Road Safety Assessment (SA) Report FINAL BEEKMAN ROAD (CR 9) SAFETY ASSESSMENT BEEKMAN-POUGHQUAG ROAD (CR 7) TO NYS ROUTE 55 TOWN OF BEEKMAN, NEW YORK POUGHKEEPSIE-DUTCHESS COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL 27 HIGH STREET, 2ND FLOOR POUGHKEEPSIE, NY 12601 FINAL REPORT DATE: MARCH 2013 ASSESSMENT DATE: OCTOBER 24 - 26, 2012 10B Madison Avenue Extension // Albany, NY 12203-7314 Road Safety Assessment (SA) Report (FINAL) Beekman Road (CR 9) - Beekman-Poughquag Road (CR 7) to NYS Route 55 Poughkeepsie-Dutchess County Transportation Council March 2013 Table of Contents 1.0 BACKGROUND 4 1.1 SA Team 7 1.2 SA Process 8 1.3 SA Report 8 1.4 Study Area Characteristics, Operations, and Safety Performance 9 2.0 ASSESSMENT FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS 17 2.1 Beekman Road (CR 9) 17 2.1.1 Operating Speeds 17 2.1.2 Unforgiving Roadside Features 18 2.1.3 Shoulder Drop-Off 19 2.1.4 Non-Traversable Roadside Drainage Element 19 2.1.5 Guide Rail Condition 20 2.1.6 Hazardous Trees and Vegetation 21 2.1.7 Sign Consistency, Clutter, Legibility, and Spacing 21 2.1.8 Street Name Signing 22 2.1.9 Barton Orchard Sign 23 2.1.10 Breakaway Post Bases 23 2.1.11 Abandoned Sign Posts 24 2.1.12 Stop Lines 24 2.1.13 Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation 25 2.2 Intersection of Beekman Road (CR 9) with Beekman-Poughquag Road (CR 7) 26 2.2.1 Intersection Sight Distance - North 26 2.2.2 Intersection Sight Distance - South 26 Page 2 of 64 Road Safety Assessment (SA) Report (FINAL) Beekman Road (CR 9) - Beekman-Poughquag Road (CR 7) to NYS Route 55 Poughkeepsie-Dutchess County Transportation Council March 2013 2.2.3 Stopping Sight Distance - Southbound 29 2.2.4 STOP Sign Visibility 30 2.2.5 Guide Sign Placement 31 2.2.6 Excessively Wide Approach Pavement 32 2.3 Intersection of Beekman Road (CR 9) with Baker Road 33 2.3.1 Intersection Sight Distance - North 33 2.3.2 Intersection Sight Distance - South 35 2.3.3 Advance Warning Signs - Northbound 36 2.3.4 Advance Warning Signs - Southbound 37 2.3.5 Stop Line 38 2.3.6 Reflective Strips on STOP Sign Posts 38 2.4 Intersection of Beekman Road (CR 9) with Walker Road 39 2.4.1 Intersection Sight Distance - North 39 2.4.2 Advance Warning Sign 39 2.4.3 Gravel Within Intersection 41 2.5 Intersection of Beekman Road (CR 9) with Limbach Road 42 2.5.1 Warning Sign Location 42 2.6 Intersection of Beekman Road (CR 9) with Recreation Road 43 2.6.1 Rear End Crashes 43 2.6.2 Guide Sign Location 46 2.7 Beekman Road (CR 9) - Reverse Curves between Walker and Limbach Roads 47 2.7.1 Horizontal Geometry and Operating Speeds 47 3.0 CONCLUSIONS & SUMMARY OF SUGGESTED ACTIONS 56 Page 3 of 64 Road Safety Assessment (SA) Report (FINAL) Beekman Road (CR 9) - Beekman-Poughquag Road (CR 7) to NYS Route 55 Poughkeepsie-Dutchess County Transportation Council March 2013 1.0 Background The Poughkeepsie-Dutchess County Transportation Council (PDCTC) commissioned this Safety Assessment (SA) of Beekman Road (CR 9) from Beekman-Poughquag Road (CR 7) to NYS Route 55 in support of their goal to improve transportation safety and mobility throughout Dutchess County. The site was chosen given the magnitude of crashes, its similarity with other County roads, and because it is recognized as a high profile location. This Safety Assessment provides the County with a list of opportunities for low-cost, short- range safety improvements and some more expensive, long-range transformations. Beekman Road (County Road (CR) 9) begins at NYS Route 82 in the Town of East Fishkill and extends east-northeast to the intersection of NYS Route 55 and Clove Valley Road (CR 9) in the Town of Beekman (Exhibit 1). Within the study limits, Beekman Road is a two-way, two-lane, asphalt surfaced, urban collector with narrow asphalt shoulders and a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour. Generally, lane widths are 10 to 11 feet with shoulders up to 2 feet in width. It is owned and maintained by the Dutchess County Department of Public Works (DPW). Beekman Road intersects several other roadways from Beekman-Poughquag Road to NYS Route 55. These include Baker Road, Walker Road, Limbach Road, Coon Den Road, and Recreation Road (Exhibit 2). x Beekman-Poughquag Road (CR 7) extends east-west through the Town of Beekman, beginning at Beekman Road (CR 9) and ending at the intersection of Church Street and Main Street (CR 7). Beekman- Poughquag Road is a two-way, two-lane, asphalt surfaced, urban collector with asphalt shoulders and a posted speed limit of 40 miles per hour. It is owned and maintained by the Dutchess County DPW. x Baker Road begins at Beekman Road and extends north-northwest to its intersection with Clapp Hill Road. Baker Road is a two-way, two-lane, asphalt surfaced, urban local road with a speed limit of 40 miles per hour. It is owned and maintained by the Town of Beekman. Page 4 of 64 Road Safety Assessment (SA) Report (FINAL) Beekman Road (CR 9) - Beekman-Poughquag Road (CR 7) to NYS Route 55 Poughkeepsie-Dutchess County Transportation Council March 2013 NORTH Project Location Exhibit 1 - Project Location Map x Walker Road begins at Beekman Road and continues north to its intersection with NYS Route 55. It is a narrow two-way, two-lane, asphalt surfaced, urban local roadway and has a speed limit of 30 miles per hour. It is owned and maintained by the Town of Beekman. x Limbach Road and Coon Den Road both begin at Beekman Road, extending east and west, respectively, to a dead end. Both roadways are narrow two-way, two-lane, asphalt surfaced, urban local roadways, and do not have posted speed limits. Both are owned and maintained by the Town of Beekman. x Recreation Road starts at Beekman-Poughquag Road and continues north to its intersection with Beekman Road. Recreation Road is a two- way, two-lane, asphalt surfaced, urban local roadway and has a speed limit of 30 miles per hour. It is owned and maintained by the Town of Beekman. x NYS Route 55 is one of the main east-west thoroughfares in and out of the City of Poughkeepsie. Adjacent to Beekman Road, NYS Route 55 is a two-way, two-lane, asphalt surfaced, urban principal arterial with asphalt Page 5 of 64 Road Safety Assessment (SA) Report (FINAL) Beekman Road (CR 9) - Beekman-Poughquag Road (CR 7) to NYS Route 55 Poughkeepsie-Dutchess County Transportation Council March 2013 shoulders and a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour. It is owned and maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). All roadways within the project limits intersect at approximately 90-degrees. All roadways approaching Beekman Road are STOP sign controlled. Several approaching roadways, including Beekman-Poughquag Road and Baker Road, have stop lines. The overall geometry of Beekman Road is classified as rolling with vertical and horizontal curvature that occasionally restricts sight distance. Adjacent land uses within the area are primarily residential with other uses including minor commercial, recreational, and seasonal orchards mixed in. Appendix A contains an aerial view of the corridor. NORTH Exhibit 2 - Project Area Map Page 6 of 64 Road Safety Assessment (SA) Report (FINAL) Beekman Road (CR 9) - Beekman-Poughquag Road (CR 7) to NYS Route 55 Poughkeepsie-Dutchess County Transportation Council March 2013 1.1 SA Team This was the first formal application of the SA process within Dutchess County. Therefore, an introductory training session was provided to all team members on October 24, 2012. Additional staff from Dutchess County and the Town of Beekman also participated in this one-day training session. The following agencies were represented on the SA Team: Poughkeepsie-Dutchess County Transportation Council (PDCTC); Dutchess County Department of Public Works (DPW); Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office; Town of Beekman Highway Department; and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). The SA was led by members of the consultant team. The SA Team included the following individuals: x Mark Debald - Transportation Program Administrator, PDCTC; x Emily Dozier - Senior Planner, PDCTC; x Mohd Azher-Uddin - Dutchess County DPW; x William Trifilo - Dutchess County DPW; x Mike Rahilly - Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office; x Tony Coviello - Superintendent, Town of Beekman Highway Department; x Rich Dillmann - Regional Traffic and Safety, NYSDOT; x Mike Croce – Assessment Team Leader, Bergmann Associates; and x Tom Detrie – Project Engineer, Bergmann Associates. Although not part of the SA Team, the following individuals also participated in the SA process: x Barbara Zulauf - Town Board Member, Town of Beekman (training session); x Michael Gadjos - Dutchess County DPW (field visits); and x Kurt Twaddell - Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office (training session and field visit) Page 7 of 64 Road Safety Assessment (SA) Report (FINAL) Beekman Road (CR 9) - Beekman-Poughquag Road (CR 7) to NYS Route 55 Poughkeepsie-Dutchess County Transportation Council March 2013 1.2 SA Process The SA was conducted in a manner consistent with the Safety Assessment Guidelines (October 2008), published by the New York State Association of Metropolitan Planning Associations (NYSAMPOs). The assessment took place on October 24 (office review), October 25 (daytime and nighttime field visits), and October 26 (in-house discussion), 2012. Information utilized by the SA Team during the course of the assessment included the following: x Aerial photographs; x Traffic data; x Collision information; x Adjacent land uses; and x Existing safety concerns.