Draft Environmental Impact Statement Section II.C C.1.g. Speeds and Delay This section discusses travel speed and delay data within the project’s Traffic Study Areas, including existing conditions and forecasts for the No Build Alternative in 2015 and 2045. Travel speed and delay estimates for the Build Alternatives are presented in Section III.C.2.b. TRAFFIC STUDY AREAS For the Kosciuszko Bridge Project, Primary and Secondary Traffic Study Areas, shown in Figure II-10, “Kosciuszko Bridge Project Traffic Study Areas,” were defined to delineate the portion of the surrounding highway and street network that may be affected by the project. The Primary Traffic Study Area includes the highways and streets roughly bounded by the LIE, Grand Street/Grand Avenue, and the East River. The larger Secondary Traffic Study Area extends outward from the Primary Traffic Study Area to Queens Boulevard and Flushing Avenue. The traffic data collection and analysis described throughout this DEIS focus on the Primary Traffic Study Area and key intersections in the Secondary Traffic Study Area. METHODOLOGY As part of the project’s extensive traffic data collection effort, described in detail in Appendix B, travel time and delay surveys were conducted on 15 major routes in the study area using the “floating-car method,” in which the test vehicle is driven to “float” with traffic at prevailing speeds along the travel route. The travel time/speed data provides a general measure of prevailing traffic flow along the travel route. The delay data identifies the locations, the types, and the extent of traffic congestion on the travel routes in the study area. Three runs were completed in each direction during the weekday a.m. (6:00-10:00 a.m.), midday (10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.), p.m. (3:00-7:00 p.m.), and Saturday midday (10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.) periods. Elapsed time and any en route delays (e.g. accident, signal, vehicle breakdown, etc.) were recorded for each segment along each route. The travel time and delay survey routes are described below and shown in Figure II-11, “Travel Time and Delay Run Routes.” 1. Brooklyn-Queens Expressway - Eastbound (EB) from Tillary Street entrance to exit to Queens Boulevard - Westbound (WB) from exit to Queens Boulevard WB to exit to Tillary Street/Manhattan Bridge 2. Long Island Expressway - EB from Queens Midtown Tunnel (QMT) entrance at toll plaza to exit to Queens Boulevard - WB from Queens Boulevard entrance to exit to Van Dam Street 3. BQE & LIE connections - BQE EB from Vandervoort Avenue entrance to entrance to EB LIE via LIE EB service road - BQE WB from exit to WB BQE via LIE WB service road to exit to Meeker Avenue/Morgan Avenue 4. Queens Midtown Tunnel (QMT) - LIE EB from Manhattan via QMT to Review Avenue via exit to Laurel Hill Boulevard. - LIE WB from Review Avenue via 37th Street/Van Dam Street entrance to Manhattan via QMT 5. Meeker Avenue - EB from Metropolitan Avenue to entrance to BQE after Vandervoort Avenue - WB from BQE exit to Meeker Avenue to Metropolitan Avenue 6. Metropolitan Avenue - EB from Kent Avenue to Vandervoort Avenue - WB from Vandervoort Avenue to Kent Avenue Kosciuszko Bridge Project II-11 March 2007 Draft Environmental Impact Statement Section II.C 7. Grand Street/Grand Avenue - EB from Marcy Avenue to LIE - WB from LIE to Marcy Avenue 8. Flushing Avenue - EB from Classon Avenue/Rutledge Street to Grand Avenue - WB from Grand Avenue to Classon Avenue/Rutledge Street 9. Greenpoint Avenue - EB from Kent Avenue to Queens Boulevard - WB from Queens Boulevard to Kent Avenue 10. Kent Avenue - Northbound (NB) from Flushing Avenue to Dupont Street - Southbound (SB) from Dupont Street to Flushing Avenue 11. McGuinness Boulevard/Pulaski Bridge - NB from BQE/Meeker Avenue EB to Jackson Avenue - SB from Jackson Avenue to BQE/Meeker Avenue EB 12. Humboldt Street & Kingsland Avenue - Kingsland Avenue NB from Maspeth Avenue to Greenpoint Avenue - Humboldt Street SB from Greenpoint Avenue to Flushing Avenue 13. Vandervoort Avenue - NB from Grand Street to Meeker Avenue/BQE WB - SB from Meeker Avenue/BQE EB to Grand Street 14. Rust Street/56th Road/Review Avenue - EB from Greenpoint Avenue to Grand Avenue - WB from Grand Avenue to Greenpoint Avenue 15. Maurice Avenue/Page Place - EB from Grand Avenue to 69th Street - WB from 69th Street to Grand Avenue The travel time and delay survey routes along the BQE and LIE extended significantly beyond the project limits in an attempt to identify congestion originating beyond but affecting the study area. This data was also used to calibrate the project’s forecasting model. EXISTING CONDITIONS The following sections present the findings of the travel speed and delay analysis for existing conditions. Due to the variation in travel times and travel speeds between segments, average travel times and average travel speeds were computed for each segment to facilitate system- level comparisons. Detailed summaries of individual travel time surveys along these travel routes are provided in Appendix B. BROOKLYN-QUEENS EXPRESSWAY The posted speed limit on the BQE within the project limits is 45 mph (72 km/h). However, actual operating speeds in both the eastbound and westbound directions during peak periods are typically lower than the posted limit. The main contributing factor for this condition is the recurring congestion that normally extends from adjacent major interchanges (LIE to the east and Williamsburg Bridge to the west) into the study area. Other predominant factors include the high mainline and ramp traffic volumes, the lane direction/lane distribution (number of lanes provided on the East River bridges into and out of Manhattan) and the existing non-standard features such as narrow travel lanes, steep grades, poor sight distance, short merges and diverges, lack of shoulders, and the deteriorating pavement conditions. Tables II-3 and II-4 Kosciuszko Bridge Project II-12 March 2007 Draft Environmental Impact Statement Section II.C present the a.m., midday, and p.m. peak hour average travel time and average travel speed for the eastbound and westbound segments on the BQE, respectively. TABLE II-3: 2002 EXISTING TRAVEL TIME AND SPEEDS - EASTBOUND BQE Average Travel Time Average Travel Speed Distance sec (min) km/h (mph) Meters Highway Segment (Feet) A.M. Midday P.M. A.M. Midday P.M. Tillary Street to Flushing Avenue 1,313 73.0 97.0 133.0 64.8 48.7 35.6 (4,309) (1.2) (1.6) (2.2) (40.2) (30.3) (22.1) Flushing Avenue to Williamsburg Street 819 33.5 97.0 110.0 88.0 30.4 26.8 (2,688) (0.6) (1.6) (1.8) (54.7) (18.9) (16.7) Williamsburg Street to Metropolitan 1,043 53.5 93.0 106.0 70.2 40.4 35.4 Avenue (3,421) (0.9) (1.6) (1.8) (43.6) (25.1) (22.0) Metropolitan Avenue to Williamsburg 256 9.5 13.0 42.0 97.0 70.9 21.9 Bridge (840) (0.2) (0.2) (0.7) (60.3) (44.1) (13.6) Williamsburg Bridge to McGuinness 990 79.5 82.0 221.0 44.8 43.4 16.1 Boulevard (3,247) (1.3) (1.4) (3.7) (27.8) (27.0) (10.0) McGuinness Boulevard to Vandervoort 942 72.0 220.0 228.0 47.1 15.4 14.9 Avenue (3,089) (1.2) (3.7) (3.8) (29.3) (9.6) (9.2) Vandervoort Avenue to EB/WB LIE 1,326 79.0 219.0 154.0 60.4 21.8 31.0 Service Road (4,351) (1.3) (3.7) (2.6) (37.6) (13.5) (19.3) EB/WB LIE Service Road to EB LIE 338 14.0 19.0 33.0 86.9 64.0 36.9 Service Road (1,109) (0.2) (0.3) (0.6) (54.0) (39.8) (22.9) EB LIE Service Road to Queens 1,920 103.0 113.0 128.0 67.1 61.2 54.0 Boulevard (6,300) (1.7) (1.9) (2.1) (41.7) (38.0) (33.6) Total/Average 8,947 517.0 953.0 1,155.0 62.3 33.8 27.9 (29,354) (8.6) (15.9) (19.3) (38.7) (21.0) (17.3) Kosciuszko Bridge Project II-13 March 2007 Draft Environmental Impact Statement Section II.C TABLE II-4: 2002 EXISTING TRAVEL TIME AND SPEEDS - WESTBOUND BQE Average Travel Time Average Travel Speed Distance sec (min) km/h (mph) Meters Highway Segment (Feet) A.M. Midday P.M. A.M. Midday P.M. Queens Boulevard to WB LIE/QMT 1,312 231.0 57.0 247.0 20.4 82.8 19.1 (4,303) (3.9) (1.0) (4.1) (12.7) (51.5) (11.9) WB LIE/QMT to EB/WB LIE 611 80.5 52.0 125.0 27.3 42.3 17.6 (2,006) (1.3) (0.9) (2.1) (17.0) (26.3) (10.9) EB/WB LIE to Meeker Avenue/Morgan 1,099 137.0 105.0 288.0 28.9 37.7 13.7 Avenue (3,606) (2.3) (1.8) (4.8) (17.9) (23.4) (8.5) Meeker Avenue/Morgan Avenue to 1,284 62.5 66.0 277.0 74.0 70.0 16.7 McGuinness Boulevard (4,213) (1.0) (1.1) (4.6) (46.0) (43.5) (10.4) McGuinness Boulevard to Metropolitan 439 31.5 39.0 216.0 50.2 40.5 7.3 Avenue (1,441) (0.5) (0.7) (3.6) (31.2) (25.2) (4.5) Metropolitan Avenue to Williamsburg 517 37.5 44.0 190.0 49.6 42.3 9.8 Bridge (1,695) (0.6) (0.7) (3.2) (30.8) (26.3) (6.1) Williamsburg Bridge to Marcy Avenue 140 9.0 19.0 56.0 56.0 26.5 9.0 (459) (0.2) (0.3) (0.9) (34.8) (16.5) (5.6) Marcy Avenue to Wythe Avenue/Kent 1,059 65.0 55.0 435.0 58.6 69.3 8.8 Avenue (3,474) (1.1) (0.9) (7.3) (36.4) (43.1) (5.4) Wythe Avenue/Kent Avenue to Flushing 848 41.5 62.0 550.0 73.6 49.3 5.6 Avenue (2,783) (0.7) (1.0) (9.2) (45.7) (30.6) (3.5) Flushing Avenue to Tillary Street 1,482 84.5 110.0 808.0 63.1 48.5 6.6 (4,863) (1.4) (1.8) (13.5) (39.2) (30.1) (4.1) Total/Average 8,791 780.0 609.0 3,192.0 40.6 52.0 9.9 (28,843) (13.0) (10.2) (53.2) (25.2) (32.3) (6.2) A comparison of travel speeds in the eastbound and westbound directions indicates that most segments in the eastbound direction have higher average travel speeds than the segments in the westbound direction.