October 27, 2005 Table of Contents Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... xii 1 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................1 1.1 Traffic Study Purpose and Need .........................................................................................1 1.2 Study Area...........................................................................................................................3 1.3 Organization of this Report..................................................................................................5 1.4 Past Work............................................................................................................................5 1.5 Project References and Standards .....................................................................................8 1.6 Study Duration.....................................................................................................................9 2 CURRENT CONDITIONS.....................................................................................................10 2.1 Homer Street Network.......................................................................................................10 2.1.1 Functional Classification............................................................................................10 2.1.2 General Characterization of Streets..........................................................................10 2.2 General Land Use.............................................................................................................13 2.3 Traffic Volumes .................................................................................................................13 2.3.1 Past Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)................................................................13 2.3.2 Intersection Turning Movement Counts ....................................................................14 2.4 Speeds..............................................................................................................................14 3 TRAFFIC VOLUME FORECASTS........................................................................................16 3.1 QRS II Urban Travel Demand Model Update....................................................................16 3.2 Methodology......................................................................................................................17 3.2.1 AADT Forecast Methods...........................................................................................17 3.2.2 Turning Movement Forecast Methods.......................................................................18 3.3 Future (2011 and 2021) Model Results.............................................................................19 4 SAFETY ANALYSIS..............................................................................................................20 4.1 Methodology......................................................................................................................20 4.2 Substantive Safety ............................................................................................................20 4.2.1 Crash Rate Analysis..................................................................................................21 4.2.2 Individual Intersections Analysis................................................................................23 Homer Intersections Planning Study i Kinney Engineering, USKH, and Brooks & Associates October 27, 2005 4.2.2.1 Pioneer Avenue and Sterling Highway................................................................23 4.2.2.2 Pioneer Avenue and Bartlett Street.....................................................................24 4.2.2.3 Pioneer Avenue and Main Street.........................................................................24 4.2.2.4 Sterling Highway and Main Street .......................................................................25 4.2.2.5 Pioneer Avenue and Heath Street.......................................................................27 4.2.2.6 Sterling Highway and Heath Street .....................................................................28 4.2.2.7 Sterling Highway and Lake Street .......................................................................29 4.2.2.8 Lake Street, Pioneer Avenue and East End Road ..............................................30 4.2.2.9 Sterling Highway and West Hill Road..................................................................32 4.2.2.10 East End Road and East Hill Road......................................................................32 4.2.2.11 Sterling Highway and Kachemak Bay Drive........................................................33 4.2.2.12 East End Road and Fairview Avenue..................................................................35 4.3 Nominal Safety..................................................................................................................35 4.3.1 Intersection Maneuverability (Skew and Corner Radii) .............................................37 4.3.2 Intersection Approach Grades...................................................................................38 4.3.3 Auxiliary Lanes..........................................................................................................38 4.3.4 Intersection Sight Distance........................................................................................40 4.4 Perceived by Expertise......................................................................................................41 4.5 Perceived by Observation.................................................................................................41 4.6 Consolidated Analysis.......................................................................................................42 4.6.1 Trends and Issues.....................................................................................................42 4.6.2 Countermeasures and Recommendations................................................................42 5 EXISTING CONDITIONS INTERSECTION CAPACITY ANALYSIS.....................................43 5.1 Evaluation Methodology....................................................................................................43 5.2 Level of Service.................................................................................................................44 5.3 Intersection Performance Measures .................................................................................44 5.3.1 Sterling Highway and West Hill Road........................................................................44 5.3.2 Sterling Highway and Pioneer Avenue......................................................................45 5.3.3 Sterling Highway and Main Street.............................................................................46 5.3.4 Sterling Highway and Heath Street ...........................................................................46 5.3.5 Sterling Highway and Lake Street.............................................................................47 5.3.6 Sterling Highway and Kachemak Bay Road..............................................................47 5.3.7 Pioneer Avenue and Bartlett Street...........................................................................48 5.3.8 Pioneer Avenue and Main Street ..............................................................................48 5.3.9 Pioneer Avenue and Heath Street.............................................................................49 5.3.10 Pioneer Avenue, Lake Street, and East End Road ...................................................50 5.3.11 East End Road and Fairview Avenue........................................................................51 5.3.12 East End Road and East Hill Road............................................................................52 5.4 Existing Conditions Intersection Capacity Summary.........................................................53 6 EXISTING CONDITIONS PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES ANALYSIS .......................................54 Homer Intersections Planning Study ii Kinney Engineering, USKH, and Brooks & Associates October 27, 2005 6.1 Existing Facilities/Pedestrian Issues .................................................................................54 6.1.1 Pedestrian Crossing Performance Measures............................................................54 6.1.2 Sterling Highway (Homer Bypass) Pedestrian Crossings .........................................56 6.1.3 Pioneer Avenue Pedestrian Crossings......................................................................57 6.2 Crossing Gap Analysis......................................................................................................59 6.2.1 Sterling Highway Existing Conditions, Current and Future........................................59 6.2.2 Pioneer Avenue Existing Conditions, Current and Future.........................................60 6.3 Summary of Existing Conditions Pedestrian Performance Measures...............................62 7 INTERSECTION CONTROL WARRANTS ...........................................................................63 7.1 Intersection Control Warrants............................................................................................63