Galloo Island Wind Farm Project
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TRANSPORTATION EFFECT AND ROUTE EVALUATION STUDY FOR Galloo Island Wind Farm Project Town of Hounsfield, Jefferson County, New York Developer: Published: August 2017 Prepared By: TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. I. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 II. Transportation Access Points ..................................................................................................... 1 III. Conceptual Site Plan ................................................................................................................... 1 IV. Pre-Construction Roadway Characteristics ............................................................................. 2 A. Traffic Volumes and Accident Data ...................................................................................... 2 B. School Bus Route Information .............................................................................................. 3 C. Emergency Service Responder Information .......................................................................... 3 D. Traffic Routes Load Bearing and Structural Rating Information .......................................... 4 V. Trip Generation Characteristics ................................................................................................ 4 A. Vehicle Trips Frequency ....................................................................................................... 4 B. Approach and Departure Routes for Materials ...................................................................... 5 C. Earthwork Transport .............................................................................................................. 5 D. Personnel Transport Route .................................................................................................... 5 VI. Traffic and Transportation Impacts of the Facility ................................................................. 5 A. Projected Future Traffic Conditions ...................................................................................... 5 B. Adequacy of the Road System to Accommodate Projected Traffic ...................................... 5 C. Oversize and Overweight Delivery Assessment .................................................................... 6 D. Traffic and Transportation Mitigation Measures................................................................... 6 E. Road Use and Restoration Agreements ................................................................................. 6 VII. Impact of the Facility on Mass Transit Systems ....................................................................... 6 VIII. Federal Aviation Administration Review .................................................................................. 6 IX. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 6 Appendix A Exhibit 1: Project Location Map Exhibit 2: Mainland Transport Route Exhibit 3: Water Transport Routes Exhibit 4: School Districts Exhibit 5: Population Density Exhibit 6: Emergency Services Appendix B – Public Road Listings, Traffic, and Accident Information and Analysis References 1) Turbine Layout and GIS Data prepared by Fisher Associates. Galloo Island Wind Farm Page 1 of 6 Transportation Effect and Route Evaluation Study August 2017 I. Introduction Fisher Associates, P.E., L.S., P.C. (FA) has been contracted by Apex Clean Energy (Apex) to complete a Transportation Effect and Route Evaluation Study for the proposed Galloo Island Wind Farm project. The project is located in the Town of Hounsfield, Jefferson County, New York as shown on the location map included in Appendix A, Exhibit 1. The Galloo Island Wind Farm project is a proposed 108.9 megawatt (MW) wind powered electric generating project. The project includes the installation and operation of 30 wind turbines, together with approximately 12.9 miles of associated below grade collection lines, approximately 11.2 miles of access roads, one operation and maintenance (O&M) building, one collector substation, one concrete batch plant area, one rock borrow area, and one temporary construction staging/laydown area. This study has been prepared to satisfy the relevant portions of 1001.25 Exhibit 25: Effect on Transportation in the Article 10 regulations. II. Transportation Access Points The island setting of the project creates unique transportation circumstances. All personnel, equipment, materials, supplies, and turbine components must be delivered to the site by water from various ports of embarkation as shown in Appendix A, Exhibit 3. The following is a description of those embarkation locations: Port of Oswego, City of Oswego – All bulk materials and components will be brought in by rail or ship on the St. Lawrence River, stockpiled/offloaded at the Port of Oswego and then loaded on smaller barges to be brought to the island; Madison Barracks Landing – Smaller equipment, fuel trucks, and miscellaneous items that could be handled without an overweight permit will be delivered to Madison Barracks Landing and then loaded onto landing craft or small barges and brought to the island. In addition, construction personnel for the project will embark from this location to the project site. The project is assuming that most of this traffic will use County Route 75, Hounsfield Street, Creekside Lane, and Pike Road to access Madison Barracks Landing from New York State Route 3. This route is depicted in Appendix A, Exhibit 2. III. Conceptual Site Plan The plan set titled “Galloo Island Wind Farm- Preliminary Site Plans” prepared by Fisher Associates dated April 2017 depicts the facility access road locations and widths. Within the plan set, drawing TP-1- Transportation Plan shows the transportation route on the mainland and island. Because all of the bulk materials and components will be brought in by ship, there will be no oversize or overweight vehicles brought to Madison Barracks Landing. As a result, there will not be any public road intersection improvements needed for the project. Galloo Island Wind Farm Page 2 of 6 Transportation Effect and Route Evaluation Study August 2017 IV. Pre-Construction Roadway Characteristics A. Traffic Volumes and Accident Data Existing data on vehicle traffic volumes within the study area was obtained from the NYSDOT Traffic Data Viewer Website online and also from County and Local Road listings from the NYSDOT Highway Data Services Website, which is included in Appendix B. The Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) was listed for county and state roads, but the local town roads do not have traffic volume data. It is assumed that during construction, excavation equipment, bulldozers, rollers, dump trucks, water trucks, batch plant trucks, fuel trucks, temporary parking area equipment, and miscellaneous supply trucks will utilize the route between NYS Route 3 and Madison Barracks Landing in Appendix A, Exhibit 2. Based on the AADT and the site visit by Fisher Associates on February 7, 2017, the amount of traffic on these roads is minimal and has not exceeded their capacity. A FOIL safety request was submitted to the NYSDOT Region 7 in Watertown for information on accident data in the Town of Hounsfield. The existing accident data from January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2016 was analyzed specifically along the route to Madison Barracks Landing. Based on the existing accident data provided, NYS Route 3 falls above the statewide average accident rate (3.80 accidents/million vehicle miles vs. 2.81 accidents/million vehicle miles). Of the 12 accidents on NYS Route 3 in the 5-year period, 9 of them were caused by deer or wet surfaces. The remaining accidents were due to inattention, alcohol, and failing to yield right of way. Based on the existing accident data provided, CR 75 falls above the statewide average accident rate (5.64 accidents/million vehicle miles vs. 2.81 accidents/million vehicle miles). Of the 18 accidents on NYS Route 3 in the 5-year period, 9 of them were caused by deer or wet surfaces. The remaining accidents by driver inattention and failing to yield right of way. Based on the existing accident data provided, Hounsfield Street/Pike Road falls below the statewide average accident rate (3.06 accidents/million vehicle miles vs. 2.81 accidents/million vehicle miles). Of the 3 accidents on Hounsfield Street/Pike Road in the 5-year period, all 3 of them were caused by deer or wet surfaces. Based on the accidents that occurred, there appears to be little concern for potential accidents due to substandard existing road or intersection conditions along the route between NYS Route 3 and the Madison Barracks Landing. Galloo Island Wind Farm Page 3 of 6 Transportation Effect and Route Evaluation Study August 2017 B. School Bus Route Information A map of the school districts in the project vicinity is included in Appendix A, Exhibit 4. The mainland traffic for this project is located along a single corridor and will occur mostly during the summer months, limiting any impacts to school bus routes. C. Emergency Service Responder Information A map of the emergency service locations near the project area is included in Appendix A, Exhibit 6. The Town of Hounsfield is served by the Jefferson County Office of Fire & Emergency Management, the lead coordinating agency for regional preparedness and computer-aided dispatch services. Specifically, law enforcement services are