ROAD SAFETY AUDIT
Maple Street (Route 85) at
­
Walker Street & Mill Street South
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City of Marlborough
October 2013
Prepared For:
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Prepared By:
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc
Union Station – Suite 219
2 Washington Square
Worcester, MA 01604
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Table of Contents
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Background ................................................................................................................................. 1
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RSA Process................................................................................................................................. 1
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Project Location and Description.............................................................................................. 3
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Relevant RSA Data ..................................................................................................................... 6
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Audit Observations ................................................................................................................... 11
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Potential Safety Enhancements ............................................................................................... 17
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Summary of Road Safety Audit............................................................................................... 21
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List of Appendices
Appendix A: RSA Meeting Agenda
Appendix B: RSA Audit Team Contact List
Appendix C: Detailed Crash Data
Appendix D: Additional Information
Appendix E: Road Safety Audit References
List of Figures
Figure 1.
Locus Map.............................................................................................................................. 4
List of Tables
Table 1 - Participating Audit Team Members ........................................................................................... 2
Table 2 – Roadway Functional Classifications.......................................................................................... 3
Table 3 - Traffic Volume Summary........................................................................................................... 7
Table 4 – Intersection Crash Rates ............................................................................................................ 8
Table 5 – Intersection Crash Summary: January 2008 - May 2013........................................................... 9
Table 6 – Estimated Time Frame and Cost.............................................................................................. 18
Table 7 - Potential Safety Enhancement Summary.................................................................................. 22
Page i
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Background
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Defined by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as a “formal safety performance examination
of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multidisciplinary team”, a road safety
audit (RSA) investigates safety issues and identifies potential safety improvements. The Commonwealth
of Massachusetts through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) requires a RSA for
HSIP-eligible locations in order to receive safety-related funding. The outcome of an RSA can be
evaluated and included as part of any future or current design process. Any short-term, low-cost potential
improvements should be considered by the responsible agency for implementation prior to any significant
reconstruction efforts.
The Maple Street (Route 85) intersection with Walker Street and Mill Street South has routinely been
noted as having a cluster of vehicle crashes that is high enough to make it eligible for HSIP funding. The
Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has requested an RSA be performed at this
intersection prior to advancing the design of proposed improvements. A 25% design for the Route 85
Reconstruction Project was submitted in 2008 by SEA Consultants, Inc. (now part of Kleinfelder) but was
not accepted nor advanced to a Design Public Hearing. The Project is currently listed on the 2016
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
Safety improvements that are identified as a result of this RSA may be incorporated into the 25%, 75%,
100% or Final design plans. The City’s Engineering and Public Works departments could implement the
short-term, lower cost safety measures prior to any major re-construction efforts covered by the TIP
design.
RSA Process
An RSA was conducted on Monday, September 16, 2013 at the Route 85 intersection with Walker Street
and Mill Street South, with pre- and post-audit meetings held at the Marlborough Department of Public
Works, which is within the overall project limits. The specific agenda for the day may be found in
Appendix A. In total, nine (9) team members participated in the road safety audit, and as indicated in
Table 1, representatives were present from State, Regional and Local agencies and included a crosssection of engineering/planning, operations, and enforcement expertise. A complete list of contact
information for the participants may be found in Appendix B.
Prior to the day of the RSA, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) compiled crash data for the
intersection using Crash Reports from January 2008 through May 2013 obtained from the City of
Marlborough. From this data, a collision diagram was prepared and the crash history was summarized in
tabular and chart format. This material was distributed to all RSA invitees. A detailed discussion of crash
history along the corridor is provided herein and all backup crash data are included in Appendix C.
A pre-audit meeting was held at 135 Neil Street (Department of Public Works) on the morning of the
RSA prior to the site walk with all participants to review the materials provided by VHB. Participants
were reminded that the RSA was a collaborative effort to ensure a thorough understanding of the
Page 1
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
intersection deficiencies and safety concerns. As an active discussion, participants provided an initial list
of specific issues and concerns.
Armed with this information and the Safety Review Prompt List provided by MassDOT, the audit team
walked the area surrounding the intersection to review the safety issues identified in the pre-meeting and
identify additional concerns to be added to the list. Following the site walk, participants held a postmeeting to discuss potential short-term and intermediate/long-term countermeasures for each safety
concern. It was discussed whether the intermediate/long-term countermeasures could be addressed in the
current 25% design for the TIP project.
Table 1 - Participating Audit Team Members
Audit Team Member
Agency/Affiliation
Tom Cullen
Marlborough DPW – Engineering
Tim Collins
Marlborough DPW – Engineering
Tim Naze
Marlborough Police
Seth Asante
Boston MPO
Corey O’Connor
MassDOT Highway Division Safety Management Unit
Lisa Schletzbaum
MassDOT Highway Division Safety Management Unit
Alolade Campbell
MassDOT Highway Division, District 3 Traffic
Christine Keches
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc
Greg Russell
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc
Page 2
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Project Location and Description
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Marlborough is a Massachusetts municipality with a population of 38,499 (2010 US Census) located in
Middlesex County approximately 25 miles west of Boston. Route 85 provides a vital north-south link for
communities to access other regional roadways (including Route 9, Route 20 and I-90/MassPike),
shopping centers, businesses and educational facilities. This RSA was conducted as part of the Route 85
Reconstruction Project, which covers Route 85 between the Southborough Town Line north to John
Street, which is just south of the Downtown. As mentioned previously, the Project is currently listed on
the Boston MPO’s 2016 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). A 25% Design was previously
submitted in 2008 for the Project, but was not accepted and was not advanced to the Design Public
Hearing.
The RSA focused on the intersection of Maple Street (Route 85) with Walker Street and Mill Street
South, which is the southernmost signalized intersection located on Route 85 in Marlborough. The
intersection is located approximately one-third of a mile north of the Southborough Town Line. This
segment of Route 85, and in turn this specific intersection, is critical in that it controls the flow of
commuter traffic to/from areas south of the City including Route 9 and Interstate 90 (MassPike) (See
Figure 1). Walker Street provides access to Route 85 for the residential areas of Framingham Road and
Farm Road, which lie immediately to the east of Route 85. The Kane Elementary School is also located to
the east of this intersection, which also serves residences on the west side of Route 85. Mill Street South,
which connects to Brigham Street, provides access to several commercial and industrial properties, as
well as a back route into the neighboring Town of Southborough. This intersection is located
approximately 1.5-miles south of the entrance to the Marlborough branch of the Assabet River Rail Trail,
which is a popular regional destination. It should be noted that this intersection was designed to be
coordinated with the signalized intersection of Route 85 and South Street, which is located approximately
800-feet to the north, although how well the coordination is working (or if it is operating as a coordination
system) remains in question.
All roadways within the audit limits are City-owned and maintained. The functional classification of each
roadway within the audit area is presented in Table 2.
Table 2 – Roadway Functional Classifications
Street
Classifications
Maple Street (Route 85)
Urban Minor Arterial
Walker Street
Urban Collector
Mill Street South
Urban Collector
Regulated speed limits in the audit area are 35 mph on Maple Street (Route 85) and 25mph on Brigham
Street, which connects to Mill Street South immediately west of the intersection. No Special Speed
Regulations were found for Walker Street or Mill Street South.
Page 3
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Figure 1
Aerial Locus Map
300
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September 2013
Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker Street
Marlborough, Massachusetts
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Maple Street (Route 85) is classified as an urban minor arterial within the audit area. The cross-section of
Maple Street varies from a 2-lane to 4-lane roadway as it moves through the City of Marlborough. Maple
Street is a 2-lane roadway as it approaches the audit area from the south before quickly widening to a 4lane roadway approximately 200’ south of its intersection with Walker Street and Mill Street South. The
4-lane cross section continues north through the audit area for approximately 1,000’ before tapering back
to 2 lanes north of South Street. Walker Street and Mill Street South intersect Maple Street from the east
and west, respectively, to form a four-way signalized intersection. Maple Street bends to the east at an
approximately 30 degree angle as it passes through the Walker Street intersection; when traveling north.
Mill Street South enters the intersection from the southwest at a skewed angle of approximately
40 degrees.
Both the northbound and southbound Maple Street approaches consist of two general purpose lanes. The
term “general purpose lane” refers to a travel lane where all available movements are permitted. If there is
a single lane on an approach to an intersection, left-turn, right-turn, and through movements are permitted
unless otherwise restricted. If an approach has two general purpose lanes, the left-hand lane is for leftturn and through movements and the right-hand lane is for through and right-turn movements. The two
southbound lanes quickly taper to a single lane as traffic moves past the north driveway of the Gold’s
Gym (420 Maple Plaza). Shoulders on Maple Street are approximately 1-foot wide where there is a four
lane cross-section, but they widen out to as much as 8-feet just south of the intersection as the crosssection narrows to two lanes. The westbound Walker Street approach consists of a shared leftturn/through lane and a designated right-turn lane; which totals approximately 140-feet. Walker Street (as
well as Framingham Road and Farm Road) has a 24-hour Restriction for Commercial Vehicles over 2 ½
tons; however, the sign is located on Walker Street approximately 10’ east of Maple Street and is blocked
by trees and not visible. The eastbound Mill Street South approach consists of a designated left-turn lane,
through lane and a short (approximately 30-feet) channelized right-turn lane that operates under yield
control. There are sidewalks and crosswalks on all approaches to the intersection; however the sidewalk
on the southeast corner serves primarily to facilitate crossings at the intersection only as it does not extend
down Walker Street or Maple Street. It should be noted that the available right-of-way (ROW) along
Maple Street is restricted due to the presence of buildings and drive aisles located at the back of the
existing sidewalks.
This traffic signal is fully-actuated with concurrent pedestrian phasing and, as previously mentioned, it is
not known if this signal is operating under coordination. A leading protected left phase is provided for the
southbound Maple Street approach, while all other movements at the intersection are permissive. There
are four mast-arms present with high-mount signal heads, equipped with back plates, for all approaches.
Both Maple Street approaches have supplemental side-of-pole mounted signal heads, while the Mill Street
South approach has a supplemental post-top mount signal. All vehicular traffic signal heads have 12”
indications and are equipped with LED modules. Pedestrian signal heads are solid HAND/MAN
indications. Pedestrian push buttons at this location are ADA-compliant, although not an accessible
pedestrian signal (APS)-type and are not all located within the MUTCD-compliant distances from the
crosswalks. This location is equipped with emergency vehicle pre-emption capabilities. This intersection,
based on previous studies and input from local officials, appears to operate at a modest level-of-service
(LOS). It should be noted, however, that the intersection appears to not be operating to its fullest
capacity, as vehicles on Maple Street (northbound) tend to use only the outside general purpose lane in
Page 5
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
order to avoid getting stuck behind a left-turning vehicle. As a result of this, extensive vehicle-queues
along Maple Street have been observed (by City personnel) during peak commuter periods.
Key businesses surrounding the intersection include several auto dealerships and repair facilities (Maple
Street Auto Center, Quality Automotive, Kraft Tire & Auto Center, Al Brodeur’s Auto Body), MetroWest
Lawn & Power Equipment, and 420 Maple Plaza, which includes Gold’s Gym, a Church and several
smaller commercial businesses. The Women’s Veterans Monument and a historic mile marker are located
in the northwest quadrant of the intersection between Maple Street and Central Mill Street. It was also
noted by City Personnel that a Cumberland Farms convenience store and gas station is proposed in the
northeast corner of the intersection (currently MetroWest Lawn & Power Equipment); the project is
currently being reviewed by the City. The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) has a
scheduled stop (Route 7) adjacent to this intersection. The outbound stop (northbound) is on Maple Street
and is adjacent to the Gold’s Gym, while the inbound stop (southbound) is adjacent to Maple Street Auto.
The bus currently stops in the outside travel lane and well south of the intersection. There are twelve (12)
scheduled stops at this location in each direction on a weekday and five stops per day on weekends. This
route provides service between the MWRTA Central Hub in Framingham and the intersection of Broad
Street and Lincoln Street in Marlborough, via Route 9, Route 30 and Route 85.
Relevant RSA Data
Bus Facilities
There are two bus stops located on either side of Maple Street, just south of the Walker Street intersection
adjacent to the Gold’s Gym and Maple Street Auto properties. These bus stops serve MWRTA Route 7,
which makes 12 stops per day on a weekday and 5 stops per day on weekends. This route provides service
between the MWRTA Central Hub in Framingham and the intersection of Broad Street and Lincoln Street
in Marlborough, via Route 9, Route 30 and Route 85.
Traffic Volumes
Traffic volume data was collected for the original TIP design in November 2005 and are detailed in Table
3. The relatively high volumes, especially during peak periods, and associated congestion along Maple
Street (Route 85) and the related driver frustration can have an effect on crash history in the area
surrounding the intersection in question. The reverse directional split during the peak hours speaks to the
commuter nature of this segment of Route 85.
Page 6
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Table 3 - Traffic Volume Summary
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Location
Maple Street
(north of
Walker Street)
Maple Street
(south of Mill
Street)
1
2
3
4
Average
Weekday
Daily
Traffic
1
Volume
25,165
21,370
Peak
Hour
Peak
Hour
Traffic
3
Volume
K4
Factor
Directional
Distribution
AM
2,000
7.9
67% Southbound
PM
2,250
8.9
59% Northbound
AM
1,735
8.1
67% Southbound
PM
2,090
9.8
56% Northbound
Average Weekday Daily Traffic (AWDT) volume in vehicles per day (vpd).
Based on the classification counts, approximately 11% of the vehicles were not classified. This volume has not been added to
the volume listed above and a higher percentage may be a truer representation of truck usage of these roadways.
Peak hour traffic volumes in vehicles per hour (vph).
K-Factor is the percent of daily traffic occurring during the peak hour: expressed as a percentage.
Traffic Patterns
This intersection serves as a critical intersection node in the City’s roadway network. This intersection,
along with the intersection of South Street and Route 85 to the north, is used by residents to travel
between I-495 and the commercial areas to the west, and the residential neighborhoods off Farm Road to
the east which serves as a means to bypass Downtown Marlborough and Route 20. This traffic pattern
generates a high number of southbound left-turns from Maple Street and westbound right-turns from
Walker Street. Any changes to lane designations or signal phasing at the Walker Street signal could
potentially alter traffic patterns outside the audit area as it would be more difficult to navigate through this
intersection (longer delays, queues, etc.). This will be further investigated as the overall TIP project
design advances. It was noted by City personnel that if a no right-turn-on-red (RTOR) restriction was
placed on the Walker Street approach, vehicles may begin bypassing this intersection in favor of the
unsignalized intersection of Framingham Road with Route 85 to use a quicker alternative route.
Crash History
Historical crash data was obtained from the Marlborough Police Department for the study intersection
from January 2008 through May 2013 and are provided in Appendix C. As mentioned previously, this
intersection is also listed as a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) vehicle crash cluster based
on MassDOT’s 2008, 2009 and 2010 data – the most recent MassDOT data available.
A tool to measure the relative safety of an intersection is the comparison of a calculated crash rate with
the State and District average. Using standard MassDOT formulas, Table 4 summarizes the crash rates, in
the unit of crashes per million entering vehicles, calculated for the audit area intersections. The current
official statewide crash rate is 0.80 for signalized intersections. The District 3 average (The MassDOT
District designation for Marlborough) crash rate for signalized intersections is 0.89.
Page 7
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Table 4 – Intersection Crash Rates
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Intersection
Maple Street at Walker Street and
Mill Street South
Crash
Rate
Intersection
Control
Compared to
State Rate
Compared to
District Rate
1.0
Traffic Signal
Above
Above
As shown in the above table, the audit area intersection is above both the State and District average. Crash
trends and contributing factors to the collisions can be identified through the analysis of the Crash
Reports. The Collision Diagram VHB prepared prior to the RSA, and provided in Appendix C, was used
to perform an in-depth analysis of the reported crashes. Table 5 summarizes the crashes by type, severity,
time-of-day, pavement conditions and lighting conditions. Following the table is a breakdown of the
crashes for trends and possible contributing factors.
Page 8
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Table 5 – Intersection Crash Summary: January 2008 - May 2013
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Maple Street (Rt. 85) at
Walker Street/
Mill Street South
Year
2008
11
2009
4
2010
8
2011
11
2012
7
2013
2
Total
43
Collision Type
Angle
16
Head-on
2
Rear-end
10
Sideswipe, same direction
11
Single vehicle crash
2
Non Motorist (Bike, Pedestrian)
2
Crash Severity
Non-fatal injury
7
Property damage only (none injured)
36
Time of Day
Weekday, 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM
5
Weekday, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
12
Saturday, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
-
Weekday, other time
20
Weekend, other time
6
Pavement Conditions
Dry
28
Wet
10
Snow
5
Lighting Conditions
Daylight
29
Dawn
1
Dusk
4
Dark – Lighted Roadway
9
Page 9
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
From January 2008 through May 2013, there were forty-three (43) reported crashes at the signalized
intersection of Maple Street at Walker Street and Mill Street South. The majority of crashes were anglecollisions (18, including 2 bicycle-related crashes), followed by sideswipes (11, 10 of which involved
vehicles traveling in the same direction) and rear-end crashes (10). Two of the angle collisions involved a
vehicle running a red light. The second most frequent type of crash was side-swipe collisions. Six (6)
sideswipe crashes were noted south of the intersection; three southbound and three northbound. The
preponderance of sideswipe crashes is most likely related to the short merge/diverge distance south of the
intersection in combination with the location relative to the Gold’s Gym driveways. A total of six (6)
crashes were noted in the vicinity of the Gold’s Gym driveways, all of which occurred during times that
would be considered peak commuting and work-out/exercise times (weekdays at approximately 7AM,
1PM and 5PM). There were a total of two (2) crashes at this intersection that involved bicycles, one of
which resulted in an injury to the cyclist. In each case the bicycle originated from Walker Street.
In summary, the audit area has experienced a number of angle, rear-end, and sideswipe-type collisions
over the analysis period. Other notable summaries include:
• Approximately 16% of crashes (7 out of 43) resulted in personal injury.
• Approximately 32% of crashes (14 out of 43) occurred at night or at dusk/dawn.
• Approximately 47% of crashes (20 out of 43) occurred between the months of December and
March.
• Approximately 35% of crashes (15 out of 43) occurred with either wet or snow covered roadway
conditions.
• Approximately 21% of crashes (9 out of 43) involved vehicles traveling through a red light.
• Approximately 62% of drivers that were involved in crashes (48 out of 78) were between the ages
of 30 and 59.
Given the wide spread of crash types at the intersection, the following appear to be the major contributing
factors for crashes at this location: (i.) a general lack of capacity (possibly due to underutilized inside
travel lanes), (ii.) the skewed alignment of Mill Street South to Maple Street, (iii.) the close proximity of
curb cuts to the intersection, (iv.) the lack of an advance phase or dedicated lane in the northbound
direction; and (v.) driver error or unawareness.
Page 10
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Audit Observations
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At the pre-audit meeting held prior to the site walk, materials provided by MassDOT were reviewed and
participants provided an initial list of specific issues and concerns. Armed with issues and concerns and
the Safety Review Prompt List provided by MassDOT, the audit team walked the area surrounding the
intersection to point out the safety issues identified in the pre-meeting and expanded the list to include
additional items.
• Speed - The speed limit along Maple Street (Route 85) within the audit area is 35 mph. Speeds
were noted up to 40 mph depending on the traffic conditions at the times. Due to the congestion
along the corridor during peak commuting hours, traffic generally flows at the speed limit or
slightly lower through the area. During the field walk it was noted that some turning movements
were being made at higher speeds due to the “wide open feel” of the intersection. This was
specifically mentioned regarding the southbound right-turn onto Mill Street South, where there is
little deflection to right-turn vehicles. Also, vehicles turning left from Mill Street South use the
full two-lane width of the Maple Street northbound departure lanes to travel faster through the
intersection.
• Roadway alignment and cross-section – Maple Street (Route 85) is generally straight
approaching the audit area from the south; however, it bends approximately 30-degrees to the east
as it passes through the intersection. Alignment and cross-section concerns include the following:
o Horizontal Curvature: The horizontal curve on Maple Street, through the intersection,
combined with several back-of-walk obstructions, limits intersection sight-distance for
motorists making the right-turn-on-red maneuver from Walker Street and pedestrians
crossing the Walker Street crosswalk. Obstructions restricting sight lines include the
existing building on the northeast corner (at the back of sidewalk), the retaining wall and
guard rail on the southeast corner of the intersection, .as well as dumpsters and private
signs on the 420 Maple Plaza property. The curvature of the roadway also impacts
vehicles attempting to exit driveways located north of the intersection.
Photo 1 – Looking South From Walker St
Photo 2 – Looking North From Walker St
Page 11
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
o Vertical Curvature: The crest vertical curve on Maple Street located just south of the
intersection contributes to the restricted sight lines for vehicles turning right-on-red (or
exiting) from Walker Street and driveways located on the northeast side of the
intersection.
o Roadway Cross Section: The cross section on Maple Street south of the intersection,
departing the intersection, narrows quickly resulting in a short merge area, amongst
several conflicting driveways.
o Lane Width: Travel lanes on Maple Street are typically 11-12 feet wide. In combination
with the narrow shoulders, there is little area for bicyclists to use. During the field walk a
bicyclist was observed riding on the sidewalk before shifting to a shared lane.
• Traffic Operations and Travel Patterns – This intersection appears to operate at a reasonable
level-of-service during the majority of the day, with congestion increasing during peak commuter
times. There were several crashes noted between southbound left-turning vehicles and
northbound through vehicles, as well as several northbound rear-end crashes. These crashes may
result from a combination of a number of factors including congestion, deficient timings, and the
protected/permissive phasing which may encourage some drivers to turn using smaller gaps.
Noted traffic operations concerns include the following:
o Alternative Route to Downtown: To avoid congestion on Route 20 through Downtown,
drivers utilize this intersection to travel between I-495 and the residential neighborhoods
off Farm Road. This results in drivers making the allowed right turn on red movement
from Walker Street onto Maple Street northbound, regardless of the limited sight lines.
o Lane Efficiency: The intersection does not appear to operate at its peak efficiency due to
drivers not fully utilizing the available capacity/lanes on Maple Street. Drivers have been
observed to queue in the outside travel lane to avoid getting stuck behind a left-turning
vehicle in the inside through lane. This pattern may contribute to the high number of
sideswipe and rear end crashes on both the northbound and southbound approach.
o Protected Signal Phase: City personnel noted that the businesses along Mill Street South
and Brigham Street have requested a protected phase for the Mill Street South eastbound
approach to make it easier for their customers to leave their establishments. Multiple
angle crashes were noted involving vehicles turning left from Mill Street South. City
personnel noted, and it was later observed in the field, that this movement is especially
difficult when vehicles are attempting to turn left from Walker Street at the same time.
o Curb Cut Locations: Several of the crashes that occurred within the audit area were
directly related to the presence of commercial driveways. These crashes involved
vehicles turning in or out of the Gold’s Gym and included drivers attempting to bypass
vehicles that were slowing down to turn left. A similar situation was noted north of the
intersection at the driveway for MetroWest Lawn & Power Equipment.
Page 12
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
• Auxiliary Lanes – Auxiliary lanes are provided on the minor street approaches. A 140’
designated right-turn lane is provided on the westbound Walker Street approach. The Mill Street
South approach has an 80’ designated left-turn lane and short channelized right turn lane. It was
noted that the current lane configuration does create confusion for drivers, particularly those that
are unfamiliar with the intersection. More specifically, as vehicles turn left onto Maple Street
northbound it is difficult to discern specific movements from Walker Street. City personnel noted
that they often see vehicles on Walker Street using the right-turn lane to bypass a left-turning
vehicle, which creates an additional visual conflict for vehicles attempting to make a left-turn
from Mill Street South to Maple Street north.
• Pavement Conditions –A handful of rear-end and spin-out type collisions occurred on wet or
snowy pavement surrounding this intersection. The pavement was wet during the field walk and it
was noted several times during the field walk that vehicles wheels were spinning when attempting
to make turning movements. This appeared to be exacerbated by the wearing and rutting of the
existing pavement surface. City personnel commented that during large snow events, snow banks
can decrease available sight lines and increase the difficulty of several turning movements.
• Signs – There are several signs that were noted as being not visible by approaching drivers, as
well as others that may result in confusion for drivers.
o Street Signs: It was noted by City personnel that there is often confusion with regard to
addresses on Mill Street. Mill Street was divided into three separate segments (South,
Central and North) when Route 85 was reconstructed approximately 15 years ago.
Drivers are often observed turning around in commercial driveways when trying to locate
addresses. Inaccurate street names within motorists’ GPS units may contribute to the
confusion. Furthermore, the Mill Street South sign on the northwest corner of the
intersection is blocked by trees and the signal post and mast arm.
o Brigham Street: Brigham Street is also a point of confusion for drivers as it originally
was part of the Walker Street intersection prior to the Route 85 reconstruction project 15
years ago. It was then cut off at Mill Street South, and City personnel mentioned that
drivers have a difficult time locating it since it begins approximately 300’ west of the
intersection. In an attempt to alleviate the problem, the City installed a Brigham Street
sign onto the existing pedestrian post in the channelizing island on Mill Street South.
Photo 3 – Brigham St Sign on Pedestrian
Page 13
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
o Signage: The existing R4-2L
sign on the west side of Maple
Street, south of the intersection
and in the departure lanes,
presents confusion to drivers, as
typically the right lane of traffic
would be directed to merge left
and not the left lane to merge
right.
Photo 4 – Existing R4-2L Sign on Rt. 85 SB
o Night Visibility: It was noted
repeatedly that the existing
LED sign mounted on the
MetroWest Lawn & Power
Equipment building is
excessively bright at night and
can cause driver confusion.
Photo 5 – Private LED Sign
o Signage: The existing “Right
Lane Must Turn Right” sign on
the Walker Street westbound
approach is blocked by Route
85 directional signs.
Photo 6 – Walker Street Signage
Page 14
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
o Sign Visibility: The
existing Commercial
Vehicle Restriction sign
on Walker Street
eastbound is blocked by
trees.
Photo 7 – Commercial Restriction Sign on Walker St
• Pavement Markings – In general, pavement markings are in good condition except where trench
patches or other pavement work have eradicated the markings; however, the one exception is
pavement markings are significantly faded on Mill Street South.
Photo 8 – Mill Street South Pavement Markings
• Pedestrians –Limited pedestrian activity has been observed at this intersection. The pedestrian
accommodations along Walker Street are in very poor condition or don’t exist (southerly side).
On Maple Street, south of the intersection, there are no pedestrian accommodations on the
easterly side of the roadway. The majority of businesses surrounding the intersection are
automobile-based (car dealerships, auto repair shops, rental car businesses, etc.) and are currently
not drawing pedestrians to the area; however, that could change with the redevelopment of the
northeast corner of the intersection (Cumberland Farms). The majority of the residential areas
within the immediate vicinity of the intersection are located to the east, beginning at the far end of
Walker Street. Pedestrians originating from these residential areas have multiple ways to access
Page 15
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
the more pedestrian-friendly businesses to the north. Concurrent pedestrian phasing is provided at
the intersection, however the limited sight lines can make crossing difficult. It was also noted that
the pedestrian crossing phase appeared to end before the movement could be completed.
• Bicyclists – Based on available traffic data input from local officials, there is limited bicycle
activity along this section of Maple Street. A bicyclist was observed during the field walk riding
on the sidewalk and later transitioning to the street in a share-the-lane capacity. Narrow shoulders
and travel lanes, relatively high vehicle speeds and a high number of vehicle-oriented businesses
are some of the contributing factors to the lack of bicycle and pedestrian activity in this area. It
should be noted that the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), working with the City,
has developed a draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities map that calls for bicycle lanes to be
implemented along Maple Street through this intersection.
• Public Transit – The MWRTA bus stops draw pedestrians to the area for transportation to other
regions. While there are scheduled stops on both sides of Maple Street, there is no signage,
shelter or designated waiting area(s). Due to the narrow shoulders and lack of a bus pull-out,
buses are required to stop in the right travel lane.
Photo 9 – Northbound Bus Stop Location
• Emergency Vehicles – The traffic signal system at this intersection is equipped with emergency
pre-emption to facilitate preferred movements for emergency vehicles. It was also noted by public
safety personnel that there are limited areas to undertake enforcement activities for red light
running, speeding, etc. since there are minimal shoulders and poor sight lines.
Page 16
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
• Commercial Vehicles - There is a commercial vehicle truck restriction on Walker Street, as well
as Framingham Road and Farm Road to the east. Still, heavy vehicles were observed using
Walker Street. This may be due, in part, to the restriction signage on Walker Street being blocked
by trees.
Photo 10 – Car transporter traveling SB on Rte 85
Photo 11 – Truck turning right onto Walker St
Potential Safety Enhancements
Following the site walk, participants returned to the DPW meeting room to review the safety issues
identified and to recommend potential countermeasure improvements. Knowing the corridor is currently
under design through the State’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) process; participants were
challenged to come up not only with long term (greater than 1 year) improvements that could be
incorporated into the larger design project, but also to identify short-term (2-6 months) or intermediate (6
months – 1 year) improvements that could be implemented as soon as possible and before the
reconstruction efforts begin.
All discussed improvements were categorized by the following time frames: short-term, intermediate, and
long-term. Long-term improvements are likely to be associated with the TIP project and are called out as
the responsibility of the designer. Improvements related to such items as signal timing, striping, signage,
and curb use were often assigned dual designations as they represented something that could be addressed
in the near term (as appropriate and as available resources make possible) as well as part of the TIP
project. As was previously noted, the available right-of-way (ROW) along Maple Street is restricted due
to the presence of buildings, private drive aisles and historic monuments located at the back of the
existing sidewalks; thus any improvements that include changes to the existing geometry will require
permanent easements on the properties surrounding the intersection. Time frame and costs have taken into
account the concerns that the City has in being able to acquire easements in the vicinity of this
intersection. While it is understood that some easements will likely be required, the City would like to
take a balanced approach, such that no specific property is negatively impacted in a significant manner.
Page 17
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Enhancements were also assigned a cost category, as identified in Table 6.
Table 6 – Estimated Time Frame and Cost
Time Frame
Short-term
Intermediate
Long-term
2-6 months
6 months-1 year
> 1 year
Cost
Low
Medium
High
<$10,000
$10,000-$50,000
> $50,000
Recommended Countermeasures
There are a variety of enhancements or countermeasures that could be evaluated and applied to improve
the safety concerns identified at the intersection of Maple Street with Walker Street and Mill Street South.
The following countermeasures suggested by audit participants can be applied at various locations within
the corridor.
• Provide advanced street name signage on Maple Street to better direct drivers to Mill Street
(North, South and Central) and Brigham Street. This is a short-term, low cost improvement.
• Replace W4-2L lane merge sign on Maple Street southbound with a W4-2R sign to reflect
elimination of right travel lane and not the left. This is a short-term, low cost improvement.
• Provide “Signal Ahead” (W3-3) signs, particularly for the northbound Maple Street approach.
This will alert drivers to the potential need to stop for a red light and the presence of queued
vehicles. This is a short-term, low cost improvement.
• Work with private land owners to move existing site features (dumpsters, signs, etc.) that are
blocking intersection sight lines, making turning movements (especially from Walker Street)
safer and more efficient. This is a short-term, low cost improvement.
• Work to eliminate private signs that distract drivers or block sight lines. This is a short-term, low
cost improvement.
• Support a potential City bylaw to restrict LED lighting for uses other than traffic management
(traffic signals, construction zones, etc.). This is a potential long-term improvement that would
not be part of the TIP improvement project.
• Provide improved pavement design to eliminate rutting at this location, or mill the surface of the
pavement to remove the ruts and provide a more level surface. This could help reduce the number
of crashes occurring during wet and snowy pavement conditions. This could be a short-, or
intermediate- to long-term, medium cost improvement.
• Investigate measures to reduce conflicts at the 420 Maple Plaza driveways on Maple Street. Three
specific measures were discussed:
Page 18
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
o Request Gold’s Gym members to exit the site via Walker Street. This is a short-term, low
cost improvement.
o Eliminate or redesign the 420 Maple Plaza northerly access on Maple Street to be a rightturn in and out only. Exiting vehicles could use the driveway further to the south, which
is outside of the existing Maple Street southbound departure lane merge area, thus
eliminating the need for vehicles to cross multiple travel lanes. This could require
improvements to the existing on-site parking layout. This is a long-term, high cost
improvement.
o Extend the southbound merge area and taper to match the proposed design speed of the
roadway. This would carry the merge section past the existing driveways, potentially
limiting conflicts but requiring right-of-way acquisitions and new signage. This is a longterm, high cost improvement.
• Investigate the feasibility of providing additional capacity along Maple Street at the intersection.
This would be accomplished through the installation of northbound and southbound designated
left-turn lanes. Providing left-turn pockets would help reduce the number of crashes between
vehicles travelling north-south through the intersection on Route 85 (sideswipe and rear-end),
while also potentially reducing angle crashes (depending on signal phasing). This is a long-term,
high cost improvement.
• Due to the limited sight lines to and from Walker Street, consider installing a “No Turn on Red”
sign for the Walker Street right-turn movement. This is a short-term, low cost improvement.
• Provide a protected overlap signal phase for the Walker Street right-turn movement when the
southbound Maple Street protected left-turn phase is running. This would allow vehicles to make
this movement in a safer and more efficient manner. This is an intermediate-term, medium cost
improvement.
• Consider providing a protected left-turn phase for the eastbound Mill Street South approach,
which would help to reduce angle crashes. This is an intermediate-term, medium cost
improvement.
• Trim trees on the southeast corner that block the existing truck restriction sign. This is a shortterm, low cost improvement.
• Trim trees on the northwest corner of the intersection that obstruct visibility of the southbound
signal head mounted on the mast arm. This signal head is the only one that currently is in the
direct line of sight of drivers traveling southbound on Maple Street. This is a short-term, low cost
improvement.
• Align the existing overhead signal heads on Maple Street to better match the respective approach
lanes to provide better visibility and potentially reduce red-light running crashes. This is an
intermediate-term, medium cost improvement.
Page 19
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
• Provide retro-reflective back-plates on the existing signal heads to provide better visibility and
potentially reduce red-light running crashes. This is a short-term, low cost improvement.
• Consider checking the existing clearance intervals to see whether changes could be made that
may reduce the number of rear-end crashes at this location. Consider whether adjustments to the
existing signal timing plans may allow the intersection to operate more efficiently. This is a shortterm, low or medium cost improvement.
• Confirm that coordination between signals at South Street and Walker Street is functioning
properly. This is a short-term, low cost improvement.
• Investigate the compliance of pedestrian clearance times for concurrent operation. This is a shortterm, low cost improvement.
• Refresh the existing pavement markings on the segment of Mill Street South between Maple
Street and Brigham Street. In an effort to reduce vehicle speeds, consider using pavement
markings to reduce pavement area for vehicles turning right onto Mill Street South. This is a
short-term, low cost improvement.
• Decrease the curb radii creating a tighter right-turn movement from Maple Street southbound to
Mill Street South. This will help reduce speeds of turning vehicles. This is a long-term, medium
cost improvement.
• Investigate the feasibility of providing improved bicycle accommodations. Multiple options were
discussed for accomplishing this:
o Consider providing sharrows and share the road signs on all legs of the intersection. This
is a short-term, low cost improvement.
o Consider providing bicycle lanes on Maple Street within the existing pavement width in
the 2-lane area south of the intersection. This is a short-term, low cost improvement.
o Provide bicycle accommodations within the signal infrastructure including loops and
pavement markings. This is an intermediate-term, medium cost improvement.
Page 20
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Summary of Road Safety Audit
�
Recommendations for improving safety at the intersection of Maple Street (Route 85) with Walker Street
and Mill Street South are summarized in Table 7 and are categorized based on estimated safety payoff,
time frame and cost for implementation. The responsible party for further action has been identified as
well.
Safety payoff estimates are subjective and based on the relative percent of crashes that may be reduced by
the enhancement. For major improvements, crash reduction factors are often available to assess the safety
payoff; however, for many minor enhancements a more subjective evaluation is needed. To provide a
general assessment of how a recommended enhancement would impact crash occurrences,
countermeasures have been assigned a Low, Medium, or High value on a subjective basis using
engineering judgment as it relates to potential crash reduction.
Countermeasures detailed in Table 7 involve Engineering, Maintenance, Enforcement, Educational and/or
Behavioral modifications that start with corridor-wide considerations and continue with site and locationspecific items for consideration.
Selected countermeasures have been identified as potentially short-term or intermediate (typically City
responsibility) and/or long-term, which would be considered as part of the TIP project (Designer
responsibility). Consideration should be made as to the appropriateness of inclusion in the TIP corridor
project of countermeasures as the project design advances. Costs for such inclusions are indicated (with
an *) to show that these can be funded through the TIP process.
Improvements related to such items as signal timing, striping and signage were often assigned dual
designations as they represented something that could be addressed in the near term (as appropriate and as
available resources make possible) as well as part of the TIP project.
Page 21
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Table 7 - Potential Safety Enhancement Summary
�
Safety Issue
Safety Payoff
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible
Agency
Provide advanced street signage
Low
ST
Low
City
Replace W4-2L lane merge sign with W42R
Low
ST
Low
City
Provide W3-3 (signal ahead) sign
Low
ST
Low
City
Work to eliminate private signs that block
sight lines or cause driver distraction
Low
ST
Low
City
Provide an improved pavement design to
eliminate rutted pavement, or as a shortterm improvement mill ruts from pavement
surface.
Low
LT/ST
High
Designer/City
Provide pavement markings/signage or
fliers requesting Gold’s Gym patrons exit
the site via Walker Street
Med
ST
Low
City
Investigate feasibility of modifying
driveways to the south out of the Maple
Street departure merge area
Low
LT
High
City /Designer
Extend merge area/tapers to match
roadway design speed
Med
LT
High
Designer
Investigate need for designated left turn
lanes on Maple Street
Med
LT
High
Designer
Reduce curb radii for southbound right turn
movement onto South Mill Street
Low
LT
Medium
Designer
Potential Countermeasure
Signage
Pavement
420 Maple Plaza Driveways
Intersection Geometry
Time Frame Codes:
­
ST = Short Term (2-6 months)
IT = Intermediate (6 months – 1 year)
LT = Long Term (>1 year)
­
Page 22
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Table 7 - Potential Safety Enhancement Summary
�
Safety Issue
Sight Lines
Traffic Signal
Time Frame Codes:
­
ST = Short Term (2-6 months)
Safety Payoff
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible
Agency
Work with private land owners to move site
features that are impacting sight lines
Low
ST
Low
City
Trim trees on northwest corner to improve
signal visibility for southbound drivers
Low
ST
Low
City
Trim trees on southeast corner that block
existing truck restriction sign
Low
ST
Low
City
Consider installing a No Turn on Red sign
for Walker Street approach
Low
ST
Low
City
Provide protected right turn overlap phase
for Walker Street approach
Low
IT/LT
Med
City /Designer
Provide protected left turn phase for Mill
Street South approach
Low
IT/LT
Med
City /Designer
Provide retro-reflective back plates on the
existing signal heads
Low
IT/LT
Med
City /Designer
Align the existing signal heads to better
match Maple Street lane configuration
Low
ST
Low
City
Confirm that coordination between Walker
Street and South Street is working properly
Low
ST
Low
City
Check existing signal timings/clearance
intervals
Low
ST
Med
City
Potential Countermeasure
IT = Intermediate (6 months – 1 year)
LT = Long Term (>1 year)
­
Page 23
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Table 7 - Potential Safety Enhancement Summary
�
Safety Issue
Pavement Markings
Bicycle Accommodations
Time Frame Codes:
­
ST = Short Term (2-6 months)
Safety Payoff
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible
Agency
Investigate compliance of pedestrian
clearance times for concurrent operations.
Low
ST
Low
City
Refresh existing markings on Mill Street
South
Low
ST
Low
City
Consider using markings to reduce
pavement area for vehicles turning right
onto Mill Street South, or tighten turning
radii by moving curb line in toward
roadway.
Low
ST/LT
Low/High
City/Designer
Consider providing sharrows on all
approaches to the intersection
Low
ST
Low
City/Designer
Consider providing bicycle lanes on Maple
Street south of the intersection
Med
ST
Low
City/Designer
Provide bicycle accommodations within the
signal infrastructure including loops and
pavement markings
Med
IT/LT
Med
Designer
Potential Countermeasure
IT = Intermediate (6 months – 1 year)
LT = Long Term (>1 year)
­
Page 24
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Appendix A: RSA Meeting Agenda
�
Page A2
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Road Safety Audit
Marlborough
Route 85 at Walker Street
(Route 85 Reconstruction Project)
Meeting Location: Marlborough Department of Public Works
DPW Conference Room
135 Neil Street, Marlborough MA
September 16, 2013
10 AM – 12:00 PM
Type of meeting:
Attendees:
Please bring:
High Crash Location – Road Safety Audit
Invited Participants to Comprise a Multidisciplinary Team
Thoughts and Enthusiasm!!
10:00 AM
Welcome and Introductions
10:15 AM
Review of Site Specific Material
• Crash & Volume Summaries
• Existing Geometries and Conditions
10:00 AM
Visit the Site
• Drive to the Route 85/Walker Street intersection
• As a group, identify areas for improvement
11:00 AM
Post Visit Discussion / Completion of RSA
• Discuss observations and finalize findings
• Discuss potential improvements and finalize recommendations
12:00 PM
Adjourn for the Day – but the RSA has not ended
Instructions for Participants:
• Before attending the RSA on September 16, 2013, participants are encouraged to
drive through the area 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.
Page A2
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Appendix B: RSA Audit Team Contact List
�
Page B1
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Participating Audit Team Members
Date:
September 16, 2013
Location:
Audit Team Members
Agency/Affiliation
Marlborough DPW, 135 Neal Street, Marlborough
Email Address
Phone Number
Lisa Schletzbaum
MassDOT Safety
lisa.schletzbaum@state.ma.us
857-368-9634
Corey O’Connor
MassDOT Safety
corey.oconnor@state.ma.us
857-368-9638
Alolade Campbell
MassDOT D3 Traffic
alolade.campbell@state.ma.us
508-929-3800
Tom Cullen
Marlborough DPW – Engineering
tcullen@marlborough-ma.gov
508-624-6910
Tim Collins
Marlborough DPW – Engineering
tcollins@marlborough-ma.gov
508-624-6910
Tim Naze
Marlborough Police
tnaze@marlborough-ma.gov
508-726-0124
Sarah Kurpiel
MAPC
skurpiel@mapc.org
617-451-2770
Seth Asante
Boston MPO
sasante@ctps.org
617-973-7098
Christine Keches
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc
ckeches@vhb.com
617-924-1770
Greg Russell
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc
grussell@vhb.com
508-752-1001
Page B2
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Appendix C: Detailed Crash Data
�
Page C1
COLLISION DIAGRAM
Route 85 at Walker Street/Mill Street South
INTERSECTION
5
years
PERIOD
MUNICIPALITY
JOB NUMBER
2008
FROM
City of Marlborough, Massachusetts
C. Keches
PREPARED BY
12406.00
2012
TO
DATE PREPARED
9/11/2013
15
37
12 , 22 ,
20
Maple Stre
25 , 29
et
tre
10
NORTH ARROW
9
24
23
7 , 35 , 41
)
et (Route 85
W
S
er
alk
8
1 , 3 , 11
2
, 14 , 16
, 33
6
13
, 21
43
19
32
17
, 42
5,
18
31
, 36
26
, 34
Mill S
treet S
o
39
uth
, 38
m
Gy
ew
ay
30
ple
,
27
Ma
4,
ld's
Go
iv
Dr
S tr
28
eet
40
ute
(Ro
85)
PAVEMENT/WEATHER/LIGHTNING
D
C
W
R
F
S
O
DL
N
L
TYPES OF COLLISION
ACCIDENT SUMMARY
REAR END
DRY
CLEAR
WET
RAIN
FOGGY
SNOWY, ICY
OTHER
DAYLIGHT
DARK - NO LIGHTS
DARK - LIGHTED
SIDE SWIPE
TYPE
OUT OF CONTROL
ANGLE
LEFT TURN
REAR-END
RIGHT ANGLE
HEAD-ON
3
PROP.
DAM.
FATAL INJURY
PROP.
DAM.
FATAL INJURY
TOTAL
9
1
5
4
14
18
7
1
2
1
9
10
1
1
2
1
10
11
2
2
36
43
1
1
1
5
5
1
1
LEFT TURN
SYMBOLS
SIDESWIPE
MOVING VEHICLE
FIXED OBJECT
BACKING VEHICLE
FATAL ACCIDENT
PEDESTRIAN
INJURY ACCIDENT
PARKED VEHICLE
FATAL INJURY
TOTALS
PROP.
DAM.
NIGHT
DAYLIGHT
HEAD ON
FIXED OBJECT
PARKED CAR
OTHER
TOTAL
5
23
2
13
7
Crash Data Summary Tables and Charts
Maple Street (Route 85)/Walker Street, Marlborough, MA
CRASH MONTH
16%
14%
14%
12%
12%
12%
12%
9%
9%
10%
7%
8%
6%
7%
7%
7%
5%
4%
2%
0%
0%
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
CRASH DAY OF WEEK
25%
21%
21%
19%
20%
14%
15%
14%
9%
10%
5%
2%
0%
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
CRASH TIME OF DAY
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
47%
16%
19%
9%
6-10AM
10-2PM
2-6PM
6-10PM
5%
5%
10-2AM
2-6AM
Crash Data Summary Tables and Charts
Maple Street (Route 85)/Walker Street, Marlborough, MA
CRASH MANNER OF COLLISION
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
42%
23%
23%
5%
Angle
5%
2%
Head-on
Rear-end
Sideswipe,
opposite
direction
Sideswipe, same Single Vehicle
direction
Crash
CRASH LIGHT CONDITION
80%
67%
60%
40%
21%
20%
9%
2%
0%
Daylight
Dawn
Dusk
Dark-Lighted Roadway
CRASH WEATHER CONDITION
60%
56%
50%
40%
30%
19%
20%
16%
7%
10%
0%
0%
Clear
Cloudy
Rain
Snow
0%
0%
2%
Sleet, Hail, Fog, Smog,
Severe
Blowing
Freezing
Smoke
Crosswinds Sand, Snow
rain
Crash Data Summary Tables and Charts
Maple Street (Route 85)/Walker Street, Marlborough, MA
CRASH ROAD SURFACE
70%
65%
60%
50%
40%
30%
23%
20%
12%
10%
0%
Dry
Wet
Snow
0%
0%
0%
0%
Ice
Sand, mud,
dirt, oil, gravel
Water
(standing,
moving)
Slush
CRASH DRIVER AGES
30%
28%
25%
22%
19%
20%
15%
12%
12%
10%
5%
4%
1%
3%
0%
15-20
21-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
80+
Ages
#
1
Crash Date
2/14/2008
Crash Day
Thursday
Time of Day Manner of Collision
14:58
Head on
Light Condition
Daylight
Weather Condition
Cloudy
Road Surface Driver Contributing Code
Dry
Failed to yield right of way
D1
29
D2
28
D3
2
5/28/2008
Wednesday
14:46
Angle
Daylight
Clear
Dry
49
67
49
3
4
5
6/15/2008
7/21/2008
8/15/2008
Sunday
Monday
Friday
12:34
12:39
17:19
Angle
Sideswipe, same direction
Sideswipe, same direction
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Rain
Clear
Rain
Wet
Dry
Wet
40
28
33
25
62
6
9/1/2008
Monday
12:55
sideswipe, opposite direction
Daylight
Clear
Dry
No improper driving
40
71
Operating defective equipment,
disregarded traffic signs, signals, road
markings
Failed to yield right of way
Inattention
D4
Comments
SB left turning veh hit NB veh traveling
straight
NB Veh had no brakes and traveled thru
red light hitting left-turning
SB Veh turned left in front of NB Veh
Failure to merge south of signal
Vehicles hit side-to-side traveling north
when reaching signal
NB Bicycle turned into side of NB vehicle
north of signal
Vehicles traveling north away from signal
7
12/17/2008 Wednesday
0:06
Sideswipe, same direction
Dark-Lighted Road
Blowing Snow
Snow
No improper driving
37
68
8
12/20/2008
Saturday
16:49
Angle
Dark-Lighted Road
Cloudy
Snow
Other improper action
41
58
9
12/21/2008
Sunday
2:12
Single Vehicle Crash
Dark-Lighted Road
Snow
Snow
No improper driving
22
10
12/21/2008
Sunday
18:07
Rear-end
Dark-Lighted Road
Snow
Snow
Other improper action
32
53
11
12
13
12/29/2008 Monday
3/31/2009
Tuesday
8/12/2009 Wednesday
14:47
7:37
6:55
Angle
Rear-end
Angle
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Cloudy
Clear
Cloudy
Dry
Dry
Dry
82
33
30
53
49
43
14
15
9/10/2009
11/23/2009
Thursday
Monday
18:17
15:50
Angle
Angle
Dusk
Dusk
Clear
Rain
Dry
Wet
Failed to yield right of way
Inattention
Distracted, disregarded traffic signs,
signals, road markings
Failed to yield right of way
Driving to fast for conditions, failed to
yield right of way
25
21
25
38
16
17
1/5/2010
1/25/2010
Tuesday
Monday
17:19
14:05
Angle
Angle
Dusk
Daylight
Clear
Rain
Dry
Wet
45
49
49
40
18
1/25/2010
Monday
19:39
Sideswipe, same direction
Dark-Lighted Road
Clear
Dry
31
31
19
4/5/2010
Sunday
10:46
Single Vehicle Crash
Daylight
Clear
Dry
20
5/7/2010
Friday
11:26
Sideswipe, same direction
Daylight
Clear
Dry
21
8/27/2010
Friday
17:53
Angle
Daylight
Clear
Dry
50
63
NB veh failed to stop for red signal
22
23
24
9/27/2010
Monday
12/19/2010
Sunday
1/19/2011 Wednesday
8:03
5:14
17:54
Rear-end
Rear-end
Angle
Daylight
Dawn
Dark-Lighted Road
Rain
Cloudy
Cloudy
Wet
Dry
Wet
No improper driving
Disregarded traffic signs, signals, road
markings
Failure to keep in proper lane or
running off road
Failure to keep in proper lane or
running off road, other improper
action
Failure to keep in proper lane or
running off road
Disregarded traffic signs, signals, road
markings
Inattention
Followed too closely
Failed to yield right of way
63
64
50
33
22
18
25
1/27/2011
Thursday
9:07
Rear-end
Daylight
Clear
Snow
31
28
26
2/2/2011
Wednesday
13:03
Angle
Daylight
Cloudy
Wet
Failure to keep in proper lane or
running off road
Failure to keep in proper lane or
running off road, followed too closely
28
48
SB veh failed to stop for red signal
NB veh failed to stop for red signal
Exiting Red Streak Motors driveway, sight
lines blocked by snow bank
SB veh attempting to pass left-turning
vehicle
Failure to merge south of signal
27
28
2/9/2011
4/6/2011
Wednesday
Wednesday
17:23
17:43
Sideswipe, same direction
Head on
Dark-Lighted Road
Daylight
Clear
Clear
Dry
Dry
No improper driving
53
30
34
24
29
5/17/2011
Tuesday
13:08
Rear-end
Daylight
Rain
Wet
Inattention
42
51
Failure to merge south of signal
Left-turn from Gold's Gym lot onto Rt 85
SB
SB vehicles waiting for left-turning vehicle
30
6/2/2011
Thursday
13:10
Sideswipe, same direction
Daylight
Clear
Dry
51
61
SB vehicle turning left into Gold's Gym lot
31
32
7/13/2011
7/15/2011
Wednesday
Friday
8:56
17:12
Rear-end
Angle
Daylight
Daylight
Clear
Clear
Dry
Dry
Failed to yield right of way
65
51
18
27
WB bicycle hit by EB left-turning vehicle
33
34
11/28/2011
11/29/2011
Monday
Tuesday
17:45
17:10
Angle
Rear-end
Dark-Lighted Road
Daylight
Clear
Clear
Dry
Dry
Failed to yield right of way
Followed too closely
35
21
64
-
SB left turning vehicle
NB veh failed to stop for red signal
84
38
Veh struck stopped vehicle on Maple
Streetwhile turning right from Walker
Street. Operator taken into custody for
OUIL
Hit patch of snow traveling south, spun
into snow bank
Veh backed-into another Veh on Walker
Street
SB left turn into NB veh
Traveling southbound
Traveling EB ran red light
SB left turn into NB veh
SB veh turning left into Red Streak Motors,
struck by NB veh passing stopped vehicles
48
SB left turn into NB veh
SB Veh did not stop for red light
Traveling NB into the intersection
Brake failure
26
Changing lanes heading SB towards signal
Ages
#
35
Crash Date
2/7/2012
Crash Day
Tuesday
Time of Day Manner of Collision
17:46
Sideswipe, same direction
Light Condition
Dusk
Weather Condition
Clear
Road Surface Driver Contributing Code
Dry
Inattention
D1
37
D2
34
36
3/6/2012
Tuesday
0:51
37
3/27/2012
Tuesday
38
3/29/2012
39
40
41
D3
Sideswipe, same direction
Dark-Lighted Road
Clear
Dry
46
29
8:03
Angle
Daylight
Clear
Dry
48
27
SB veh changing lanes thru intersection
Thursday
18:46
Rear-end
Daylight
Clear
Dry
Swerving or avoiding due to wind,
slippery surface, vehicle, object, nonmotorist in roadway, etc
Failure to keep in proper lane or
running off road
Over-correcting/over-steering
49
49
5/15/2012
6/21/2012
9/17/2012
Tuesday
Thursday
Monday
16:03
17:14
7:15
Rear-end
Angle
Sideswipe, same direction
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Cloudy
Clear
Clear
Dry
Dry
Dry
Inattention
Failed to yield right of way
38
47
42
41
43
-
42
3/17/2013
Sunday
15:22
Angle
Daylight
Snow
Wet
55
23
43
5/8/2013
Wednesday
17:36
Angle
Daylight
Rain
Wet
Disregarded traffic signs, signals, road
markings
Failed to yield right of way
SB veh attempting to pass left-turning
vehicle
NB veh failed to stop for red signal
SB veh turning left into Gold's Gym lot
Hit & Run, SB vehicles merging south of
intersection
NB veh failed to stop for red signal
21
29
EB Left-turning vehicle struck WB vehicle
19
D4
Comments
NB veh changing lanes north of
intersection
NB veh changing lanes to attempt turn
onto Walker St
Road Safety Audit— Maple Street (Rt. 85) at Walker St & Mill St South
Marlborough, MA
Prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Appendix D: Additional Information
�
o Safety Review Prompt List
o Speed Regulations
Page D1
Safety Review Prompt List
�
The Safety Review Prompt List provides basic safety-related questions to use when evaluating a given
roadway location. The prompt list should be considered when evaluating a roadway to design improvements or conduct a Road Safety Audit. The primary purpose of the prompt list is to identify potential
road safety hazards. The list is meant to be general and should be used to prompt an evaluator as to
specific matters identified in the field that may have an adverse effect on road safety. The Safety Review
Prompt List is not a check of compliance with design standards.
This Prompt List represents the minimum that should be considered when exploring safety opportunities
and is not intended to address all aspects of safety.
A summary of the responses should be prepared to highlight potential safety improvement opportunities.
Speed
° Are posted speed limits consistent with speed regulations; are they adequate?
° Are design features consistent with the posted speed (passing opportunities, sight distance,
warning signs for horizontal and vertical curves, clearance intervals, sign placement, etc.)
° Are adequate controls in place for driver compliance with speed limits?
Multi-modal
° Have accommodations been provided for safe movement of pedestrians, bicycles, emergency
vehicles, public transportation, and commercial vehicles?
° What design features could be improved, added, or removed to enhance the safe mobility of the
various modes?
Pavement Markings
° Are there highly visible and retro reflective edge lines, center lines, and other pavement
markings?
° Do the pavement markings provide sufficient guidance to the road users? Can the placement
of the pavement markings be modified to improve guidance to road users?
Signs
° Are all signs retro reflective and visible for all roadway conditions, including placed free from
obstructions?
° Are signs located to maximize perception and reaction while minimizing intrusion in clear zones?
° Does the signage provide adequate guidance to road users for given road conditions?
° Are pavement markings and signs consistent in effectively guiding road users?
Intersection Control
° Do all signs (stop signs, lane assignments, street names, etc.) provide visible, clear,
�
non-conflicting messages?
�
° Is there clear, non-conflicting visibility of traffic control (signal heads, signs, and markings) from
all approach lanes?
° Has the potential of misrepresentation of intersection control been considered (at closely spaced
intersections or through control that is against expectation)?
° For signalized intersections, have the implications on safety been considered for the signal
�
phasing?
�
° Is there a safe means by which all modes can travel through the intersection?
Lighting
° Is lighting (from headlights and/or streetlights) adequate for specific roadway conditions and/or
use?
° If glare exists from sunlight or opposing headlights, are there countermeasures that can be
�
implemented to minimize potentially detrimental effects?
�
Obstructions
° Are there obstructions to sight lines or roadway guidance (signs, markings, etc.) that can be
�
removed, relocated, or minimized as part of this project?
�
° If obstructions or fixed objects exist but cannot be moved, can they be shielded (with guardrails,
etc.) or delineated (with reflectors) to improve road user safety? If so, what can be done?
Pavement
° Could the condition of the pavement impact mobility and safety (potholes, edge drop-offs, skid
resistance, etc)?
° What improvements can be made to minimize safety impacts?
Access Points and Traffic Generators
° Is the access control sufficient for the road’s function?
° Are site access points located to maximize safety while still providing adequate access?
° Have impacts of site developments been adequately accommodated for safe mobility of all
�
road users?
�
Parking
° Is parking clearly delineated and in conformance with signs, markings, and regulations?
° Might parking obstruct mobility/safety of pedestrians and other roadway users?
Weather Conditions
° Have accommodations been made for impacts from adverse weather condition (storage of snow,
removal of ponding, adequate drainage, signage of low salt areas, maintenance program for
snow removal, and catch basin clearing, etc.)?
Auxiliary Lanes
° Could taper locations and/or alignments contribute to safety challenges?
° Could lack of climbing lanes or passing zones cause driver frustration?
° Do acceleration/deceleration lane lengths necessitate additional signage and/or markings?
Animals
° Do animal migrations impact safety?
° Can measures be taken to reduce animal-vehicle conflicts?