ROAD SAFETY AUDIT
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at
Springfield Street)
Town of Agawam
May 2014
Prepared for:
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Prepared by:
Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates
11 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table of Contents Background ................................................................................................................................. 2 Project Data................................................................................................................................. 4 Project Location Description ..................................................................................................... 5 Road Safety Audit Observations and Potential Enhancements .............................................7
Safety Issue #1. Congestion and Driver Frustration ............................................................................ 8
Safety Issue #2. Intersection Geometry ............................................................................................. 11 Safety Issue #3. Traffic Signal Indications........................................................................................ 13 Safety Issue #4. Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodations ............................................................... 15 Safety Issue #5. Access Management ............................................................................................... 17 Safety Issue #6. Signage and Pavement Markings ............................................................................ 19 Safety Issue #7. Emergency Response .............................................................................................. 21 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 22 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. Figure 2. Locus Map.............................................................................................................................. 3
Feeding Hills Intersection ...................................................................................................... 6
List of Tables
Table 1. Table 2. Participating Audit Team Members ....................................................................................... 4 Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements ....................................................................... 23 Page 1
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Background
The intersection of Southwick Street (Route 57)/Springfield Street/South Westfield Street (Route
57/Route 187)/North Westfield Street (Route 187), also known as the Feeding Hills intersection in
Agawam, Massachusetts, was listed in the Top 5% of High Crash Locations within the Pioneer Valley
Planning Council (PVPC) area. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has
determined that Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding would be allowed for
reconstruction of the intersection if a Road Safety Audit (RSA) were conducted and a proposed design
incorporated the safety improvements identified in the RSA.
Route 57 is a primary connector between Interstate 91 (I-91) and municipalities directly to the west of
Springfield, including Agawam, Southwick, Granville, and Sandisfield. Route 57 is a four-lane limited
access highway between I-91 and South Westfield Street, where it turns to the north on South Westfield
Street, which consists of just one lane in each direction. Route 57 continues to the west at the Feeding
Hills intersection on Southwick Street. RSA team members stated that Route 57 is the primary route for
residents of nearby communities to access I-91, and therefore has significant traffic demand, especially
due to recent and ongoing residential growth in these communities, most notably Southwick. The
freeway section of Route 57 was planned to continue further west, easing the demand on neighborhood
roads such as South Westfield Street and Southwick Street; however, the plans have been halted, the
required land is not yet secured and funding has been dropped, according to RSA team members.
The Feeding Hills intersection is under the jurisdiction of the Town of Agawam. Design for
improvements at the intersection is listed under MassDOT Project #604203 and is on the Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP) for construction in 2017. The design process has not yet begun, but will
take recommendations from this RSA under consideration.
In general, an RSA is intended to identify potential safety improvements that can be evaluated and
included as part of the design process for a future reconstruction project. Potential short-term, low-cost
improvements could be considered by the responsible agency for immediate implementation prior to
reconstruction, as appropriate. The RSA study area is illustrated in Figure 1.
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Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Locus Map
OUTE 187)
Figure 1.
NORTH WES
TFIELD ST. (R
AGAWAM
COUNTRY CLUB
IELD ST.
SPRINGF
)
E 57
K ST. (ROUT
SOUTHWIC
TH
SOU
L
FIE
ST
WE
GRANGER
ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
OU
T. (R
DS
AGAWAM JUNIOR
HIGH SCHOOL
7)
TE 18
7) (ROU
TE 5
Not to
scale.
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Project Data
The audit team conducted an RSA for the Feeding Hills intersection on Tuesday, May 20, 2014. The
RSA agenda appears in Appendix A. Table 1 lists the audit team members and their affiliations.
Appendix B provides contact information for all team members.
Table 1. Participating Audit Team Members
Audit Team Member
Michael Albro
Michelle Chase
Rob Clickstein
Helen Marganti
Will Reichelt
Eric P. Gillis
Jennifer Blanchette
Alan Sirois
Cheryl Salomao
Van Kacoyannakis
Noah Yoskowitz
Frankie Mazzei
Khyati Parmar
Trung Vo
Luke Hayes
Lisa Schletzbaum
Corey O’Connor
Mike Tremblay
Ted Brovitz
Agency/Affiliation
Town of Agawam Department of Public Works
Town of Agawam Town Engineer
Town of Agawam Public Schools
Town of Agawam Public Schools
Town of Agawam Town Attorney
Town of Agawam Police Department
Town of Agawam Police Department
Town of Agawam Fire Department
Granger School Principal
Milone & MacBroom
Milone & MacBroom
ADA Commission
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
MassDOT District 2 Traffic
MassDOT District 2 Traffic
MassDOT, Highway Division
MassDOT Highway Safety
Howard/Stein-Hudson (HSH)
Howard/Stein-Hudson (HSH)
Page 4
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Prior to the RSA, in order to begin assessing possible safety issues, the audit team reviewed collision
diagrams and a crash detail summary for the Feeding Hills intersection. From 2009-2011, 62 crashes
were reported at the intersection. Of the 62 crashes, 29 (or 47%) were rear-end crashes; 17 (27%) were
angle crashes; 11 (18%) were sideswipe crashes; three (5%) were head-on crashes, and two (3%) were
single-vehicle crashes. Most crashes occurred during the daylight (77%), in clear weather (65%) and on a
dry roadway surface (76%). The peak time period for crashes was 4:00-6:00 p.m. (26%), followed by
2:00-4:00 p.m. (16%); these periods coincide with the evening and school peak periods, respectively. Of
the 62 crashes, 18 (or 29%) resulted in personal injury, and no fatalities were reported at the intersection.
Appendix C provides the detailed crash data for the intersection.
Project Location Description
The RSA focused on the Feeding Hills intersection in the Town of Agawam, as shown in the aerial image
in Figure 2.
The Feeding Hills intersection is a signalized intersection with four approaches. The Southwick Street
(Route 57) eastbound approach consists of a shared left-turn/through lane and a dedicated right-turn lane.
The Springfield Street westbound approach consists of a dedicated left-turn lane and a shared
through/right-turn lane. The South Westfield Street (Route 57/Route 187) northbound approach consists
of a dedicated right-turn lane and a shared left-turn/through lane. The North Westfield Street (Route 187)
southbound approach consists of a dedicated left-turn lane and a shared through/right-turn lane.
Sidewalks are provided along both sides of each roadway at the intersection; however, team members
noted that some curb ramps were not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
including at the northwest corner of the intersection, where a signal post is located within the ramp.
Pedestrian indications are provided at the intersection, but are not ADA-compliant and some “DON’T
WALK” indications were not functional. Bicycle accommodations are not provided at the intersection.
This intersection is the junction of the following roadways, which are categorized according to MassDOT
Office of Transportation Planning functional classifications:
Southwick Street (Route 57) is classified as an urban principal arterial and falls under the Town of
Agawam’s jurisdiction. Southwick Street runs east-west between North and South Westfield streets at the
study area intersection to the east and the Southwick Town Line to the west, where it becomes Feeding
Hills Road. Southwick Street consists of one travel lane in each direction. Sidewalks are provided on
both sides of Southwick Street, but each end approximately one-quarter mile west of the intersection. In
the vicinity of the intersection, Southwick Street has a speed limit of 25 miles per hour (mph).
Springfield Street is classified as an urban principal arterial and falls under the Town of Agawam’s
jurisdiction. Southwick Street runs east-west between North and South Westfield streets at the study area
intersection to the east and the West Springfield Town Line to the west, where it becomes Memorial
Drive. Springfield Street consists of one travel lane in each direction. Sidewalks are provided on both
sides of Springfield Street in the study area, but are not provided in some areas outside of the study area.
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Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
ST. (ROUTE 187)
Figure 2. Feeding Hills Intersection
NORTH WESTFIELD
CROSSROADS SHOPPING CENTER
FIRST NIAGARA
PRIDE GAS
LD ST.
SPRINGFIE
)
. (ROUTE 57
UTHWICK ST
SO
TH
SOU
SUNOCO
STF
WE
D
IEL
TE 5
OU
(R
ST.
RO
7) (
UTE
)
187
Not to
scale.
GRANGER
ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
South Westfield Street (Route 57/Route 187) is classified as an urban principal arterial and falls under
the Town of Agawam’s jurisdiction. South Westfield Street is north-south roadway that originates at the
Connecticut State Line to the south, where it becomes Halladay Avenue West, and at the study area
intersection to the north, where it becomes North Westfield Street. South Westfield Street consists of one
travel lane in each direction. Sidewalks are provided on both sides of South Westfield Street just south of
the Feeding Hills intersection, but are not provided south of the Henry R. Bodurtha Highway (Route 57)
ramps. South Westfield Street generally has a speed limit of 40 mph, but reduces to 25 mph in the
vicinity of the intersection.
North Westfield Street (Route 187) is classified as an urban minor arterial and falls under the Town of
Agawam’s jurisdiction. North Westfield Street is a north-south roadway that originates at the Westfield
Town Line to the north, where it becomes Feeding Hills Road, and terminates at the study area
intersection to the south, where it becomes South Westfield Street. Except for immediately north of the
study area intersection, sidewalks are not provided on North Westfield Street. North Westfield Street
generally has a speed limit of 40 mph, but reduces to 25 mph in the vicinity of the intersection.
Road Safety Audit Observations and
Potential Enhancements
Based on RSA team discussions on Tuesday, May 20, 2014, the RSA team determined that the Feeding
Hills intersection has the following issues that affect safety:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Congestion and driver frustration;
Intersection geometry;
Traffic signal indications;
Pedestrian and bicycle accommodations;
Access management;
Signage and pavement markings; and
Emergency vehicle response.
The following sections describe in more detail the safety issues and enhancements determined during the
RSA. Several of these issues require further study and engineering judgment to determine the feasibility
of implementing enhancements to address them.
Page 7
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Safety Issue #1. Congestion and Driver Frustration
Observations:
General Observations
Route 57 serves as the principal east-west route between
I-91 in Springfield and municipalities to the west,
including Agawam and Southwick. The four-lane,
limited access portion of Route 57 terminates at South
Westfield Street, less than one mile south of the Feeding
Hills intersection. Vehicles traveling on Route 57 must
turn north on South Westfield Street and west on
Southwick Street, creating a heavy demand on the South
Westfield Street northbound left-turn lane in the
evenings, and conversely, a similar demand on the
Southwick Street eastbound right-turn lane in the
The divided portion of Route 57
ends at South Westfield Street,
mornings. RSA team members stated that, while this
less than one mile south of the
created issues when first introduced, the populations of
Feeding Hills intersection.
Southwick and other municipalities to the west of
Agawam have grown tremendously, exacerbating the issue, creating long queues and causing
rear-end crashes. Nine rear-end crashes, including six that resulted in injury, occurred on the
Southwick Street eastbound approach. Similarly, 11 crashes, including one that resulted in
injury, occurred on the South Westfield Street northbound approach to the intersection.
According to team members, the signal timing favors these two heavy movements, and as a
result, congestion also occurs on the other two approaches to the intersection. Three rear-end
crashes occurred on the Springfield Street westbound approach, and two rear-end crashes
occurred along the North Westfield Street southbound approach.
The Southwick Street eastbound approach is the only approach at the intersection that does not
have a dedicated left-turn lane. Due to the heavy Southwick Street eastbound right-turn
movement, Southwick Street left-turning vehicles must utilize a shared left-turn/through lane.
There is also no protected left-turn phase on the Southwick Street eastbound approach, forcing
left-turning vehicles to wait for an adequate gap in oncoming traffic, which can sometimes take
multiple signal cycles. This also causes frustration for Southwick Street eastbound through
vehicles, which were observed to be using the adjacent exclusive right-turn lane to pass the leftturning vehicle and travel through the intersection. Motorists may not expect vehicles to be
stopped in the shared left-turn/through lane, which may contribute to rear-end crashes. Vehicles
maneuvering to use the right-turn lane to pass left-turning vehicles may cause sideswipe crashes
and angle crashes. One sideswipe crash involved two Southwick Street eastbound vehicles, and
was caused by a vehicle in the left lane that changed lanes to avoid a left-turning vehicle. One
angle crash occurred as a result of this maneuver; the Southwick Street eastbound through vehicle
struck an unsuspecting Springfield Street westbound left-turning vehicle. The Springfield Street
westbound left-turning movement also experiences similar difficulties. While the Springfield
Page 8
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Street westbound approach has an exclusive left-turn lane, it has no protected left-turn phase.
Left-turning vehicles often must wait for more than one cycle for an acceptable gap, and may
even proceed during the yellow or all-red phase due to a lack of gaps during the green phase. The
inability to find an adequate gap may cause rear-end or angle crashes. One rear-end crash
occurred between Springfield Street westbound left-turning vehicles, and one angle crash
occurred between a Southwick Street eastbound through vehicle (which was using the right-turn
lane to pass a left-turning vehicle) and a Springfield Street westbound left-turning vehicle. The
RSA team observed several near-misses between Southwick Street eastbound and Springfield
Street westbound vehicles at the intersection.
School Traffic
Traffic related to the two nearby schools, Clifford Granger
Elementary School and Agawam Junior High School, also
adds to congestion at the intersection, particularly during the
2:00-4:00 p.m. period. Officials from the Agawam Public
Schools Department and from Clifford Granger Elementary
School attending the RSA stated that vehicles often form
queues in both directions on Springfield Street as early as
2:30 p.m. to access Granger Elementary School. The
school’s designated pickup period begins at 2:40 p.m. The
queuing activity on Springfield Street can create backups
At about 2:30 p.m., vehicles
through the study area intersection. Backups also occur at
queue on Springfield Street
the South Westfield Street entrance to the school, which is
outside the Clifford Granger
Elementary School.
used to pick up kindergarteners, 1st graders, and their older
siblings. School officials noted that there is less pickup
activity at the South Westfield Street entrance than in previous years, but activity fluctuates year­
to-year. Once children are picked up, a steady stream of vehicles exits onto Springfield Street via
the Agawam Junior High School driveway. During dismissal for Agawam Junior High School,
traffic congestion on Springfield Street and at the Feeding Hills intersection is notably higher.
The 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. period had the 2nd-highest occurrence of crashes of any two-hour period
throughout the day, second only to the 4:00-6:00 period.
Potential Enhancements:
1. In the short-term, evaluate the existing signal timing and phasing to determine if the
intersection could run more efficiently, which may reduce rear-end crashes as a result of
frustration or inattention.
2. Consider placing the Southwick Street eastbound approach and the Springfield Street
westbound approach on separate phases (split phasing) to reduce the occurrence of angle
crashes at the intersection and to reduce delay for Southwick Street left-turning vehicles.
Consider operations at the intersection, as additional delay may cause additional motorist
frustration.
Page 9
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
3. Consider providing a leading protected left-turn phase for the Southwick Street eastbound
approach and the Springfield Street westbound approach to allow left-turning vehicles to
enter the intersection before oncoming traffic. If implemented, consider utilizing a
flashing yellow arrow during the permissive phase so that eastbound motorists know they
must yield to oncoming traffic once the protected phase ends. Consider that it may not be
possible to run the protected phase concurrently with a Springfield Street westbound leftturn phase, if provided in the future, due to incompatible geometry.
4. Evaluate existing detection at the intersection. If necessary, replace signal detection to
improve the efficiency of the signal. Consider providing advanced queue detection to
prioritize approaches that have long queues in order to reduce motorist frustration.
5. As part of long-term enhancements, continue the Route 57 Phase II design, which
extends the limited access section of Route 57 further west to remove a substantial
portion of vehicles from the intersection and potentially eliminate the need for major
high-cost improvements at the Feeding Hills intersection.
6. To reduce the level of pick-up activity at the two area schools, consider working with the
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program to provide walking safety education and
encouragement to students and parents of the Clifford Granger Elementary School and
the Agawam Junior High School. Consider SRTS programs such as a “walking school
bus” program to encourage large groups of children to walk safely to school with adult
supervision.
7. As part of long-term planning efforts, consider methods to create more queuing areas
within the grounds of the Clifford Granger Elementary School to remove the overflow
pick-up queue in town streets and eliminate congestion due to pick-up traffic.
8. In order to create more queuing space within school property and reduce spillback onto
Springfield Street and South Westfield Street, explore the benefits and disadvantages of
reversing the Clifford Granger Elementary School driveway so that vehicles enter at the
Agawam Junior High School and exit using the two existing entrance driveways.
Consider the drawbacks, which include vehicles exiting at unsignalized driveways close
to signalized intersections, and the need to reconfigure parking configurations on the
property.
Page 10
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Safety Issue #2. Intersection Geometry
Observations:
The intersection is somewhat skewed, which inhibits
sight lines and makes some vehicle movements more difficult than others. The Southwick Street eastbound approach curves southward as it approaches the
intersection, and the South Westfield Street approaches
the intersection slightly west of north. The horizontal curve along the Southwick Street
eastbound approach causes sight line issues to the west
of the intersection. Springfield Street westbound leftSouthwick Street curves to the
turning vehicles may not be able to see oncoming traffic
south as it approaches the
in the right-turn lane due to the curvature of Southwick
intersection.
Street. This issue is exacerbated by the recurring use of
the Southwick Street eastbound right-turn lane by through vehicles that use it to pass left-turning
vehicles in the shared left-turn/through lane. RSA team members stated that Springfield Street
westbound left-turning vehicles will often pull into the intersection in order to shorten the
necessary gap needed to turn; however, due to the offset alignment of the Southwick Street
eastbound and Springfield Street westbound approaches, this forced Southwick Street through
vehicles to need to turn around the Springfield Street left-turning vehicle to avoid a head-on
collision.
As previously mentioned, the Southwick Street eastbound approach does not have a dedicated
left-turn lane, which leads to Southwick Street through vehicles to use the adjacent right-turn lane
to pass left-turning vehicles waiting for an adequate gap. This maneuver can lead to sideswipe
crashes and angle crashes. The shared lane also puts pressure on left-turning vehicles if they are
unable to turn for some time.
South Westfield Street intersects Southwick Street/Springfield Street at a slight angle to the west
of north. This creates an obtuse corner radius at the southwest of the intersection. This allows
the Southwick Street eastbound vehicles to make a right-turn onto South Westfield Street at high
speeds. Two sideswipe crashes occurred between Southwick Street eastbound right-turning
vehicles and queued South Westfield Street northbound vehicles; these may have occurred
because vehicles turned right from Southwick Street eastbound at unsafe speeds.
Page 11
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Potential Enhancements:
1. In the short term, consider providing a leading or lagging protected left-turn phase for the
Springfield Street westbound approach to the intersection to allow some vehicles to make
a safe left turn without needing to yield to oncoming vehicles, which may be difficult to
see. Consider that the geometry of the intersection may not allow a Springfield Street
left-turn phase to run concurrently with a Southwick Street left-turn phase, if provided in
the future.
2. Consider widening the Southwick Street eastbound approach in order to provide a
dedicated left-turn lane, which will give left-turning vehicles a place to wait and will
allow through vehicles to travel through the intersection without using the right-turn lane.
3. As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, consider realigning the intersection to smooth
the horizontal curve on the Southwick Street eastbound approach and create a
perpendicular intersection between South Westfield Street and Southwick
Street/Springfield Street to reduce sight distance issues to the west of the intersection and
to force motorists to make a more deliberate right turn from Southwick Street eastbound.
4. As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, realign the Southwick Street eastbound and
Springfield Street westbound approaches so that Springfield Street westbound leftturning vehicles are not lined up head-on with Southwick Street eastbound through
vehicles.
Page 12
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Safety Issue #3. Traffic Signal Indications
Observations:
All of the signal indications at the intersection use incandescent lights, which were somewhat dim on the afternoon of the audit. Signal indications that are not easily visible may contribute to rear-end crashes, as following motorists may not see a dim red light in time to
stop. Dim signal indications may also cause red light running and angle crashes. One overhead signal indication appeared to be too close to
the stop line to be visible. The span wire crosses the
The incandescent signal
intersection diagonally from the northeast corner of the
indications have dimmed and are
intersection to the southwest corner of the intersection.
difficult to see.
The outside overhead signal facing the Springfield Street
westbound through/right-turn lane is located very close to
the stop line and may not be visible for vehicles waiting at the stop line. There is no postmounted far-side supplemental signal. Vehicles at the stop line may be able to see the adjacent
signal, which is located farther from the stop line, but it is lined up with the adjacent lane. The
overhead signal for the Southwick Street eastbound right-turn lane may not be visible from the
stop line; however, a supplemental far-side post-mounted signal is provided. In addition, the
bimodal arrows facing the Southwick Street eastbound right-turn lane are barely visible for
vehicles in the Southwick Street eastbound right-turn lane.
Team members also noted that the overhead signals tend to twist on the span wire. This
sometimes causes signals to be difficult to see or face away from the intended approach. During
the RSA, the South Westfield Street northbound left-turn signal was partially facing the
Southwick Street eastbound approach, which may cause confusion among South Westfield Street
northbound motorists as to whether that signal indication is intended to face South Westfield
Street.
The red signal indication mounted on the strain pole facing the North Westfield Street
southbound approach is difficult to see against the red awning of the Bank of America ATM
kiosk.
RSA team members noted that the signal indications are not equipped with back plates.
Page 13
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Potential Enhancements:
1. Replace signal indications with brighter lights so that they are more visible for
approaching motorists. Consider switching to LED indications.
2. Consider moving the Springfield Street westbound stop line to maintain a minimum
offset distance of 40 feet from the signal indications in order to provide a clear view for
motorists to see the signal.
3. Consider providing a supplemental far-side post-mounted signal facing the Springfield
Street westbound approach to provide greater signal visibility for vehicles at the stop line
and for vehicles following heavy vehicles that may block the overhead signal.
4. Consider installing tether wires to the traffic signals so that they do not twist away from
the intended direction.
5. As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, consider replacing the span wire with far-side
mast arms to improve signal visibility and to prevent signal indications from twisting.
6. Consider providing back plates on overhead signal indications draw motorists’ attention
to the signal and to distinguish signal indications from similar colored backdrops, such as
the Bank of America awning behind the North Westfield Street southbound signal
indication. Consider the use of retroreflective edges to increase signal visibility at night.
Page 14
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Safety Issue #4. Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodations
Observations:
RSA team members noted that pedestrian signal equipment is out of date and is not ADA-compliant. Pedestrian
indications are provided, but the displays feature text “WALK” and “DON’T WALK” indications. In at least
two locations, the “DON’T WALK” indications were not functional, and all other indications were dim and difficult to see.
Pedestrian push buttons are also not ADA-compliant. Pedestrian ramps are provided across all legs of the intersection. All ramps are apex ramps, which may not be
appropriate, and some ramps had obstacles such as signal posts or manholes or handholes within the ramp that are not flush with the ramp. On the southwest corner of the
intersection, the granite curb was not flush with the ramp.
The ramps are also not equipped with tactile warning strips. Pedestrian indications at the
intersection are dim or are not
functioning; there are objects in
the pedestrian ramps; and the
crosswalk across Southwick
Street is very narrow and faded.
Crosswalks are provided, but are heavily faded. The crosswalk across Southwick Street appears
to be more narrow than the other crosswalks at the intersection, and may be more narrow than 6
feet, the MassDOT minimum crosswalk width.
Bicycle accommodations, such as shoulders and bicycle detection, are not provided. RSA team
members stated that some students ride bicycles to the Agawam Junior High School, which has a
driveway just ¼ mile east of the Feeding Hills intersection.
Page 15
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Potential Enhancements:
1. In the short term, replace the pedestrian indications at the intersection for added visibility
and to display the missing “DON’T WALK” indications.
2. Update all pedestrian indications and push buttons to ADA-compliant indications and
push buttons as part of long-term reconstruction efforts.
3. As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, reconstruct pedestrian ramps to comply with
ADA and move or remove obstacles such as utility structures and signal posts. Provide
ramps with tactile warning strips. Evaluate whether apex pedestrian ramps are
appropriate at all corners of the intersection. Consider the benefits to pedestrian comfort
and safety of providing perpendicular pedestrian ramps even if apex ramps are justified.
4. Restripe crosswalks for added visibility. Ensure that crosswalks are a minimum of six
feet wide as mandated by MassDOT; however, crosswalks should be wider to encourage
walking, especially considering the intersection’s proximity to two schools, which tend to
attract large groups of children crossing at the intersection at the same time.
5. Consider providing bicycle detection at the intersection.
6. As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, consider providing shoulders of at least 4 feet
(5 feet preferred) to provide bicyclists with a dedicated space in which to ride.
Page 16
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Safety Issue #5. Access Management
Observations:
The Feeding Hills intersection is located in a commercial
area with several commercial driveways located to the east and west of the intersection. Some of these driveways are located within the queue area for the
intersection, which creates conditions conducive for the eight reported “courtesy crashes” at the intersection. A
courtesy crash occurs when a vehicle on the main line yields to a vehicle entering or exiting a driveway, which is then hit by an unsuspecting vehicle in the adjacent lane. Signage restricting left turns out
Five courtesy crashes occurred at the Pride Gas driveway
of the Pride Gas driveway onto
on Springfield Street. This driveway is located just 70
Springfield Street have not
feet west of the intersection, so exiting vehicles likely see
eliminated left turns, according
to crash data and RSA team
queues in both travel lanes on Springfield Street
members.
westbound throughout the day. A “No Left Turn” sign is
posted at the driveway; team members stated that this sign was installed prior to 2009, the first
year of the crash data analyzed in the RSA. The five courtesy crashes that occurred at this
location all involved vehicles turning left out of the Pride Gas driveway. Courtesy crashes also
occurred along Springfield Street at Philips Discount Liquors and at Wendy’s, located about 400
and 500 feet from the intersection, respectively.
Courtesy crashes can occur
when vehicles attempt to enter
or exit driveways through two or
more lanes of queued vehicles.
One courtesy crash occurred at the Sunoco gas station
along Southwick Street. West of the western Sunoco gas
station driveway, Southwick Street is marked as just one
travel lane; the right-turn lane begins just east of the
westernmost Sunoco driveway. However, team members
stated that vehicles often form two lanes as far back as the
strip mall on the south side of Southwick Street,
approximately 300 feet west of the intersection. One crash
involved an unsuspecting vehicle turning right into Sunoco
that was hit by a vehicle destined for the Southwick Street
eastbound right-turn lane that had formed a second lane to
the right of the turning vehicle.
A town official suggested that the town was exploring
implementing a formal two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL) on Springfield Street east of the
intersection. It was suggested that this may be difficult due to the high number of commercial
driveways on each side of Springfield Street. RSA team members suggested that several
businesses on Springfield Street may be able to consolidate driveways.
Page 17
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Potential Enhancements:
1. Consider using signage to prohibit left turns into and out of driveways along the
approaches to the intersection to reduce the occurrence of courtesy crashes.
2. Consider increasing enforcement for the existing left-turn restriction at the Pride Gas
driveway on Springfield Street to reduce the occurrence of courtesy crashes.
3. Consider working with Pride Gas to direct patrons to the exit on North Westfield Street if
they intend to turn left onto Springfield Street. This would allow vehicles to use the
signal to make a left turn, rather than turning through queued vehicles.
4. Work with business owners to reconfigure driveways using islands to force right-in/right­
out movements into and out of driveways to help eliminate courtesy crashes.
5. As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, consider constructing a median along the
Southwick Street eastbound and Springfield Street westbound approaches to eliminate
courtesy crashes along the roadways. Consider impacts to the overall traffic network and
the impact on local businesses.
6. Consider extending the Southwick Street eastbound right-turn storage lane up the hill to
the west of the intersection so that motorists understand that this section of roadway
operates as two lanes. Consider available roadway width and the potential introduction
of courtesy crashes.
7. Consider the appropriateness of implementing a TWLTL on Springfield Street to access
commercial driveways. Ensure that driveways are adequately spaced to avoid head-on
crashes.
Page 18
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Safety Issue #6. Signage and Pavement Markings
Observations:
Guide signage is provided at the intersection; however, it is not consistent. Some guide signage
shows a route shield, while others show just a route number. Guide signage is also not provided
in advance of the intersection, which may cause sideswipe crashes or illegal maneuvers at the
intersection as motorists realize they are in the incorrect lane once they arrive at the intersection.
There are advanced guide signs on the Southwick Street eastbound approach and the South
Westfield Street northbound approach, but they are not provided at the Springfield Street
westbound approach or the North Westfield Street southbound approach.
Lane use signage is generally provided in the form of
“Left Lane Must Turn Left” or “Right Lane Must Turn
Right” signage. This signage may not be as easily deciphered as diagrammatic lane use signage. A “Left Only” sign hanging from the span wire, intended for the South Westfield Street northbound left-turn lane, is twisted and is partially facing the Southwick Street
eastbound approach, which does not have a dedicated left-turn lane. The twisted sign may cause South
Text lane-use signage is
Westfield Street northbound vehicles to miss the sign or provided, but diagrammatic
disregard it, and may confuse Southwick Street signage is not.
eastbound vehicles. Street name signage is not provided for Springfield Street. Street name signage is provided for
Southwick Street, South Westfield Street, and North Westfield Street; however, this signage is
small and, in some cases, worn and difficult to read. Street name signage helps to guide motorists
who are unfamiliar with the area through the intersection.
RSA team members observed that the “No Turn on Red”
signage at the northwest corner of the intersection,
intended to face the Springfield Street westbound
approach, was hit prior to the RSA, and is now twisted,
partially facing the North Westfield Street southbound
approach, and is difficult to read.
“Right Lane Must Turn Right” signage along the
Southwick Street eastbound approach blocks guide signage
for Route 187 North.
Yellow longitudinal pavement
markings on Springfield Street
and Southwick Street are almost
completely faded.
Team members noted that yellow longitudinal pavement
markings on Springfield Street and Southwick Street is
Page 19
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
very faded; town officials stated that these lines are set to be repainted in the coming months.
Potential Enhancements:
1. Consider replacing existing guide signage at the intersection with consistent and concise
guide signage that shows route shield symbols, where appropriate, for added clarity.
2. Consider placing guide signage in advance of the intersection on Springfield Street
westbound and on North Westfield Street southbound to supplement guide signage at the
intersection and to alert motorists before arriving at the intersection.
3. Consider replacing text lane use signage with diagrammatic lane use signage for added
visibility and clarity. Consider placing lane use signage in advance of the intersection as
well as on the span wire or future mast arm, if implemented.
4. Realign and secure the existing “Left Only” signage on the span wire facing South
Westfield Street northbound so that it clearly applies to the South Westfield Street
northbound left-turn lane.
5. Replace existing street name signage with larger signage so that it is easier to read, and
provide street name signage for Springfield Street. Consider placing street name signage
on the span wire or future mast arm, if implemented.
6. Repair the bent “No Turn on Red” sign for the Springfield Street westbound approach.
Consider placing this sign on a signal post, if feasible, to ensure that it is always readable.
7. Ensure that signage does not block other signage. Move signage that may be blocking
other signage to an appropriate position.
8. Restripe all worn and faded pavement markings for added visibility and clarity.
Safety Issue #7. Emergency Response
Observations:
Public safety officials attending the RSA stated that emergency vehicle preemption is not
provided at the Feeding Hills intersection or at the adjacent signalized intersection of Springfield
Street/Agawam Junior High School driveway.
Potential Enhancements:
1. Consider providing emergency vehicle preemption at both the Feeding Hills intersection
and at the Agawam Junior High School driveway for reduced emergency vehicle
response times throughout the region.
Page 20
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Recommendations
Based on its review of data, on-site field observations, and group discussion, the RSA team identified
the following possible enhancements that could improve safety at the Feeding Hills intersection.
Further study and design work will need to be conducted to determine the feasibility of making some
of the improvements.
Table 2 summarizes the safety issues, possible enhancements, estimated safety payoff, time frame,
cost, and responsibility. Safety payoff estimates are based on engineering judgment and are
categorized as low, medium, and high. The time frame is categorized as short-term (<1 year), mid­
term (1 to 3 years), or long-term (typically >3 years). Long-term improvements are typically
considered to be substantial improvements with an expected time frame for implementation greater
than 3 years. The costs are categorized as low (<$10,000), medium ($10,001 to $50,000), or high
(>$50,000).
Any long-term, high-cost improvements should be carefully evaluated, as a potential extension of the
limited access portion of Route 57 would likely result in substantially fewer vehicle trips through the
Feeding Hills intersection.
Short-term enhancements include, but are not limited to:





Replace existing incandescent signal indications to LED indications;
Restrict left turns out of commercial driveways close to the intersection;
Get involved with SRTS programs to reduce pick-up/drop-off activity at the nearby schools;
Realign or replace signage that is damaged or facing the wrong direction; and
Restripe yellow longitudinal pavement markings.
To enhance the safety of the corridor, the long-term enhancements are to:







Extend the limited access portion of Route 57;
Provide a left-turn lane on Southwick Street eastbound;
Provide left-turn phases for Southwick Street eastbound and Springfield Street westbound;
Realign the intersection;
Update pedestrian facilities to comply with ADA;
Post signals on mast arms; and
Restrict left-turns out of commercial driveways using islands or medians.
The RSA is intended to identify potential safety improvements that can be evaluated and included as
part of the design process for a reconstruction project. The short-term, low-cost potential
improvements could be considered by the responsible agency for immediate implementation, as
appropriate.
Page 21
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements
Safety Issue
Congestion and
Driver Frustration
Safety Enhancement
In the short-term, evaluate the existing signal timing and
phasing to determine if the intersection could run more
efficiently, which may reduce rear-end crashes as a result of
frustration or inattention.
Consider placing the Southwick Street eastbound approach
and the Springfield Street westbound approach on separate
phases (split phasing) to reduce the occurrence of angle
crashes at the intersection and to reduce delay for Southwick
Street left-turning vehicles. Consider operations at the
intersection, as additional delay may cause additional
motorist frustration.
Consider providing a leading protected left-turn phase for the
Southwick Street eastbound approach and the Springfield
Street westbound approach to allow left-turning vehicles to
enter the intersection before oncoming traffic. If
implemented, consider utilizing a flashing yellow arrow during
the permissive phase so that eastbound motorists know they
must yield to oncoming traffic once the protected phase ends.
Consider that it may not be possible to run the protected
phase concurrently with a Springfield Street westbound leftturn phase, if provided in the future, due to incompatible
geometry.
Evaluate existing detection at the intersection. If necessary,
replace signal detection to improve the efficiency of the
signal. Consider providing advanced queue detection to
prioritize approaches that have long queues in order to
reduce motorist frustration.
As part of long-term enhancements, continue the Route 57
Phase II design, which extends the limited access section of
Route 57 further west to remove a substantial portion of
vehicles from the intersection and potentially eliminate the
need for major high-cost improvements at the Feeding Hills
intersection.
Safety
Payoff
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Party
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Mid-term
Medium
Town of Agawam
High
Long-term
High
MassDOT
Page 22
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements (continued)
Safety Issue
Congestion and
Driver Frustration
Intersection
Geometry
Safety Enhancement
To reduce the level of pick-up activity at the two area schools,
consider working with the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program
to provide walking safety education and encouragement to
students and parents of the Clifford Granger Elementary School
and the Agawam Junior High School. Consider SRTS programs
such as a “walking school bus” program to encourage large
groups of children to walk safely to school with adult supervision.
As part of long-term planning efforts, consider methods to create
more queuing areas within the grounds of the Clifford Granger
Elementary School to remove the overflow pick-up queue in town
streets and eliminate congestion due to pick-up traffic.
In order to create more queuing space within school property and
reduce spillback onto Springfield Street and South Westfield
Street, explore the benefits and disadvantages of reversing the
Clifford Granger Elementary School driveway so that vehicles
enter at the Agawam Junior High School and exit using the two
existing entrance driveways. Consider the drawbacks, which
include vehicles exiting at unsignalized driveways close to
signalized intersections, and the need to reconfigure parking
configurations on the property.
In the short term, consider providing a leading or lagging
protected left-turn phase for the Springfield Street westbound
approach to the intersection to allow some vehicles to make a
safe left turn without needing to yield to oncoming vehicles, which
may be difficult to see. Consider that the geometry of the
intersection may not allow a Springfield Street left-turn phase to
run concurrently with a Southwick Street left-turn phase, if
provided in the future.
Consider widening the Southwick Street eastbound approach in
order to provide a dedicated left-turn lane, which will give leftturning vehicles a place to wait and will allow through vehicles to
travel through the intersection without using the right-turn lane.
Safety
Payoff
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Party
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Long-term
High
Town of
Agawam/Clifford
Granger Elementary
School
Medium
Mid-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Mid-term
Medium
Town of Agawam
High
Long-term
High
Town of Agawam
Page 23
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements (continued)
Safety Issue
Intersection
Geometry
Traffic Signal
Indications
Safety Enhancement
As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, consider realigning the
intersection to smooth the horizontal curve on the Southwick Street
eastbound approach and create a perpendicular intersection
between South Westfield Street and Southwick Street/Springfield
Street to reduce sight distance issues to the west of the intersection
and to force motorists to make a more deliberate right turn from
Southwick Street eastbound.
As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, realign the Southwick
Street eastbound and Springfield Street westbound approaches so
that Springfield Street westbound left-turning vehicles are not lined
up head-on with Southwick Street eastbound through vehicles.
Replace signal indications with brighter lights so that they are more
visible for approaching motorists. Consider switching to LED
indications.
Consider moving the Springfield Street westbound line to maintain
a minimum offset distance of 40 feet from the signal indications in
order to provide a clear view for motorists to see the signal.
Consider providing a supplemental far-side post-mounted signal
facing the Springfield Street westbound approach to provide greater
signal visibility for vehicles at the stop line and for vehicles following
heavy vehicles that may block the overhead signal.
Consider installing tether wires to the traffic signals so that they do
not twist away from the intended direction.
As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, consider replacing the
span wire with far-side mast arms to improve signal visibility and to
prevent signal indications from twisting.
Consider providing back plates on overhead signal indications draw
motorists’ attention to the signal and to distinguish signal
indications from similar colored backdrops, such as the Bank of
America awning behind the North Westfield Street southbound
signal indication. Consider the use of retroreflective edges to
increase signal visibility at night.
Safety
Payoff
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Party
High
Long-term
High
Town of Agawam
High
Long-term
High
Town of Agawam
Medium
Mid-term
Medium
Town of Agawam
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Mid-term
High
Town of Agawam
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Long-term
High
Town of Agawam
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Page 24
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements (continued)
Safety Issue
Safety Enhancement
Safety Payoff Time Frame
In the short term, replace the pedestrian indications at the
intersection for added visibility and to display the missing
Low
Short-term
“DON’T WALK” indications.
Update all pedestrian indications and push buttons to ADAcompliant indications and push buttons as part of long-term
High
Long-term
reconstruction efforts.
As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, reconstruct
pedestrian ramps to comply with ADA and move or remove
obstacles such as utility structures and signal posts. Provide
ramps with tactile warning strips. Evaluate whether apex
Medium
Long-term
pedestrian ramps are appropriate at all corners of the
Pedestrian and
intersection. Consider the benefits to pedestrian comfort and
Bicycle
safety of providing perpendicular pedestrian ramps even if apex
Accommodations ramps are justified.
Restripe crosswalks for added visibility. Ensure that crosswalks
are a minimum of six feet wide as mandated by MassDOT;
however, crosswalks should be wider to encourage walking,
Low
Short-term
especially considering the intersection’s proximity to two
schools, which tend to attract large groups of children crossing
at the intersection at the same time.
Consider providing bicycle detection at the intersection.
Medium
Mid-term
As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, consider providing
shoulders of at least 4 feet (5 feet preferred) to provide bicyclists
High
Long-term
with a dedicated space in which to ride.
Cost
Responsible Party
Low
Town of Agawam
High
Town of Agawam
High
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Town of Agawam
High
Town of Agawam
Page 25
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements (continued)
Safety Issue
Access
Management
Safety Enhancement
Safety Payoff Time Frame
Consider using signage to prohibit left turns into and out of
driveways along the approaches to the intersection to reduce the
Low
Short-term
occurrence of courtesy crashes.
Consider increasing enforcement for the existing left-turn
restriction at the Pride Gas driveway on Springfield Street to
Low
Short-term
reduce the occurrence of courtesy crashes
Consider working with Pride Gas to direct patrons to the exit on
North Westfield Street if they intend to turn left onto Springfield
Medium
Short-term
Street. This would allow vehicles to use the signal to make a left
turn, rather than turning through queued vehicles.
Work with business owners to reconfigure driveways using
islands to force right-in/right-out movements into and out of
High
Mid-term
driveways to help eliminate courtesy crashes.
As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, consider constructing
a median along the Southwick Street eastbound and Springfield
Street westbound approaches to eliminate courtesy crashes
High
Long-term
along the roadways. Consider impacts to the overall traffic
network and the impact on local businesses.
Consider extending the Southwick Street eastbound right-turn
storage lane up the hill to the west of the intersection so that
motorists understand that this section of roadway operates as
Low
Short-term
two lanes. Consider available roadway width and the potential
introduction of courtesy crashes.
Cost
Responsible Party
Low
Town of
Agawam/abutters
Low
Town of
Agawam/Pride Gas
Low
Town of
Agawam/Pride Gas
Medium
Town of
Agawam/abutters
High
Town of
Agawam/abutters
Low
Town of Agawam
Page 26
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements (continued)
Safety Issue
Access
Management
Signage and
Pavement
Markings
Safety Enhancement
Safety Payoff Time Frame
Consider working with business owners on Springfield Street to
consolidate driveways, reducing the number of conflict points for
Medium
Mid-term
all users of Springfield Street, including bicyclists and
pedestrians.
Consider the appropriateness of implementing a TWLTL on
Springfield Street to access commercial driveways. Ensure that
Low
Mid-term
driveways are adequately spaced to avoid head-on crashes.
Consider replacing existing guide signage at the intersection
with consistent and concise guide signage that shows route
Low
Short-term
shield symbols, where appropriate, for added clarity.
Consider placing guide signage in advance of the intersection on
Springfield Street westbound and on North Westfield Street
Low
Short-term
southbound to supplement guide signage at the intersection and
to alert motorists before arriving at the intersection.
Consider replacing text lane use signage with diagrammatic lane
use signage for added visibility and clarity. Consider placing
Low
Short-term
lane use signage in advance of the intersection as well as on the
span wire or future mast arm, if implemented.
Realign and secure the existing “Left Only” signage on the span
wire facing South Westfield Street northbound so that it clearly
Low
Short-term
applies to the South Westfield Street northbound left-turn lane.
Replace existing street name signage with larger signage so that
it is easier to read, and provide street name signage for
Low
Short-term
Springfield Street. Consider placing street name signage on the
span wire or future mast arm, if implemented.
Repair the bent “No Turn on Red” sign for the Springfield Street
westbound approach. Consider placing this sign on a signal
Low
Short-term
post, if feasible, to ensure that it is always readable.
Cost
Responsible Party
Medium
Town of
Agawam/abutters
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Page 27
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements (continued)
Safety Issue
Signage and
Pavement
Markings
Emergency
Response
Safety Enhancement
Ensure that signage does not block other signage. Move
signage that may be blocking other signage to an appropriate
position.
Restripe all worn and faded pavement markings for added
visibility and clarity.
Consider providing emergency vehicle preemption at both the
Feeding Hills intersection and at the Agawam Junior High
School driveway for reduced emergency vehicle response times
throughout the region.
Safety Payoff Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Party
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Mid-term
Medium
Town of Agawam
Page 28
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Appendix A. RSA Meeting Agenda Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Appendix B. RSA Audit Team Contact List Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Participating Audit Team Members
Date:
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Audit Team Members
Michael Albro
Michelle Chase
Rob Clickstein
Helen Marganti
Will Reichelt
Eric P. Gillis
Jennifer Blanchette
Alan Sirois
Cheryl Salomao
Van Kacoyannakis
Noah Yoskowitz
Frankie Mazzei
Khyati Parmar
Trung Vo
Luke Hayes
Lisa Schletzbaum
Corey O’Connor
Mike Tremblay
Ted Brovitz
Location:
Clifford Granger School, 31 South Westfield Street, Agawam
Phone
Agency/Affiliation
Email Address
Number
Town of Agawam Department of Public Works
413-821-0600 malbro@agawam.ma.us
Town of Agawam Town Engineer
413-821-0625 mchase@agawam.ma.us
Town of Agawam Public Schools
413-821-0550 rclickstein@agawampublicschools.org
Town of Agawam Public Schools
413-821-0554 hmarganti@agawampublicschools.org
Town of Agawam Town Attorney
413-726-7726 wreichelt@agawam.ma.us
Town of Agawam Police Department
413-786-4767 chiefapd@agawam.ma.us
Town of Agawam Police Department
413-786-4767 jblanchette@agawam.ma.us
Town of Agawam Fire Department
413-786-0657 asirois@agawam.ma.us
Granger School Principal
413-821-0581 csalomao@agawampublicschools.org
Milone & MacBroom
413-241-6920 vank@Miloneandmacbroom.com
Milone & MacBroom
413-582-1525 noahy@Miloneandmacbroom.com
ADA Commission
413-786-6713 Dabbo2@comcast.net
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
413-781-6045 kparmar@pvpc.org
MassDOT District 2 Traffic
413-582-1516 Trung.vo@state.ma.us
MassDOT District 2 Traffic
413-582-1525 Luke.hayes@state.ma.us
MassDOT, Highway Division
857-368-9634 lisa.schletzbaum@state.ma.us
MassDOT Highway Safety
857-368-9638 corey.oconnor@state.ma.us
Howard/Stein-Hudson (HSH)
617-348-3347 mtremblay@hshassoc.com
Howard/Stein-Hudson (HSH)
617-348-3308 tbrovitz@hshassoc.com
Road Safety Audit
Route 109 (Main Street)/Holliston Street, Medway, MA
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Appendix C. Detailed Crash Data Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements
Safety Issue
Congestion and
Driver Frustration
Safety Enhancement
In the short-term, evaluate the existing signal timing and
phasing to determine if the intersection could run more
efficiently, which may reduce rear-end crashes as a result of
frustration or inattention.
Consider placing the Southwick Street eastbound approach
and the Springfield Street westbound approach on separate
phases (split phasing) to reduce the occurrence of angle
crashes at the intersection and to reduce delay for Southwick
Street left-turning vehicles. Consider operations at the
intersection, as additional delay may cause additional
motorist frustration.
Consider providing a leading protected left-turn phase for the
Southwick Street eastbound approach and the Springfield
Street westbound approach to allow left-turning vehicles to
enter the intersection before oncoming traffic. If
implemented, consider utilizing a flashing yellow arrow during
the permissive phase so that eastbound motorists know they
must yield to oncoming traffic once the protected phase ends.
Consider that it may not be possible to run the protected
phase concurrently with a Springfield Street westbound leftturn phase, if provided in the future, due to incompatible
geometry.
Evaluate existing detection at the intersection. If necessary,
replace signal detection to improve the efficiency of the
signal. Consider providing advanced queue detection to
prioritize approaches that have long queues in order to
reduce motorist frustration.
As part of long-term enhancements, continue the Route 57
Phase II design, which extends the limited access section of
Route 57 further west to remove a substantial portion of
vehicles from the intersection and potentially eliminate the
need for major high-cost improvements at the Feeding Hills
intersection.
Safety
Payoff
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Party
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Mid-term
Medium
Town of Agawam
High
Long-term
High
MassDOT
Page 23
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements (continued)
Safety Issue
Congestion and
Driver Frustration
Intersection
Geometry
Safety Enhancement
To reduce the level of pick-up activity at the two area schools,
consider working with the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program
to provide walking safety education and encouragement to
students and parents of the Clifford Granger Elementary School
and the Agawam Junior High School. Consider SRTS programs
such as a “walking school bus” program to encourage large
groups of children to walk safely to school with adult supervision.
As part of long-term planning efforts, consider methods to create
more queuing areas within the grounds of the Clifford Granger
Elementary School to remove the overflow pick-up queue in town
streets and eliminate congestion due to pick-up traffic.
In order to create more queuing space within school property and
reduce spillback onto Springfield Street and South Westfield
Street, explore the benefits and disadvantages of reversing the
Clifford Granger Elementary School driveway so that vehicles
enter at the Agawam Junior High School and exit using the two
existing entrance driveways. Consider the drawbacks, which
include vehicles exiting at unsignalized driveways close to
signalized intersections, and the need to reconfigure parking
configurations on the property.
In the short term, consider providing a leading or lagging
protected left-turn phase for the Springfield Street westbound
approach to the intersection to allow some vehicles to make a
safe left turn without needing to yield to oncoming vehicles, which
may be difficult to see. Consider that the geometry of the
intersection may not allow a Springfield Street left-turn phase to
run concurrently with a Southwick Street left-turn phase, if
provided in the future.
Consider widening the Southwick Street eastbound approach in
order to provide a dedicated left-turn lane, which will give leftturning vehicles a place to wait and will allow through vehicles to
travel through the intersection without using the right-turn lane.
Safety
Payoff
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Party
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Long-term
High
Town of
Agawam/Clifford
Granger Elementary
School
Medium
Mid-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Mid-term
Medium
Town of Agawam
High
Long-term
High
Town of Agawam
Page 24
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements (continued)
Safety Issue
Intersection
Geometry
Traffic Signal
Indications
Safety Enhancement
As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, consider realigning the
intersection to smooth the horizontal curve on the Southwick Street
eastbound approach and create a perpendicular intersection
between South Westfield Street and Southwick Street/Springfield
Street to reduce sight distance issues to the west of the intersection
and to force motorists to make a more deliberate right turn from
Southwick Street eastbound.
As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, realign the Southwick
Street eastbound and Springfield Street westbound approaches so
that Springfield Street westbound left-turning vehicles are not lined
up head-on with Southwick Street eastbound through vehicles.
Replace signal indications with brighter lights so that they are more
visible for approaching motorists. Consider switching to LED
indications.
Consider moving the Springfield Street westbound line to maintain
a minimum offset distance of 40 feet from the signal indications in
order to provide a clear view for motorists to see the signal.
Consider providing a supplemental far-side post-mounted signal
facing the Springfield Street westbound approach to provide greater
signal visibility for vehicles at the stop line and for vehicles following
heavy vehicles that may block the overhead signal.
Consider installing tether wires to the traffic signals so that they do
not twist away from the intended direction.
As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, consider replacing the
span wire with far-side mast arms to improve signal visibility and to
prevent signal indications from twisting.
Consider providing back plates on overhead signal indications draw
motorists’ attention to the signal and to distinguish signal
indications from similar colored backdrops, such as the Bank of
America awning behind the North Westfield Street southbound
signal indication. Consider the use of retroreflective edges to
increase signal visibility at night.
Safety
Payoff
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Party
High
Long-term
High
Town of Agawam
High
Long-term
High
Town of Agawam
Medium
Mid-term
Medium
Town of Agawam
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Mid-term
High
Town of Agawam
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Long-term
High
Town of Agawam
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Page 25
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements (continued)
Safety Issue
Safety Enhancement
Safety Payoff Time Frame
In the short term, replace the pedestrian indications at the
intersection for added visibility and to display the missing
Low
Short-term
“DON’T WALK” indications.
Update all pedestrian indications and push buttons to ADAcompliant indications and push buttons as part of long-term
High
Long-term
reconstruction efforts.
As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, reconstruct
pedestrian ramps to comply with ADA and move or remove
obstacles such as utility structures and signal posts. Provide
ramps with tactile warning strips. Evaluate whether apex
Medium
Long-term
pedestrian ramps are appropriate at all corners of the
Pedestrian and
intersection. Consider the benefits to pedestrian comfort and
Bicycle
safety of providing perpendicular pedestrian ramps even if apex
Accommodations ramps are justified.
Restripe crosswalks for added visibility. Ensure that crosswalks
are a minimum of six feet wide as mandated by MassDOT;
however, crosswalks should be wider to encourage walking,
Low
Short-term
especially considering the intersection’s proximity to two
schools, which tend to attract large groups of children crossing
at the intersection at the same time.
Consider providing bicycle detection at the intersection.
Medium
Mid-term
As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, consider providing
shoulders of at least 4 feet (5 feet preferred) to provide bicyclists
High
Long-term
with a dedicated space in which to ride.
Cost
Responsible Party
Low
Town of Agawam
High
Town of Agawam
High
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Town of Agawam
High
Town of Agawam
Page 26
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements (continued)
Safety Issue
Access
Management
Safety Enhancement
Safety Payoff Time Frame
Consider using signage to prohibit left turns into and out of
driveways along the approaches to the intersection to reduce the
Low
Short-term
occurrence of courtesy crashes.
Consider increasing enforcement for the existing left-turn
restriction at the Pride Gas driveway on Springfield Street to
Low
Short-term
reduce the occurrence of courtesy crashes
Consider working with Pride Gas to direct patrons to the exit on
North Westfield Street if they intend to turn left onto Springfield
Medium
Short-term
Street. This would allow vehicles to use the signal to make a left
turn, rather than turning through queued vehicles.
Work with business owners to reconfigure driveways using
islands to force right-in/right-out movements into and out of
High
Mid-term
driveways to help eliminate courtesy crashes.
As part of long-term reconstruction efforts, consider constructing
a median along the Southwick Street eastbound and Springfield
Street westbound approaches to eliminate courtesy crashes
High
Long-term
along the roadways. Consider impacts to the overall traffic
network and the impact on local businesses.
Consider extending the Southwick Street eastbound right-turn
storage lane up the hill to the west of the intersection so that
motorists understand that this section of roadway operates as
Low
Short-term
two lanes. Consider available roadway width and the potential
introduction of courtesy crashes.
Cost
Responsible Party
Low
Town of
Agawam/abutters
Low
Town of
Agawam/Pride Gas
Low
Town of
Agawam/Pride Gas
Medium
Town of
Agawam/abutters
High
Town of
Agawam/abutters
Low
Town of Agawam
Page 27
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements (continued)
Safety Issue
Access
Management
Signage and
Pavement
Markings
Safety Enhancement
Safety Payoff Time Frame
Consider working with business owners on Springfield Street to
consolidate driveways, reducing the number of conflict points for
Medium
Mid-term
all users of Springfield Street, including bicyclists and
pedestrians.
Consider the appropriateness of implementing a TWLTL on
Springfield Street to access commercial driveways. Ensure that
Low
Mid-term
driveways are adequately spaced to avoid head-on crashes.
Consider replacing existing guide signage at the intersection
with consistent and concise guide signage that shows route
Low
Short-term
shield symbols, where appropriate, for added clarity.
Consider placing guide signage in advance of the intersection on
Springfield Street westbound and on North Westfield Street
Low
Short-term
southbound to supplement guide signage at the intersection and
to alert motorists before arriving at the intersection.
Consider replacing text lane use signage with diagrammatic lane
use signage for added visibility and clarity. Consider placing
Low
Short-term
lane use signage in advance of the intersection as well as on the
span wire or future mast arm, if implemented.
Realign and secure the existing “Left Only” signage on the span
wire facing South Westfield Street northbound so that it clearly
Low
Short-term
applies to the South Westfield Street northbound left-turn lane.
Replace existing street name signage with larger signage so that
it is easier to read, and provide street name signage for
Low
Short-term
Springfield Street. Consider placing street name signage on the
span wire or future mast arm, if implemented.
Repair the bent “No Turn on Red” sign for the Springfield Street
westbound approach. Consider placing this sign on a signal
Low
Short-term
post, if feasible, to ensure that it is always readable.
Cost
Responsible Party
Medium
Town of
Agawam/abutters
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Town of Agawam
Page 28
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Table 2. Summary of Potential Safety Enhancements (continued)
Safety Issue
Signage and
Pavement
Markings
Emergency
Response
Safety Enhancement
Ensure that signage does not block other signage. Move
signage that may be blocking other signage to an appropriate
position.
Restripe all worn and faded pavement markings for added
visibility and clarity.
Consider providing emergency vehicle preemption at both the
Feeding Hills intersection and at the Agawam Junior High
School driveway for reduced emergency vehicle response times
throughout the region.
Safety Payoff Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Party
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Low
Short-term
Low
Town of Agawam
Medium
Mid-term
Medium
Town of Agawam
Page 29
Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Appendix A. RSA Meeting Agenda Road Safety Audit
Agawam, MA
Feeding Hills Intersection (S. Westfield St and Springfield St)
Meeting Location: Clifford Granger School
31 South Westfield Street, Feeding Hills, MA
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Type of meeting:
High Crash Location – Road Safety Audit
Attendees:
Invited Participants to Comprise a Multidisciplinary Team
Please bring:
Thoughts and Enthusiasm!!
1:00 PM
Welcome and Introductions
1:15 PM
Discussion of Safety Issues
• Crash history, Speed Regulations – provided in advance
• Existing Geometries and Conditions
2:00 PM
Site Visit
• Drive to the Feeding Hills Intersection
• As a group, identify areas for improvement
2:30 PM
Discussion of Potential Improvements
• Discuss observations and finalize safety issue areas
• Discuss potential improvements and finalize recommendations
3:00 PM
Adjourn for the Day – but the RSA has not ended
Instructions for Participants:
• Before attending the RSA on May 20, 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
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Appendix B. RSA Audit Team Contact List Road Safety Audit
Feeding Hills Intersection (South Westfield Street at Springfield Street), Agawam
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Participating Audit Team Members
Date:
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Audit Team Members
Michael Albro
Michelle Chase
Rob Clickstein
Helen Marganti
Will Reichelt
Eric P. Gillis
Jennifer Blanchette
Alan Sirois
Cheryl Salomao
Van Kacoyannakis
Noah Yoskowitz
Frankie Mazzei
Khyati Parmar
Trung Vo
Luke Hayes
Lisa Schletzbaum
Corey O’Connor
Mike Tremblay
Ted Brovitz
Location:
Clifford Granger School, 31 South Westfield Street, Agawam
Phone
Agency/Affiliation
Email Address
Number
Town of Agawam Department of Public Works
413-821-0600 malbro@agawam.ma.us
Town of Agawam Town Engineer
413-821-0625 mchase@agawam.ma.us
Town of Agawam Public Schools
413-821-0550 rclickstein@agawampublicschools.org
Town of Agawam Public Schools
413-821-0554 hmarganti@agawampublicschools.org
Town of Agawam Town Attorney
413-726-7726 wreichelt@agawam.ma.us
Town of Agawam Police Department
413-786-4767 chiefapd@agawam.ma.us
Town of Agawam Police Department
413-786-4767 jblanchette@agawam.ma.us
Town of Agawam Fire Department
413-786-0657 asirois@agawam.ma.us
Granger School Principal
413-821-0581 csalomao@agawampublicschools.org
Milone & MacBroom
413-241-6920 vank@Miloneandmacbroom.com
Milone & MacBroom
413-582-1525 noahy@Miloneandmacbroom.com
ADA Commission
413-786-6713 Dabbo2@comcast.net
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
413-781-6045 kparmar@pvpc.org
MassDOT District 2 Traffic
413-582-1516 Trung.vo@state.ma.us
MassDOT District 2 Traffic
413-582-1525 Luke.hayes@state.ma.us
MassDOT, Highway Division
857-368-9634 lisa.schletzbaum@state.ma.us
MassDOT Highway Safety
857-368-9638 corey.oconnor@state.ma.us
Howard/Stein-Hudson (HSH)
617-348-3347 mtremblay@hshassoc.com
Howard/Stein-Hudson (HSH)
617-348-3308 tbrovitz@hshassoc.com
Road Safety Audit
Route 109 (Main Street)/Holliston Street, Medway, MA
Prepared by Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc.
Appendix C. Detailed Crash Data 111assDOT
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SYMBOLS
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TYPES OF CRASH
....,____
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~ Backing Vehicle
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~
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Pedestrian
Animal
~
Parked Ve~icle
D
Fixed Object
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yl
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I Springfield St (Rt. 147)
~
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14
18 22 35
•
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_2_1_ _ _ _ __
BERKSHIRE
BANK
27
32
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50
57
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I
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\9
49
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SUNOCO GAS
STATION
*NOT TO SCALE
I
PRIDE GAS
31
•
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LIQUEURS
@
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55
DATE PREPARED: September 18, 2013
PREPARED BY:
a38
-·
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N
December 2011
SOURCE OF CRASH REPORTS: Agawam Police Department
I
7~
5
January 2009 -
Westfield St (Rt. 187)
~
'--56
TIME PERIOD ANALYlED:
Fatal
Out of Control
45 53
~+­
0
Sideswipe
15123
25
@
Southwick St (Rt. 57)
Southwick St end Springfield St ct Westfield St
(Rts 57, 147 & 187)
REGION: PVPC
Injury
Night Time Crash
f
CROSSROADS
SHOPS
...
Turning Movement
~
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Angle
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~
0
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Bicycle
AGAWAM, MA
Head on
Rear End
~
COLLISION DIAGRAM
SEVERITY
GRANGER
SCHOOL
S. Westfield St (Rts. 57 & 187)
I
POST OFFICE
I
Crash Data Summary Table
Southwick St and Springfield St at Westfield St (Rts 57, 147 & 187), Agawam, MA
January 2009 - December 2011
Crash
Diagram
Ref #
1
2
Crash
Date
Time of Day
m/d/y
Light Condition
Type
Daylight
Daylight
Weather
Condition
Type
Clear
Cloudy
Road Surface
Driver Contributing Code
Type
Type
Dry
Inattention
Snow
Followed too closely
1/14/09
1/18/09
10:00 AM
11:11 AM
Manner of Collision
Type
Rear-end
Rear-end
3
2/12/09
8:53 AM
Sideswipe, same direction
Daylight
Clear
Wet
4
2/18/09
3:26 PM
Rear-end
Daylight
Snow
5
2/26/09
6:13 PM
Head on
6
3/6/09
2:14 PM
7
3/17/09
8
D1
Ages
D2
Comments
D3
27
57
29
48
Failed to yield right of way
27
46
Wet
Followed too closely
58
16
Dark - lighted roadway Other
Dry
Failure to keep in proper lane or
running off road
43
19
Angle
Daylight
Clear
Dry
Wrong side or wrong way
55
72
4:22 PM
Sideswipe, same direction
Daylight
Clear
Dry
Inattention
38
19
3/27/09
10:13 PM
Sideswipe, same direction
Dark - lighted roadway Other
Dry
Inattention
24
26
9
4/4/09
1:36 PM
Rear-end
Daylight
Cloudy
Dry
Visibility Obstructed
17
26
10
4/15/09
11:16 AM
Single Vehicle Crash
Daylight
Clear
Dry
No Improper Driving
76
39
11
12
5/5/09
5/12/09
8:49 PM
6:27 PM
Sideswipe, same direction
Rear-end
Dark - lighted roadway Cloudy
Daylight
Clear
Dry
Dry
Unknown
Inattention
49
36
unk
38
13
14
5/13/09
5/17/09
9:48 PM
5:00 PM
Rear-end
Rear-end
Dark - lighted roadway Rain
Daylight
Cloudy
Dry
Dry
Inattention
No Improper Driving
21
55
21
19
15
16
5/19/09
6/6/09
5:45 AM
6:50 PM
Angle
Rear-end
Daylight
Daylight
Clear
Clear
Dry
Dry
Visibility Obstructed
Inattention
29
49
44
25
17
18
19
6/8/09
6/17/10
7/5/09
5:13 PM
4:13 PM
4:06 PM
Unknown
Angle
Rear-end
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Clear
Clear
Clear
Dry
Dry
Dry
Inattention
Failed to yield right of way
Inattention
21
30
24
45
40
48
20
7/20/09
4:29 PM
Sideswipe, opposite direction
Daylight
Other
Dry
Inattention
37
42
V1 stopped at red light, V2 (turning right) turned too wide
21
7/28/09
9:32 AM
Rear-end
Daylight
Clear
Dry
Inattention
63
23
22
23
24
8/7/09
8/28/09
9/2/09
1:39 PM
6:18 PM
3:55 PM
Angle
Angle
Rear-end
Daylight
Dusk
Daylight
Clear
Rain
Clear
Dry
Wet
Dry
Made an improper turn
Failed to yield right of way
Distracted
63
35
38
30
57
21
V2 claims that his eye contact lens "watered up and he could not see V1."
Courtesy Crash.* Uninvolved vehicle waived V2 into traffic and V2 was then
hit by V1
25
9/10/09
8:26 PM
Angle
Dark - lighted roadway Clear
Dry
Failed to yield right of way
16
25
26
27
9/11/09
9/22/09
2:39 PM
5:16 PM
Sideswipe, same direction
Rear-end
Daylight
Daylight
Clear
Clear
Wet
Dry
Over-correcting/over-steering
Followed too closely
21
22
32
42
28
11/1/09
12:47 PM
Rear-end
Daylight
Clear
Dry
Cellular telephone
17
33
29
30
2/24/10
5/4/10
6:25 AM
3:30 PM
Rear-end
Rear-end
Daylight
Daylight
Snow
Cloudy
Slush
Dry
Driving too fast for conditions
Unknown
50
47
46
57
31
5/10/10
3:31 PM
Sideswipe, same direction
Daylight
Clear
Dry
No Improper Driving
40
66
V1 stopped for signal, V2 did not
V2 passing V1 on right. Officer comments that area is historically used for
two lanes and is wide enough but town wil not stripe it as two lanes.
Light turned green, V1 waits for traffic in intersection to clear, V2 goes on
green and rear-ends V1
Uninvolved bus waiting for traffic in intersection to clear during green. V2
behind bus passes bus on right attempting to travel straight while in a right
turn turn only lane and hits V1
Courtesy Crash.* V2 passed courteous vehicle on left to hit V1 exiting bank
V1 turning right into gas station, V2 attempted to pass on right thinking V1
was turning left
Vehicles traveling side-by-side and both attempted to enter Pride Gas at the
same time.
Op 2 bent down to pick up an item which obstructed her view then she rearended V1.
V2, TT in right lane, noticed the arrow to turn left onto Southwick Street had
turned green (left lane) and proceeded into the rear of V1.
V1 stopped at red light when V2 side-swiped it while turning in righthand
turn lane.
16 V1 and V2 stopped at red light, V3 failed to stop
V1 stopped at red light, V2 failed to stop
17 V1 and V2 stopped at red light, V3 failed to stop
V2 claims to have not seen V1 because the A-frame of his passenger door
was obstructing his view
V1 (motorcycle) waiting to turn left in intersection when V2 rear ended it
Courtesy Crash.* V1 passing queue on left to access left turn lane, V2
passes through break in queue and hits V1
V1 stopped at red light, V2 failed to stop
V1 slowing for traffic, V2 diverted his attention and rear-ended V1
V1 started to skid and to avoid rear-ending another vehicle slid into the side
of V2
V2 stopped at red light, V1 failed to stop
Both vehicles stopped at red light. V2 distracted by cell phone and
accelerates into V1
V2 stopped at stop light, V1 attempted to stop and slid into V2 due to
slippery road conditions
30 V2 and V3 slowed for traffic approaching intersection, V1 did not
V1 attempts to enter left turn lane but strikes V2 in the process (crash
occurred in construction zone)
Crash Data Summary Table
Southwick St and Springfield St at Westfield St (Rts 57, 147 & 187), Agawam, MA
January 2009 - December 2011
Crash
Diagram
Ref #
32
Crash
Date
Time of Day
m/d/y
Light Condition
Type
Daylight
Weather
Condition
Type
Clear
Road Surface
Driver Contributing Code
Type
Type
Dry
Inattention
5/11/10
6:35 PM
Manner of Collision
Type
Rear-end
33
6/22/10
8:36 PM
Rear-end
Dusk
Clear
Dry
34
6/30/10
9:54 PM
Single Vehicle Crash
Dark - lighted roadway Clear
35
36
8/30/10
9/19/10
4:50 PM
11:20 AM
Angle
Rear-end
Daylight
Daylight
37
10/5/10
2:15 PM
Sideswipe, same direction
38
10/28/10 7:35 AM
39
11/2/10
40
41
42
43
11/12/10
11/23/10
11/30/10
12/3/10
44
D1
Ages
D2
49
18
Inattention
73
40
Dry
No Improper Driving
52
Clear
Clear
Dry
Dry
Visibility Obstructed
Followed too closely
58
63
22
67
Daylight
Rain
Wet
Inattention
50
45
Sideswipe, same direction
Daylight
Clear
Dry
Unknown
51
22
6:57 AM
Rear-end
Dawn
Clear
Dry
Inattention
51
61
8:11 PM
9:25 AM
9:23 AM
2:06 PM
Rear-end
Rear-end
Angle
Angle
Dark - lighted roadway
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Clear
Clear
Clear
Clear
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dry
No Improper Driving
Inattention
Inattention
Failed to yield right of way
40
49
50
78
64
28
50
33
12/21/10 10:52 AM
Sideswipe, same direction
Daylight
Cloudy
Dry
No Improper Driving
45
34
45
12/29/10 6:47 PM
Angle
Dark - lighted roadway Clear
Wet
Failed to yield right of way
41
unk
46
1/13/11
5:18 PM
Rear-end
Dark - lighted roadway Other
Ice
Inattention
25
42
47
48
49
50
2/4/11
2/7/11
2/20/11
2/24/11
9:15 AM
2:22 PM
4:07 PM
5:12 PM
Head on
Rear-end
Rear-end
Rear-end
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Clear
Rain
Clear
Cloudy
Wet
Wet
Dry
Dry
Visibility Obstructed
No Improper Driving
Inattention
Inattention
51
38
64
35
64
36
20
47
51
4/13/11
5:12 PM
Angle
Daylight
Rain
Wet
Inattention
43
26
52
4/28/11
5:18 PM
Angle
Daylight
Rain
Wet
Failed to yield right of way
40
47
53
54
5/27/11
6/1/11
11:04 PM
3:43 PM
Angle
Rear-end
Dark - lighted roadway Clear
Daylight
Clear
Dry
Dry
Inattention
Followed too closely
47
55
27
19
55
6/15/11
5:25 PM
Rear-end
Daylight
Dry
Inattention
38
76
20
54
20
27
18
57
48
26
49
53
57
85
23
20
Cloudy
56
57
58
9/16/11
9/23/11
9/24/11
8:31 PM
4:39 PM
12:38 PM
Sideswipe, same direction
Rear-end
Angle
Dark - lighted roadway Clear
Daylight
Rain
Daylight
Clear
Dry
Wet
Dry
59
60
61
62
10/7/11
10/8/11
10/27/11
12/13/11
6:47 AM
1:06 PM
7:49 AM
4:41 PM
Head on
Angle
Angle
Rear-end
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Dry
Dry
Wet
Dry
Clear
Clear
Rain
Clear
Failure to keep in proper lane or
running off road
Inattention
Failed to yield right of way
Disregarded traffic signs, signals,
road markings
Inattention
Failed to yield right of way
Inattention
Comments
D3
V1 stopped at red light, V2 failed to stop
Both vehicles stopped at red light. V2 thought traffic was moving and
accelerated into V1.
Pedestrian in dark clothing crossed dark-lighted roadway, not in crosswalk
Courtesy Crash.* Uninvolved vehicle waived V2 into traffic and V2 was then
hit by V1
V1 stoped at red light, V2 distracted and rear ended V1.
V1 (TT) was executing a wide right turn when V2 drove up the right turn lane
and the trailer of V1 side-swiped V2
V2 attempted to merge into left lane and did not see that V1 was already
there
V1 was waiting for NB traffic to clear in order to enter school driveway when
V2 rear-ended it
V1 and V2 both taking left with a green arrow. Unknown SB vehicle ran red
light causing V1 to stop short causing V2 to rear-end it
V2 saw light turn green, attempted to change lanes and struck V1
V1 makes a wide right turn and struck V2 that was stopped at stop light
V2 cutting across from Bank to Pride gas
Uninvolved vehicle in left lane waiting to turn left. V2 attempted to pass the
uninvolved vehicle by entering the right hand turn only lane and by doing so,
V2 hit V1.
V2 did not yield while turning left
V1 stopped at red light. Due to icy road conditions, V2 rear-ended V1
Courtesy Crash.* Uninvolved vehicle waived V2 into traffic and V2 was then
hit by V1
48 V1 and V2 stopped at red light, V3 failed to stop
V1 stopped at red light, V2 failed to stop
V1 stopped in traffic, V2 was unable to stop
Courtesy Crash.* Uninvolved vehicle waived V2 into traffic and V2 was then
hit by V1
Courtesy Crash.* Uninvolved vehicle waived V2 into traffic and V2 was then
hit by V1
V2 turned in front of V1 (motorcycle)
27 V1 and V2 stopped in traffic, V3 distracted and did not stop in time
Both vehicles stopped at red light. V2 decided to swich lanes and rearended V1 in the process
V1 swung out into left lane to take a wide right turn. V2 thought V1 was
turning left and attempted to pass on right
V1 stopped in traffic, V2 did not stop
V1 followed another car into intersection but the traffic light was red
V1 was in wrong lane and began backing up to change lanes
V1 stopped in traffic, V2 did not stop
*Courtesy Crash - A term used to describe a crash that occurs subsequent to a non-involved mainline driver who gives the right of way, contrary to the rules of the road, to another driver.
Summary based on Crash Reports obtained from the Agawam Police Department
Crash Data Summary Tables and Charts
Southwick St and Springfield St at Westfield St (Rts 57, 147 & 187), Agawam, MA
CRASH MONTH
20%
15%
15%
13%
10%
5%
13%
11%
5%
6%
5%
5%
5%
J
A
8%
8%
O
N
6%
0%
J
F
M
A
M
J
S
D
CRASH DAY OF WEEK
30%
24%
10%
0%
19%
18%
20%
15%
8%
6%
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
10%
Sunday
CRASH TIME OF DAY
30%
26%
20%
10%
0%
16%
10% 11%
8% 8% 8% 8%
3%
6AM­
8AM
8AM­
10AM
10AM­
12PM
12PM­
2PM
2PM­
4PM
4PM­
6PM
6PM­
8PM
8PM­
10PM
10PM­
12AM
0% 0% 2%
12AM­
2AM
2AM­
4AM
4AM­
6AM
CRASH MANNER OF COLLISION
47%
50%
40%
26%
30%
16%
20%
10%
0%
3%
Single
Vehicle
Crash
2%
Rear-end
Angle
Sideswipe, Sideswipe,
same
opposite
direction
direction
Southwick St and Springfield St at Westfield St (Rts 57, 147, 187).xlsx
1 of 4
5%
Head on
0%
2%
Rear to
Rear
Unknown
9/18/2013
Crash Data Summary Tables and Charts
Southwick St and Springfield St at Westfield St (Rts 57, 147 & 187), Agawam, MA
CRASH LIGHT CONDITION
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
77%
Daylight
2%
3%
Dawn
Dusk
18%
Dark ­
Lighted
Roadway
0%
0%
0%
0%
Dark ­
Roadway
not lighted
Dark ­
unknown
roadway
lighting
Other
Unknown
0%
0%
6%
0%
Unknown
0%
Other
0%
Blowing
sand, snow
Rain
Cloudy
Clear
3%
Severe
Crosswinds
76%
13%
Fog, Smog,
Smoke
80%
13%
Sleet, Hail,
Freezing
Rain
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Snow
CRASH WEATHER CONDITION
65%
CRASH ROAD SURFACE
60%
40%
19%
20%
0%
Dry
Wet
2%
2%
Snow
Ice
0%
0%
Sand, mud, Water
dirt, oil, (standing,
gravel
moving)
2%
0%
0%
Slush
Other
Unknown
CRASH DRIVER AGES
30%
25%
20%
10%
0%
24%
16%
14%
10%
15-20
7%
21-29
30-39
40-49
Southwick St and Springfield St at Westfield St (Rts 57, 147, 187).xlsx
2 of 4
50-59
60-69
4%
70-79
1%
80+
9/18/2013
AGAWAM, MA
Springfield St at Stop and Shop and Agawam Jr.
High School
REGION: PVPC
Tit.IE PERIOD ANALYlED:
COLLISION DIAGRAM
CO
Stop & Shop Driveway
*NOT TO SCALE
l
December 2011
DATE PREPARED: September 18, 201J
PREPARED BY:
u
January 2009 -
SOURCE OF CRASH REPORTS: Agawam Police Department
STOP & SHOP
\L---=EX;_IT_ __.
~~
4
2
4
14
6
1.............__
Springfield St (Rt. 147 )
Agawam Jr. High School
Driveway
SYMBOLS
.. Moving Vehicle
IIJI Backing Vehicle
----~ Non-Involved Vehicle
«<
~
~
-
TYPES OF CRASH
Head on
tl
•
Rear End
__/
Angle
Bicycle
lr.-
Turning Movement
Animal
~
Pedestrian
-'iiiiiiiilo
Parked Vehicle
D
Fixed Object
~
L
Sideswipe
Out of Control
Night nme Crash
SEVERITY
0
Injury
0
Fatal
N
Crash Data Summary Table
Southwick St at Stop & Shop / Junior High School, Agawam, MA
January 2009 - December 2011
Crash
Diagram
Ref #
Crash
Date
Time of Day
m/d/y
Manner of Collision
Type
Light Condition
Type
Weather
Condition
Type
Road Surface
Type
Driver Contributing Code
Type
D1
Ages
D2
D3
1
3/24/09
11:53 AM
Single Vehicle Crash
Daylight
Clear
Dry
Inattention
47
2
7/30/09
3:26 PM
Angle
Daylight
Clear
Dry
No Improper Driving
87
3
12/31/10 4:25 AM
Single Vehicle Crash
Dawn
Clear
Wet
Unknown
unk
4
4/29/11
3:21 PM
Rear-end
Daylight
Clear
Dry
Inattention
53
54
5
6
7
5/16/11
6/3/11
7/3/11
5:53 PM
3:37 PM
12:12 PM
Angle
Rear-end
Rear-end
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Rain
Clear
Rain
Wet
Dry
Wet
No Improper Driving
Inattention
Inattention
42
40
40
62
49
36
17
Comments
D4
Operator departed road and collided with fire hydrant, two street signs and a
dentist sign. Operator claims to have not known what happened.
V1 (West on Springfield Street) stopped and allowed "only a few" vehicles to
exit Stop & Shop exit. V2 thought V1 was going to allow her to exit but V1
accelerated forward.
Video surveillance showed a bucket truck departing the road and crashing
into a tree before leaving the scene.
Both vehicles stopped at red light. V2 thought light turned green and
accelerated into V1.
When light turned green V1 proceeded into intersection and hit cyclist in
crosswalk
V1 and V2 stopped in traffic, V3 could not stop in time.
V1 stopped in traffic, V2 failed to stop.
*Courtesy Crash - A term used to describe a crash that occurs subsequent to a non-involved mainline driver who gives the right of way, contrary to the rules of the road, to another driver.
Summary based on Crash Reports obtained from the Agawam Police Department
Crash Data Summary Tables and Charts
Southwick St at Stop & Shop / Junior High School, Agawam, MA
CRASH MONTH
29%
30%
25%
20%
14%
15%
14%
14%
14%
14%
10%
5%
0%
0%
0%
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
0%
0%
0%
0%
A
S
O
N
D
CRASH DAY OF WEEK
50%
43%
40%
30%
20%
14%
14%
14%
10%
0%
14%
0%
Monday
Tuesday
0%
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
CRASH TIME OF DAY
60%
43%
40%
14%14%
20%
0%
14%
0% 0%
6AM­
8AM
8AM­
10AM
14%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
10AM­
12PM
12PM­
2PM
2PM­
4PM
4PM­
6PM
6PM­
8PM
8PM­
10PM
10PM­
12AM
12AM­
2AM
2AM­
4AM
4AM­
6AM
CRASH MANNER OF COLLISION
50%
43%
40%
30%
29%
29%
20%
10%
0%
0%
Single
Vehicle
Crash
Rear-end
Angle
Springfield St at Stop & Shop and Jr High School.xlsx
0%
Sideswipe, Sideswipe,
same
opposite
direction
direction
2 of 3
0%
0%
0%
Head on
Rear to
Rear
Unknown
9/18/2013
Crash Data Summary Tables and Charts
Southwick St at Stop & Shop / Junior High School, Agawam, MA
CRASH LIGHT CONDITION
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
86%
14%
Daylight
Dawn
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Dusk
Dark ­
Lighted
Roadway
Dark ­
Roadway
not lighted
Dark ­
unknown
roadway
lighting
Other
Unknown
CRASH WEATHER CONDITION
80%
71%
60%
40%
60%
0%
0%
0%
Unknown
0%
Other
0%
Blowing
sand, snow
0%
Severe
Crosswinds
0%
Fog, Smog,
Smoke
Rain
Cloudy
0%
Clear
0%
Sleet, Hail,
Freezing
Rain
20%
Snow
29%
CRASH ROAD SURFACE
57%
43%
40%
20%
0%
Dry
Wet
0%
0%
Snow
Ice
0%
0%
Sand, mud, Water
dirt, oil, (standing,
gravel
moving)
0%
0%
0%
Slush
Other
Unknown
CRASH DRIVER AGES
60%
45%
40%
20%
0%
18%
0%
0%
15-20
21-29
9%
9%
9%
9%
30-39
Springfield St at Stop & Shop and Jr High School.xlsx
40-49
3 of 3
50-59
60-69
70-79
80+
9/18/2013
REGULATION IS NOT PRESENTED IN ITS ENTIRETY
-3OUND
Connecticut State line
north r
City line.
o~
1.09
1.10
0.21
2.94
out 187
at 45 liles per hour
ile
II
tl
n
40
n
25
"
It
II
II
II
tf
endin ~ at the
40
i'bc total distance be:mg 5.'24 miles .
II
II
II
II
estfielc
a.t the \.er;tfield City line
l3e~innin
Thence :3outhnrly on Route 187
2.94 miles at 40 miles per hour
I
II
n
II
0 . 21
25
"
II
If
II
1.10
40
"tl
" 11 n en11ir'..g at the Connecticut
II
1.09
45
"
State line. '.the total dista..Tlce b .ing 5.34 .iles.
Tnence north rly on Brid e Street
o. 50 l!liles a-c 30 miles per hour endin
Spr ingfield TO\m li
•
a't the 'est
The total distance being 0 . ;so m.1.lcslf
...
B....,
RI=OO-.-.;;;;E...s...T...,RE---.F.T
.....-.-s;..;;O...,U.-TH__Q!llill
Begi nning at the
est Springfield TO\m l i ne
Thence southerly on Bridge Street
o. 30 miles at 30 miles pqr !10t1r en.'ii 15 at
T'ne total distance be ins 0. 30 miles e
I:~aple
Street.
B ginning 3 50 fe t north of I out 147
Thence northerl
o.
n
2 m1
0.28
Th
,
t Street G..t."l
s at 35 miles
u
30
n
0.16
" 20
"
o al distanc be "0.76 miles.
s r et
iv
r i our
I
II
n
en i
~ a~
Bridge
Str~
t.
t
r
t
....
in
).
4.
TOWN MANAGER
6
com L
't n · ro
t b ! erect U.
t
J)~'L'
FOl
y
the b
:
J~ov
ilJ.;;i
of
~ach
mbo.c 12, 19'7 4
on •