Access...... 43 4.5.5 Traffic Calming...... 44 4.5.6 Comparison of Wood Street Alternatives...... 45 5.0 Recommendations...... 46 5.1 Infrastructure Plan...... 46 5.1.1 State Components ...... 46 5.1.2 Local Components ...... 48 5.1.3 Implementation ...... 48 5.1.4 Timing...... 49 5.1.5 Cost...... 49 5.1.6 Funding...... 49 5.2 Policy Plan ...... 49

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5.2.1 Traffic Mitigation Fees ...... 50 5.2.2 Parking and Travel Demand Management ...... 50 5.2.3 Truck Restrictions on Wood Street...... 50 5.2.4 Coordinate TDM Strategies with Hanscom and Lincoln Labs...... 50 5.2.5 Coordinate with the MBTA ...... 50 5.2.6 Promote the Hartwell Avenue TMA...... 51 5.2.7 Curb Cut Consolidation ...... 51 5.2.8 Summary...... 51 5.3 Outstanding Items...... 52 5.3.1 Project Phasing ...... 52 5.3.2 Route 128 Roundabout Design ...... 52 5.3.3 Drummer Boy Green Condominium Access ...... 52 5.3.4 TMA Membership ...... 52

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List of Tables Table 1 Existing Travel Destinations...... 5 Table 2 Daily Traffic Volumes ...... 7 Table 3 Crash Data Summary (2005 to 2007) ...... 11 Table 4 Level of Service Criteria...... 12 Table 5 Capacity Analysis Results ...... 14 Table 6 Existing and Future Land Use Conditions...... 17 Table 7 Trip Generation Rates...... 18 Table 8 TMOD Traffic Generation...... 19 Table 9 Traffic Increases ...... 21 Table 10 Future Capacity Analysis Results ...... 23 Table 11 Bedford Street Do Nothing Alternative Summary...... 26 Table 12 Bedford Street Four-Lane Divided with Bike Lanes Summary...... 27 Table 13 Bedford Street Four-Lane Divided with No Bike Lanes Summary...... 27 Table 14 Bedford Street Five-Lane Undivided with No Bike Lanes Summary ...... 28 Table 15 Comparison of Bedford Street Alternatives...... 29 Table 16 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection Do Nothing Alternative Summary ...... 30 Table 17 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection Fly-under Summary...... 31 Table 18 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection Roundabout Summary...... 31 Table 19 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection Modified Signal Summary ...... 32 Table 20 Comparison of Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection Alternatives ...... 32 Table 21 Hartwell Avenue North Do Nothing Alternative Summary ...... 33 Table 22 Hartwell Avenue North Three-Lane Undivided with Bike Lanes Summary...... 34 Table 23 Hartwell Avenue North Four-Lane Undivided with Bike Lanes Summary ...... 34 Table 24 Hartwell Avenue North Five-Lane Undivided with No Bike Lanes Summary ...... 35 Table 25 Hartwell Avenue North Five-Lane Divided with No Bike Lanes Summary ...... 35 Table 26 Hartwell Avenue North Four-Lane Divided with Bike Lanes Summary ...... 36 Table 27 Comparison of Hartwell Avenue North Alternatives ...... 37 Table 28 Hartwell Avenue South Do Nothing Alternative Summary ...... 38 Table 29 Hartwell Avenue South Three-Lane with Sidewalk Summary...... 38 Table 30 Hartwell Avenue South Four-Lane with Multi-Use Path Summary...... 39 Table 31 Hartwell Avenue South Five-Lane with Multi-Use Path Summary ...... 39 Table 32 Comparison of Hartwell Avenue South Alternatives ...... 40 Table 33 Wood Street Do Nothing Alternative Summary...... 41 Table 34 Wood Street Truck Restriction Summary...... 41 Table 35 Wood Street Turn Restrictions Summary ...... 43 Table 36 Airport Road Base Access Summary...... 43 Table 37 Wood Street Roundabout Summary ...... 44 Table 38 Wood Street Median Treatment Summary ...... 45 Table 39 Comparison of Wood Street Alternatives...... 45

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List of Figures Figure 1 Transportation Management Overlay District Figure 2 Study Area Intersections Figure 3 Hartwell Avenue North – Existing Cross-Section Figure 4 Hartwell Avenue South – Existing Cross-Section Figure 5 Bedford Street – Existing Cross-Section Figure 6 Existing Morning Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Figure 7 Existing Afternoon Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Figure 8 Relative Afternoon Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Figure 9 Wood Street Traffic Composition Figure 10 Hartwell Avenue Hourly Volumes Figure 11 Wood Street Hourly Volumes Figure 12 Existing Morning Peak Hour Pedestrian/Bicycle Volumes Figure 13 Existing Afternoon Peak Hour Pedestrian/Bicycle Volumes Figure 14 Travel Mode Comparison – Maguire Road @ Hartwell Avenue Figure 15 Travel Mode Comparison – Wood Street @ Lincoln Labs Figure 16 Crash Summary Figure 17 Trip Distribution Pattern Figure 18 No-Build Morning Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Figure 19 No-Build Afternoon Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Figure 20 Build Morning Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Figure 21 Build Afternoon Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Figure 22 Bedford Street Cross-Section – Four-Lane Divided with Bike Lanes Figure 23 Bedford Street Concept Plan – Four-Lane Divided with Bike Lanes Figure 24 Bedford Street Cross-Section – Four-Lane Divided with No Bike Lanes Figure 25 Bedford Street Cross-Section – Five-Lane Undivided with No Bike Lanes Figure 26 Bedford Street Concept Plan – Five-Lane Undivided with No Bike Lanes Figure 27 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Existing Conditions Figure 28 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Fly-Under Option Figure 29 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Roundabout Option Figure 30 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Modified Signal Option Figure 31 Hartwell Avenue North Cross-Section – Three-Lane Undivided with Bike Lanes Figure 32 Hartwell Avenue North Cross-Section – Four-Lane Undivided with Bike Lanes

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Figure 33 Hartwell Avenue North Cross-Section – Five-Lane Undivided with No Bike Lanes Figure 34 Hartwell Avenue North Cross-Section – Five-Lane Divided with No Bike Lanes Figure 35 Hartwell Avenue North Concept Plan – Five-Lane Divided with No Bike Lanes Figure 35A Hartwell Avenue North Concept Plan – Four Lane Divided with Bike Lanes Figure 36 Hartwell Avenue South Cross-Section – Three-Lane with Sidewalk Figure 37 Hartwell Avenue South Concept Plan – Three-Lane with Sidewalk Figure 38 Hartwell Avenue South Cross-Section – Four-Lane with Multi-Use Path Figure 39 Hartwell Avenue South Cross-Section – Five-Lane with Multi-Use Path Figure 40 Wood Street Existing Cross-Section Figure 41 Wood Street Truck Restrictions Figure 42 Wood Street Turn Restrictions – Morning Peak Hour Figure 43 Wood Street Turn Restrictions – Afternoon Peak Hour Figure 44 Wood Street Turn Restriction at Hartwell Avenue Figure 45 Wood Street Alternative Base Access Figure 46 Wood Street Potential Traffic Calming Locations Figure 47 Wood Street Typical Roundabout Treatment Figure 48 Wood Street Typical Median Treatment

Appendices Appendix A Traffic Mitigation Fees – Parking and Travel Demand Management Requirements

Appendix B Alternative Roundabout Designs

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Executive Summary In an effort to increase the assessed value and tax revenues associated with commercial properties along Hartwell Avenue the Town of Lexington created the Hartwell Avenue Transportation Management Overlay District (TMOD) that allows increased development density within its boundaries. In order to mitigate the traffic impacts associated with the potential increase in development, this traffic mitigation study was commissioned. This study has three primary goals as follows: 1. Define the transportation infrastructure needs to support the multi-modal travel demands expected from the potential new development while minimizing impacts to adjacent residential areas. 2. Define policies to promote greater use of alternative (non-automobile) travel modes to, from and within the Hartwell Avenue corridor. 3. Identify the sources and mechanisms to fund goals #1 and #2 All of the above was to be conducted in an open public process that encouraged the participation of Town residents and Hartwell Avenue businesses and property owners. At the end of an approximate nine-month study period all of the goals have been attained. Infrastructure

Transportation system improvements are proposed to meet the future travel demands of multiple travel modes. An illustration of the overall infrastructure plan is provided in Figure ES-1. Proposals by travel mode are described below. Pedestrians A critical absence of pedestrian accommodations in the study area will be addressed. New sidewalks will be constructed along both sides of Hartwell Avenue for much of its length and along the south side of Bedford Street creating a connected network of facilities. Where this new sidewalk network crosses major roadways treatments are proposed to afford safe crossings. Modern roundabouts proposed for Bedford Street at the Route 128 southbound ramps and at Hartwell Avenue will slow traffic in advance of the crosswalks to be provide and create refuge islands for staged pedestrian crossings of these busy roadways. The roundabout designs direct pedestrians along paths that enhance their visibility to motorists and lessen their exposure to fast moving vehicles. A roundabout proposed for the Maguire Road and Hartwell Avenue intersection will provide similar benefits. At the Eldred Street intersection with Bedford Street a pedestrian actuated signal is proposed along with a raised median on Bedford Street to stop traffic and allow pedestrians to also cross Bedford Street in a staged manner, if necessary. New crosswalks and a raised median on Hartwell Avenue will accommodate safe “mid-block” pedestrian movements across Hartwell Avenue. Finally, along Wood Street raised medians will be installed and travel lanes will be narrowed at multiple intersections (generally where school buses stop and where West Lexington Greenway will cross Wood Street). These traffic calming measures will slow traffic, create a pedestrian refuge areas and increase driver awareness of crossing locations.

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Bicyclists The Hartwell Avenue area is afforded excellent east-west bicycle access by way of the Minuteman Bikeway. However, upon arriving at Hartwell Avenue there is very little infrastructure to accommodate bike circulation within the area. Accordingly, the mitigation plan will provide full-width bicycle accommodations along Hartwell Avenue and along the section of Bedford Street that is proposed for reconstruction. These would include construction of a multiuse path, a portion of the proposed West Lexington Greenway, from the Minuteman Bikeway to Bedford Street. The very narrow bike lanes on Hartwell Avenue south of Maguire Road will be widened to provide a safer and more comfortable biking experience. Bike routes through proposed roundabouts will be clearly defined and traffic calming devices proposed along Wood Street will lessen the difference between cyclist speeds and vehicle speeds on the roadway.

Public Transportation The Hartwell Avenue TMOD is not well served by public transportation. The one MBTA bus route (Route 62) that passes through the north end of the district along Bedford Street receives limited ridership in part due to the difficulty pedestrians experience crossing Bedford Street. (All commuters must cross Bedford Street once a day: in the morning when arriving by way of a westbound bus or in the evening if headed home on a westbound bus.) The proposed roundabouts on Bedford Street and proposed pedestrian signal at Eldred Street will allow for safer pedestrian crossings and support transit usage. Increased future demand for transit services may in turn lead to increases in the frequency of service provided. The proposed roundabout alternative for the Hartwell Avenue and Maguire Road intersection could be used as a turnaround that would allow the MBTA Route 76 that presently serves Lincoln Labs to be extended to serve Hartwell Avenue businesses as well.

Vehicular Traffic Presently travel to and from the Hartwell Avenue TMOD is dominated by automobile traffic and the volume of traffic generated leads to peak period congestion. New development in the TMOD will add to this pressure. However, the Town prefers to accommodate as much of this new and existing travel demand through alternative modes and building significant new roadway capacity within the TMOD may provide little or no congestion relief given capacity limitations on the surrounding roadway network. Consequently, roadway improvements have been proposed to better organize the existing traffic flows allowing for safer traffic operations and relieving traffic demands in residential areas. Principal among these is a reconstruction of Bedford Street between Route 128 and Hartwell Avenue to provide a center raised median and bike accommodations/shoulders. The roadway would be restriped west of Hartwell Avenue to better accommodate traffic turning left from Winter Street. The median will eliminate the congestion and crashes caused by legal and illegal left-turn movements made along this segment and the wider shoulders will enable right-turning traffic to more safely and efficiently merge into the traffic stream. Modern roundabouts proposed at each end of this segment will accommodate the relocated left-turn movements and generally serve to slow traffic down. Multilane roundabouts are proposed to maintain or slightly increase the carrying capacity offered by the existing

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intersection configurations and traffic control conditions. A similar treatment proposed for Hartwell Avenue North (Maguire Road to Bedford Street) should afford similar operational benefits. Hartwell Avenue South (Maguire Road to Hanscom) will be reconstructed with essentially the same lane configuration as existing conditions except with wider lanes for bicycles. Also, at its intersection with Wood Street, proposed traffic islands and other geometric changes will impose turn restrictions to remove Hanscom traffic from Wood Street.

Policy Initiatives The above proposals to enhance the transportation infrastructure are supported and complemented by a number of policy recommendations. These recommendations will help fund the infrastructure improvements, provided traffic calming and encourage the use of alternative travel modes.

Traffic Mitigation Fees A traffic mitigation fee structure has been proposed to cover the Town share of the estimated $15.85 million infrastructure improvement program. The Town’s obligation, primarily associated with project design and permitting, is expected to total $1.75 million. Developers will be asked through a traffic mitigation fee program to fund the Town’s obligation. Historically, traffic mitigation is negotiated for individual development projects with developers often constructing specific roadway improvements as mitigation. Frequently, there is great uncertainty entering the negotiation process regarding the outcome and ultimate mitigation costs. A mitigation fee structure as proposed eliminates this uncertainty and pools developer resources together. The collected revenues, when leveraged with state funds, will allow the Town to advance integrated improvement projects of a broader scope and scale than could be accomplished by individual developers. The proposed traffic mitigation fee is $3100 per 1000 square feet of new building floor space added. No fee would be charged for new floor area that supports the use of alternative modes such as shower and locker facilities for bicycle commuters or on-site cafés and service retail uses.

Alternative Travel Modes Several strategies are recommended to encourage a shift in travel patterns toward the use of alternative, non-single occupant motor vehicle, travel modes. These include: ƒ Creation of a transportation management association (TMA) to facilitate the cooperative efforts of area employers to provide travel alternatives (carpools and shuttle buses) for commuters. ƒ Mandatory membership in the TMA and mandatory membership dues to fund alternative travel services and incentive programs. ƒ Financial incentives, to be offered through the TMA, to limit vehicle trips.

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ƒ Coordination with the existing travel demand management (TDM) programs at Hanscom and Lincoln Labs to achieve greater economies of scale in providing alternative travel opportunities. ƒ Ongoing coordination with the MBTA through the TMA to implement service and/or route changes to accommodate future changes in travel demands.

Traffic Calming Additional strategies are recommended to make residential areas more livable from a traffic perspective. These include: • Imposing a restriction on through truck traffic on Wood Street. • Imposing turn restrictions (in conjunction with the geometric changes mentioned above) at the Wood Street/Hartwell Avenue intersection to reduce the volume of Hanscom traffic on Wood Street.

Existing Conditions The above recommendations are based on a detailed traffic analysis of existing and projected future transportation system conditions. The existing conditions analysis included weekday commuter peak period traffic counts of 13 intersections and 24-hour counts of key roadway segments. From these counts it was determined that Hartwell Avenue and Bedford Street carry 17,000 and 39,000 vehicles per day, respectively. Wood Street, due primarily to through trips and Lincoln Labs traffic, carries 8000 vehicles per day. Up to 15 percent of the daily traffic on Wood Street is truck and bus traffic. An analysis of the observed volumes confirms that that during peak hours the Hartwell Avenue/Bedford Street intersection operates very near to its maximum carrying capacity. The unsigalized intersection of Maguire Road and Hartwell Avenue also operates at capacity, that is, long delays are experienced by motorists waiting to turn left from Maguire Road. A review of recent crash statistics for the study area roadways demonstrates that crash rates are higher than statewide averages along Bedford Street in the project area indicating a problem with traffic turning on and off of this roadway. Statistical data are not available to measure mode choice for trips into and out of the TMOD, however; observations made during the conduct of this study suggest that single occupant motor vehicle trips account for nearly all commuter trips.

Future Conditions Zoning changes that led to the initiation of this study would permit increased new development and increased travel demands in the TMOD. Development potential considered in the study includes the addition of 678,834 square feet of commercial (office, research and development, light-industrial) floor space to the existing inventory of 2,064,279 square feet. Related to this increase in floor space is an estimated increase in commuter peak hour travel demands from approximately 1750 trips to 2550 trips. (Existing travel demands account for approximately 1100 peak hour trips and this figure is expected to grow to approximately 1750 trips as existing vacant space in the district becomes occupied.) The added travel demand associated with new

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development, when distributed in accordance with existing peak hour travel patterns, results in future peak hour traffic increases of 13 percent at the Hartwell Avenue and Bedford Street intersection. Traffic flows on Wood Street will increase by seven percent. An analysis of this additional traffic burden on the roadway system indicates travel demands exceeding the existing roadway capacity on Hartwell Avenue north of Maguire Road and at the Hartwell Avenue and Bedford Street intersection. The traffic mitigation strategies defined above are intended to provide some relief to these system capacity constraints while organizing traffic flow for safer operations. They will also create enhanced opportunities for the use of alternative travel modes. Any reduction in vehicular travel demands resulting from a mode shift will also help relieve system capacity constraints.

Alternatives A number of alternative roadway improvement plans were developed and evaluated to address the expected future vehicular traffic demands. Alternatives were identified for individual locations (intersections or roadway segments) but evaluated to consider their consistency with the overall roadway system. For each of these improvement plans accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists were first considered.

Hartwell Avenue/Bedford Street Intersection The Hartwell Avenue and Bedford Street intersection is the most critical location in the study area from a roadway capacity perspective. Alternatives considered for this location include expanding the existing signalized intersection, grade separating the left-turn (jug-handle) movement into Hartwell Avenue and providing the multilane modern roundabout. The modern roundabout is favored as it provides only modest increases in capacity (keeping it in balance with the rest of the roadway system); slows traffic (improving traffic safety); and, provides for safe pedestrian travel (making transit a more viable alternative for access to the TMOD).

Bedford Street For Bedford Street the principal concern is traffic and pedestrian safety. Vehicular turning movements along the corridor contribute to a high accident rate and pedestrian crossings at Eldred Street (where there are Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus stops) are particularly frightful. Widening the roadway to include a two-way left-turn lane and installing a full traffic signal at Eldred Street were considered as alternatives to the recommended plan. The two-way, left-turn lane would most likely increase turning volumes and thereby elevate the crash rate. The full traffic signal at Eldred Street could cause back-ups on Bedford Street impacting the Route 128 ramps and perhaps the Route 128 mainline. Accordingly, the median treatment for Bedford Street with a pedestrian signal is preferred. The proposed center median treatment for Bedford Street prohibits all left turns along this segment. Consequently, traffic unable to turn left along this segment must execute a U-turn maneuver. This can be accomplished using the Route 128 interchange at the east end of the study area under existing conditions. However, adding volume to the ramps and weaving sections along Route 128 at peak hours is undesirable. A modern roundabout is proposed at the Route 128 southbound ramp terminals with Bedford Street to accommodate U-turn maneuvers. This

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improvement may also allow MassDOT to abandon one or more ramps at this location eliminating the existing weave condition on Route 128 southbound through the interchange.

Hartwell Avenue North Land use conditions vary considerably between the northern and southern sections of Hartwell Avenue. (The Maguire Road intersection is considered the dividing point in this discussion.) North of Maguire Road the right-of-way is 100 feet wide and abutting parcels are generally developed. There are numerous driveways on both sides of the roadway. Alternatives considered for this section include three-lane, four-lane and five-lane treatments. The three-lane section would operate at capacity under future peak hour demands resulting in extended periods of congestion. The five-lane treatment, with or without a raised median, would continue to provide convenient access to businesses but may also encourage high speeds. Higher speeds combined with the very wide cross section would be an impediment to pedestrian travel across the roadway. Consolidation of driveways to better organize the left-turn movements would also be difficult and take many years to implement. As such, a four-lane, median divided roadway is preferred. With a continuous raised median, U-turn issues, as described above for Bedford Street, need to be addressed. As such, a modern roundabout is proposed at the Maguire Road intersection to complement the roundabout proposed on Bedford Street at the northern end of this roadway section.

Hartwell Avenue South The southern section of Hartwell Avenue (south of Maguire Road) has less development than the northern section and most of this located on just one side of the road. The east side of the roadway is dominated by wetlands while commercial properties access the west side of the roadway. (There are some but more limited wetland areas on the west side of the roadway near Maguire Road.) A four-lane treatment was evaluated as an alternative for this section along with the preferred three-lane treatment. Given the specific traffic patterns on this section (with a concentration of driveways limited to one side of the roadway), the three-lane section works almost as well as the four-lane section with fewer wetland impacts. Accordingly, a three-lane section with enhanced bike lanes and pedestrian accommodations is recommended.

Wood Street Wood Street is very much an anomaly. With the exception of one property, Lincoln Labs, the roadway abuts and provides access to residential land uses. Traffic from Lincoln Labs as well as other through traffic destined to Hanscom, Maguire Road and Hartwell Avenue generates volumes much greater than those associated with the residential land used along the roadway. However, the volume can be handled by the existing two-lane cross section. Consequently, alternatives examined for Wood Street included treatments to enhance the quality of life for Wood Street residents rather than increase roadway capacity. Specifically, measures were pursued to slow or divert through traffic. Peak hour turn restrictions for multiple turning movements at the north and south ends of Wood Street were examined. This alternative is considered difficult to enforce; would limit access for residents; and, would divert traffic to other roadways expected to be operating at or near capacity. However, this strategy, reduced in scope to simply turn restrictions to and from Hanscom at the Wood Street and Hartwell Avenue

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intersection, is part of the recommended plan. Providing direct access between Lincoln Labs and Route 2A was also examined as a way to divert traffic away from Wood Street. This is not feasible at the present time as such a route would pass parcels controlled by Hanscom and the National Park Service. Both parties will not support this proposal under existing conditions. Finally, mini-roundabouts were proposed for a series of intersections along Wood Street as traffic calming devices. Given potential right-of-way impacts associated with these, residents favored the installation of less intrusive median islands on the Wood Street approaches to these intersections.

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1.0 Introduction Tetra Tech Rizzo, working with the Town of Lexington Planning, Public Works and Economic Development departments (the project “steering committee”), prepared this transportation mitigation plan for the Hartwell Avenue Transportation Management Overlay District. In broad terms, the mitigation plan defines the transportation infrastructure and planning policies necessary to support redevelopment of the Hartwell Avenue district. It recommends roadway, sidewalk and bikeway improvements to serve increased travel demand for all modes and it defines incentives and programs to encourage greater usage of alternative travel modes. It also identifies a funding mechanism to ensure timely implementation of these improvements.

This plan was developed through a public process intended to build a consensus among stakeholders including Town officials, area residents, business owners and landowners. Its implementation over time will require the continued support of these stakeholders.

1.1 Background The Town of Lexington is continually striving to balance its budget. Municipal expenditures escalate over time but tax revenues often lag behind. In response, Lexington is looking to expand commercial development within its borders. Commercial development can generate new tax revenues with very limited additional burden on town services. The Town has targeted several areas where increased commercial development could occur. The Hartwell Avenue Transportation Management Overlay District (TMOD) is one such area. The Town has passed a bylaw that would allow higher development densities in the TMOD. The TMOD area is shown in Figure 1. The increased density limits should serve as an incentive for developers to consider projects in the TMOD. The bylaw that created the TMOD provides further encouragement to developers by simplifying the permit process for certain projects. The Transportation Management Plan in combination with the new bylaw will clearly inform developers of what they can expect with respect to the permit process and traffic mitigation requirements in the district. By eliminating much of the uncertainty typically associated with the permit process the Hartwell Avenue TMOD can become much more attractive for redevelopment. Creation of the TMOD, while a potential boon to developers and the Town coffers, did not occur without some negotiation. Although all town residents stand to benefit from the increased commercial tax revenues that will come in from new development, there are some residents, particularly those living adjacent to the district along Wood Street, Eldred Street and Winter Street, that have concerns regarding the potential for increased vehicular traffic in their neighborhoods. Hence, the rezoning was approved with a requirement that this transportation plan be prepared and that it include recommendations to protect the integrity of adjacent neighborhoods. In addressing neighborhood concerns it was recommended that traffic calming measures and promotion of alternative travel modes (to reduce vehicular travel demands) be considered.

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1.2 Traffic Study Area The traffic study area includes major intersections along Hartwell Avenue, Maguire Road, Massachusetts Avenue, Bedford Street and Wood Street. The study intersections are identified in Figure 2 and include the following:

ƒ Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue ƒ Westview Street/Hartwell Avenue ƒ Minuteman Bikepath/Hartwell Avenue ƒ Maguire Road/Hartwell Avenue ƒ Wood Street/Hartwell Avenue ƒ Lincoln Labs Driveway/Wood Street ƒ Old Massachusetts Avenue/Wood Street ƒ Massachusetts Avenue/Wood Street ƒ Marrett Road/Massachusetts Avenue ƒ Maguire Road/Westview Street ƒ Winter Street/Bedford Street ƒ Eldred Street/Bedford Street ƒ I-95 Southbound Ramps/Bedford Street

The study area was selected based on consultation with the project steering committee and includes locations expected to experience the most significant impacts from the TMOD redevelopment. Three of the study area intersections, noted in bold text, are presently signalized. A police detail is provided during the evening commuter peak hour at the Massachusetts Avenue/Wood Street intersection.

2.0 Existing Conditions The following sections define existing roadway and traffic conditions in the site vicinity.

2.1 Roadway Segments The Hartwell Avenue TMOD is located west of and adjacent to Route 128 (Interstate 95) which provides regional access to Hartwell Avenue. Smaller roadways providing access to the TMOD and within the TMOD are described below.

Hartwell Avenue-North The entire length of Hartwell Avenue is functionally classified as a rural minor arterial and is under the jurisdiction of the Town of Lexington. The speed limit is posted at 40 miles per hour (mph) along the entire length of the street. Hartwell Avenue north of Maguire Road generally operates as a four-lane roadway although the existing pavement width is approximately 40 feet wide and the roadway is striped to provide one travel lane in each direction. Numerous driveways exist along this segment serving abutting commercial properties. There is also a Stop- controlled, T-type intersection with Westview Street on this section. (The Stop sign is on the Westview Street approach.) There are no sidewalks or bicycle accommodations except for a

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short segment of sidewalk along the west side of the road between Westview Street and Bedford Street. The existing roadway cross section is illustrated in Figure 3.

Hartwell Avenue-South Hartwell Avenue south of Maguire Road is also approximately 40 feet wide but is striped differently from the northern section. The roadway is striped as a three-lane roadway with one travel lane in each direction and with a dedicated left-turn lane for turns intersecting commercial driveways. Given that much of the land to the east of the roadway is characterized as wetlands, the existing commercial development and driveways generally occur along the west side of the roadway. Bike lanes, approximately three feet wide, are provided in both the northbound and southbound directions. The existing roadway cross section is illustrated in Figure 4. The southern end of Hartwell Avenue functions as the driveway to the Hanscom Air Force Base (“Hanscom” or the “Base”) where security gates stop and interrupt the flow of traffic. Just north of this location there is a Stop-controlled intersection where Wood Street enters Hartwell Avenue from the east. The Stop sign is on the Wood Street approach. A dedicated left-turn lane is provided for turns into Wood Street.

Bedford Street Bedford Street, also designated as Routes 4 and 225, functions as a rural minor arterial to the east of Hartwell Avenue and as a major collector west of Hartwell Avenue, connecting the Town of Bedford with Route 128 and Lexington. The speed limit is posted at 40 mph along Bedford Street in the vicinity of Hartwell Avenue. Within the study area it consists of a four-lane cross section with nominal (one foot) shoulders on each side. At Winter Street, (several hundred feet west of Hartwell Avenue), the roadway narrows to a two-lane cross section. Between Hartwell Avenue and Route 128 there are several commercial driveways entering the roadway. Left-turns are not permitted to/from these commercial driveways. The north side is dominated by driveways serving residential properties. Eldred Street, a residential collector street entering Bedford Street from the north, is restricted to right turns only during commuter peak hours. Traffic wanting to turn left to/from the commercial driveways or Eldred Street must use the jughandle intersection of Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue or the Route 128 cloverleaf interchange to reverse direction. A sidewalk is present on the north side of the roadway throughout this section connecting the various residential properties along the roadway. The existing Bedford Street cross section is illustrated in Figure 5. MBTA bus stops are provided at several locations along the roadway.

Wood Street Wood Street is a Town-owned collector road that also functions as a “back door” to the TMOD. It links the TMOD with Massachusetts Avenue and Marrett Road to the south. Marrett Road (Route 2A) has its own interchange with Route 128. Several small neighborhood streets (some are cul-de-sacs) intersect Wood Street and there are residential driveways along its entire length. Major Stop-controlled intersections are present at the Lincoln Labs driveway and at Old Massachusetts Avenue where the side street/driveway is under Stop control. The roadway cross section is comprised of one travel lane in each direction with nominal shoulders and a sidewalk on the east side of the roadway. The posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour. MBTA bus stops are provided at several locations along the roadway.

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Marrett Road (Route 2A) Marrett Road is a state-owned highway functionally classified as a rural major collector which passes east-west through the town of Lexington well south of the TMOD. It has a signalized intersection with Massachusetts Avenue and a Stop-controlled intersection with Old Massachusetts Avenue. As noted above, it has a full cloverleaf interchange with Route 128. The speed limit is posted at 45 mph in the vicinity of Route 128. Access to the Hanscom Air Force Base is also available from Marrett Road approximately 1.2 miles west of Massachusetts Avenue at Hanscom Drive. The roadway generally provides one lane in each direction west of Massachusetts Avenue and four lanes east of this intersection. Sidewalks are not provided along the roadway however, the Battle Road historical/recreational path parallels this roadway segment and can accommodate bikes and pedestrians.

Maguire Road Maguire Road is a Town-owned, two-lane minor collector road that serves as the third gateway to the TMOD. Maguire Road enters Hartwell Avenue from the west at a Stop-controlled intersection (the Stop sign is on Maguire Road) and continues as Summer Street to the west in Bedford. At the Hartwell Avenue intersection Maguire Road widens to provide separate left and right turn lanes. The access driveway to the Lexington composting facility constitutes the fourth leg to this intersection. The roadway provides one travel lane in each direction with no pedestrian or bike accommodations. The paved surface is approximately 30 feet wide. Commercial driveways are provided along its length in Lexington. The speed limit is posted at 30 mph on Summer Street in Bedford.

Winter Street Winter Street enters Bedford Street from the north just west of Hartwell Avenue. It is a two-lane minor collector road under Town jurisdiction. It carries traffic between Bedford Street and residential areas to the north. Included in these is the Drummer Boy Green condominium complex. The Drummer Boy Green development has an entrance from Bedford Street at its jughandle intersection with Hartwell Avenue. However, all traffic leaving the development must exit onto Winter Street. There are no sidewalks or bike accommodations along Winter Street. There is no posted speed limit along Winter Street in the vicinity of Bedford Street.

Eldred Street Eldred Street also enters Bedford Street from the north (between Hartwell Avenue and Route 128). It is a two-lane minor collector road under Town jurisdiction. It carries traffic between Bedford Street and residential areas to the north. The speed limit is posted at 30 mph. There are no bike accommodations along Eldred Street. Sidewalks are provided along the east side of Eldred Street, as well as on sections of the west side of the street. MBTA bus stops on Bedford Street at Eldred Street accommodate residents of the neighborhood.

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2.2 Traffic Volumes A comprehensive traffic count program was conducted for the study area in September 2009. The count program includes the morning and afternoon commuter peak period (7-9 AM and 4-6 PM) vehicle turning movement, pedestrian and bicycle counts at each of the study area intersections. Also, Automatic Traffic Recorder (ATR) counts were taken by direction for a minimum 24-hour weekday period along key roadway segments.

2.2.1 Peak Hour Volumes The turning movement count data are summarized in Figures 6 and 7 which illustrate the existing peak hour traffic patterns on the roadway network. As shown, the TMOD area and adjacent Base and Lincoln Labs are significant traffic generators. The heaviest flows on Bedford Street during the AM peak hour are toward Hartwell Avenue and during the afternoon peak hour the heaviest flows are away from Hartwell Avenue. The four-lane section of Bedford Street east of Hartwell Avenue carries 3100 to 3300 peak hour vehicle trips while the two-lane section west of Winter Street carries only 2100 to 2300 trips. The other two gateways to the TMOD, Summer Street (Maguire Road in Lexington) and Wood Street, each carry approximately 1100 to 1300 peak hour vehicles. Hartwell Avenue at the Minuteman bike path carries 1300 to 1500 peak hour vehicles. Hartwell Avenue south of Wood Street carries 900 to 1200 peak hour vehicles, most of which are Base traffic. The Lincoln Labs driveway, which also provides access to the Base, carries approximately 800 to 900 peak hour vehicles. Figure 8 provides an illustration of the relative PM peak hour volumes on the study area roadways.

The recorded peak hour traffic volumes were studied in conjunction with data collected at various commercial driveways in the TMOD in a prior study (Memorandum from BSC Group to David Cannon, dated September 10, 2007). By comparing the volumes generated by: the commercial uses in the TMOD; the Base; Lincoln Labs; and, residential uses along Wood Street, with the total volumes crossing a cordon line that crosses Hartwell Avenue (at Bedford Street), Maguire Road (west of Westview Street) and Wood Street (north of Old Massachusetts Avenue), estimated existing travel patterns were identified. From the analysis it was estimated that approximately 50 percent of the traffic crossing the cordon line is oriented to the Base or Lincoln Labs and approximately 30 percent is oriented to businesses along Hartwell Avenue and Maguire Road as shown in Table 1. Another 11 percent of the traffic is only passing through the TMOD area presumably traveling between Bedford and Route 128.

Table 1 Existing Travel Destinations Destination AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Hartwell Avenue/Maguire Road Businesses 30% 29% Lincoln Labs/Base 49% 51% Residential Areas along Wood Street 10% 9% Through Traffic 11% 11% Total 100% 100% Source: Based on a cordon line analysis with the cordon line crossing Hartwell Avenue (at Bedford Street), Maguire Road (west of Westview Street) and Wood Street (north of Old Massachusetts Avenue).

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A closer look at the cordon line analysis provides an indication of the current traffic mix on Wood Street during peak hours. As shown in Figure 9, most of the traffic on Wood Street during peak hours is related to Lincoln Labs and the Base. This accounts for approximately 560 peak hour vehicles compared to only 100 to 200 vehicles associated with businesses in the TMOD. Another 200 to 350 peak hour vehicles are simply passing through the neighborhood.

Figure 9 Wood Street Traffic Composition

1400 1210 1200 1030 1000 350 205 Through 800 Hanscom/LL 600 Hartwell 566 563 Residential 400 Vehicles per Hour 115 200 175 182 0 84 AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour

2.2.2 Daily Traffic Volumes These ATR data (24-hour volumes) were collected at the locations listed below.

ƒ Hartwell Avenue south of Bedford Street ƒ Hartwell Avenue north of Wood Street ƒ Bedford Street east of Hartwell Avenue ƒ Westview Street east of Maguire Road ƒ Maguire Road west of Hartwell Avenue ƒ Eldred Street north of Bedford Street ƒ Wood Street south of Hartwell Avenue ƒ Wood Street north of Massachusetts Avenue ƒ Massachusetts Avenue west of Wood Street

The ATR data were used to confirm the peak hours of travel and is available to conduct traffic signal warrants analyses where applicable. Table 2 provides a comparison of the daily volumes recorded on area roadways. As noted, Bedford Street is the highest volume roadway in the study area by a substantial margin carrying approximately 39,000 vehicles per day. Figures 10 and 11 provide examples of the hourly variations. As shown, traffic volumes peak from 7 to 8 AM and

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from 4 to 5 PM along Hartwell Avenue and from 8 to 9 AM and 5 to 6 PM along Wood Street. Along Hartwell Avenue there is also a lesser peak at midday that may be indicative of employees leaving work to conduct errands or get lunch. (The TMOD zoning allows more ancillary retail and restaurant uses to be constructed in the district. Locating these uses within the district adjacent to existing and potential office space would encourage midday walking trips rather than vehicle trips.)

Table 2 Daily Traffic Volumes Roadway Daily Traffic Volume (vehicles) Hartwell Avenue (south of Bedford Street) 16,800 Hartwell Avenue (north of Wood Street) 17,300 Bedford Street (east of Hartwell Avenue) 39,100 Westview Street (east of Maguire Road) 2,980 Maguire Road (west of Hartwell Avenue) 8,100 Eldred Street (north of Bedford Street) 2,330 Wood Street (south of Hartwell Avenue) 7,580 Wood Street (north of Massachusetts Avenue) 8,120 Massachusetts Avenue (west of Wood Street) 9,950 Based on Automatic Traffic Recorder counts conducted September 2009.

Figure 10 Hartwell Avenue Hourly Volumes (South of Bedford Street)

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Figure 11 Wood Street Hourly Volumes (North of Massachusetts Avenue)

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2.2.3 Alternative Modes As noted, pedestrian and bicycle counts were conducted at the study intersections along with vehicle counts. The results of this analysis are summarized in Figures 12 and 13 for the AM and PM peak hours, respectively. As shown, volumes for bicyclists and pedestrians are generally below 20 people per hour. The only location where more than 20 people per hour were measured is the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway crossing on Hartwell Avenue. Pedestrian/bike movements here are as high as 75 per hour. Midday usage of the path is estimated at approximately 200 persons per hour during based on State records. The Old Massachusetts Avenue/Wood Street intersection also experienced over 20 people per hour during the AM peak hour. Activity here is related to commuters and visitors to the Battle Road park which is located adjacent to this intersection.

Overall, the observed pedestrian and bicycle traffic represents a minor component of the travel demand in the study area. Figures 14 and 15 indicate the travel mode choices at two study area intersections. The first location is on Hartwell Avenue at Maguire Road where automobiles

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dominate the flow of traffic. Trucks comprise approximately one to two percent of the peak hour demand. Bicycles comprise less than one percent of the travel demand and no pedestrians were

Figure 14 Travel Mode Comparison - Maguire Road at Hartwell Avenue

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Figure 15 Travel Mode Comparison – Wood Street at Lincoln Labs

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present during peak hours. At the Lincoln Labs intersection with Wood Street similar conditions were observed. At this location trucks and buses still only represent about one percent of the peak hour demand. However, daily traffic volume data collected for Wood Street shows that truck traffic constitutes a much higher percentage of the traffic flow during off-peak hours. Over the course of an entire day approximately 15 percent of the Wood Street traffic is comprised of trucks and buses.

There are two MBTA bus routes that serve the study area. These both originate from the Alewife Station in Arlington. Route 62 passes through Lexington Center and continues west through the study area on Bedford Street. It ends at the Bedford V.A. Hospital. Service is provided on 30- minute headways during peak hours. The buses were observed making stops along Bedford Street in the study area during field visits with fewer than five passengers loading or unloading at any given stop. According to the MBTA, this route carries approximately 1,120 riders per day1. The MBTA also provides service to Lincoln Labs by way of Wood Street. This service, Route 76, also operates on 30-minute headways during peak hours. Few riders are picked up or dropped off along Wood Street. The MBTA reports that this route carries approximately 630 passengers per day.2 Routes 62 and 76 are combined on Saturdays with the bus traversing Hartwell Avenue between Wood Street and Bedford Street. This combined route carries approximately 460 passengers on a typical Saturday3.

Other travel opportunities in the TMOD area include privately operated shuttle services. TransAction Associates operates a commuter shuttle between “park and ride” lots in southern New Hampshire and the Base. Fares are subsidized by the rider’s employer. Approximately 45 people per day use this service. The Base also operates its own shuttle for its employees and guests between the Base and Logan Airport in Boston. Lincoln Labs provides shuttle services for employees and guests between the Lexington and MIT in Cambridge.

2.3 Traffic Safety Crash data from MassDOT for the latest available three-year period, 2005 through 2007 were examined. The crash rates at study area intersections were calculated in terms of accidents per million entering vehicles (MEV) at each intersection. The calculated rate was compared to the most recent average accident rates for comparable intersections (unsignalized or signalized) statewide and within this region (MassDOT Highway Division District Four). As shown, the busiest intersections in the study area: Eldred Street and Bedford Street; Hartwell Avenue and Bedford Street; Westview Street and Hartwell Avenue; Maguire Road and Hartwell Avenue; and, Massachusetts Avenue and Marrett Road not only have the highest number of accidents (which would be expected) but the also have above average crash rates. A summary of the crash information is presented in Table 3 and shown graphically in Figure 16.

1 Data from Fall 2002 MBTA Ridership Information. MBTA believes ridership has increased since those counts were conducted. 2 Data from Fall 2002 MBTA Ridership Information. MBTA believes ridership has increased since those counts were conducted. 3 Data from Fall 2007 MBTA Ridership Information.

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Table 3 Crash Data Summary (2005 to 2007)

Minuteman Bedford St/ Westview St/ Bike Path/ Maguire Rd/ Wood St/ Lincoln Labs/ Old Mass Ave/ Mass Ave/ Marrett Rd/ Maguire Rd/ Winter St/ Eldred St/ Hartwell Ave Hartwell Ave Hartwell Ave Hartwell Ave Hartwell Ave Wood St Wood St Wood St Mass Ave Westview St Bedford St Bedford St Year 2005 14 8 0 11 5 0 1 0 6 4 4 10 2006 23 3 0 8 3 0 3 4 8 1 2 9 2007 24 6 0 4 0 0 1 2 9 2 4 16 Total 61 17 0 23 8 0 5 6 23 7 10 35

Type Angle 21 9 0 13 3 0 2 3 9 2 5 17 Rear-end 30 5 0 8 1 0 2 0 7 2 2 9 Head-on 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 Unknown-Other 10 3 0 2 4 0 1 1 6 3 3 9 Total 61 17 0 23 8 0 5 6 23 7 10 35

Severity Property Damage 40 10 0 14 6 0 2 1 18 5 7 21 Personal Injury 17 7 0 6 2 0 2 4 1 1 3 13 Fatality 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Other/Unknown 4 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 4 1 0 1 Total 61 17 0 23 8 0 5 6 23 7 10 35

Weather Clear 35 9 0 19 5 0 4 5 16 5 5 22 Cloudy/Rain 20 8 0 3 3 0 1 1 7 1 5 12 Snow/Ice 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 Other/Unknown 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 61 17 0 23 8 0 5 6 23 7 10 35

Time 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM 8 5 0 12 3 0 1 3 2 2 2 9 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM 28 4 0 8 1 0 2 0 8 3 4 14 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM 6 7 0 2 2 0 1 2 6 0 1 5 6:00 PM to 7:00 AM 19 1 0 1 2 0 1 1 7 2 3 7 Total 61 17 0 23 8 0 5 6 23 7 10 35 Statewide Average 0.80 0.60 0.80 0.60 0.60 0.60 0.60 0.60 0.80 0.60 0.60 0.60 District 4 Average 0.78 0.58 0.78 0.58 0.58 0.58 0.58 0.58 0.78 0.58 0.58 0.58 Accident Rate1 1.12 0.70 0.00 0.93 0.40 0.00 0.46 0.41 0.92 0.59 0.28 0.72 Source: MassDOT Highway Division Accident Records (2005-2007) 1 Accident rates per million entering vehicles (MEV) calculated using MassDOT worksheet

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2.4 Traffic Operations Analysis Intersection operating levels of service were determined for Existing conditions based on the peak hour traffic volumes reported above. The level of service evaluation criteria and analysis results are presented below.

2.4.1 Level of Service Criteria Level of service (LOS) is a term used to describe the quality of the traffic flow on a roadway facility at a particular point in time. It is an aggregate measure of travel delay, travel speed, congestion, driver discomfort, convenience, and safety based on a comparison of roadway system capacity to roadway system travel demand. Operating levels of service are reported on a scale of A to F, with A representing the best operating conditions and F representing the worst. Depending upon the type of facility being analyzed, Level of Service A represents free-flow or uncongested conditions with little or no delay to motorists, while Level of Service F represents long delays with traffic demands sometimes exceeding roadway capacity.

Roadway operating levels of service are calculated following procedures defined in the 2000 Highway Capacity Manual, published by the Transportation Research Board. For unsignalized and signalized intersections, the operating level of service is based on travel delays. Delays are generally calculated as a function of traffic volume, peaking characteristics of traffic flow, percentage of heavy vehicles in the traffic stream, type of traffic control, number of travel lanes and lane use, intersection approach grades, pedestrian activity, and signal timing, phasing, and progression where applicable.

The level of service and delay threshold criteria for signalized and unsignalized intersections are given in Table 4. The calculated average delay per vehicle for signalized intersections applies to all vehicles entering the intersection and under control of the traffic signal. For unsignalized intersections, it is assumed that through movements on the main street have the right of way and are not delayed by side street traffic. Consequently, for unsignalized intersections, average delay values apply only to the minor street intersection approaches or to left turns from the major street into the minor street, which must yield to oncoming traffic.

Table 4 Level of Service Criteria Average Delay per Vehicle (Seconds) Unsignalized Level of Service Signalized Intersections Intersections A ≤10.0 ≤10.0 B 10.1 to 20.0 10.1 to 15.0 C 20.1 to 35.0 15.1 to 25.0 D 35.1 to 55.0 25.1 to 35.0 E 55.1 to 80.0 35.1 to 50.0 F >80.0 >50.0 Source: Highway Capacity Manual, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, 2000

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2.4.2 Capacity Analysis The procedures described above were used to determine existing and future peak hour levels of service at the study area intersections using the Synchro (version 6) software package. The Synchro model applies the procedures of the Highway Capacity Manual. The results are summarized in Table 5.

As shown, under existing conditions the signalized intersections in the study area are operating at or near capacity during peak hours, with the exception of the Hartwell Avenue/Minuteman Bike Path crossing intersection. Several of the unsignalized intersections experience traffic demands that are above their theoretical capacity and hence are reported as functioning at Level of Service F. As a practical matter, these intersections: Maguire Road and Hartwell Avenue; Westview Street and Hartwell Avenue; Winter Street and Bedford Street; Wood Street and Lincoln Labs; Wood Street and Mass Ave; Bedford Street and I-95 Ramps; and, Wood Street and Hartwell Avenue operate at capacity with any queued vehicles on the minor street (Stop-controlled approaches) representing demand in excess of capacity.

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Table 5 Capacity Analysis Results AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour LOS1 Delay2 V/C3 LOS Delay V/C Unsignalized Intersections Hartwell Ave/Westview St/Driveway Hartwell Ave NB LT A 0 0.00 A 0 0.00 Hartwell Ave SB LT A 1 0.03 A 1 0.01 Westview St EB LTR F >100 1.06 F 94 0.87 Driveway WB LTR B 13 0.02 E 45 0.31 Hartwell Ave/Maguire Rd/Driveway Hartwell Ave NB L B 11 0.13 A 10 0.46 Hartwell Ave SB LT A 0 0.01 A 0 0.00 Maguire Rd EB LT F 90 1.06 F >100 >1.50 Composting Facility WB LTR F >100 * F >100 0.08 Hartwell Ave/Wood St Wood St NB LR F >100 1.32 F 85 1.06 Hartwell Ave WB L A 9 0.39 B 14 0.42 Wood St/Lincoln Labs Wood St NB LT B 11 0.51 A 1 0.01 Lincoln Labs EB LR E 49 0.25 F >100 1.41 Wood St/Old Mass Ave Wood St NB LT A 1 0.04 A 1 0.04 Old Mass Ave EB LR E 38 0.58 C 25 0.28 Wood St/Mass Ave Wood St SB LR F >100 >1.50 Police Detail Mass Ave EB LT A 9 0.39 (Analyzed as Signal) Maguire Rd/Westview St/Driveway Maguire Rd NB LTR A 1 0.01 A 0 0.01 Maguire Rd SB LTR A 2 0.09 A 6 0.16 Driveway EB LTR C 22 0.02 F >100 0.87 Westview St WB LTR B 14 0.33 C 24 0.45 Bedford St/Winter St Winter St SB LR F >100 >1.50 F >100 >1.50 Bedford St EB LT A 1 0.01 B 12 0.15 Bedford St/Eldred St/Driveway Driveway NB R B 14 0.01 D 28 0.42 Eldred St SB LR D 34 0.43 B 14 0.11 Bedford St EB LT A 2 0.06 A 2 0.06 Bedford St/I-95 SB Ramp (West) I-95 SB Off-Ramp SB R F >100 1.47 D 34 0.82 Bedford St/I-95 SB Ramp (East) I-95 SB Off-Ramp NB R C 18 0.55 C 25 0.60

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AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour LOS1 Delay2 V/C3 LOS Delay V/C

Signalized Intersections

Bedford St/Hartwell Ave D 54 0.96 E 69 1.02 Hartwell Ave/Minuteman Bike Path A 1 0.40 A 1 0.42 Marrett Rd/Massachusetts Ave D 50 0.97 F >100 >1.50 Massachusetts Ave/Wood St unsignalized F 96 1.13

2.5 Parking Observations of parking conditions for occupied buildings within the Hartwell Avenue corridor were made on Tuesday, February 9, 2010. Vehicles were counted parked at various buildings during midday peak hours and the observed peak number of vehicles parked was compared to the reported occupied floor space for each building. The maximum parking ratio observed was 3.99 vehicles parked per 1000 square feet (KSF) of occupied building floor space at 12-18 Hartwell Avenue. The average ratio observed was only 1.92 vehicles per KSF of occupied floor space. The building surveyed supply parking at a ratio of 3.41 spaces per KSF of building floor space.

2.6 Public Hearing A public hearing was conducted with area residents and the business community to identify study area issues and concerns. Additionally, a transportation survey was conducted among area businesses. Minutes from the hearing are included in the report appendix as are the results of the travel surveys. In general, business leaders raised concerns about congestion at the Maguire Road and Hartwell Avenue intersection and the difficulties associated with making turns onto Bedford Street. Delays on Hartwell Avenue caused by inefficient operation of the signal at the bikepath were also noted. Business leaders reported few programs in place to promote the use of alternative travel modes by employees. (The Base and Lincoln Labs, while not located within the TMOD do have significant programs in place.) For residents, excessive traffic volumes on Wood Street and queues caused by gate operations entering the Base from Hartwell Avenue were a concern. Also noted were the lack of bicycle accommodations along and across Bedford Street; delays exiting Winter Street onto Hartwell Avenue; and, safety for pedestrians crossing Bedford Street to use the MBTA bus.

2.7 Existing Conditions Summary The existing conditions research, data analysis, survey and public hearing helped to define the principal areas of concern. While different constituencies may rank the importance of each concern differently, the primary concerns include:

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ƒ Safety along Bedford Street both for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the street and for motorists entering and exiting the street

ƒ High peak hour volumes and high truck volumes on Wood Street

ƒ Long delays entering Hartwell Avenue from side streets and delays at the Hanscom Gate

ƒ Extremely limited pedestrian/bike facilities particularly with respect to crossing Bedford Street and traveling north/south within the TMOD

Overall, the TMOD was found to be inhospitable to alternative travel modes and the main corridor providing access to the TMOD, Bedford Street is operating near its capacity. Wood Street provides secondary access and while not at capacity experiences excessive volumes according to area residents.

3.0 Future Conditions The impacts of the TMOD on future traffic operations were examined by estimating future travel demands under the assumption that all parcels within the TMOD are redeveloped to their fullest potential. For this analysis, several steps were taken. First, area traffic volumes were increased under the assumption that all existing floor space in the TMOD becomes fully occupied. (There are a number of vacant buildings in the TMOD and several that are not presently fully leased or occupied.) Added traffic from this space combined with existing volumes represents the No- Build condition. This represents potential future traffic conditions assuming that the TMOD was not approved by the Town. Next, land use conditions for the Build scenario were developed assuming that landowners take full advantage of the newly approved zoning changes. These land use forecasts were developed by the Town in consultation with several landowners in the district. Tetra Tech Rizzo then projected future travel demands assuming full development and occupancy of this space. The future travel demands were then compared to the available roadway capacities to determine future operating levels of service under No-Build and Build conditions. These steps and the study findings are described in more detail below.

3.1 Land Use Assumptions Assumed land use conditions in the TMOD are the basis for projecting future travel demands. The Town’s economic development office provided information regarding existing and future land use conditions in the TMOD. The data provided by the Town included existing and potential future development conditions for individual parcels (addresses) in the district. Tetra Tech Rizzo grouped these parcels (and the land use data) into subareas based on how traffic from each subarea might access the roadway system. Five subareas were created representing each of the four quadrants of the Maguire Road and Hartwell Avenue intersection. For example, all properties located on the west side of Hartwell Avenue south of Maguire Road were grouped in a single subarea and any new vehicle trips generated in this subarea were assumed to access the roadway system by way of Hartwell Avenue south Maguire Road. A fifth subarea was created including parcels fronting on Bedford Street. The land use data are summarized in Table 6.

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Table 6 Existing and Future Land Use Conditions

Existing Occupied Potential Floor Floor Area Future Subarea Building Address Area (sf) (Existing) Floor Area Land Use 1 12-18 Hartwell Ave 33,600 33,600 33,600 FLEX 1 32 Hartwell Ave 67,568 67,568 67,568 FLEX 1 40 Hartwell Ave 30,351 30,351 65,187 FLEX 1 24 Hartwell Ave 128,672 94,085 128,672 Office 1 482 Bedford St 56,450 56,450 56,450 Office 1 44 Hartwell Ave 26,533 26,533 27,443 Office-Bio Subtotal Northeast of Maguire/Hartwell 343,174 308,587 378,920 2 17 Hartwell Ave 30,104 30,104 100,052 FLEX 2 25 Hartwell Ave 33,339 3,339 77,830 FLEX-BIO 2 27-33 Hartwell Ave (29) 57,942 57,942 81,185 FLEX-BIO 2 35 Hartwell Ave 46,784 46,784 57,173 FLEX-BIO 2 1 Maguire Rd 25,664 25,664 62,699 Office 2 45 Hartwell Ave 49,880 49,880 88,998 Office 2 7 Hartwell Ave 11,732 11,732 11,732 Office 2 60 Westview St 40,200 40,200 71,466 2 70 Westview St 61,324 53,324 63,271 2 80 Westview St 4,355 4,355 4,355 2 Maguire Road (undeveloped land) - - 53,361 Subtotal Northwest of Maguire/Hartwell 361,324 353,324 672,122 3 4 Hartwell Pl 40,000 40,000 65,188 FLEX 3 4 Maguire Rd 54,077 54,077 66,929 FLEX-BIO 3 101 Hartwell Ave 40,600 0 87,093 FLEX-Light manufacturing 3 121 Hartwell Ave 86,677 86,677 128,066 Industrial-Manufacturing 3 10 Maguire Rd 296,028 296,028 296,028 Office 3 113 Hartwell Ave 102,096 0 113,973 Office 3 125 Hartwell Ave 38,022 38,022 38,022 Office 3 131 Hartwell Ave 79,344 40,344 92,869 Office 3 20 Maguire Rd 101,690 101,690 102,682 Office 3 81 Hartwell Ave 72,258 72,258 126,542 Office 3 83 Hartwell Ave 41,444 41,444 41,444 Office 3 91 Hartwell Ave 117,676 37,281 199,703 Office Subtotal Southwest of Maguire/Hartwell 1,069,912 806,861 1,358,539 4 110 Hartwell Ave 54,345 37,068 54,345 Office 4 94 Hartwell Ave 12,827 12,827 56,490 Retail Subtotal Southeast of Maguire/Hartwell 67,172 49,895 110,835 5 440 Bedford St 24,192 24,192 24,192 Hospitality 5 420 Bedford St 73,317 65,059 73,317 Office 5 430 Bedford St 82,666 48,413 82,666 Office 5 450 Bedford St 42,522 35,522 42,522 Office Subtotal Bedford Street Frontage 222,697 173,186 222,697 Grand Total 2,064,279 1,691,853 2,743,113 Source: Town of Lexington

As shown, there is just over two million square feet of commercial floor space in the TMOD under existing conditions. However, a significant portion of this space is presently vacant.

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Current occupancy amounts to approximately 1.7 million square feet. A parcel by parcel analysis conducted by the Town indicates that the full development potential of the TMOD includes 2.7 million square feet of floor space or approximately a 33 percent increase over the existing floor space. The greatest potential for this new development is expected south of Maguire Road and west of Hartwell Avenue.

3.2 Trip Generation Rates The expected volume of new travel demand generated to and from the TMOD is related to the assumed land use conditions based on the applied trip generation rates. In order to develop vehicle trip rates for the study area two sources were examined. First, trip rates were selected from the publication Trip Generation (Institute of Transportation Engineers, Eighth Edition, 2008). As noted in Table 6, there is a mix of land uses in the study area including office space, industrial space, flex space and biotechnology space. The relevant categories for these uses include Research and Development Center (ITE Land Use Code 760) for the biotech, industrial and flex space and General Office Building (ITE Land Use Code 710) for the office space. Since there is a mix of uses in the area, the averages of the available trip rates for these two categories were considered. These rates are shown in Table 7. Also considered are observed trip rates for the study area. As noted, a previous Hartwell Avenue study included driveway counts for most of the business along Hartwell Avenue. These counts were compared to known land use conditions at the time and trip rates were calculated for individual parcels and then grouped by land use type. The data showed that existing office uses were generating approximately 0.83 peak hour vehicle trips per 1000 square feet of occupied floor space while the other commercial uses were generating approximately 1.07 peak hour vehicle trips per 1000 square feet of floor area. These rates are lower than the associated ITE rates and reflect local travel characteristics. (Existing congestion conditions on the regional roadway system may be causing a spreading of the peak travel demand over a longer than typical time period resulting in lower than typical trip rates.) The observed average rates for all existing uses are also shown it Table 7.

Table 7 Trip Generation Rates Vehicle Trips per 1000 Square Feet of Floor Space Locally Rates Applied Rates Applied Observed to Existing to Potential New Time Period/Direction ITE Rates1 Rates2 Vacant Space Space AM Peak Hour Entering 1.19 0.76 0.85 0.98 Exiting 0.20 0.14 0.15 0.17 Total 1.39 0.90 1.00 1.15

PM Peak Hour Entering 0.21 0.15 0.15 0.17 Exiting 1.07 0.83 0.85 0.98 Total 1.28 0.98 1.00 1.15 1Based on Trip Generation (Institute of Transportation Engineers, Eighth Edition, 2008) average of Research and Development Center (ITE Land Use Code 760) and General Office Building (ITE Land Use Code 710) trip rates. 2Based on observed conditions for all existing commercial buildings with access to Hartwell Avenue.

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For analysis purposes, two sets of trip rates were employed. In developing the No-Build traffic conditions the locally observed trip rates were generally applied. It was assumed that from a traffic perspective the existing unoccupied space will generate traffic demands at the same rate as the existing occupied space. The rates applied for the potential new space fall between the ITE rates and the locally observed trip rates. The use of a trip rate that is higher than locally observed conditions represents a conservative assumption and accounts for the possibility that redeveloped properties in the TMOD may have higher employment densities, that is, more people per square foot of building floor space. Table 7 presents the rates applied in the traffic forecasting.

3.2.1 Trip Generation and Distribution The expected volumes of new traffic associated with No-Build (the filling of existing vacant space) and Build (potential new development) conditions were determined based on the above land use assumptions and trip rates. The estimated new vehicle trips were then distributed over the existing roadway network and combined with existing volumes to create the No-Build and Build traffic networks. The trips generated by land uses within the TMOD are summarized in Table 8. As shown, vehicle trips generated to/from the TMOD are expected to more than double relative to existing conditions assuming full build out of all parcels in the TMOD.

Table 8 TMOD Traffic Generation Vehicle Trips Time Period/Direction Existing No Build Build AM Peak Trips Entering 930 1,490 2,150 Exiting 170 270 390 Total 1,100 1,760 2,540

PM Peak Trips Entering 100 200 320 Exiting 970 1,530 2,190 Total 1,070 1,730 2,510

The vehicle trips indicated in Table 8 were assigned to the roadway network in accordance with existing traffic patterns. This assumes that future employees in the TMOD will have a geographic distribution similar to that of existing employees. The assumed trip distribution is depicted in Figure 17. As shown, Bedford Street east of Hartwell Avenue (the link to Route 128 and Lexington Center) is expected to carry the largest share of the TMOD traffic, 45 percent. Bedford Street to the west will carry 25 percent of the new trips. Maguire Road/Summer Street accounts for another 20 percent of the trips and Wood Street accounts for 10 percent of the trips.

The resulting peak hour traffic assignments for No-Build conditions are shown in Figure 18 (AM) and Figure 19 (PM). Build condition networks are indicated in Figures 20 and 21 for the AM and PM peak hours, respectively.

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3.2.2 Traffic Increases As noted above, redevelopment of the TMOD will increase TMOD generated traffic volumes (the change from No-Build to Build conditions) by approximately 45 percent. However, TMOD traffic represents only a portion of the No-Build volumes on area roadways. Hence, the redevelopment related traffic increases will be much less than 45 percent. Table 9 shows the expected change in peak hour traffic volumes at area intersections progressing from Existing to Build conditions. The largest percentage increases will occur on Hartwell Avenue. Bedford Street intersections will experience traffic increases in the eight to 13 percent range. Traffic volumes on Wood Street at Old Massachusetts Avenue are expected to increase by approximately 80 vehicles during peak hours as a consequence of full development under the TMOD. Other residential streets such as Winter Street and Eldred Street are expected to experience peak hour traffic increases of less than ten vehicles as a consequence of the TMOD build out.

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Table 9 Traffic Increases % Change vs. % Change vs. Location/Peak Hour Existing No Build Existing Build No Build Hartwell Avenue and Bedford Street AM 3,658 4,111 12.4% 4,659 13.3% PM 3,697 4,150 12.3% 4,698 13.2% Westview Street and Hartwell Avenue AM 1,767 2,203 24.7% 2,751 24.9% PM 1,904 2,340 22.9% 2,888 23.4% Minuteman Bike Path and Hartwell Avenue AM 1,319 1,703 29.1% 2,092 22.8% PM 1,492 1,868 25.2% 2,257 20.8% Maguire Road and Hartwell Avenue AM 1,997 2,476 24.0% 2,942 18.8% PM 2,214 2,683 21.2% 3,149 17.4% Wood Street and Hartwell Avenue AM 1,721 1,787 3.7% 1,865 4.4% PM 1,995 2,061 3.3% 2,139 3.8% Lincoln Labs and Wood Street AM 1,380 1,446 4.8% 1,524 5.4% PM 1,487 1,553 4.4% 1,631 5.0% Old Mass Avenue and Wood Street AM 1,183 1,249 5.6% 1,328 6.3% PM 1,219 1,285 5.4% 1,364 6.1%

Mass Avenue and Wood Street

AM 1,539 1,598 3.8% 1,669 4.4% PM 1,546 1,605 3.8% 1,676 4.4% Marrett Road and Mass Avenue AM 2,636 2,669 1.3% 2,708 1.5% PM 2,382 2,415 1.4% 2,454 1.6% Maguire Road and Westview Street AM 1,130 1,262 11.7% 1,419 12.4% PM 1,375 1,507 9.6% 1,664 10.4% Winter Street and Bedford Street AM 2,231 2,396 7.4% 2,591 8.1% PM 2,403 2,563 6.7% 2,758 7.6% Eldred Street and Bedford Street AM 3,148 3,445 9.4% 3,797 10.2% PM 3,193 3,601 12.8% 3,953 9.8% I-95 SB Ramps and Bedford Street AM 3,043 3,333 8.7% 3,678 10.4% PM 3,226 3,516 9.0% 3,860 9.8%

Normally when presenting a traffic impact analysis existing traffic volumes are assumed to grow by a given annual percentage, usually one or two percent, to reflect background traffic growth. For this study no background growth assumptions were made. To do so would constitute double counting as the assumed TMOD redevelopment, if it occurs over a 10-year time span, in and of

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itself represents a two percent per annum growth rate. Likewise, without future roadway capacity additions it is unlikely that Bedford Street and Route 128 would be able to deliver much new peak hour traffic to the study area in future years.

3.3 Future Transportation System Improvements In addition to considering future traffic volume changes, roadway improvements planned in the study area are also considered in the future traffic analyses. In this case, based on consultation with the Town and MassDOT, no significant roadway improvements are planned in the study area. MassDOT had proposed upgrades to three intersections along Hartwell Avenue (at Wood Street, Maguire Road and Westview Street) to include signalization in support of a recently proposed Base redevelopment plan. However, the Base plans were abandoned and consequently the roadway plans were abandoned as well. The Base is still considering some new development alternatives but no definitive plans have been determined. Some plans under consideration could include upgrades to Airport Road. Airport Road provides access to the Base from Marrett Road but is closed off with a gate at the present time. MassDOT was conducting an experiment on Bedford Street at the Route 128 southbound ramps in the fall of 2009 that could lead to future roadway changes. Bedford Street at this location was constructed with two westbound lanes. MassDOT has placed traffic cones in the right, westbound lane narrowing the roadway to one lane upstream of the ramp from Route 128 southbound to Bedford Street westbound. This change is supposed to allow ramp traffic to enter Bedford Street more freely and not back up on the ramp. (The traffic cones have since been removed and new pavement markings now provide for the same lane drop headed westbound.)

The Town of Lexington is also in the process of developing plans for the West Lexington Greenway. This would comprise a multi-use path with a north-south orientation in the study area connecting Marrett Road with Bedford Street. The path will cross Wood Street within an existing utility easement and is expected to run parallel to Hartwell Avenue between the Minuteman Bikeway and Bedford Street.

3.4 Future Traffic Operations The procedures described above to determine existing peak hour operating levels of service at study area intersections were also applied to the future No-Build and Build traffic flow networks. The results of this analysis are compared to existing conditions and summarized in Table 10. As shown, the signalized intersections that were operating at or near capacity under existing conditions are expected to experience travel demands above capacity under No-Build and Build conditions. Unsignalized intersections that are presently experiencing demands above their theoretical capacity show even worsening conditions. Overall, existing peak hour problem areas on the roadway network simply become more congested with the potential future development under No-Build and Build conditions.

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Table 10 Future Capacity Analysis Results Peak Existing (2009) No-Build Build Hour LOS1 Delay2 V/C3 LOS Delay V/C LOS Delay V/C Unsignalized Intersections Hartwell Ave/Westview St/Driveway Hartwell Ave NB LT AM A 0 0.00 A 0 0.00 A 0 0.00 PM A 0 0.00 A 0 0.00 A 0 0.00

Hartwell Ave SB LT AM A 1 0.03 A 1 0.03 A 1 0.03 PM A 1 0.01 A 1 0.02 A 1 0.02

Westview St EB LTR AM F >100 1.06 F >100 >1.50 F >100 >1.50 PM F 94 0.87 F >100 1.41 F >100 >1.50

Driveway WB LTR AM B 13 0.02 C 17 0.03 D 32 0.06 PM E 45 0.31 F >100 0.61 F >100 1.48

Hartwell Ave/Maguire Rd/Driveway Hartwell Ave NB L AM B 11 0.13 B 14 0.21 C 18 0.30 PM A 10 0.46 B 11 0.55 B 13 0.64

Hartwell Ave SB LT AM A 0 0.01 A 0 0.01 A 0 0.01 PM A 0 0.00 A 0 0.01 A 0 0.01

Maguire Rd EB LT AM F 90 1.06 F >100 >1.50 F >100 >1.50 PM F >100 >1.50 F >100 >1.50 F >100 >1.50

Driveway WB LTR AM F >100 * F >100 * F >100 * PM F >100 0.08 F >100 0.20 F >100 0.48

Hartwell Ave/Wood St Wood St NB LR AM F >100 1.32 F >100 1.42 F >100 >1.50 PM F 85 1.06 F 91 1.08 F 100 1.10

Hartwell Ave WB L AM A 9 0.39 A 9 0.40 A 9 0.41 PM B 14 0.42 C 15 0.50 C 17 0.59

Wood St/Lincoln Labs Wood St NB LT AM B 11 0.51 B 11 0.52 B 11 0.52 PM A 1 0.01 A 1 0.02 A 1 0.02

Lincoln Labs EB LR AM E 49 0.25 F 55 0.27 F 63 0.31 PM F >100 1.41 F >100 >1.50 F >100 >1.50

Wood St/Old Mass Ave Wood St NB LT AM A 1 0.04 A 1 0.04 A 1 0.04 PM A 1 0.04 A 1 0.05 A 2 0.05

Old Mass Ave EB LR AM E 38 0.58 E 47 0.66 F 63 0.76 PM C 25 0.28 D 27 0.31 D 31 0.35

Wood St/Mass Ave Wood St SB LR AM F >100 >1.50 F >100 >1.50 F >100 >1.50 PM Police Detail (Signal) Police Detail (Signal) Police Detail (Signal)

Mass Ave EB LT AM A 9 0.39 A 10 0.43 B 11 0.48 PM Police Detail (Signal) Police Detail (Signal) Police Detail (Signal)

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Peak Existing (2009) No-Build Build Hour LOS1 Delay2 V/C3 LOS Delay V/C LOS Delay V/C Maguire Rd/Westview St/Driveway Maguire Rd NB LTR AM A 1 0.01 A 1 0.01 A 1 0.01 PM A 0 0.01 A 0 0.01 A 0 0.01

Maguire Rd SB LTR AM A 2 0.09 A 2 0.09 A 2 0.09 PM A 6 0.16 A 6 0.18 A 6 0.20

Driveway EB LTR AM C 22 0.02 D 26 0.02 D 31 0.03 PM F >100 0.87 F >100 1.21 F >100 >1.50

Westview St WB LTR AM B 14 0.33 C 15 0.36 C 18 0.41 PM C 24 0.45 D 32 0.55 E 46 0.67

Bedford St/Winter St Winter St SB LR AM F >100 >1.50 F >100 >1.50 F >100 >1.50 PM F >100 >1.50 F >100 >1.50 F >100 >1.50

Bedford St EB LT AM A 1 0.01 A 1 0.01 A 6 0.01 PM B 12 0.15 F >100 0.40 F >100 >1.50

Bedford St/Eldred St/Driveway Driveway NB R AM B 14 0.01 B 14 0.01 B 15 0.01 PM D 28 0.42 E 37 0.50 F 55 0.63

Eldred St SB LR AM D 34 0.43 F 54 0.59 F >100 0.89 PM B 14 0.11 B 15 0.12 C 15 0.13

Bedford St EB LT AM A 2 0.06 A 3 0.07 A 4 0.10 PM A 2 0.06 A 3 0.08 A 4 0.09

Bedford St/I-95 SB Ramp (West) I-95 SB Off-Ramp SB R AM F >100 1.47 F >100 >1.50 F >100 >1.50 PM D 34 0.82 E 40 0.87 E 50 0.92

Bedford St/I-95 SB Ramp (East) I-95 SB Off-Ramp NB R AM C 18 0.55 C 19 0.57 C 19 0.57 PM C 25 0.60 E 37 0.72 E 39 0.74

Signalized Intersections

Bedford St/Hartwell Ave AM D 54 0.96 E 70 1.08 F >100 1.26 PM E 69 1.02 F >100 1.20 F >100 >1.50

Hartwell Ave/Minuteman AM A 1 0.40 A 2 0.50 A 2 0.59 Bike Path PM A 1 0.42 A 2 0.52 A 2 0.61

Marrett Rd/Mass Ave AM D 50 0.97 D 53 1.16 E 65 1.05 PM F >100 >1.50 F >100 1.33 F >100 >1.50

Mass Ave/Wood St AM Unsignalized Unsignalized Unsignalized PM F 96 1.13 F >100 1.18 F >100 1.24 1 LOS= Level of Service 2 Delay = Average delay expressed in seconds per vehicle 3 V/C = Volume-to-Capacity ratio, L = Left Turn, T = Through, R = Right Turn, * = V/C unable to be calculated by software

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3.5 Suggested Mitigation Strategies In light of the findings presented above relative to existing and future traffic operations, several overall strategies are suggested to mitigate the projected travel demand increases. These include:

ƒ Enhance traffic safety for all travel modes along Bedford Street. ƒ Provide sufficient capacity on Bedford Street, particularly at the Hartwell Avenue and Bedford Street intersection, to minimize congestion that might otherwise encourage TMOD traffic to seek alternative routes through residential neighborhoods (Wood Street). ƒ Provide accommodations for alternative modes to help lessen the growth in vehicular traffic demands. ƒ Explore strategies to reduce volumes on Wood Street relative to existing conditions.

The following section of this report provides specific proposals to advance the above strategies and evaluates these proposals.

4.0 Alternative Transportation Improvement Plans Alternative improvement plans were developed and analyzed to address existing and anticipated future transportation concerns in the project area. Alternative plans were compared to existing conditions. Evaluation criteria varied slightly depending on location and issues of concerns. These plans were generally grouped by roadway segment with the following roadway sections considered:

ƒ Bedford Street ƒ Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection ƒ Hartwell Avenue/North ƒ Hartwell Avenue/South ƒ Wood Street These proposals were presented for public review and comment at the second project public hearing. The alternative plans are described by location below. Non-structural proposals to enhance the transportation system and its operations were presented at the third public hearing and are described in the Recommendations section of this report.

4.1 Bedford Street The primary issues identified on Bedford Street relate to vehicular and pedestrian traffic safety. There is a high crash rate on this roadway segment and residents expressed concern for the safety of pedestrians crossing the road to access MBTA buses. Increased future roadway crossings by cyclists upon completion of the West Lexington Greenway is also a concern. Other concerns include violations of the existing left-turn prohibitions to and from driveways along Bedford Street and vehicular delays exiting Winter Street and Eldred Street. Wetlands abut both sides of the roadway just east of Hartwell Avenue and create a challenge with respect to any roadway widening plan. Alternatives considered to address these concerns and their impacts are described below.

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4.1.1 Do Nothing Alternative The “Do Nothing” or existing conditions alternative for Bedford Street assumes that the roadway remains as is. Existing conditions include a four-lane, undivided cross section with nominal shoulders. (The total cross section curb to curb is only 50 feet.) A six feet wide sidewalk is provided on the north side of the road and there is no sidewalk on the south side of the roadway. The existing conditions cross section was presented earlier in Figure 5.

Table 11 describes some of the consequences associated with maintaining existing roadway conditions. First, peak hour traffic operations which already exhibit long delays for traffic entering and exiting driveways and side streets will only worsen as the TMOD is built out. Likewise, safety conditions will worsen with higher traffic volumes. No improvements would be offered to pedestrians and cyclists. The beneficial aspects of this alternative are that no public investment is required to upgrade the roadway and any potential wetland impacts associated with roadway widening can be avoided entirely.

Table 11 Bedford Street Do Nothing Alternative Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations 0 Long delays turning at side streets Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities 0 Sidewalks on north side of street only, no bike accommodations Right-of-Way 0 Approximately 65 to 70 feet Wetlands 0 Close to roadway near Hartwell Avenue Cost 0 Safety 0 Many illegal left turns, high number of crashes at intersections 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.1.2 Four-Lane Divided with Bike Lanes The second alternative examined considers the widening of Bedford Street to allow for the provision of a 68 feet cross section including a six feet raised center median and five feet bike lanes on both sides of the roadway. Also, a new sidewalk would be constructed on the south side of the roadway. This roadway cross section is illustrated in Figure 22. Figure 23 shows this plan applied to the Bedford Street between Winter Street and the Route 128 Southbound Ramps along with related intersection treatments. The intersection treatments, roundabouts at Hartwell Avenue and the Route 128 Southbound Ramps, would accommodate the left-turn movements that would be otherwise restricted by the raised median. Also, this plan would include a restriping of Bedford Street at Winter Street to facilitate left-turns from Winter Street. Signalization of Winter Street could be included in this plan with State approval. (This location presently satisfies the peak hour signal warrant based on AM peak hour volumes.)

The consequences and impacts of this plan are summarized in Table 12. As noted, this plan, by virtue of the center median, would smooth traffic flow and enhance traffic safety by controlling left-turn movements at driveways and side streets. Cyclists could be accommodated within the proposed bike lanes and the bike lanes would also aid motorists turning right and accelerating from driveways and side streets. This plan also assumes installation of a pedestrian-actuated

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traffic signal at Eldred Street to allow for safe pedestrian crossings. Implementation of this plan would fill an estimated 1,350 square feet of wetlands to the south side of Bedford Street. Likewise, land takings from private property owners, approximately 18,000 square feet would be required on the south side of the roadway.

Table 12 Bedford Street Four-Lane Divided with Bike Lanes Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations + Left turn delays eliminated Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities + Could seek waiver on bike lanes Right-of-Way - Requires taking approximately 20 to 25 feet Wetlands - Some fill likely on south side (approximately 1,350 sf) Cost -- $4.0 Million Safety ++ Pedestrian signal included 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.1.3 Four-Lane Divided with No Bike Lanes The third alternative examined is a slight variation of the previous alternative. Under this alternative a six feet raised center median is installed as is a sidewalk along the south side of the roadway. East/west bike travel is assumed to occur along the Minuteman path rather than on Bedford Street so bike lanes are not provided. This cross section is shown in Figure 24. Due to the raised median proposed under this plan, roundabout treatments are again suggested for the Hartwell Avenue and Route 128 Southbound Ramps intersections.

Relative to the prior alternative the positive impacts of this plan relate to the reduced right-of- way impacts and reduced wetland impacts as noted in Table 13. The absence of bike lanes makes the alternative less beneficial to cyclists, however; there are no existing bike lanes east or west of this location on Bedford Street so the absence of bike lanes at this location does not affect the continuity of any existing bike routes.

Table 13 Bedford Street Four-Lane Divided with No Bike Lanes Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations + Left turn delays eliminated Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities + Sidewalks provided on both sides of street Right-of-Way - Requires taking approximately 15 to 20 feet Wetlands - Some fill likely on south side (approximately 225 sf) Cost -- $3.5 Million Safety ++ Pedestrian signal included 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

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4.1.4 Five-Lane Undivided with No Bike Lanes A five-lane alternative for Bedford Street was also considered. This plan permits left-turns to and from driveways and side streets and accommodates them in a center two-way, left-turn lane. With this plan, roundabouts are not warranted at the two “gateway” intersections to the roadway segment as the permissive left turn condition eliminates the need to provide U-turn capabilities. The plan omits bike lanes as cyclist safety is of greater concern with the permissive left-turn condition. Again, east/west bike travel can occur along the Minuteman path. A sidewalk is included along the south side of the roadway as shown in Figure 25. Figure 26 shows an application of the five-lane concept with a full traffic signal at Eldred Street and modifications to the jughangle intersection at Hartwell Avenue.

The five-lane treatment provides certain benefits relative to existing conditions. As noted in Figure 26, traffic operations and accessibility are improved as left-turns are permitted and left- turning vehicles are removed from the through travel lanes. The better accommodations for left- turns may enhance safety as well. The south side sidewalk and full signal at Eldred Street would benefit pedestrian travel. However, the extra width required to provide the two-way, left-turn lane relative to the raised median means that this concept would involve greater right-of-way and wetland impacts than the four-lane without bike lanes alternative.

Table 14 Bedford Street Five-Lane Undivided with No Bike Lanes Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations + Left turn conflicts reduced Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities + Sidewalks provided on both sides of street Right-of-Way - Requires taking approximately 15 to 20 feet Wetlands - Some fill likely on south side (approximately 675 sf) Cost - $2.5 Million Safety + Left turn volumes would increase 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.1.5 Comparison of Bedford Street Alternatives Table 15 provides a side-by-side comparison of each of the four cross section alternatives considered for Bedford Street. As shown, the four-lane divided section with bike lanes provides the greatest overall benefit but also with the greatest impacts. Provision of bike lanes makes it stand out from the other alternatives in terms of providing pedestrian and bicycle facilities although the importance of the bike accommodations may be diminished give the availability of the adjacent Minuteman Bikeway for east/west travel. This alternative may also be the best at reducing the number of crashes as the median eliminates left-turn conflicts and the bike lanes provide more space for traffic to accelerate from side streets and driveways to merge safely with through traffic. The suggested roundabouts at each end of the subject roadway section will also help to slow traffic and reduce crashes. The footprint of this alternative makes its impact on right-of-way and wetlands more severe than those of the other alternatives. Also, the need to accommodate U-turns and construct a roundabout at the Route 128 end of the section (the

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existing jughandle intersection at Hartwell Avenue could continue to accommodate U-turns at the western end of the segment) makes it the most costly alternative to construct.

Table 15 Comparison of Bedford Street Alternatives Four-Lane Divided Four-Lane Divided Five-Lane Undivided Criteria Existing with Bike Lanes with No Bike Lanes with No Bike Lanes Consequences Traffic Operations 0 + + + Pedestrian/Bike 0 ++ + + Facilities Safety 0 ++ + + Impacts Right-of-Way 0 -- - -- Wetlands 0 -- - -- Cost 0 -- - - 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.2 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection The signalized Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue intersection is the main gateway to the Hartwell Avenue TMOD. It presently operates at or near capacity under existing conditions and is projected to experience traffic demands in excess of capacity under future conditions with increased development in the corridor. Independent of the intersection’s adequacy with respect to roadway capacity, it experiences a high crash rate and is not “pedestrian friendly”. There is an MBTA bus stop at this location and the West Lexington Greenway is likely to cross Bedford Street at this location so improvements to pedestrian and bicycle accommodations are of concern. Also, the intersection provides one-way (entrance only) access to the Drummer Boy Green residential development with exiting traffic directed to the unsignalized Winter Street intersection with Bedford Street. Alternatives considered to address these concerns and their impacts are described below.

4.2.1 Do Nothing Alternative The “Do Nothing” alternative for the Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue intersection assumes that the intersection remains as is. Existing conditions include two through travel lanes in each direction on Bedford Street and a two-lane jughandle to accommodate left-turns from Bedford Street westbound to Hartwell Avenue. Traffic may also enter the Drummer Boy Green residential development directly from the jughandle. Hartwell Avenue functions as four lanes at the intersection with a dedicated left and right turn lanes on the approach and two departure lanes. There are currently no crosswalks or pedestrian signal indications at the intersection. There is a sidewalk present along the north side of Bedford Street and along the west side of Hartwell Avenue. An image of the existing conditions at the intersection is shown in Figure 27.

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Table 16 lists some of the consequences associated with maintaining existing roadway conditions. First, peak hour traffic operations which are already at or near capacity will worsen. Under No Build and Build conditions, the intersection will operate at volume-to-capacity ratios of approximately 1.25 and 1.50, respectively during the most critical (PM) peak hour. Second, pedestrian and bicycle activity is likely increase with no enhancement to accommodations for these modes. Third, the higher traffic volumes may not necessarily increase the already high crash rate however, the number of crashes may increase. Of course, doing nothing to improve the intersection incurs no future costs other than routine maintenance costs.

Table 16 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection Do Nothing Alternative Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations 0 Near capacity now. Over capacity in the future. Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities 0 Crossing Bedford Street is difficult Right-of-Way 0 Wetlands 0 Cost 0 Safety 0 High crash rate 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.2.2 Fly-under The second alternative examined is a plan developed several years ago to increase the capacity of the intersection. The plan involves lowering the jughandle movement below Bedford Street creating what is referred to as a “fly-under”. This concept is illustrated in Figure 28. A frontage road is created on the north side of Bedford Street and all existing turning movements except for the left-turn from Bedford Street to Hartwell Avenue are maintained at grade. New pedestrian accommodations are not identified on this plan but could be provided (crosswalks and pedestrian signals). The constructability of this plan has not been tested and would require further review as the grades and turning radius on the jughandle may not meet MassDOT design standards. This plan was proposed in conjunction with a widening of Bedford Street to provide a two-way left- turn lane as the plan does a poor job in accommodating U-turn movements on Bedford Street westbound to eastbound.

The consequences and impacts of this plan are summarized in Table 17. Simplifying the intersection operations, by removing the heavy left-turn movement into Hartwell Avenue from the at-grade intersection, increases intersection capacity for the AM peak hour condition. Under Build conditions the intersection would operate with a volume-to-capacity (v/c) ratio of 0.90 which is better than the existing AM peak hour operation. However, the benefits are less significant for the PM peak hour when the v/c ratio declines to only 1.05 for Build conditions. Pedestrian crossings would not change substantially as pedestrians would still need to cross four lanes on Bedford Street with the benefit of signal. The cost to construct this plan would be significant, an estimated $10 million, due to the grade separation. Wetland impacts could most likely be avoided however some land takings would be required on the north side of Bedford Street. Some of the takings would impact an area of the Boston Sports Club, located in the northeast quadrant of the intersection, that was recently developed.

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Table 17 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection Fly-under Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations + Increases capacity Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities + Crossings can be enhanced Right-of-Way - Must work with abutters to relocate driveways Wetlands 0 No impacts Cost -- $10 Million Safety - Radii may not meet design standards 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.2.3 Roundabout The third alternative examined for the Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue intersection is a multi- lane, modern roundabout as shown in Figure 29. The modern roundabout includes two circulating lanes. The roundabout would accommodate two-way access to the Drummer Boy development. Hence, Drummer Boy residents who presently encounter difficulty trying to exit onto Bedford Street by way of Winter Street could enter Bedford Street directly at the roundabout. Modern roundabouts are generally safer than other intersection treatment options because they reduce the number of conflict points within the intersection. Since all drivers are forced to make right turns, there is only one direction in which to look for oncoming traffic. The slow moving traffic flows also make roundabouts safer for pedestrians.

Table 18 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection Roundabout Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations + Adds capacity. Operates at capacity in the future. Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities + Generally safer for pedestrians. No change for bikes. Right-of-Way -- Impacts residential and commercial parcels Wetlands 0 No impacts Cost - $2.5 Million (Avoid grade separation) Safety + Slower speeds, fewer severe crashes 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.2.4 Modified Signal Another signalized option for the Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue intersection was also considered. This plan involves eliminating the jughandle and widening both Bedford Street and Hartwell Avenue. The widening would result in takings on both commercial and residential properties. The Hartwell Avenue northbound approach would be widened to four lanes at the intersection in order to provide two left-turn lanes and two channelized right-turn lanes. The Bedford Street westbound approach would be widened to provide two left-turn lanes and two through lanes. The Bedford Street eastbound approach would remain similar to existing conditions with two general purpose lanes. The signal would operate just under capacity in the afternoon peak hour, but over capacity during the morning peak hour when there is a very heavy

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left turn movement into Hartwell Avenue. This plan would provide sidewalks and crosswalks at the intersection, but crossings would be long because of the excessive width of the roadway. The modified signal option is shown on Figure 30 and summarized in Table 19.

Table 19 Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection Modified Signal Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations + More capacity than other options during PM Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities - Wide roads, long crossings Right-of-Way -- Impacts residential and commercial parcels Wetlands 0 No impacts Cost - $2.5 Million (Avoids grade separation) Safety 0 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.2.5 Comparison of Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection Alternatives Table 20 provides a side-by-side comparison of each of the four intersection alternatives for Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue. As shown, the roundabout option provides the greatest overall benefit but also with some of the greatest impacts, especially in terms of right-of-way. Provision of shorter pedestrian crossings makes it stand out from the other alternatives in terms of providing pedestrian facilities. Bicycles could be accommodated on street by using a travel lane or by using the sidewalk. Those cyclists who are not comfortable riding in the street could use the nearby Minuteman Bikeway for east/west travel. This alternative may also be the best at reducing the number of crashes as the modern roundabout reduces the number of conflicts (both vehicular conflicts and vehicular/pedestrian conflicts) within the intersection and the design lends itself to slower speeds than a signalized intersection. The footprint of this alternative makes its impact on right-of-way more severe than those of the other alternatives. The roundabout option is similar in cost to the modified signal cost and is much less costly than the grade- separated (fly-under) option.

Table 20 Comparison of Bedford Street/Hartwell Avenue Intersection Alternatives Criteria Existing Fly-under Roundabout Modified Signal Consequences Traffic Operations 0 + + + Pedestrian/Bike 0 + + - Facilities Safety 0 - + 0 Impacts Right-of-Way 0 - -- -- Wetlands 0 0 0 0 Cost 0 -- - - 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

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4.3 Hartwell Avenue – North Section The primary issues identified on the northern portion of Hartwell Avenue are the lack of pedestrian and bicycle facilities and undefined travel lanes. There are currently no sidewalks along Hartwell Avenue with the exception of a short segment on the west side of Hartwell Avenue from Bedford Street to the driveway to 7 Hartwell Avenue. There are no bicycle accommodations within this portion of the roadway even though the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway crosses Hartwell Avenue just north of Maguire Road. The pavement width is approximately 40 feet on the northern segment of Hartwell Avenue, but there is no definition to the lanes. The roadway is striped as two wide lanes, although it is often driven as four lanes (two lanes per direction) during peak times throughout the day. There is 100 feet of right-of-way available. Peak hour traffic operations are poor at the unsignalized intersections along this stretch of roadway. Alternatives considered to address these concerns and their impacts are described below.

4.3.1 Do Nothing Alternative The “Do Nothing” or existing conditions alternative for Hartwell Avenue assumes that the roadway remains as is. Existing conditions include a two-lane, wide, undivided cross section with nominal shoulders. A sidewalk is provided for only a short segment on the west side of the road in the vicinity of Bedford Street. The existing conditions cross section is illustrated in Figure 3.

Table 21 describes some of the consequences associated with maintaining existing roadway conditions. First, peak hour traffic operations which already exhibit long delays for traffic entering and exiting driveways and side streets will only worsen as the TMOD is built out. No improvements would be offered to pedestrians and cyclists. The beneficial aspects of this alternative are that no public investment is required to upgrade the roadway and any potential impacts associated with roadway widening can be avoided entirely.

Table 21 Hartwell Avenue North Do Nothing Alternative Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations 0 No definition to travel lanes Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities 0 Few existing provisions Right-of-Way 0 100 feet available Wetlands 0 Mostly dry Cost 0 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.3.2 Three-Lane Undivided with Bike Lanes The second alternative examined considers the restriping of Hartwell Avenue to allow for one travel lane in each direction, a bike lane in each direction, and a two-way, left-turn lane along the center of the roadway. The lanes would be formalized with pavement markings so the driver confusion would be reduced. Also, a new sidewalk would be constructed on both sides of the

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roadway. This roadway cross section is illustrated in Figure 31. The consequences and impacts of this plan are summarized in Table 22. As noted, this plan would reduce capacity along the roadway in order to provide bike lanes. This option would provide signals at both Westview Street and Maguire Road. The signals would operate at capacity during peak hours. Implementation of this plan would have no impacts on wetlands nor would it require any land takings.

Table 22 Hartwell Avenue North Three-Lane Undivided with Bike Lanes Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations - Reduces roadway capacity Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities + Provides on-street bike lanes Right-of-Way 0 No impacts Wetlands 0 No impacts Cost - $1.5 Million (Can work within existing paved area) 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.3.3 Four-Lane Undivided with Bike Lanes The third alternative examined would formalize the four-lane operations that are currently experienced during peak times today. This alternative would provide two travel lanes in each direction and bike lanes on both sides of the roadway. In addition, sidewalks would be provided along both sides of the roadway. As such, bicyclists and pedestrians would be fully accommodated in this alternative. This cross section is shown in Figure 32. Relative to the prior alternative, this roadway alternative would have a larger cross-section, but would still be within the existing right-of-way. No land takings or wetland impacts would be noticed with this alternative, as noted in Table 23. This option would provide signals at both Westview Street and Maguire Road.

Table 23 Hartwell Avenue North Four-Lane Undivided with Bike Lanes Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations + Legitimizes existing four-lane operations Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities + Fully accommodates bikes and pedestrians Right-of-Way 0 No impacts Wetlands 0 No impacts Cost - $2.0 Million 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.3.4 Five-Lane Undivided with No Bike Lanes A five-lane alternative for Hartwell Avenue was also considered. This plan permits left-turns to and from driveways and side streets from turn pockets provided along the roadway. Because there are so many commercial driveways along this section of roadway, driveways would be consolidated in order to reduce the number of conflict points along the roadway and provide left-

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turn pockets instead of a two-way, left-turn lane. The plan omits on-street bike lanes, but instead provides a multi-use path along the west side of the roadway. A sidewalk is proposed along the east side of the roadway as shown in Figure 33. The five-lane treatment provides certain benefits relative to existing conditions. As noted in Table 24, left turn conflicts are eliminated because the left turning vehicles are removed from the through travel lanes. The five-lane option would provide more capacity than under existing conditions. However, the pedestrian crossings will be long with a five-lane option. As with the other two alternatives, this alternative still fits within the existing right-of-way and does not have any impacts to wetlands. The five-lane option would provide signals at both Westview Street and Maguire Road.

Table 24 Hartwell Avenue North Five-Lane Undivided with No Bike Lanes Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations + Left turn conflicts eliminated Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities + Accommodations provided, but crossings are wide Right-of-Way 0 Still fits in layout Wetlands 0 No impacts Cost -- $2.5 Million 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.3.5 Five-Lane Divided with No Bike Lanes A five-lane divided alternative for Hartwell Avenue was also considered. This plan is essentially the same as the undivided five-lane option; however, the median would be raised instead of painted as in the undivided option. Operations would be the same in this alternative as they would with the undivided plan, but pedestrians would have a refuge area when crossing the street, in the event that they are unable to make it all the way across in one pedestrian phase. This alternative will still fit within the existing right-of-way if narrower lanes are provided. Figure 34 shows the cross section of this plan. Figure 35 shows the conceptual plan for this alternative. A summary of this option is provided in Table 25. Phasing of this plan is possible, as the roadway could first be constructed with a painted median that would be replaced with a raised median as driveway consolidation is completed.

Table 25 Hartwell Avenue North Five-Lane Divided with No Bike Lanes Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations ++ Driveways and left turns controlled Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities ++ Median protects pedestrians at crossings Right-of-Way - Can fit with slimmer lanes Wetlands 0 No impacts Cost -- $3.5 Million (phasing possible) 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

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4.3.6 Four-Lane Divided with Bike Lanes A four-lane divided treatment proposed for Bedford Street with modern roundabouts at either end of the improved roadway section was also proposed for the northern section of Hartwell Avenue. The raised median would extend from Maguire Road to Bedford Street. Right-in/right- out only turn restrictions would be imposed at all driveways and at Westview Street. The modern roundabout proposed at Bedford Street would accommodate U-turns as would a second roundabout proposed at Maguire Road. This concept is shown in Figure 35A. The U-turn volumes generated at the proposed roundabouts by the left turn restrictions at driveways will generally amount to fewer than 100 vehicles per hour and not severely degrade roundabout operations. (Left-turn movements to and from Westview Street will relocate to Maguire Road. The roadway right-of-way is adequate to include a multi-use path in place of a sidewalk on one side of the roadway to accommodate the West Lexington Greenway. A variation of this concept, not shown, could include a widened median and traffic signal to accommodate pedestrian movements and perhaps left-turns at a midblock location. A summary of this option is provided in Table 26.

Table 26 Hartwell Avenue North Four-Lane Divided with Bike Lanes Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations ++ Left turn conflicts and delays are eliminated. Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities ++ Median protects pedestrians at crossings. Bikeway fits in right-of-way Right-of-Way - No takings required. Wetlands 0 No impacts Cost -- $3.5 Million 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.3.7 Comparison of Hartwell Avenue North Alternatives Table 27 provides a side-by-side comparison of each of the six cross section alternatives considered for the northern portion of Hartwell Avenue. As shown, the five-lane divided section with the multi-use path provides the greatest overall benefit but also with the greatest impacts. Right-of-way impacts could be reduced, however, if narrower lane widths are provided. Narrower lane widths may also help to reduce speeds along the roadway. Provision of a pedestrian refuge area makes it stand out from the other alternatives in terms of providing pedestrian facilities. The multi-use path along the west side of the roadway would provide a place for recreational bicyclists to ride, although commuter cyclists may still choose to ride in the roadway. The four-lane divided alternative can accommodate the same users within the existing right-of-way however less convenience is afforded motorists as left-turns are prohibited to and from driveways.

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Table 27 Comparison of Hartwell Avenue North Alternatives Three-Lane Four-Lane Five-Lane Five-Lane Undivided Undivided Undivided Undivided Four-Lane with Bike with Bike with No with No Bike Divided with Criteria Existing Lanes Lanes Bike Lanes Lanes Bike Lanes Consequences Traffic Operations 0 - + + ++ ++ Pedestrian/Bike 0 + + + ++ ++ Facilities Impacts Right-of-Way 0 0 0 0 - 0 Wetlands 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cost 0 ------1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.4 Hartwell Avenue – South Section The primary issues identified on the southern portion of Hartwell Avenue relate to the lack of pedestrian accommodations, narrow bike accommodations and Base access. Queues from the Base frequently spill back past Wood Street and block commercial driveways along Hartwell Avenue during the morning peak hour when the majority of the flow is into the Base. There are currently no sidewalks along the south section of the roadway and there are narrow on-street bike lanes along both sides of the roadway. Vehicular delays exiting some of the side streets and commercial driveways are high, especially during the afternoon peak hour. Wetlands abut the east side of the roadway for most of this segment and create a challenge relative to any major roadway widening. Alternatives considered to address these concerns and their impacts are described below.

4.4.1 Do Nothing Alternative The “Do Nothing” or existing conditions alternative for Hartwell Avenue south assumes that the roadway remains as is. Existing conditions include a three-lane, undivided cross section with narrow bike lanes. The total cross section curb to curb is about 42 feet, although the right-of-way is approximately 100 feet. No sidewalks are provided on either side of the road. The existing conditions cross section was illustrated earlier in Figure 4. Table 28 describes some of the consequences associated with maintaining existing roadway conditions. First, peak hour traffic operations which already exhibit long delays for traffic exiting driveways and side streets will only worsen as the TMOD is built out. No improvements would be offered to pedestrians and cyclists. The beneficial aspects of this alternative are that no public investment is required to upgrade the roadway and any potential impacts associated with roadway widening can be avoided entirely.

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Table 28 Hartwell Avenue South Do Nothing Alternative Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations 0 Queuing problems due to Hanscom gate Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities 0 Bike lanes are narrow, no sidewalks Right-of-Way 0 100 feet available Wetlands 0 Located on both sides of roadway, more to east Cost 0 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.4.2 Three-Lane with Sidewalk The second alternative examined considers keeping Hartwell Avenue as a three-lane roadway, but widening the bike lanes to legitimize their use. In addition, a sidewalk would be added along the west side of the roadway from the Base to Maguire Road and along the east side from the Base to Hartwell Place. North of Hartwell Place, there are wetlands on the east side of the road and the proposed sidewalk was eliminated from that portion of the roadway in order to reduce wetland impacts. This roadway cross section is illustrated in Figure 36. Figure 37 shows this plan applied to the segment of Hartwell Avenue between Maguire Road and the Base. A signal would be installed at the Wood Street intersection.

The consequences and impacts of this plan are summarized in Table 29. As noted, this plan would maintain similar traffic operations to existing conditions. Cyclists could be accommodated within the proposed widened bike lanes and the pedestrians would have access on both sides of the roadway from the Base to Hartwell Place and on the west side of the roadway only from Hartwell Place to Maguire Road. Implementation of this plan would fill some wetlands on the east side of the roadway, if sidewalks were to be provided on both sides of the roadway. No land takings from private property owners would be required.

Table 29 Hartwell Avenue South Three-Lane with Sidewalk Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations 0 No change Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities + Full accommodations provided Right-of-Way 0 No impacts Wetlands - Sidewalk limited to one side to minimize impacts Cost - $1.0 Million 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.4.3 Four-Lane with Multi-Use Path The third alternative examined involves widening the roadway to four lanes, but providing a multi-use path (off-street) for bicyclists and pedestrians. A sidewalk could be provided along the east side of the roadway. This cross section is shown in Figure 38. Relative to the prior alternative the positive impacts of this plan relate to the improved queuing capacity at the Base

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and a more formal bicycle accommodation in the dedicated multi-use path. The multi-use path may be more attractive to recreational riders than commuter bicyclists. A signal would be provided at the Wood Street intersection. As noted in Table 30, there are no right-of-way impacts with this option and wetland impacts could be minimized by providing only a multi-use path on the west side of the roadway and eliminating the sidewalk proposed on the east side of the roadway.

Table 30 Hartwell Avenue South Four-Lane with Multi-Use Path Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations + Provides additional queuing space for Hanscom gate Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities + Off-street multi-use path replaces narrow bike lanes Right-of-Way 0 No impacts Wetlands - Sidewalk limited to one side to minimize impacts Cost - $2.5 Million 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.4.4 Five-Lane with Multi-Use Path A five-lane alternative for Hartwell Avenue south was also considered. This plan could provide a continuous cross-section for the length of Hartwell Avenue, if the five-lane section is selected as the preferred alternative for the north section of roadway. This plan permits left-turns to and from driveways and side streets by way of striped turn pockets. The plan omits bike lanes, but instead provides an off-street multi-use path along the west side of the roadway. A sidewalk is included along the east side of the roadway as shown in Figure 39. A signal would be provided at the Wood Street intersection. The five-lane treatment provides certain benefits relative to existing conditions. As noted in Table 31, traffic operations and accessibility are improved as left-turns are permitted and left-turning vehicles are removed from the through travel lanes. However, the extra width required to provide the two travel lanes in each direction and left-turn pockets along the roadway relative to the existing conditions means that this concept would involve greater right-of-way and wetland impacts than the other alternatives.

Table 31 Hartwell Avenue South Five-Lane with Multi-Use Path Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Operations + Left turn conflicts eliminated Pedestrian/Bicycle Facilities + Accommodations provided, but crossings are wide Right-of-Way 0 Still fits in layout Wetlands -- Most extensive impacts Cost -- $4.0 Million 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

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4.4.5 Comparison of Hartwell Avenue South Alternatives Table 32 provides a side-by-side comparison of each of the four cross section alternatives considered for the southern portion of Hartwell Avenue. As shown, the four-lane section with the multi-use path provides the greatest overall benefit. The impacts are similar to those of the three- lane concept, but the benefits (in terms of traffic operations) are slightly greater. However, the three-lane with sidewalks still provides on-street bike lanes, which may be preferred by the commuter cyclists who may be most likely to use this facility. Given the proximity of the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway, there may be a number of workers in this area who choose to commute to work by bicycle and would be more likely to use the bike lanes than an off-street multi-use path. This three-lane alternative may also be better at reducing the number of crashes as the left-turn pockets eliminate left-turn conflicts. The five-lane concept would have the same effect, but the impacts and costs of providing the additional capacity for this segment of roadway are much greater.

Table 32 Comparison of Hartwell Avenue South Alternatives Three-Lane with Four-Lane with Five-Lane with Criteria Existing Sidewalks Multi-Use Path Multi-Use Path Consequences Traffic Operations 0 0 + + Pedestrian/Bike 0 + + + Facilities Impacts Right-of-Way 0 0 0 0 Wetlands 0 - - -- Cost 0 - - -- 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.5 Wood Street The primary issues identified on Wood Street include the volume of non-resident traffic using the roadway, truck traffic, and vehicles speeds. Residents currently feel that the volume of through, Hanscom and Lincoln Labs traffic on the roadway is excessive and would like to see the volume of traffic on their roadway reduced. In addition, they feel there is an excessive amount of truck traffic on the street. They feel that the speeds at which motorists drive through their neighborhood is also excessive. There are currently bus stops along both sides of Wood Street, but sidewalks on only the east side of the roadway. There are currently no bicycle accommodations along the street. Alternatives considered to address these concerns and their impacts are described below.

4.5.1 Do Nothing Alternative The “Do Nothing” or existing conditions alternative for Wood Street assumes that the roadway remains as is. Existing conditions include a two-lane cross section with nominal shoulders. (The total cross section curb to curb is only 28 feet. The right-of-way is 50 feet.) A sidewalk is provided on the east side of the road and there is no sidewalk on the west side of the roadway.

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The existing conditions cross section is illustrated in Figure 40. Table 33 describes some of the consequences associated with maintaining existing roadway conditions. Traffic volumes along Wood Street would increase as the TMOD is built out. Motorists currently using Wood Street as a cut-through to avoid Route 128 or to access the Base or Lincoln Labs would continue to use Wood Street in the future. No reductions in the amount of truck traffic would be realized and there would be no reduction in traffic speeds. The beneficial aspects of this alternative are that no public investment is required to modify the roadway and any potential impacts associated with roadway geometry or signage can be avoided entirely.

Table 33 Wood Street Do Nothing Alternative Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Volume 0 Residents consider existing volumes to be too high Traffic Speed 0 Traffic Operations 0 Right-of-Way 0 Convenience 0 Cost 0 Enforcement 0 Truck traffic believed to be excessive 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.5.2 Truck Restrictions The second option for Wood Street involves restricting truck access to the roadway. Trucks without business in the Wood Street neighborhood would be banned from the roadway by way of signage. Alternative truck routes would be designated. This truck restriction may initially require police enforcement. The truck restriction option is summarized below in Table 34. The restriction is shown graphically in Figure 41. Over the course of the day, approximately 15 percent of traffic on Wood Street is truck traffic, so reductions in traffic as high as 15 percent could be realized if a truck restriction was placed on Wood Street.

Table 34 Wood Street Truck Restriction Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Volume + Reduction in volume up to 15 percent Traffic Speed 0 Traffic Operations 0 Right-of-Way 0 Convenience 0 Cost - Enforcement - May be difficult to enforce 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

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4.5.3 Turn Restrictions The third option suggested for Wood Street by a Wood Street resident involves restricting turns during certain peak hours as a means of reducing traffic volumes. In order to reduce the number of drivers using Wood Street to bypass Route 128 or to access the Base or Lincoln Labs, certain movements could be restricted during peak hours. As shown in Figure 42, the following movements could be restricted during the morning peak hour:

ƒ Left turns from Massachusetts Avenue eastbound into Wood Street ƒ Left turns from Wood Street northbound into Lincoln Labs ƒ Right turns from Lincoln Labs eastbound onto Wood Street ƒ Left and right turns from Wood Street northbound onto Hartwell Avenue ƒ Right turns from the Base eastbound onto Wood Street

Figure 43 shows the potential afternoon peak hour turn restrictions: ƒ Right turns from Wood Street southbound onto Massachusetts Avenue ƒ Left turns from Wood Street northbound into Lincoln Labs ƒ Right turns from Lincoln Labs eastbound onto Wood Street ƒ Left turns from Wood Street northbound onto Hartwell Avenue ƒ Right turns from the Base eastbound onto Wood Street ƒ Left turns from Hartwell Avenue westbound onto Wood Street

As shown in Table 35, the turn restriction option is effective in reducing volumes on Wood Street, but it would redirect traffic to Hartwell Avenue and overload the jughandle intersection. This option is inconvenient for residents, as they would also have to comply with the turn restrictions. For instance, a person who works in Bedford and lives along Wood Street would no longer be able to travel Hartwell Avenue southwest to Wood Street. Instead, the person would have to take Bedford Street to Route 128 south to Route 2A west to Massachusetts Avenue and then east to Wood Street, which is a longer (distance and time) trip. The turn restriction option would also not allow employees to access Lincoln Labs from the south on Wood Street. They would be forced to use Hartwell Avenue to access Wood Street from the north. A less aggressive plan to physically restrict certain turns at the intersection of Wood Street with Hartwell Avenue is shown in Figure 44. This plan prohibits Base traffic from using Wood Street. This alternative is described again in the recommendations section of this report.

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Table 35 Wood Street Turn Restrictions Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Volume ++ Reduces volumes on Wood Street Traffic Speed 0 Traffic Operations -- Overloads jughandle Right-of-Way 0 Convenience - Creates access problems for residents and Lincoln Labs employees Cost - Enforcement - Enforcement requires police detail ($$) 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.5.4 Airport Road Access The fourth option for Wood Street involves providing an alternative way to access the Base and Lincoln Labs. Hanscom Drive currently provides a secondary access to the Base, mainly for commuters coming from and traveling to the west on Route 2A. Many people traveling to the Base from the east on Massachusetts Avenue or Route 2A use Wood Street to get to the Base or Lincoln Labs. If new access were provided via Airport Road, Base traffic and potentially Lincoln Labs traffic could be removed from Wood Street. In order to do that, the Base would have to staff an additional security gate at that entrance. The Base claims that this is not feasible as they do not have the funding to staff an additional gate being opened. The base may not be able to allow secure access for Lincoln Labs at this location as well. The National Park Service which controls land along Airport Road also opposes this suggestion. This is not considered a viable alternative at this time.

As shown in Table 36, providing an alternative access point for the Base would reduce volumes on Wood Street to less than the current volumes and the volume would be redirected to Route 2A, a State-owned roadway. The alternative access routes to the Base are shown in Figure 45. With Base access provided via Airport Road, commuters would learn that Airport Road is the fastest way to get to the Base and adjust their commuting patterns accordingly; thus, making this option self-enforcing. This option would have no impact on residential access to the neighborhood as there would be no physical barriers in place to prevent any movements.

Table 36 Airport Road Base Access Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Volume + Volumes would be reduced to less than existing volumes Traffic Speed 0 Traffic Operations + Operations improve on Wood Street because volumes decrease Right-of-Way 0 No takings but impacts are problematic for the NPS. Convenience 0 Enhanced for Base commuters. Cost - Would cost the Base to operate an additional security gate Enforcement 0 Self-enforcing 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives. NPS=National Park Service

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4.5.5 Traffic Calming The fifth option for Wood Street involves two different traffic calming strategies as a means of reducing speeds and volumes. A variety of traffic calming measures were initially discussed, but vertical measures (i.e. speed humps, speed tables, raised intersections, etc) were discarded early on in the project because of their lack of support from the fire department and engineering/DPW staff. Horizontal measures were determined to be the best alternatives for the applications along Wood Street. Mini roundabouts and median treatments were considered to be viable options for this area. Due to the length of Wood Street, the treatments must be used in a multiple locations along the roadway to be effective. Potential traffic calming treatment locations are shown in Figure 46.

4.5.5.1 Roundabouts Mini roundabouts could be used along Wood Street in order to reduce speeds. The suggested mini roundabouts are very different from the multi-lane roundabouts proposed along Bedford Street. The center island radius would be less than 20 feet and the total diameter of the roundabout would be 90 feet or less. The deflection caused by the roundabout will slow drivers down and some diversions are possible because of the reduced speeds along the roadway. As shown in Table 37, the cost for each of these roundabouts would be approximately $150,000 to $200,000. Some takings from residential landowners would be likely at each location. A typical mini roundabout treatment along Wood Street is shown in Figure 47.

Table 37 Wood Street Roundabout Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Volume 0 Some diversions possible due to slower speeds Traffic Speed + Traffic must slow significantly to negotiate each roundabout Traffic Operations 0 Right-of-Way -- Some takings likely at each location Convenience - Resident traffic must slow down as well Cost -- $150,000 to $200,000 per location Enforcement 0 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.5.5.2 Medians Median treatments are also suggested as a means of reducing speeds by narrowing the roadway. As with the roundabout option, the median treatments would need to be applied in a few locations throughout the length of Wood Street. A median would be installed in Wood Street and crosswalks would be provided along all approaches to each intersection where a median treatment is applied. The roadway width will be narrowed to ten feet at each of the Wood Street approaches at these intersections. Sidewalks would be maintained on the east side of the roadway. At specific locations sidewalks could be added on the west side of the road, if desired, to connect private driveways to the pedestrian crossings at the medians. Costs and benefits associated with this alternative are listed

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in Table 38. The cost of these treatments is approximately $40,000 to $60,000 per location. A typical median treatment is shown in Figure 48.

Table 38 Wood Street Median Treatment Summary Criteria Impact1 Comments Traffic Volume 0 Some diversions possible due to slower speeds Traffic Speed + Traffic must slow to negotiate each treatment Traffic Operations 0 Right-of-Way 0 Work stays in layout except where sidewalks are added Convenience - Resident traffic must slow down as well Cost - $40,000 to $60,000 per location Enforcement 0 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

4.5.6 Comparison of Wood Street Alternatives Table 39 provides a side-by-side comparison of each of the six alternatives considered for Wood Street. As shown, the Airport Road Base access plan would provide the greatest benefit with the least amount of impacts. However, this is not a viable alternative as the Base has indicated that they have no interest in re-opening the gate on Airport Road. Turn restrictions would help to reduce the traffic volumes on Wood Street, but would cause traffic overloads at other intersections particularly the Bedford Street and Hartwell Avenue intersection. Traffic calming devices would be effective at reducing speeds and potentially reduce traffic volumes if the speeds are reduced enough. Of the two devices considered the roundabouts may be more effective at reducing speeds, but would cost more and would require land takings.

Table 39 Comparison of Wood Street Alternatives Airport Truck Turn Road Base Median Criteria Existing Restriction Restrictions Access Roundabouts Treatments Consequences Traffic Volume 0 + ++ + 0 0 Traffic Speed 0 0 0 0 + + Traffic Operations 0 0 -- + 0 0 Impacts Right-of-Way 0 0 0 0 -- 0 Convenience 0 0 - 0 - - Cost 0 ------Enforcement 0 - - 0 0 0 1 Impact of this alternative where: 0 = No impact relative to “Do Nothing” alternative; + = some positive benefit relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; ++ = substantial positive benefit relative to other alternatives; - = some negative impacts relative to the “Do Nothing” alternative; and, - - = substantial negative impacts relative to other alternatives.

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5.0 Recommendations The recommended plan includes infrastructure and policy components. The infrastructure plan will advance the goals of the TMOD by providing increased capacity for vehicular traffic along Bedford Street and Hartwell Avenue while creating new opportunities for the use and promotion of alternative modes. The policy initiatives will work in tandem with the infrastructure plan to further promote the use of alternative modes and limit vehicular traffic growth. The overall program will also protect adjacent residential neighborhoods by guarding against increased traffic growth and high speed travel along Wood Street and by providing safer access to the Eldred Street neighborhood.

5.1 Infrastructure Plan The following sections describe the recommended infrastructure plan. The infrastructure components are divided into state projects and local projects relating to the anticipated funding source. The recommended infrastructure plan is summarized in Table 40 which lists proposed actions, responsibilities and anticipated costs. Also described below are implementation issues.

5.1.1 State Components The infrastructure plan includes improvements along Bedford Street and Hartwell Avenue that are eligible for state funding, that is, inclusion in the state’s Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). These improvements, illustrated in Figures 48 through 50 include the following major components:

5.1.1.1 Bedford Street Reconstructing and widening the roadway to provide four 11-feet travel lanes, four-feet shoulders that will also function as bike lanes, a raised center median and sidewalks on both sides. Reconstructing the existing intersections with Hartwell Avenue and with the Route 128 southbound ramps as modern, multi-lane roundabouts. Installing traffic signal conduit at each roundabout to facilitate the future installation of pedestrian signals, if needed for safety reasons. Installing a pedestrian-only signal at the Eldred Street intersection. Restripe Bedford Street at Winter Street and install a traffic signal at this location if approved by MassDOT.

5.1.1.2 Hartwell Avenue North Reconstructing and widening the roadway between Bedford Street and Maguire Road to provide four travel lanes, on-street bike lanes and a raised median. Constructing a sidewalk on one side and a multi-use path on the other side to accommodate the West Lexington Greenway. Reconstructing the Maguire Road intersection as a multi-lane modern roundabout. Updating the existing traffic signal at the Minuteman Bike Path crossing.

5.1.1.3 Hartwell Avenue South Reconstructing and widening the roadway from Maguire Road to the Hanscom Gate to provide two 12-feet travel lanes, a 12 feet center left-turn lane, minimum four–feet shoulders for bike accommodation, a sidewalk on the west side and a sidewalk on the east side from the former

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Table 40 Infrastructure Plan Town Share State Share Location Recommended Action(s) Responsibility Cost Responsibility Cost Bedford Street • Widen to provide four 11-ft travel lanes, two four-ft Project permitting, $750,000 Construction. $7.5 million shoulders a raised center median, and sidewalks. design and right-of- • Replace the existing jughandle with a modern way acquisition. roundabout. • Replace the Route 128 Southbound Ramps intersection with a modern roundabout. • Install a pedestrian actuated signal at Eldred Street. • Install a signal at Winter Street if approved by MassDOT Hartwell Avenue- • Widen to provide four 11-ft travel lanes, two four-ft Project permitting, $370,000 Construction. $3.7 million North of Maguire shoulders, a raised center median, a sidewalk and design and right-of- Road a multi-use path. way acquisition. • Recontruct the Maguire Road intersection as a modern roundabout.. • Update the signal at the Minuteman Bike Path crossing. Hartwell Avenue- • Widen to provide two 12-ft travel lanes, a 12-ft left- Project permitting, $290,000 Construction. $2.9 million South of Maguire turn lane, four-ft shoulders and sidewalks. design and right-of- Road • Realign the Wood Street intersection to discourage way acquisition. travel between Hanscom and Wood Street. • Install signal conduit at Wood Street. Wood Street • Install raised medians at four intersections. Project design and $340,000 None. $0 • Install a raised median at the West Greenway construction. crossing. Total $1.75 million $14.1 million Note: Table reflects updated cost estimates relative to the alternatives evaluation.

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Hartwell House restaurant to the Hanscom Gate. Reconstructing and realigning the Wood Street intersection to discourage Hanscom traffic from using Wood Street. Installing traffic signal conduit at the Wood Street intersection should traffic demands warrant signalization in the future.

5.1.2 Local Components Certain infrastructure improvements in the project area are unlikely to be funded by the State. These would include traffic calming measures on local roads. Traffic calming for Wood Street is recommended and includes installing raised medians at four intersections. These would narrow the travelway (slowing traffic) and create pedestrian refuge areas to aid pedestrians crossing the road. A similar treatment can be implemented at the West Greenway crossing when the greenway is developed. A typical median installation is shown in Figure 4. Suggested locations include: Conestoga Road, Woodpark Circle, Holton Road and Patterson Road.

5.1.3 Implementation As noted, the State components of the infrastructure plan can and should be implemented by MassDOT with a combination of state and federal funds. For this to occur, the improvements must advance through the state approval process as a project in accordance with the MassDOT Project Development and Design Guide. The steps in the process are listed in Table 41. As noted, the process begins by filing a Project Need Form and then a Project Initiation Form with MassDOT. The information provided in this Traffic Mitigation Plan should be generally sufficient to complete these forms. The project must then be recommended by the regional planning agency (Metropolitan Area Planning Council) to gain acceptance by the Project Review Committee at MassDOT.

Table 41 MassDOT Project Development Process

Steps Outcomes 1. Problem/Need/Opportunity Identification Project Need Form (PNF)

2. Planning Project Planning Report (if needed) 3. Project Initiation Project Initiation Form (PIF) Identification of Appropriate Funding Definition of Appropriate Next Steps Project Review Committee Action 4. Environmental/Design/ROW Process Plans Specs and Estimates (PS&E) Environmental Studies and Permits Right-of-Way Plans Permits 5. Programming Regional and State TIP Programming of Funds 6. Procurement Construction Bids and Contractor Selection 7. Construction Built Project 8. Project Assessment Note: Steps 1 through 4 are typically municipal responsibilities. Source: MassDOT

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Project design and permitting begins after the project has been accepted by the Project Review Committee. Typically, these costs are funded by the municipality. As the project moves through the design development process proceeding from 25 Percent to 75 Percent to 100 Percent design levels, the Town will also need to secure related environmental permits and necessary right-of- way. While the flow chart shows projects appearing on the TIP only after design is completed, projects are often listed on the TIP even during the very early stages of design.

Implementation of the local component of the infrastructure plan is fully in control of the Town. It is recommended that this design and construction process begin with a special public hearing to review the proposed plan with Wood Street residents. Upon acceptance of a conceptual plan project design could begin.

5.1.4 Timing The state project design development process (from project initiation to bidding) will require two to three years to complete. Project construction is also likely to take two or more years to complete. Hence, on the state project should be initiated at least five years before the desired date for completion of construction. The local component of the plan cold be designed and constructed in one year.

5.1.5 Cost As noted in Table 39, construction costs for the Hartwell Avenue and Bedford Street work is estimated at $14.1 million. Design and permitting efforts are estimated at $1.41 million for this work. Design and construction for recommended work on Wood Street is valued at $340,000. Right-of-way costs are not known and are greatly dependent on the willingness of property owners with land abutting the existing right-of-way to make land donations recognizing that the roadway changes will improve access to their properties.

5.1.6 Funding The Hartwell Avenue TMOD bylaw allows the Town to collect fees from developers to help fund implementation of necessary infrastructure improvements. A fee structure is recommended herein that would cover the Town share of proposed infrastructure work assuming only partial build-out of commercial properties in the district. However, the timetable for build-out is unknown (it is largely dependent on economic factors) and build-out may be hampered by the current access constraints on the roadway system. Consequently, the Town may choose to fund the design and permitting work, in advance of any significant new development, and reimburse itself through the collection of future impact fees. This will allow the Town to remedy existing access issues and, in so doing, encourage redevelopment in Hartwell Avenue TMOD.

5.2 Policy Plan The above infrastructure plan is complemented by a series of policy recommendations. Critical among these are those that were established by the Town when creating the TMOD. These policies allow the Town to collect traffic impact fees and to require developers to implement travel demand management (TDM) strategies. Other policies evolved through the preparation of this traffic mitigation plan. All policies and ongoing action items are described below.

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5.2.1 Traffic Mitigation Fees The Town should establish a clear and equitable structure for the collection of traffic mitigation fees for projects in the TMOD. The fees collected should be adequate to cover the Town’s share of the proposed infrastructure plan. At the same time they should not be too prohibitive such that they discourage new development. Appendix A provides a recommended traffic impact fee policy.

5.2.2 Parking and Travel Demand Management The Town should establish a policy with respect to parking and travel demand management (PTDM) to encourage greater use of alternative travel modes within new and existing developments in the TMOD. The policy should include creation of a Transportation Management Association (TMA) allowing employers and developers to pool resources and offer cost-effective commuting alternatives. Incentives should be provided to employers and developers who are successful in limiting the generation of vehicle trips. Appendix A provides a recommended PTDM plan.

5.2.3 Truck Restrictions on Wood Street The Town should seek state approval to restrict through truck traffic on Wood Street. Trucks comprise approximately 15 percent of the daily volume on Wood Street. Since the street is relatively narrow; is used by cyclists; and, is generally abutted by residential land uses, through truck traffic should be diverted to alternative routes. According to MassDOT policy, a truck restriction can be placed on a roadway if an alternative route exists. Trucks on Wood Street destined to the Hartwell Avenue area have an alternative, and more suitable, route available. This route, Route 128 to Bedford Street to Hartwell Avenue, will be enhanced by the infrastructure improvements proposed above. The process to pursue a truck restriction could begin immediately.

5.2.4 Coordinate TDM Strategies with Hanscom and Lincoln Labs Both Lincoln Labs and the Base have comprehensive Travel Demand Management (TDM) plans in place. Recognizing that there are economies to scale and service enhancements that can be realized by combining resources, the Town should coordinate closely with Lincoln Labs and the Base as the TDM plans for the Hartwell Avenue area TMOD develop. This would include continued monitoring of the commuter shuttle bus services presently offered to Hanscom employees by TransAction Associates. Initially this should be the responsibility of the Town but can be assumed by the Hartwell Avenue transportation management association once it is created and functional.

5.2.5 Coordinate with the MBTA The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority presently provides weekday bus service to each end of the Hartwell Avenue corridor. Buses travel Wood Street as far north as Lincoln Labs (a short walk to the southern end of the corridor) and along Bedford Street (the north end of the corridor). Field observations indicate that existing ridership among Hartwell Avenue area employees is very limited. However, the lack safe of pedestrian accommodations along the corridor and a lack of employer subsidies for MBTA monthly passes may be contributing factors

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to the low ridership levels. Once the infrastructure improvements are in place and the Hartwell Avenue TMA is functional ridership may increase. If and when this occurs it may be advisable to increase the bus frequency on existing routes serving the corridor and/or reroute one of the routes to traverse Hartwell Avenue itself. (Weekend bus service does traverse Hartwell Avenue and represents a consolidation of the two weekday routes that pass by the corridor.)

5.2.6 Promote the Hartwell Avenue TMA The travel demand management policy described above requires employers to participate in the TMA once redevelopment occurs. Existing building owners and tenants are not obligated to join the TMA unless redevelopment occurs at their properties and/or unless leases are renegotiated. The Town should contact and maintain communication with all landlords and tenants in the TMOD to encourage voluntary participation in the TMA.

5.2.7 Curb Cut Consolidation As noted, the infrastructure plan for Hartwell Avenue includes a two-way left-turn to provide access to abutting businesses. The preferred strategy would be to construct a raised median limiting left-turn access to just a few locations. However, this strategy cannot be implemented effectively until and unless landowners voluntarily choose to close, relocate and/or consolidate driveways. Accordingly, the Town should maintain a dialogue with property owners and continuously monitor permit activity looking for opportunities to reconfigure driveways in a manner that supports a median divided roadway.

5.2.8 Summary A complete list of the policy recommendations is provided in Table 42.

Table 42 Policy Plan Recommended Action Objective Cost (to Town) Timing Formally adopt this Traffic Enable Town to collect Nominal Can begin immediately Mitigation Plan and included mitigation fees and require Mitigation Fee and PTDM TMA membership policies Create Escrow Account (part Enable Town to account for Nominal Can begin immediately of PTDM plan) fees collected Form TMA (part of PTDM Create a mechanism for Nominal Should begin once a plan) developers/employers to cost private sector effectively promote TDM. “champion” is identified Place Truck Restriction on Reduce truck volumes in a $25,000 (MassDOT Can begin immediately Wood Street residential area. approval process) Coordinate TDM Plans with Creating greater “economies Nominal Ongoing Hanscom and Lincoln Labs of scale” for TDM measures. Coordinate with the MBTA Explore opportunities to Nominal Ongoing enhance bus service to Hartwell Avenue businesses. Promote Hartwell Avenue Accelerate creation of the Nominal Can begin immediately TMA TMA. Curb Cut Consolidation Enable future installation of Nominal Ongoing raised median on Hartwell Avenue North.

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5.3 Outstanding Items There are several outstanding issues that were raised in the conduct of this study that need not be addressed at the present time but are listed here for future consideration.

5.3.1 Project Phasing One way for the Town to spread the design and permitting costs for the infrastructure work out over time is to break the project into two parts perhaps completing the Bedford Street work separately from the Hartwell Avenue work. MassDOT staff has indicated that this may be desirable from a construction funding perspective as well. MassDOT however, also has concerns that the wetland permitting for the work may be more successful if all of the work is considered as one project. Accordingly, upon filing the PNF and PIF documents with the State, discussions should be held relative to the merits of proceeding with a single large project, a phased project or two smaller projects.

5.3.2 Route 128 Roundabout Design The MassDOT District 5 office is supportive of the concept of constructing a modern roundabout at the Bedford Street/Route 128 ramps intersection as shown in the recommended plan. However, the particular design shown has not been approved as MassDOT would like to consider design alternatives that eliminate traffic weaving conditions along Route 128 southbound at this interchange. A dialogue should continue with MassDOT during the design process to determine if one or two of the existing loop ramps at the interchange can be eliminated and the reassigned traffic accommodated in the proposed roundabout.

5.3.3 Drummer Boy Green Condominium Access During the design process for the proposed roundabout at Bedford Street and Hartwell Avenue intersection, the Drummer Boy Green condominiums connection should be evaluated. The recommended conceptual plan includes a two-way connection to the condominiums. The roundabout may operate more efficiently without the currently proposed connection to the condominiums. Accordingly, alternative roundabout configurations should be explored during the design phase. Some alternatives are shown in Appendix B.

5.3.4 TMA Membership Maximizing participation in the TMA will ensure a greater chance of success as ride-matching and ride-sharing activities are most effective when drawing from a large pool of commuters. Under the TMOD bylaw the Town should be able to require developers of new projects to join a TMA. It is highly desirable to require existing employers to join as well. This plan suggests that employers be required to join the TMA when renewing a lease. The legal aspects of this requirement need to be explored.

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Appendix A

Traffic Mitigation Fees

Parking and Travel Demand Management Requirements

Hartwell Avenue Traffic Mitigation Plan

Context: Town approval of ARTICLES 44-46, as presented by the Planning Board at the 2009 Annual Town Meeting, amended the Town zoning bylaws and granted the Town specific jurisdiction over projects proposed within the Hartwell Avenue TMOD. Projects seeking to take advantage of the higher development densities allowed in the TMOD are subject to these changes. The articles specifically authorize the Town to:

1. Collect traffic mitigation fees from developers to fund infrastructure improvements in the Hartwell Avenue area; and, 2. Require developers to implement Parking and Travel Demand Management (PTDM) programs.

Purpose: Implementation of infrastructure improvements and PTDM programs will facilitate an effective multi-modal transportation network that protects the integrity of residential neighborhoods abutting the TMOD, encourage the use of alternative modes and provide adequate capacity for vehicular traffic. The Town is responsible for implementing the infrastructure improvements according to the plan.

Principles: The proposed infrastructure plan and PTDM policy are to be defined in the Hartwell Avenue TMOD Traffic Mitigation Plan. The traffic mitigation fees and PTDM requirements are defined herein in accordance with the following principles.

Equity: The fee shall be roughly proportionate to the impacts created by the development. Clarity: The fee shall be readily calculable and predictable for developers. Adequacy: The total value of fees collected within the TMOD district shall be sufficient to fund the private sector component of the TMOD Traffic Mitigation Plan budget. Other components may include betterments, town general funds, state and federal funds. Measurable: Fees shall be based on metrics that the Town can readily measure and monitor such as building floor area, vehicle trips or parking spaces. Responsibility: Fees and PTDM programs shall be the responsibility of a single entity for each project/site. Typically this will be the developer or building owner. Concurrency: PTDM programs and commitments shall continue for the life of the project (and its impacts). Timeliness: Fees must be paid and programs must be in place prior to project impacts being felt (typically, prior to building occupancy.) Incentives: Developers and tenants should be encouraged with incentives to reduce vehicular traffic volumes. Commitment: The Town is committed to building the proposed infrastructure improvements to support existing and new development. Therefore the infrastructure needs must be fully funded. Granting developer discounts/incentives should not leave the infrastructure fund short of its goal. Likewise, the Town is committed to creating a Transportation Management Association (TMA) for the TMOD. Since viability of the TMA is dependent membership sustaining a critical mass, participation in the TMA shall be mandatory.

Traffic Mitigation Fee

The traffic mitigation fee shall be calculated based on the net increase in floor area associated with any new construction or reconstruction in the TMOD. The fee equates to $3100 (2010 dollars) per 1000 square feet of building floor area and is derived as follows.

1. Determine the net increase in building floor area at the site associated with the project. Deduct from this total any net increase in floor area associated with “amenities”. Amenities would include cafes, convenience retail space, locker/shower rooms for commuters, ATM’s and other uses deemed beneficial by the Town to encourage the use of alternative modes. 2. Divide the net increase in project floor area by 678,834 square feet. (The 678,834 square feet figure is the maximum net increase in building floor area expected in the TMOD. The calculated value represents the project share of the Town component of the infrastructure budget. 3. Multiply the project share by the Town component of the infrastructure budget. Pursuant to Traffic Mitigation Plan, the Town component of the infrastructure budget is $1.75 million. This is the base fee. 4. Multiply the base fee by a contingency factor. This contingency factor accounts for the possibility that not all potential projects in the TMOD will ever get built or be built before work begins on the infrastructure improvements. This is the traffic mitigation fee in 2010 dollars. 5. Fees paid after 2010 shall be adjusted to account for inflation. Inflation factors will be based on the published Consumer Price Index.

Based on the above, any project receiving a building permit in 2010 will incur a traffic mitigation fee of $3100 per 1000 square feet of net new building floor area based on a contingency factor of 1.2.

The above formula allows for the collection of “excess” fees should full build-out occur within the TMOD. Any excess fees collected will be used at the Town’s discretion to cover unanticipated costs associated with implementation of the plan and/or provide additional infrastructure improvements supporting the TMOD not included in the current traffic mitigation plan.

The traffic mitigation fee shall be paid upon issuance of a building permit. If a project is to be built in phases, the fee will be apportioned among those building permits that result in an increase in project floor area in excess of existing conditions as documented in this report (see Table 6).

Parking and Travel Demand Management

Projects subject to the above Traffic Mitigation Fee are also subject to the following:

1. Submission of a Parking and Transportation Demand Management (PTDM) plan to the Town. The PTDM shall describe how the developer and/or project tenants propose to minimize the number of single-occupant vehicle (SOV) trips generated to/from the subject site. Proposed measures may include but not be limited to: rideshare programs, transit pass subsidies, flex-time programs, telecommute programs, site accommodations for bicyclists/walkers, participation in regional travel demand management strategies and on-site amenities. The plan shall be updated and resubmitted every five years or whenever a substantial change is made to the plan, whichever occurs first. 2. Designation of a transportation coordinator for the subject site who will be responsible for managing any on-site TDM programs and for coordinating with the Town and others as necessary to implement regional TDM measures. 3. Membership and participation in a Hartwell Avenue Transportation Management Association (TMA) to be established by the Town. All site tenants/occupants must become members of the TMA upon signing a new lease or upon renewing an existing lease. TMA members and/or their landlords shall pay annual dues to be established by the TMA. Prior to the creation of the TMA, developers/tenants obligated to join the TMA shall pay dues to an escrow account that will benefit the TMA once established. The dues during this interim period will be $10 per employee per annum. (This is the rate currently charged by the Route 128 Council TMA.) 4. Annual contributions to a TDM Incentive Fund to be established by the Town and managed by the TMA. The amount of annual payment will be dependent upon the actual traffic generating characteristics of the project site. The base payment shall match the TMA dues however, all or part of the base payment shall be waived upon completion of a traffic survey demonstrating that the subject site is generating less vehicular traffic than would be expected in the absence of a TDM program. The fee waivers would be applied as shown in Table A1 and would be valid for a two-year period (to offset the cost of conducting the traffic survey). The traffic surveys must be conducted in accordance with a methodology approved by the Town.

Table A1 TDM Incentive Fund Waivers Measured PM Peak Hour Trip Generation Rate (Vehicle Trips per Square Feet of Occupied Floor Area) Percentage of Fee Waived Less than 1.00 100% Less than 1.05 but greater than or equal to 1.00 80% Less than 1.10 but greater than or equal to 1.05 60% Less than 1.15 but greater than or equal to 1.10 40% Less than 1.20 but greater than or equal to 1.15 20% 1.20 or Greater 0%

Contributions to the TDM Incentive Fund shall be given to and expended by the TMA. Prior to creation of the TMA funds collected will be placed in an escrow account.

Discussion

Based on an anticipated $15.85 million infrastructure improvement program with a $1.75 million Town/private sector component and a 1.2 contingency factor, the traffic impact fee is $3100 per 1000 square feet of building floor area as noted above. This figure is compared to traffic mitigation commitments negotiated for other projects recently permitted in Lexington along Hayden Avenue and for the New England Business Center adjacent to Route 128 in Needham. As shown in Table A2, the proposed fee is less than the “fees” paid in these other locations.

Table A2 Comparison of Traffic Mitigation Fees Project/Location Traffic Mitigation Cost per 1000 SF of Building Area Lexington Technology Park, Spring Street $3,719 Ledgemont, Spring Street $5,145 Cubist, Hayden Avenue $4,820 New England Business Center, Needham1 $4,500-6,000 Proposed Hartwell Avenue $3,100 SF-Square Feet 1 Fee based on parking supply at $1500 per parking space. Range assumes 3.0 to 4.0 spaces per 1000 square feet of building floor area.

The sliding scale for contributions to the TDM Incentive Fund acknowledges that existing businesses in the TMOD generate traffic at a rate of 0.98 vehicle trips per hour during the PM peak commuter hour. This rate is low relative to standard ITE rates and may reflect less than optimal use of the existing space. Since redevelopment in the TMOD is expected to bring new tenants with greater employment densities than current tenants, a baseline (no waiver) rate of 1.20 vehicle trips per 1000 square feet of floor area is assumed. A rate of 1.15 trips PM peak hour trips per 1000 square feet of floor area was assumed in preparing the traffic forecasts for the Traffic Mitigation Plan.

A parking-based fee reduction incentive is not included in the above policy since the parking count at a site is not always directly related to the peak hour traffic generation. The policy provides an incentive to reduce traffic impacts measured in terms of PM peak hour vehicle trips rather than available parking spaces. Regardless, developers should still be encouraged during the development review process to construct the minimum number of spaces necessary to make their projects viable. A limited on-site parking supply may in some situations cause a developer and/or tenants to implement an effective PDTM.

Appendix B

Alternative Roundabout Designs