Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Massachusetts Highway Department
Road Safety Audit
Route 2 / Taylor Road / Piper Road
Acton, MA
September 29, 2006
prepared for
Federal Highway Administration
Massachusetts Division
prepared by
MassHighway, Traffic Engineering
2006 Road Safety Audits
Prepared by MassHighway Traffic Engineering
September 2006
Location: Acton – Route 2 at Piper Road and Taylor Road
Audit Date:
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Audit Team:
Katie Baratta, MassHighway, Traffic Engineering
Dave Brown, Acton Highway Department
Detective Bob Cowan, Acton Police Department
Chief Craig, Acton Fire Department
Daniel Fleury, Acton Engineering Department
Joe Frawley, MassHighway District 3
Jim Gallagher, MAPC
Joshua Grzegorzewski, FHWA
Promise Otaluka, FHWA
Andrew Paul, MassHighway District 3
Bonnie Polin, MassHighway, Traffic Engineering
Russell Robinson, Acton Highway Department
Sylvia Smiley, MassHighway, Traffic Engineering
Bruce Stamski, Acton Engineering Department
Carrie Strassfeld, MassHighway, Highway Design
Corey York, Acton Engineering Department
Site Selection: The Route 2 at Piper Road and Taylor Road intersection was selected for a
road safety audit based on a recommendation from the MassHighway District 3 Office. This
location is known to have a high crash total and is on the Top 1000 Crash Location list.
Description: The intersection is shown in Figure 1. Route 2 is a State Highway running eastwest. The roadway is a heavily traveled commuter route, carrying approximately 40,000
vehicles per day, and is the primary east-west route across northern Massachusetts. Route 2 is
primarily a limited access highway with this location containing the only traffic signal control
within miles and the only location, within miles, where drivers on Route 2 may be required to
stop. Route 2 carries two through lanes in each direction. The posted speed on Route 2 is 45
mph through the intersection. Piper Road, the southern leg, and Taylor Road, the northern leg,
are collector roadways with one lane in each direction.
Safety Data: The crash history at this location was briefly reviewed for crashes occurring
between 2002-2005 and contained in the statewide crash database. Over four years, 72 crashes
have occurred at or in the immediate vicinity of this intersection. Forty percent of all crashes,
where the crash severity was known, involved injury. There were no fatal crashes at this
location. Forty percent of all reported crashes were rear end collisions with nearly 70% of those
crashes occurring by westbound traveling vehicles and 30% by eastbound traveling vehicles.
Twenty five (25%) percent of the crashes were single vehicle crashes, half of those occurred in
the eastbound direction. Over 20% of all crashes were angle collisions (nearly half of these
crashes involved southbound vehicles with westbound vehicles). Less than 5% of the crashes
involved either left or right turning vehicles.
2006 Road Safety Audits
Prepared by MassHighway Traffic Engineering
September 2006
FIGURE 1: Acton – Route 2 at Piper Road and Taylor Road
2006 Road Safety Audits
Prepared by MassHighway Traffic Engineering
September 2006
Nearly 65% of all crashes at this location occurred during daylight, compared to 68% statewide.
Over 85% of the crashes, where the weather conditions were known, occurred during dry
weather (clear or cloudy), compared to 76% statewide. Nearly 70% of the crashes, where the
roadway surface was known, occurred on dry pavement, compared to 67% statewide.
During the field visit, law enforcement has statement that vehicles are passing through this
intersection at a higher than posted rate of speed. In fact,
it is believed that speed is a factor in a majority of the
crashes. Based on the crash data, nearly half of all crash
reports where a “driver contributing code” was entered,
included “exceeding authorized speed limit”, “driving
too fast for conditions”, “following too closely” or
“operating vehicle in an erratic, reckless, careless,
negligent or aggressive manner”.
Vehicle speeds were recorded in 2003 for Route 2 and
the 85th percentile speed was determined to be 61 mph in
the vicinity of this intersection. The readings were taken
at the Concordia Hotel, which is 1.5 miles west of the Concord Rotary and approximately 0.7
miles from the intersection of Route 2 with Piper Road and Taylor Road.
There are numerous skid marks on the Route
2 westbound approach.
Observations
Intersection Geometry
The Route 2 approaches appear to have 12-foot travel lanes in each direction. The left turn lanes
for the eastbound and westbound approaches are channelized away from the through approaches
such that they are opposite each other. This allows one left turn phase without opposing
conflicting movements. Taylor Road has a single approach lane to the intersection. Piper Road
has a wide yield controlled right turn lane and a shared through and left turn lane.
The single southbound departure lane creates a potential conflict in control between drivers on
the Taylor Road southbound approach and drivers making a right turn from Route 2 eastbound.
There is no yield sign on the channelized Route 2 eastbound right turn lane, nor is there a right
turn on red prohibition. Therefore, when the green indication is provided for Taylor Road,
drivers turning right from Route 2 eastbound may be fighting for the right of way. However, the
crash data does not indicate that this is common crash occurrence.
At the field visit, it was mentioned that the sight lines between Taylor Road southbound and
Route 2 westbound appear to be restricted. The crash data indicate that the most common angle
crash type at this intersection is southbound vehicles with westbound vehicles.
2006 Road Safety Audits
Prepared by MassHighway Traffic Engineering
September 2006
Traffic Signal
The signal has a combination of ground mounted and overhead signal heads and the intersection
has a very cluttered appearance. The placement of signal heads do not provide for adequate
visibility, particularly on the Piper Road and Taylor Road approaches where the near indication
is not visible near the stop bar and the far indication is in
conflict as it stays green longer to clear the internal
section of the intersection. Furthermore, based on
feedback from Acton personnel, during windy
conditions, some of the non-fixed signal heads move
slightly creating
difficulty in
seeing the
correct signal
indication.
The layout of signal heads appears cluttered.
Back plates
were installed
on some of the signal heads, but not all signal heads for
the affected approaches.
The 85th percentile speed on Route 2 near this
intersection is over 15 mph higher than the speed limit
through the intersection and speeding is reported to be a
problem through this intersection. It is possible that the
clearance intervals at this signal may not be appropriate
for the speeds through this intersection.
The minor approach has a red indication, but
the green indication for the clearance phase is
visible to minor approach. In addition, the
closest signal head for the minor street
approach (Taylor Road) is mounted too close
to the stop bar.
Roadway Surface / Pavement Markings
The pavement markings appeared to be in good condition on the approaches to the intersection,
but they were very worn in the median area of the intersection. There appears to be no centerline
painted in the median area. Painting and maintaining yellow skips through the median area may
reduce confusion for northbound and southbound vehicles traveling through or making left turns
onto Route 2, although based on the crash data, this does not appear to be the cause of a
significant number of crashes.
Signage
There are a number of misleading, inaccurate,
superfluous and / or inappropriately mounted signs
within and around the intersection. This is currently
being studied as part of a Route 2 signage upgrade
project that is presently in design.
As this is the only location on Route 2, within miles,
where vehicles are required to stop, signal warning signs
are posted in advance of the intersection on both the
eastbound and westbound approaches to alert drivers to
The intersection appears over-signed.
2006 Road Safety Audits
Prepared by MassHighway Traffic Engineering
September 2006
the upcoming signal.
The do not enter sign on the right is too low.
The no right turn sign is too low to the
ground.
There is a curve on Route 2, at the Route 2 / Route 111
interchange, approximately 1500 feet west of this
intersection. A curve warning sign is present to alert
drivers to the change in the horizontal alignment. During
the field visit it
was mentioned
that in the past
there was a
flashing curve
warning sign on
Route 2 eastbound
but that the sign
was removed.
Although plans
The wrong way sign shown on the right is
very old and faded.
from the 1960s
confirm the
presence of the illuminated sign, records were not readily
available for why and when the sign was removed. The
video-log from 1996 does not show the illuminated curve
warning sign so that the sign has been gone for at least
10 years. Several attendees at the field visit believed this
illuminated sign was effective in slowing down the
eastbound traffic.
Drainage
Based on local feedback, there are some drainage
concerns in the southwestern corner of the intersection.
At some point in the past a 4-inch pipe was installed
under the sidewalk in this corner of the intersection in
order to address
a ponding issue.
The problem is
on-going since
the pipe gets
clogged
repeatedly with
A puddle forms at the corner of Route 2
debris. In
eastbound and Piper Road when it rains.
addition, gravel,
fines, and sand are present by the catch basin in this
corner of the intersection. Adequacy of these drainage
structures should be evaluated.
A pipe was installed under the sidewalk in
the southwestern corner of the intersection to
address drainage problems. The pipe gets
clogged with debris regularly.
The edge of pavement on the right side of the Taylor
Road approach to the intersection has deteriorated. The
2006 Road Safety Audits
Prepared by MassHighway Traffic Engineering
September 2006
A catch basin in the southwest corner of the
intersection.
soil along the
side of the road
appears to be
eroding during
heavy rains.
This has created
a drop off from
the pavement
edge, which
could be
hazardous if a
vehicle veers off
the pavement.
The edge of pavement on Taylor Road in the
northwest corner of the intersection is
deteriorating.
Landscape
The vegetation in the median and on the islands in this
intersection is very overgrown. In some spots, the
vegetation has grown higher than the signs. More
frequent mowing would increase visibility in the
intersection. A chain link fence is located in the
southwest quadrant of the intersection, separating a
short sidewalk segment from the travel way. This fence
may not prevent a collision between a vehicle and
pedestrian and it certainly makes mowing difficult.
Tree limbs obstruct visibility of the signal heads on the
westbound approach to the intersection as well as some
of the advance signs. Trees should be trimmed back
more regularly.
The fence in the southwest corner of the
intersection makes mowing difficult and
plant growth has exceeded the height of the
fence.
Pedestrians
There is a sidewalk along Route 2 in the southwestern
quadrant of the intersection that turns onto Piper Road
and crosses Piper Road just south of the intersection and
continues south along Piper Road. There are guardrails
along most of the Route 2 eastbound approach, however
in the southwestern corner of the intersection, the
guardrail stops and only a fence separates pedestrians
from vehicles. There are no pedestrian signals or buttons
to call the minor street green phase and there are no
The sidewalk and fence in the southwestern
crosswalks painted across Route 2. Based on feedback,
corner of the intersection are shown here.
pedestrians do not cross here and there is no demand for
pedestrian amenities, but this has not been verified.
The MassHighway Project Development and Design Guide encourages accommodation of nonmotorized transportation modes in the planning, design, and construction of transportation
2006 Road Safety Audits
Prepared by MassHighway Traffic Engineering
September 2006
improvement projects. This location does not appear to have demand for additional pedestrian
facilities. If, in the future, the demand arises, additional pedestrian facilities should be
incorporated into the intersection design.
Discussion
During the field visit, Acton law enforcement mentioned that a request has been sent to
MassHighway asking for a “Police” sign to be posted on Route 2 as the police station is
immediately off Route 2, just west of the intersection. It was further stated that there have been
many instances where drivers needing emergency assistance were required to travel longer
distances because the location of the Acton Police Department / EMS was unknown. A copy of
the letter of request is attached.
Emergency pre-emption is not provided at this intersection. The Acton Fire Chief mentioned
that they would like emergency pre-emption installed.
Conclusion
Based on feedback from the attendees at the field visit and the available crash data, it does
appear that speeding is a major contributor to the high incidence of crashes. In addition to
continued enforcement, measures to control speeding along this stretch of Route 2 may help to
reduce the number of crashes. Furthermore, there are a number of measures that can be taken to
improve safety of the intersection.
Recommendations
Short Term Recommendations
•
Address the speeding problem through increased and more visible enforcement.
•
Evaluate the feasibility of installing transverse rumble strips on Route 2 approaches to
(depending on the placement, the nearest residence is approximately 350 feet from
possible rumble strip location) alert drivers to the intersection ahead and install if
feasible.
•
The findings listed in this Road Safety Audit should be evaluated by the Metropolitan
Area Planning Council and the District 3 Project Section, and if appropriate, assigned to a
MassHighway open-ended contract for preliminary design. The following actions should
be addressed by the assigned consultant:
o Evaluate traffic signal heads and cones of vision. Implement improvements to
maximize visibility of correct signal indications and minimize visibility of
conflicting indications.
o Traffic signs should be reviewed for compliance to MUTCD guidelines and
current retroreflectivity standards (may be done as part of the Route 2 sign
upgrade contract). Remove and replace signs as necessary.
2006 Road Safety Audits
Prepared by MassHighway Traffic Engineering
September 2006
o Evaluate whether the clearance intervals of the signal are appropriate for the 85th
percentile speeds approaching this intersection.
•
Consider installing illuminated red signal ahead signs on the Route 2 approaches.
•
Update pavement markings particularly in the internal section of the intersection.
•
Install additional back plates on signal heads affected by sun glare.
•
Assign right-of way at the merge of the southbound receiving lane with eastbound right
turns.
•
Evaluate the adequacy of the drainage structures in the southwest corner of the
intersection. As a minimum, clean catch basins more frequently.
•
Increase the frequency with which mowing occurs in the median in the vicinity of this
intersection.
Long Term Recommendations
•
Reevaluate intersection after short-term recommendations have been implemented. If
crash problem persists, consider major geometric changes (which may involve restricting
some movements or relocating these movements away from this intersection).
2006 Road Safety Audits
Prepared by MassHighway Traffic Engineering
September 2006