TRANSPORTATION IMPACT ASSESSMENT PROPOSED CHICK-FIL-A RESTAURANT FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS Prepared for: Atlanta, Georgia December 2014 Prepared by: VANASSE & ASSOCIATES, INC. 35 New England Business Center Drive Suite 140 Andover, MA 01810 (978) 474-8800 www.rdva.com Copyright © 2014 by VAI All Rights Reserved CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................. 1 Existing Conditions ............................................................................................................. 1 Future Conditions ................................................................................................................ 3 Traffic Operations Analysis ................................................................................................ 6 Parking Demand Analysis ................................................................................................... 6 Drive-Through Window Vehicle Queue Analysis .............................................................. 7 Sight Distance Evaluation ................................................................................................... 8 Recommendations ............................................................................................................... 8 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 10 Project Description ............................................................................................................ 10 Study Methodology ........................................................................................................... 11 EXISTING CONDITIONS ............................................................................................................ 12 Existing Traffic Volumes .................................................................................................. 16 Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities ....................................................................................... 17 Public Transportation ........................................................................................................ 17 Spot Speed Measurements ................................................................................................. 18 Motor Vehicle Crash Data ................................................................................................. 18 FUTURE CONDITIONS ............................................................................................................... 20 Future Traffic Growth ....................................................................................................... 20 Project-Generated Traffic .................................................................................................. 22 Future Traffic Volumes - Build Condition ........................................................................ 24 G:\6394 Framingham, MA\Report\Chick-Fil-A TIA 1214.docx CONTENTS (Continued) TRAFFIC OPERATIONS ANALYSIS ......................................................................................... 25 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 25 Analysis Results ................................................................................................................ 28 PARKING DEMAND ANALYSIS ............................................................................................... 34 DRIVE-THROUGH WINDOW VEHICLE QUEUE ANALYSIS ............................................... 37 SIGHT DISTANCE EVALUATION ............................................................................................. 38 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................... 40 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 40 Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 41 G:\6394 Framingham, MA\Report\Chick-Fil-A TIA 1214.docx FIGURES No. Title 1 Site Location Map 2 2014 Existing Weekday Evening Peak-Hour Traffic Volumes 3 2014 Existing Saturday Midday Peak-Hour Traffic Volumes 4 2021 No-Build Weekday Evening Peak-Hour Traffic Volumes 5 2021 No-Build Saturday Midday Peak-Hour Traffic Volumes 6 Trip Distribution Map 7 Project-Generated Weekday Evening Peak-Hour Traffic Volumes 8 Project-Generated Saturday Midday Peak-Hour Traffic Volumes 9 2021 Build Weekday Evening Peak-Hour Traffic Volumes 10 2021 Build Saturday Midday Peak-Hour Traffic Volumes G:\6394 Framingham, MA\Report\Chick-Fil-A TIA 1214.docx TABLES No. Title 1 2014 Existing Traffic Volumes 2 Vehicle Travel Speed Measurements 3 Motor Vehicle Crash Data Summary 4 Trip-Generation Summary 5 Trip-Distribution Summary 6 Peak-Hour Traffic Volume Increases 7 Level-of-Service Criteria for Unsignalized Intersections 8 Level-of-Service Criteria for Signalized Intersections 9 Signalized Intersection Level-of-Service and Vehicle Queue Summary 10 Unsignalized Intersection Level-of-Service and Vehicle Queue Summary 11 Kohl’s Plaza parking Demand Observations - December 2012 12 Sight Distance Measurements G:\6394 Framingham, MA\Report\Chick-Fil-A TIA 1214.docx EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Vanasse & Associates, Inc. (VAI) has conducted a Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) in order to determine the potential impacts on the transportation infrastructure associated with the proposed construction of a Chick-fil-A restaurant with a drive-through window facility to be located off Ring Road (a.k.a. Shoppers World West Drive) and situated within the northern portion of the parking area serving the Kohl’s Plaza in Framingham, Massachusetts (hereafter referred to as the “Project”). Access to the Project site will be provided by way of the three (3) full-access driveways that serve the Kohl’s Plaza and intersect the west side of Ring Road. This study was prepared in consultation with the Towns of Framingham and Natick, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT); was performed in accordance with MassDOT’s Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) Guidelines; and was conducted pursuant to the standards of the Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning professions for the preparation of such reports. Based on a review of the findings of this assessment, it has been concluded that the additional traffic demands that may be associated with the Project can be accommodated within the confines of the existing transportation infrastructure with implementation of the specific recommendations detailed herein. EXISTING CONDITIONS A comprehensive field inventory of existing conditions within the study area was conducted in December 2012 and updated in September 2014. The field investigation consisted of an inventory of existing parking supply and demand; roadway geometrics; pedestrian and bicycle facilities; public transportation services; traffic volumes; and operating characteristics; as well as posted speed limits and land use information within the study area. The study area for the Project was selected to contain the major roadways providing access to the Project site: Cochituate Road (Route 30), Worcester Road (Route 9) and Ring Road; as well as the following major intersections located along these roadways through which Project-related traffic will travel: Route 30 at Ring Road and Shoppers’ World Way; Route 9 at Ring Road/retail plaza driveway; Ring Road at Ring Road Connector; Ring Road at the Kohl’s Plaza north driveway/retail plaza driveway; Ring Road at the Kohl’s Plaza driveway; and Ring Road at the Kohl’s Plaza south driveway/retail plaza driveway. G:\6394 Framingham, MA\Report\Chick-Fil-A TIA 1214.docx 1 Existing Traffic Volumes In order to determine existing traffic-volume demands and flow patterns within the study area, automatic traffic recorder (ATR) counts, manual turning movement counts (TMCs) and vehicle classification counts were completed in September 2014 while public schools were in regular session. The ATR counts were conducted on Ring Road in the vicinity of the Project site in order to record weekday and Saturday daily traffic conditions over an extended period, with weekday evening (4:00 to 6:00 PM) and Saturday midday (11:00 AM to 2:00 PM) peak period manual TMCs performed at the study intersections. These time periods were selected for analysis purposes as they are representative of the peak traffic volume hours for both the Project and the adjacent roadway network. The September traffic volumes were found to be representative of an above average-month condition and were not adjusted downward in order to provide a conservative (above-average) analysis condition. The following summarizes existing traffic volumes along Ring Road: Ring Road: Average Weekday Traffic: 7,230 vehicles1 Saturday: 8,410 vehicles Weekday Evening Peak-Hour: (4:00 – 5:00 PM): 489 vph2 Saturday Midday Peak-Hour: (12:45 – 1:45 PM): 760 vph Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities A comprehensive field inventory of pedestrian and bicycle facilities within the study area was undertaken in September 2014. The field inventory consisted of a review of the location of sidewalks and pedestrian crossing locations along the study roadways and at the study intersections, as well as the location of existing and planned future bicycle facilities. Sidewalks are provided