Traffic Impact and Access Study
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TRAFFIC IMPACT AND ACCESS STUDY Proposed Distribution Center 384-386 South Street Shrewsbury, Massachusetts Prepared for: Beals Associates, Inc. 2 Park Plaza, Suite 200 Boston, Massachusetts 02116 April 2021 Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. 181 Ballardvale Street, Suite 202 Wilmington, MA 01887 p 978-570-2999 TRAFFIC IMPACT AND ACCESS STUDY Proposed Distribution Center – Shrewsbury, Massachusetts TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................4 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................................5 Future Conditions ...................................................................................................................5 Mitigation ...................................................................................................................................6 EXISTING CONDITIONS ..................................................................................................................7 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................7 Prior Traffic Studies .............................................................................................................10 Study Area ..............................................................................................................................10 Geometrics and Traffic Control .........................................................................................11 Traffic Volumes .....................................................................................................................13 Collision History ....................................................................................................................16 Vehicle Speeds ......................................................................................................................19 Sight Distance ........................................................................................................................19 Public Transportation ..........................................................................................................21 FUTURE CONDITIONS ..................................................................................................................22 Traffic Growth ........................................................................................................................22 Planned Roadway Improvements .....................................................................................27 No-Build Traffic Volumes ....................................................................................................27 Trip Generation ......................................................................................................................29 Truck Trip Generation ..........................................................................................................29 Project Environmental Review (MEPA) Thresholds ....................................................30 Trip Distribution ....................................................................................................................31 Traffic Increases ....................................................................................................................32 Build Traffic Volumes ..........................................................................................................32 PARKING ........................................................................................................................................36 Proposed Parking Supply ...................................................................................................36 Projected Parking Demand.................................................................................................36 CAPACITY ANALYSIS ....................................................................................................................37 Capacity Analysis Methodology .......................................................................................37 Queue Analysis Methodology ...........................................................................................39 Capacity and Queue Analysis Results ............................................................................39 MITIGATION ..................................................................................................................................49 Page | 1 20312 TIAS 2021-04-09 TRAFFIC IMPACT AND ACCESS STUDY Proposed Distribution Center – Shrewsbury, Massachusetts Traffic Signal Warrant Analysis ........................................................................................49 Transportation Demand Management .............................................................................50 Traffic Monitoring Program ................................................................................................51 APPENDIX Page | 2 20312 TIAS 2021-04-09 TRAFFIC IMPACT AND ACCESS STUDY Proposed Distribution Center – Shrewsbury, Massachusetts LIST OF TABLES No. Title 1 2021 Existing Traffic-Volume Summary 2 Collision Summary 3 Observed Travel Speeds 4 Sight Distance Summary 5 Proposed Trip-Generation Summary 6 Trip Generation Comparison 7 Trip-Distribution Summary 8 Level-of-Service Criteria for Intersections 9 Intersection Capacity Analysis Summary 10 Traffic Signal Warrant Analysis Summary LIST OF FIGURES No. Title 1 Project Location Map 2 2021 Existing Traffic Volumes 3 Developments by Others Traffic Volumes – Weekday AM Peak Hour 4 Developments by Others Traffic Volumes – Weekday PM Peak Hour 5 2028 No-Build Traffic Volumes 6 Site-Generated Traffic Volumes – Weekday AM Peak Hour 7 Site-Generated Traffic Volumes – Weekday PM Peak Hour 8 2028 Build Traffic Volumes Page | 3 20312 TIAS 2021-04-09 TRAFFIC IMPACT AND ACCESS STUDY Proposed Distribution Center – Shrewsbury, Massachusetts EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. (GPI) has prepared this Traffic Impact and Access Study (TIAS) to analyze the traffic impacts associated with the construction of a proposed distribution center, referred to as Centech Park, to be located in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and to identify traffic mitigation measures necessary to minimize those impacts. The site is located on the northwest corner of South Street and Hartford Turnpike (U.S. Route 20) and is bounded by Hartford Turnpike (U.S. Route 20) to the south, South Street to the east, the Charles River Laboratories to the north, and a solar farm and residential properties to the west. The project consists of constructing two warehouse / office buildings with a total of ±280,000 square feet (SF) of warehouse distribution space and ±12,500 SF of office space, as well as a ±16,800 SF campus building. The site will provide approximately 67 truck loading bays, 52 trailer parking spaces, and 271 passenger vehicle parking spaces. Access and egress to the site will be provided via a full-access/egress driveway on U.S. Route 20 (Hartford Turnpike) and a full- access/egress driveway on South Street. Truck traffic will be restricted at the South Street driveway and all trucks will be directed to utilize the driveway on Hartford Turnpike (U.S. Route 20). U.S. Route 20 (Hartford Turnpike) along the site frontage is a state highway and, therefore, a permit to access state highway will be required from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) for construction of the driveway on U.S. Route 20. This site was previously reviewed by the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office for a ±450,000 SF office and industrial park development known as Centech Park North. Sub-District A was proposed to contain ±110,000 SF of office space and ±165,000 SF of industrial park space, with access via a single full-access/egress driveway to South Street. Sub-District B was proposed to contain ±70,000 SF of office space and ±105,000 SF of industrial park space, with access via a full- access/egress driveway on Hartford Turnpike (U.S. Route 20). A Certificate of the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) on the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Centech Park North development was issued on February 14, 2020 (EEA #15950). Based on the findings of the FEIR, the previously proposed development was estimated to generate 2,664 new daily vehicle trips. As the currently proposed warehouse / office development is anticipated to generate a total of only 774 daily vehicle trips, which represents a substantial reduction in trip generation, preparation of a Notice of Project Change (NPC) for review by the MEPA office will not be required for this Project. Page | 4 20312 TIAS 2021-04-09 TRAFFIC IMPACT AND ACCESS STUDY Proposed Distribution Center – Shrewsbury, Massachusetts Existing Conditions The study area for this TIAS was developed consistent with MDM’s TIAS and FEIR prepared as part of the permitting for the previously proposed Centech Park North development. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MassDOT has issued guidance recommending the use of traffic volumes collected prior to February 2020 whenever possible. Accordingly, base traffic conditions within the study area were developed by utilizing manual turning movement counts (TMCs) and automatic traffic recorder (ATR) counts performed as part of previously submitted traffic studies to the greatest extent possible. The