ROAD SAFETY AUDIT
Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street
Town of Lenox
December 20, 2013
Prepared For:
MassDOT Highway Division
Prepared By:
BETA Group, Inc.
Road Safety Audit—Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street—Lenox, MA
Prepared by BETA Group, Inc.
Table of Contents
Project Data ................................................................................................................................. 1
Background ................................................................................................................................. 2
Project Description ..................................................................................................................... 2
Audit Observations ..................................................................................................................... 5
Potential Safety Enhancements ................................................................................................. 7
Summary of Road Safety Audit ................................................................................................. 8
List of Appendices
Appendix A.
Appendix B.
Appendix C.
RSA Meeting Agenda
RSA Audit Team Contact List
Detailed Crash Data
List of Figures
Figure 1.
Location Map ......................................................................................................................... 3
List of Tables
Table 1.
Table 2.
Table 3.
Participating Audit Team Members ....................................................................................... 1
Estimated Time Frame and Costs Breakdown ....................................................................... 7
Potential Safety Enhancement Summary ............................................................................... 9
Road Safety Audit—Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street—Lenox, MA
Prepared by BETA Group, Inc.
Project Data
A Road Safety Audit for the intersection of Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street was held on November 26,
2013 at the MassDOT Highway Division District 1 Office in Lenox, MA. As indicated in Table 1, the
audit team consisted of representatives from State, Regional and Local agencies and included a crosssection of engineering, planning and emergency response expertise.
Table 1. Participating Audit Team Members
Audit Team Member
Agency/Affiliation
Bonnie Polin
MassDOT Highway Division – Safety Section
Peter Frieri
MassDOT Highway Division – District 1
Kevin Chiang
MassDOT Highway Division – District 1 Projects
Pat Tierney
MassDOT Highway Division – District 1 Traffic
Sonja Gray
MassDOT Highway Division – District 1 Projects
Doug Plachinski
Berkshire Regional Planning Commission
Jeff Vincent
Town of Lenox – DPW
Sean VanDeusen
Town of Lenox – DPW
Dan Clifford
Town of Lenox – Fire Chief
Steve O’Brien
Town of Lenox – Police Chief
Greg Lucas
BETA Group, Inc.
Justin Curewitz
BETA Group, Inc.
Page 1
Road Safety Audit—Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street—Lenox, MA
Prepared by BETA Group, Inc.
Background
The Federal Highway Administration defines a Road Safety Audit (RSA) as the formal safety examination
of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multidisciplinary team. The purpose of an
RSA is to identify potential safety issues and possible opportunities for safety improvements considering
all roadway users. A Road Safety Audit was scheduled for the intersection of US Routes 7 and 20 with
Walker Street in Lenox because it has been identified as a high crash location within the Berkshire
Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) region. This location is eligible for Highway Safety Improvement
Project funding and is being considered by MassDOT under its Way Forward Program. A current design
project (File No. 607745) is scheduled to be constructed in 2015. The RSA is intended to identify potential
short and long term safety improvements that can be made at the intersection, which can then be
implemented through general maintenance for short term low cost improvements or potentially
incorporated into the reconstruction project for longer term measures.
Project Description
The intersection of Routes 7 and 20 with Walker Street, shown in Figure 1, is a signalized intersection
located in the southern portion of Lenox. Routes 7 and 20 follow a north-south alignment, while Walker
Street runs east-west through the intersection. Route 183 begins at the intersection and is carried by
Walker Street westbound towards the center of Lenox. Route 7 and 20 split approximately a half mile
south of the intersection with Route 7 branching off in southwest direction towards Stockbridge and Great
Barrington. The segment of Routes 7 and 20 including the study intersection is known as the Lenox
Bypass, intended to carry through traffic around the center of Lenox. Route 20 is signed as an east-west
route but follows a north-south alignment through this segment. Route 20 south of the intersection
continues towards Lee and the MassPike (I-90), where it resumes an east-west alignment. Routes 7 and 20
continue as a co-signed route north towards Pittsfield, where Route 20 continues west towards Albany
and Route 7 continues north towards Williamstown and Bennington, VT. Walker Street connects to
Lenox center approximately one mile west of Routes 7 and 20, and connects to Lenox Dale east of the
intersection.
The roadway carrying Routes 7 and 20 is functionally classified as a Principal Arterial and is under state
jurisdiction. Walker Street is classified as a Rural Major Collector and is under town jurisdiction east of
Routes 7 and 20, but under state jurisdiction west of Routes 7 and 20. Land use in the area is primarily
residential. The Cranwell Resort, home to
a spa and golf course, occupies the
southeast corner of the intersection, but
has a wooded buffer bordering the
intersection. The remaining corners of the
intersection are undeveloped, wooded
parcels.
Routes 7 and 20 (looking southbound)
Page 2
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Road Safety Audit
Routes 20 & 7 at
Walker St (Route 183)
Lenox, MA
Figure 1
Location Map
Road Safety Audit—Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street—Lenox, MA
Prepared by BETA Group, Inc.
The roadway carrying Routes 7 and 20 provides two through lanes in each direction and is mediandivided along its length in the vicinity of Walker Street. Routes 7 and 20 provide an exclusive left turn
lane both northbound and southbound at Walker Street; the northbound left turn lane is approximately 75
feet in length, while the southbound left turn lane is approximately 140 feet.. The traffic signal provides
protected phasing via lead phases for the left turns. Right lanes in each direction are intended to be
accommodated from a shared through/right lane, but given the wide shoulders, it was noted that the rightturning vehicles often bypass queued vehicles to turn right from the shoulder. A rumble strip is provided
in the shoulder of the southbound approach leading up to the intersection, terminating approximately 50
feet before the stop bar. Walker Street provides a single lane of travel in each direction.
Sidewalks, crosswalks and pedestrian signals are not provided at the intersection. Pavement markings
include white lane and shoulder lines as well as yellow edge lines bordering the median along the Routes
7 and 20 approaches. Walker Street features double yellow center lines and white edge lines. Stop bars
are painted across all four approaches with the stop bars for the thru and right-turn lanes on Routes 7 and
20 set-back approximately 20 feet from the stop bars for the left turn lane.
Crash data provided by the Lenox Police Department and summarized by MassDOT show 17 crashes
from January 2009 to December 2012. It was noted that the state police patrol Routes 7 and 20, but will
call Lenox police upon arrival. A collision diagram and crash summary are included in the Appendix. The
prevalent crash type were rear-end crashes, comprising 65% of total crashes. Seven rear-end crashes
involved vehicles traveling southbound on Route 7 and 20, while three involved northbound vehicles.
Two additional rear-end crashes involved vehicles exiting Walker Street – one with a turning vehicle
traveling eastbound, and one with a westbound through vehicle. Two crashes at the intersection involved
a vehicle running off the road and hitting a fixed object; one struck the guardrail on the southwest corner,
the other struck a guardrail on the southeast corner. All of the crashes occur during daylight or dusk hours
with 76% occurring in dry conditions.
Speed regulations maintained by MassDOT Highway Division establish a 45 MPH speed limit for Routes
7 and 20 in the vicinity of the intersection.
Page 4
Road Safety Audit—Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street—Lenox, MA
Prepared by BETA Group, Inc.
Audit Observations
Following a brief introduction to the RSA process and a summary of existing crash information, the audit
participants were asked to discuss safety issues at the intersection of Routes 7 and 20 with Walker Street.
A summary of those major safety considerations is as follows:

Left-turn Lanes – It was noted that the existing leftturn lanes both northbound and southbound on
Routes 7 and 20 have less than adequate storage
lengths. In addition, entering taper lengths are
inadequate.

Tanglewood Traffic – The proximity of Tanglewood
to the intersection results in increased traffic for
concerts. Of note is the northbound left-turn queue
which was stated to exceed the storage capacity of the
Set-back stop bars
left-turn lane during smaller events, spilling back into
the left-most through lane, with major events creating significant back-ups. Two rear-end crashes
occurred on the northbound approach of the intersection which could be attributed to the spill back of
traffic into the through lane, causing drivers to unexpectedly stop.

Speeding/Red Light Running - Speeding along Routes 7 and 20 was noted as a safety concern. Speed
can also be a contributing factor in the crash history of the intersection, as drivers tend to be traveling
above the posted speed limit of 45 mph. Speeds are exacerbated in this section of roadway due to the
relatively straight and flat alignment of Route 7 and 20. Red light running was observed at the
intersection with vehicles entering the intersection once the light had changed. Speeds may also be a
contributing factor to the multiple rear-end crashes where a driver slows down to stop at a red light
and a speeding trailing vehicle cannot stop in time.

Driver Inattention/Distraction – Driver inattention was listed in more than half of the crashes at the
intersection and was noted as a safety concern.

Traffic Signals – A number of issues related to the existing traffic signal equipment and operation
were identified.
o
Yellow and all-red clearance times should be verified at the intersection. This could be a
factor in northbound and southbound rear-end crashes
due to varying levels of driver aggression on the
approach.
o
Backplates are provided for overhead signals in the
eastbound and westbound approaches only. Backplates
help signal visibility by providing negative contrast of
the signal indication against a lighter background.
Missing signal backplates
Page 5
Road Safety Audit—Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street—Lenox, MA
Prepared by BETA Group, Inc.

Pedestrian Accommodation – A number of issues related to pedestrian accommodations were
discussed.
o
Sidewalks and wheelchair ramps are not provided along any of the approaches. It was noted
that there is little pedestrian activity at the intersection, but that pedestrians do cross the
intersection.
o
Pedestrian signals are not present at the existing intersection, requiring unprotected crossings
across Routes 7 and 20 and Walker Street.
o
Pedestrians at the intersection also contribute to distraction and awareness as there is no
protected crossing and pedestrians are required to cross on their own. Walker Street does not
provide sidewalks requiring pedestrians to walk in the street.

Bicycle Accommodation – Although shoulders are present along Routes 7 and 20, the original design
of the roadway was not intended to accommodate bicycles, and signs were posted to restrict them.
Signs have since been removed, but no modifications were made to specifically accommodate
bicycles. Existing rumble strips in the shoulders may discourage bicyclists from traveling along Route
7 and 20, although adequate width exists for bicycle accommodation outside the rumble strip. The
speed differential of bicycles and vehicles on the roadway creates a safety concern for the bicyclist. It
should be noted that the left turn lanes provided at the intersection are equipped with bicycle
detectors. Walker Street does not provide shoulders, which requires bicyclists to ride in the street.

Southbound Right-turns – Wide shoulders approaching the
intersection on Routes 7 and 20, along with the termination
of the rumble strip in advance of the intersection, allows
drivers to make a right-turn to bypass vehicles in the
through lanes and use the shoulders to complete their
moves.

Walker Street Cut-Through – It was suggested that with the
reinstatement of tolls along the MassPike west of Exit 6,
vehicles may be using Walker Street as an alternate route.
Wide shoulders at intersection
Page 6
Road Safety Audit—Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street—Lenox, MA
Prepared by BETA Group, Inc.
Potential Safety Enhancements
Audit participants identified safety issues and recommended potential improvements to address these
issues. Audit participants were encouraged to consider both short and long term improvements for each
issue. Each improvement considered has been categorized as short-term, mid-term, or long-term based on
the definitions shown in Table 2. Additionally, a cost category has been assigned to each improvement
based on the parameters set forth in Table 2.
Table 2. Estimated Time Frame and Costs Breakdown
Time Frame
Short-term






<1 year
Costs
Low
Mid-term
1–3 years
Medium
Long-term
>3 years
High
<$10,000
$10,000–$50,000
>$50,000
Increase left-turn lane storage length, as well as taper lengths. Review AASHTO standards to meet
required taper lengths. Where feasible, extend existing left-turn lanes to accommodate peak leftturning vehicles based on updated traffic volumes considering increased volumes from Tanglewood
Concerts. Consider installing Dotted White Lane Extension Lines (DWLEx) to delineate the entry to
the left turn lanes. This is a mid-term, high cost improvement.
Study clearance times. The existing yellow and all red clearance times should be determined from the
existing traffic signal controller and compared to minimum requirements calculated based on the
latest MassDOT guidance. If existing clearance times are insufficient, clearance times should be
increased accordingly. This is a short-term, low cost improvement.
Continue speed and red-light running enforcement efforts in the area. Enforcement is an ongoing
improvement, the cost of which is the use of police resources.
Continue enforcement related to driver inattention and distraction. Enforcement is an ongoing
improvement, the cost of which is the use of police resources.
Provide backplates with yellow retro-reflective borders for all overhead signals. It should be noted
that additional backplates would require a structural review of the existing strain pole foundations and
may require replacement of the entire structure. This is a mid-term, medium to high cost
improvement.
Consider installing pedestrian accommodations at the intersection. A reconstruction project of Walker
Street east of Routes 7 and 20 is planned which will provide a sidewalk along the north side of
Walker Street and bicycle accommodation within the shoulder along both sides of the street.
Sidewalks will be constructed on the west side of Routes 7 and 20 as well which would connect to an
existing sidewalk approximately 450 feet west of the intersection, which provides connection to
downtown Lenox. Pedestrian accommodations should be carried through the intersection with
sidewalks, wheelchair ramps, pedestrian signals and pedestrian phasing to carry pedestrians safely
across Routes 7 and 20. This is recommended in conjunction with overall intersection reconstruction
Page 7
Road Safety Audit—Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street—Lenox, MA
Prepared by BETA Group, Inc.
because it would require pedestrian signals and pushbuttons to meet current ADA, MUTCD and
MassDOT requirements. This is a mid-term, high cost improvement that can be incorporated into the
current design project.



Provide bicycle accommodations at the intersection to tie into the planned Walker Street
improvements. Bicycle accommodations proposed under the Walker Street reconstruction project
should be carried through the intersection to safely carry bicyclists across Routes 7 and 20. This is a
long-term, high cost improvement that can be incorporated into the current design project.
Consider adding right turn lanes on Routes 7 and 20 in both directions. In order to meet AASHTO
standards and comply with MassDOT guidelines, consideration will need to be given to maintaining a
shoulder while adding a right turn lane. Accommodations should be considered to provide a bicycle
lane between the through lane and the right turn lane. This is a mid-term, medium cost improvement
that can be incorporated into the current design project.
Consider regional traffic patterns. Signal timings should be based on current volumes, which would
include any potential changes in traffic patterns due to the reinstatement of tolls on the Mass Pike.
This is a low-cost, short term improvement.
Summary of Road Safety Audit
Table 3 summarizes potential recommendations discussed by the audit team. The recommendations are
categorized based on the potential safety payoff, as well as by time frame and cost. The safety payoff is a
qualitative judgment of the effectiveness of the potential safety improvements. Each recommendation has
a responsibility assigned to it stating whether MassDOT or the Town of Lenox would be responsible for
implementing the recommended improvement. All improvements have an order of magnitude cost
assigned.
Page 8
Road Safety Audit— Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street—Lenox, MA
Prepared by BETA Group, Inc.
Table 3. Potential Safety Enhancement Summary
Safety Issue
Safety Enhancement
Left-Turn Lanes,
Tanglewood Traffic
Increase left-turn lane storage length as well as taper lengths.
Consider increased volumes from Tanglewood Concerts in
determining necessary storage length.
Traffic Signals, Red Light
Study clearance times.
Running
Responsibility
Safety
Payoff
Time
Frame
Cost
Project
Medium
Mid-term
High*
MassDOT
Medium Short-term
$5,000
Speeding, Red Light
Running
Continue speed and red light running enforcement efforts in the
area.
Town
$0 (Reduced
Medium Short-term enforcement
elsewhere)
Driver
Inattention/Distraction
Continue enforcement related to driver inattention and
distraction.
Town
$0 (Reduced
Medium Short-term enforcement
elsewhere)
Traffic Signals
Provide backplates with yellow retro-reflective borders for all
overhead signals.
Project
MediumHigh
Mid-term
High*
Pedestrian
Accommodations
Consider installing pedestrian accommodations at the
intersection.
Project
High
Mid-term
High*
Bicycle Accommodations
Provide bicycle accommodations at the intersection to tie into
the planned Walker Street improvements.
Project
Medium Long-term
High*
Right-turn Lanes
Consider adding right turn lanes on Routes 7 and 20 in both
directions.
Project
Medium
Mid-term
TBD
Walker Street CutThrough
Consider regional traffic patterns. Signal timings should be
based on current volumes, which would include any potential
changes introduced by the reinstatement of tolls on the Mass
Pike.
Town
Low
Short-term
$5,000
*
Improvements to be incorporated into the proposed project are assumed to be included as part of the overall project cost.
Page 9
Road Safety Audit— Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street—Lenox, MA
Prepared by BETA Group, Inc.
Appendix A. RSA Meeting Agenda
Road Safety Audit
Lenox, MA
Route 7 and 20 at Walker Street
Meeting Location: MassDOT Highway District 1
270 Main Street, Lenox, MA
Monday, November 25, 2013
9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Type of meeting:
High Crash Location – Road Safety Audit
Attendees:
Invited Participants to Comprise a Multidisciplinary Team
Please bring:
Thoughts and Enthusiasm!!
9:30 AM
Welcome and Introductions
9:45 AM
Discussion of Safety Issues
 Crash history, Speed Regulations – provided in advance
 Existing Geometries and Conditions
10:30 AM
Site Visit
 Drive to the intersections of Route 7 and 20 at Walker Street
 As a group, identify areas for improvement
11:00 AM
Discussion of Potential Improvements
 Discuss observations and finalize safety issue areas
 Discuss potential improvements and finalize recommendations
11:30 AM
Adjourn for the Day – but the RSA has not ended
Instructions for Participants:
 Before attending the RSA on November 25th, participants are encouraged to
drive/walk through the intersection and complete/consider elements on the RSA
Prompt List with a focus on safety.
 All participants will be actively involved in the process throughout. Participants
are encouraged to come with thoughts and ideas, but are reminded that the
synergy that develops and respect for others’ opinions are key elements to the
success of the overall RSA process.
 After the RSA meeting, participants will be asked to comment and respond to the
document materials to assure it is reflective of the RSA completed by the
multidisciplinary team.
Road Safety Audit— Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street—Lenox, MA
Prepared by BETA Group, Inc.
Appendix B. RSA Audit Team Contact List
Participating Audit Team Members
Lenox – Route 7 and 20 at Walker Street
Email Address
Date: November 26, 2013
Audit Team Member
Location:
Agency/Affiliation
Greg Lucas
Justin Curewitz
Bonnie Polin
Peter Frieri
Kevin Chiang
BETA
BETA
MassDOT Safety
MassDOT Dist. 1
MassDOT D1
GLucas@BETA-Inc.com
JCurewitz@BETA-Inc.com
Bonnie.Polin@state.ma.us
Peter.frieri@state.ma.us
Kevin.Chiang@state.ma.us
Jeff Vincent
Town of Lenox
JVincent@townoflenox.com
Sean VanDeusen
Dan Clifford
Steve O’Brien
Sonja Gray
Doug Plachinski
Pat Tierney
Town of Lenox
Town of Lenox
Town of Lenox
MassDOT D1
BRPC
MassDOT District One
Lenoxdpw@townoflenox.com
DClifford@townoflenox.com
LenoxChief@townoflenox.com
Sonja.gray@state.ma.us
dplachcinski@berkshireplanning.org
Patrick.tierney@dot.state.ma.us
Phone Number
781-255-1982
781-255-1982
857-368-9636
413-637-5767
781-254-0361
413-637-5500
x1219
413-637-5525
413-637-2347
413-637-5545
413-637-5751
413-442-1521 x20
413-637-5770
Road Safety Audit— Routes 7 and 20 at Walker Street—Lenox, MA
Prepared by BETA Group, Inc.
Appendix C. Detailed Crash Data