CITY OF MERIDEN PLAN OF CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT Transportation and Circulation October 2007 Prepared For: City of Meriden Planning Commission Prepared By: Harrall-Michalowski Associates, Inc. Hamden, Connecticut TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction....................................................................................................................... 1 II. Existing Conditions........................................................................................................ 1 Functional Classification of Roadways in the City of Meriden................................... 1 State Roadways - Average Daily Traffic Volumes ........................................................ 3 East Main St./West Main St. - Average Daily Traffic Volumes ................................. 8 Overview of Changes in Traffic Patterns Between 1990-2004................................... 9 Meriden-Markham Airport............................................................................................... 14 The Hub Site: Its Potential Future Development and Role in the Transportation System ...................................................................................................... 14 Traffic Accident Analysis.................................................................................................. 15 Land Development Trends and Associated Traffic and Transportation Impacts..................................................................................................... 16 Trail Systems in Meriden................................................................................................... 17 South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) - Transportation Initiatives.................................................................................................. 17 Journey to Work Patterns ................................................................................................. 19 III. Goals and Objectives - 1985 Land Use Plan.......................................................... 21 IV. Recommendations for Meriden's Transportation System................................. 22 Maps Follows Page Road Basemap.................................................................................................................... 1 State Functional Road Classification............................................................................... 1 Average Daily Traffic Volumes (2004) ........................................................................... 13 CT Transit Bus route Map................................................................................................ 18 I. INTRODUCTION Connecticut Department of Transportation, as of December 31, 2004, Meriden was served To ensure that the City of Meriden can by 213.99 miles of public roads, 88% of which continue to grow and prosper, it is essential to were City roads (187.40 miles) and the balance provide a safe, efficient and economically (26.59 miles) were State roads. The following viable transportation system. This system, Road Base Map illustrates the locations of City- comprised of a surface transportation network maintained and State-maintained roads of highways, streets, an airport, walkways, throughout Meriden. greenways, bikeways and mass transit must provide for both inter-town and intra-town Functional Classification of Roadways in travel movements. the City of Meriden Transportation officials classify roadways The objective of this transportation planning based on traffic volumes, accessibility and effort are to help City officials and the public function. The State DOT has identified six focus on the transportation needs of the different levels of roadway classifications in community and propose improvements where the City of Meriden: Principal Arterial - needed. To this end, existing conditions have Interstate, Principal Arterial - Expressway, been evaluated, critical roadway needs Principal Arterial - Other, Minor Arterial, identified and opportunities for future Collector and Local Road. In some cases, the improvements to the transportation system actual classification of a road may change proposed. along its length or may operate differently than its assigned functional classification. The Of particular note is the State of attached State Functional Road Classification Map Connecticut’s initiative to re-establish illustrates the distinctions in roadway types as passenger train commuter service through described below. Meriden on the New Haven to Springfield route. The highest functional roadway classification in Meriden is Principal Arterial - Interstate. This classification of roadway provides II. EXISTING CONDITIONS limited-access, multi-lane, high volume, high capacity facilities intended to provide for and The mid-point location between the cities of accommodate high speed travel, over long New Haven and Hartford, the presence of distances with relatively few points of access Interstate 91, Interstate 691 and Connecticut to the local street system. Within Meriden, Routes 5 and 15, the path of the Quinnipiac Interstate 91 and Interstate 691 receive this River, the rail road right-of-way and the classification. establishment and growth of the historic city center have all shaped Meriden’s current Meriden’s second highest functional roadway roadway system in many ways. Meriden’s link classification is Principal Arterial - to the interstate highway system is among the Expressway. This classification of roadway is best available in Connecticut. similar in many ways to Interstate Arterials, without the interstate designation. Within The roadway system within Meriden is Meriden, the Wilbur Cross Parkway (Route comprised of a series of interconnected 15) and Route 66 receive this classification. corridors with varying levels of roadway functional classification. According to the 2007 Plan of Conservation and Development Transportation and Circulation City of Meriden Page 1 Silver Lake Beaver Pond Bradley Hubbard Reservoir Merimere Reservoir 71 15 Mirror 691 Lake Baldwins C Pond r ok o Bro w or H arb o H l lo w B r o k o o k o r B p CL IFF S T o h S n k o oo o r p B S om d So 5 k o o r B 66 r o b r a H Black k Pond o Hanover o r B Pond e 70 s New Dam u o h g n i t e r e e M k v i o R o r c B a i p w i o n l Broad Brook l n i i u Reservoir W Q Kifmire Pond 91 Bishops Pond High Hill Pond 0 0.5 1 Miles Legend Source: Street Centerlines: City of Meriden M.I.S Department State Roads from AT&T Planimetric Data (2005). City of Meriden State Roads: Connecticut Department of Local Roads Transportation Bureau of Policy and Planning (2004). Basemap Data: Connecticut Department of Environmental Plan of Conservation & Protection Map and Geographic Information Center. Development Update ironmental and Geographic Information Center 1962- 1995. THIS MAP WAS DEVELOPED FOR USE AS A PLANNING Road Basemap DOCUMENT. DELINEATIONS MAY NOT BE EXACT. H A R R A L L - M I C H A L O W S K I A S S O C I A T E S, INCORPORATED HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT April 2007 Silver Lake d R y n lo Beaver o Pond C H . icks Ave N y w Bradley H Hubbard n i Reservoir a l r e b Merimere m Reservoir a h C Kensin gton Av W. M e ain 71 15 S d t R rittania e ld Mirror 691 B St Westfi Lake Baldwins e C v k Pond r oo o A Br w r B Jo s bo a hn H i ar l so o H dw n l in Ave Av lo w e w e B L r o k o o e k o t r S v tt B M a ai r A n p C t LIF F S S T P t o S n h l S o e t e n s kv v o o e o a r o r r A p B S P y m L G o e ibe d l e rt o 5 y St S d v a r A k t o t B k o S e S o r v B e o d 66 r A a e d C o o r e b r B R r e v a B R n k i H ver A r R o a d g r P e e r v e v o n St. O n A E. Mai e a er v Black A e e H v y k Pond Y o o v v o n o r Hanover a M A A a r a H l e a Be i Pond l n n H l A i k e S v m e c t. w d s A a New Dam 70 o u s o e v w R o m P d N h e S y g E d n n i a v t o e P a l r e n e o M v k s i C o v R o r i c d l B a l l i e p w i O o A n l Broad Brook l n i i v u W Reservoir e Q Kifmire Pond e 9e 1 v v A A k e c p o Bishops r d y r Pond o u w h k T M P h c r a e s High Hill e Pond R 0 0.5 1 Miles Legend Source: Street Centerlines: City of Meriden M.I.S Department Principal Arterial-Interstate from AT&T Planimetric Data (2005). City of Meriden State Functional Classifications: Connecticut Department of Principal Arterial-Other Transportation Bureau of Policy and Planning (2004). Plan of Conservation & Basemap Data: Connecticut Department of Environmental Principal Arterial-Other-Expwy Protection Map and Geographic Information Center. Development Update ironmental and Geographic Information Center 1962- 1995. Minor Arterial THIS MAP WAS DEVELOPED FOR USE AS A PLANNING State Functional Collector DOCUMENT. DELINEATIONS MAY NOT BE EXACT. H A R R A L L - M I C H A L O W S K I Road Classification A S S O C I A T E S, INCORPORATED HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT April 2007 The next order of roadway classification is Hanover Street Principal Arterial - Other. This roadway type Kensington Avenue connects major development and activity Lewis Avenue centers within Meriden to each other as well Liberty Street as to activity centers in other towns and to Main Street (South Meriden) (Route 70) accessible expressways. The design of this Miller Avenue type of road typically accommodates higher Murdock Avenue speeds and greater traffic carrying capacity, New Hanover Avenue with enhanced horizontal and vertical North Broad Street (Route 5) geometry. To maintain the road’s thru-traffic North Colony Street carrying capacity and higher design speeds, Old Colony Road (Route 71) this road type would ideally provide a more Paddock Avenue (From Miller Avenue to restrictive level of access control to adjacent East Main Street) land uses than do other roads in the City. The Pomeroy Avenue (From East Main Street to Principal Arterial - Other roadways within Research Parkway) Meriden are East Main Street; West Main Pratt Street Street from Cook Avenue to the Chamberlain Preston Avenue (From East Main Street to I- Highway; Chamberlain Highway; and the 91) Berlin Turnpike.