Road Safety Audit for the Intersection of
VFW Highway & Bridge Street in Lowell,
Massachusetts
Prepared by
University of Massachusetts Traffic Safety Research Program
Prepared for
Massachusetts Highway Department
Federal Highway Administration
1.0 Introduction to Road Safety Audits & Lane Departure Crashes in Massachusetts
The Federal Highway Administration defines a Road Safety Audit (RSA) as the formal safety
examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multidisciplinary team.
The purpose of an RSA is to identify potential safety issues and possible opportunities for safety
improvements considering all roadway users. Specific objectives of an RSA include, but are not
limited to the following:
•
•
Minimizing the risk and severity of road crashes that may be affected by the existing or future
roadway at a specific location or nearby network;
Improving the awareness of safe design practices which are likely to result in safety benefits
based upon potential safety concerns.
Although RSA’s have been employed in other countries for some time, they are being fully embraced
across the United States as a low cost opportunity to make significant safety improvements at any
number of stages ranging from project development and planning through existing operation.
Furthermore, RSA’s have proven to be effective on projects of all shapes and sizes. The RSA program
here in the Commonwealth presents a unique and exciting opportunity for improvements in roadway
safety. To date, a series of road safety audits focused on lane departure crashes has been implemented
across the Commonwealth; however, within the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments
(NMCOG), a known high crash location exists at the intersection of VFW Highway and Bridge Street
in Lowell, MA. The enclosed following report summarizes the findings of a RSA focused on this high
crash location.
2.0 Background Material for VFW Highway and Bridge Street in Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts is the fourth largest city in Massachusetts
with a population of approximately 105,000.
Located in
northeastern Massachusetts, Lowell is part of Middlesex County
and is part of the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments
(NMCOG). Lowell is home to a myriad of attractions and
businesses and is bisected by the Merrimack River. Along the
northern banks of the Merrimack River is VFW Highway, an
arterial roadway with an average daily traffic (ADT) ranging from
17,700 to 22,000 vehicles. Bridge Street crosses the Merrimack Figure 1. Intersection Overview
River and connects downtown Lowell with the northern portions
of Lowell. The intersection of VFW Highway and Bridge Street is a highly travelled intersection,
which is currently listed as the highest crash intersection in Massachusetts. The intersection has four
major approaches, however, a fifth intersection leg (Lakeview Avenue) serves as an additional exiting
roadway from the intersection (see Figure inset). Because of the documented crash problem, the
intersection of VFW Highway and Bridge Street was selected for inclusion in the FHWA and
MassHighway Road Safety Audit initiative. Some of the major characteristics, including crash
clusters, for VFW Highway and Bridge Street in Lowell are summarized in Figure 2 below.
The RSA for VFW Highway and Bridge Street was held on Wednesday, August 29, 2007 at the
Lowell City Hall. In total, 16 team members participated in the road safety audit as listed in Table 1.
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As indicated in Table 1 representatives were present from State, Regional and Local agencies and
included a cross-section of engineering/planning, education, and enforcement expertise.
Table 1 Participating Audit Team Members
Audit Team Members
Bonnie Polin
Justin Howard
Jeff Gomes
George Proakis
Neil Boudreau
Michael Knodler
Michelle Langone
Don Crawford
Jay Flaherty
Carrie Lavallee
Beverly Woods
Anne Barton
Lisa DeMeo
T.J. McCarthy
Samuel Gregorio
John Gregg
Agency/Affiliation
Massachusetts Highway Department – Safety Section
Northern Middlesex Council of Governments
City of Lowell
City of Lowell
Massachusetts Highway Department – Traffic Engineering
University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Howard/Stein Hudson, Associates
Lowell Police Department
Lowell Police Department
Massachusetts Highway Department – Highway Design
Northern Middlesex Council of Governments
Division of Planning and Development
City of Lowell
City of Lowell
Massachusetts Highway Department – Safety Section
Massachusetts Highway Department – District 4
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Existing pump station
location, discussed as a
possible relocation for the
VFW/Lakeview intersection
Proposed CVS /
Pharmacy
SB Approach
Seepage issues
resulting from levee
under VFW Highway
John E. Cox Memorial
Bridge across the
Merrimack River
Weaving area
Towards
downtown
Lowell
VFW Highway @ Bridge Street
Summary of Crashes
From 2003 to 2005 there were 200 total
crashes at this intersection, including 2
fatal crashes. The resulting equivalent
property damage only (EPDO) score was
450, resulting in the highest such score for
any intersection in the Commonwealth.
Figure 2. Characterization of Intersection Features for VFW Highway & Bridge Street
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Members of the road safety audit team visited the intersection prior to the RSA meeting to familiarize
themselves with the intersection attributes and characteristics. A copy of the meeting materials and
pertinent information which was distributed at the meeting is included in Appendix A of this report.
Specifically, the additional information provided was pertinent to the RSA safety initiative and
included traffic volumes and collision diagrams for intersection crashes as summarized below:
•
•
•
As a result of the proposed CVS / Pharmacy current traffic data was available for review.
Although AM peak period TMC data was not available, automatic traffic recorder (ATR) data
was available along the north Bridge Street approach and is briefly summarized in Table 2.
Figure 3 summarizes turning movement count (TMC) data for the PM peak period. Worth
noting is the heavy through movements in both the EB and WB directions along VFW
Highway as well as the 234 left turns (37 hard lefts to VFW and 197 bear lefts to Lakeview
from Bridge Street NB).
From 2003 to 2005 there were 200 total crashes which were geolocated at this intersection,
including 2 fatal crashes and 58 injury crashes. The resulting equivalent property damage only
(EPDO) score was 450, resulting in the highest such score for any intersection in the
Commonwealth. Please note the EPDO was calculated by weighting fatal crashes by 10, injury
crashes by 5, and property damage and non reported crashes by 1. Collision diagrams were
prepared by MassHighway, based on paper copies of the crash reports from the Lowell Police
Department, and provided to the RSA team to provide insight regarding predominant crash
patterns. Specifically, angle and rear-end crashes were most frequent and will be further
discussed in the identification of safety concerns.
The traffic signal phasing at the intersection of VFW Highway and Bridge Street was also
considered and reviewed by the RSA team. Figure 4 shows the signal phasing for the
intersection which includes protected left turn phases for the WB and SB approaches as well as
an exclusive pedestrian phase. Also as shown in Figure 4, phases 3 and 6 account for the fire
pre-emption. Additional background material relevant to the RSA discussion included the
proposed circulation plans for the CVS / Pharmacy. Figure 5 shows the proposed circulation
plan which includes a drive through. As shown vehicles would access the proposed site from
3rd Street to the north and via Lakeview Avenue on the south. Worth noting, the City of Lowell
expressed the desire to have the facility similar in nature to an existing Chicago location which
provides a building along a city sidewalk. This is convenient for pedestrians and vehicles, and
is buffered by landscaping and fences.
Table 2 Summary of ATR Volumes along Bridge Street north of VFW Highway
Northbound
Southbound
AM Peak
AM Peak
6:00 – 7:00 AM
326 veh
6:00 – 7:00 AM
7:00 – 8:00 AM
545 veh
7:00 – 8:00 AM
8:00 – 9:00 AM
420 veh
8:00 – 9:00 AM
9:00 – 10:00 AM
584 veh
9:00 – 10:00 AM
PM Peak
PM Peak
3:00 – 4:00 PM
866 veh
3:00 – 4:00 PM
4:00 – 5:00 PM
978 veh
4:00 – 5:00 PM
5:00 – 6:00 PM
944 veh
5:00 – 6:00 PM
6:00 – 7:00 PM
973 veh
6:00 – 7:00 PM
946 veh
717 veh
841 veh
704 veh
643 veh
611 veh
625 veh
653 veh
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Figure 3. Summary of PM Peak Turning Movement Count Data
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 4
Phase 5
Phase 7
Ped
Note that phases 3 and 6 for fire pre-emption
Figure 4. Preferential Phasing Sequence for Intersection of VFW Highway at Bridge Street
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Figure 5. Proposed Preliminary Circulation Plan for CVS / Pharmacy
3.0 Characterization of Major Traffic Safety Challenges
Following a brief introduction to the RSA process in general, the meeting participants were asked to
summarize and characterize potential safety considerations for the intersection of VFW Highway at
Bridge Street and Lakeview Avenue. The initial characterization of the major safety considerations
focused on several key elements related to the intersection. A summary of the discussed issues includes
the following:
•
The initial focus of the discussion regarding safety issues was on the unique geometry of the
intersection itself. Specifically, some of the geometric issues potentially contributing to crashes
include, but are not necessarily limited to the following:
o The 5th intersection leg of the exiting Lakeview Ave traffic;
o The close proximity of the intersection of Lakeview Ave and VFW Highway;
o The offset nature of intersection approaches, including WB left turn lane and the EB
through/left lanes (see Figure 6;
o The skew of the intersection itself, in particular the EB and WB approaches; and
o The large physical size of the intersection itself.
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•
•
•
•
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Somewhat related to the geometry was the lane utilization. As a result of the wide intersection
and the delay for turning vehicles de facto, turn lanes are created (i.e., turning left off of Bridge
Street from the south) and confusion exists among some
motorists regarding which movements are permitted from
which lanes.
Considering the crash patterns and related to the two
previous bullets the most frequently observed crash types
were: 1) angle crashes between EB left turning vehicles
and WB through vehicles; and 2) rear end crashes which
were fairly common across all four intersection
approaches.
Although pedestrian volume data was not available, local
RSA team members reported that pedestrian volumes Figure 6. Typical Traffic Signals
were at an all time high. Some challenges that pedestrians
face at the intersection include the following:
o A long crossing distance, especially across the EB and WB approaches which results in
a 28 second exclusive pedestrian phase;
o Crossing an uncontrolled slip lane provided to WB right turning vehicles;
o Four out of the 5 vehicle/pedestrian crashes at the intersection involved SB left-turning
vehicles and pedestrians crossing the eastern leg (VFW Highway);
o Additional pedestrian issues included the installed hardware. For Example, at the time
of the RSA bulbs were not functioning (due to the bulbs) in the pedestrian signal head.
Because of glare there was some general visibility issues associated with the pedestrian
signal heads;
o The curb cuts provided for pedestrians should be reconstructed to assure ADA
compliance, including direction of the cuts and a detectable landing strip. Worth noting
is that the intersection has recently been upgraded to include accessible pedestrian
signals (APS) to aid visually impaired pedestrians;
o Although there are street lights at the intersection, the lights do not illuminate
pedestrians, often resulting in dark crossing opportunities for pedestrians; and
o Pedestrian compliance with the signal phasing was reported to be lower than ideal with
many pedestrians seeking alternative crossing opportunities. This can often result in
frustration among passing motorists.
Congestion at the intersection often results in grid lock conditions with vehicles in the middle
of the intersection during conflicting phases.
Additional issues discussed were related to drainage. Reportedly, a Lakeview catch basin with
a dip results in ponding along Lakeview during weather events. Directing this runoff into the
City's combined system, however, is contrary to City projects currently underway and should
be investigated. Additionally it is worth noting that in 2007 the US Army Corp of Engineers
(ACE) listed the City of Lowell’s Local Flood Protection System as “in-active” and the
condition of both the seepage system and the pump station need to be addressed in order to
bring the levee back to active status. Regarding the seepage system, the City is looking for the
most cost effective and least evasive method to make repairs at this time and the DPW does not
anticipate any long term physical impact to the VFW Highway.
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4.0 Summary of Short Term Recommendations for VFW Highway and Bridge Street
The formal review of potential safety concerns at the intersection of VFW Highway at Bridge Street
and Lakeview Avenue was completed by the entire audit team. Following identification of a potential
safety issue, the dialogue subsequently focused on possible countermeasures with some preliminary
discussion regarding the feasibility of implementation (timeframe and cost) as well as the potential
payoff of safety benefits. Given the potential for an immediate impact there was an added focus on
short term (less than 1 year) and low cost (less than $10,000) improvements that could be done almost
instantaneously resulting in a positive safety impact. Resulting recommendations for immediate
actions in the area include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Confusion exists among motorists given the lane
utilization. An immediate series of solutions includes
enhanced delineation including the employment of lane
usage signage, symbolic lane utilization pavement
markings, and possibly the pavement marking delineation
of paths through the intersection.
An additional series of improvement opportunities exist in
the form of pedestrian-related enhancements. Specific
recommendations include the improvement of existing
hardware and markings, including assuring pedestrian Figure 7. View of the
signal heads are functioning, crosswalk markings are Intersection from the Road
visible, and detectable landing strips are at crosswalk
ramps; although it may cost more than a typical low-cost improvement it is recommended that
the sidewalk ramps be reconstructed to assure ADA compliance.
As a result of the predominant crash pattern, it is also recommended that the signal timing plan
be revised to accommodate a protected left-turn phase for EB traffic as a result of the high
conflicting through volumes dependent upon additional LOS
analyses.
Also related to the EB left versus WB through crashes, there is
concern regarding the offset and visibility for turning vehicles.
Although the optimal strategies for preventing this problem may
be longer term and higher cost in nature, an immediate short
Add OM
term improvement is the relocation of the cluster of signage of
the median island which obstructs driver visibility (see Figure
7).
It is recommended that an enforcement program be established
specifically targeting causing motorists.
Similarly, some
consideration may be given to “Don’t Block the Box” markings Figure 8. Candidate OM
Location
and signage.
Another low cost improvement includes the assurance of and
enforcement of no parking on the intersection approaches. Of particular concern is the SB
Bridge Street approach which is adjacent to existing (Dunkin Donuts) and potential (CVS /
Pharmacy) businesses.
Because of the potentially confusing geometry it is recommended that an object marker be
added on the Lakeview median to alert motorists to its presence (see Figure 8).
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•
•
As previously noted there are current plans for a proposed CVS / Pharmacy. It is recommended
that as plans are reviewed an emphasis of the review remains safety associated with adjacent
intersection.
As previously noted current alternatives for the seepage systems and pump station are being
explored. One costly, and perhaps unlikely scenario, would involve the relocation of the pump
station, which may provide added alternatives from a transportation perspective and warrant
consideration in this report.
5.0 Summary of Long Term Alternatives and Considerations
In addition to the short term recommendations, the RSA team also felt it was important to discuss
longer term strategies that had significant potential for resulting in improved intersection operations.
Specifically, the RSA team discussed several strategies which could be considered in isolation or in
some instances as complimentary to one another. There are several individual strategies that would be
effective at reducing the predominant crash pattern, several of which involved some element of an
alignment correction as follows:
• The longest term strategy involves an
alignment which shifts the EB travel
lanes north to align with the opposing
WB travel lanes. This strategy would
further allow traffic to exit the
Proposed
constrained bridge geometry before
realignment
arriving at the intersection. In turn, this
would allow for the creation of added
storage lanes for the both the NB and EB
approaches,
while
simultaneously
improving the visibility for the EB and
WB approaches. This would require the
Added storage and turn
removal of at least one median which
lanes from bridge
currently has a monument.
• A slight variation of this alternative Figure 9. Overview of Proposed Alignment Changes
would allow for the existing geometry to
remain fairly constant, however turning lanes would be created for the EB traffic, including
both left and right turn lanes. This alternative would require the reclamation of a smaller
portion of the median but would significantly improve the visibility for EB and WB drivers (i.e.
allows for positive offsets); however it is uncertain if this proposed configuration may impact
the median monuments.
• Another long term alternative discussed involved the possibility of closing (i.e. dead ending
Lakeview Avenue at the intersection). Additionally, this variation would relocate the existing
intersection of VFW Highway and Lakeview Avenue westward towards the existing pump
station. Challenges with this alternative may include the need for land ownership or land taking
as well as investigation of the possibility of creating an adequately operating intersection at the
new western location. If the pump station is actually relocated, it increases the potential
feasibility of this alternative.
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6.0 Summary of Additional VFW Highway & Bridge Street Countermeasures
Although an emphasis was placed upon short term and low cost improvements that could be carried
out immediately, the focus of the team was not limited to solely those countermeasures. The following
section details countermeasures discussed by the team, which are reflective of all costs and timeframes
and includes both general and specific safety opportunities. Please note that with respect to the
timeframe there are some unknown variables that must be further explored. Several definitions exist
for low, mid, and high cost as well as for short, mid and long term implementation timeframes. For
purposes of this report, low cost improvements will be under $10,000, mid costs will be under
$50,000, and high costs will be above $50,000. From a timeframe perspective short term will refer to
less than 1 year while mid and long term will refer to countermeasures that will take 1 to 3, and greater
than 3 years, respectively.
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Potential
Safety Issue
Confusion among
motorists regarding
lane utilization
Possible Countermeasures
Add signage indicating lane
utilization patterns.
Add symbolic pavement marking
designating lane utilization.
Implementation
Timeframe
Potential Safety
& Cost
Payoff
Short Term &
Low Cost
Photos
Mid
Consider turn delineation markings
through the intersection.
Pedestrian
enhancements
Inspect & repair pedestrian signal
heads, push buttons and pavement
markings as necessary.
Short Term &
Low Cost
Employ pedestrian enforcement and
educational campaign to prevent
pedestrians from crossing without
the pedestrian signal phase.
Mid Term &
Mid Cost
Improve condition of pedestrian
ramps to assure appropriate direction
and detectable landing strip.
Mid Term &
Mid Cost
Add median on WB approach to
allow shorter crossing distance if
space is available.
Improve lighting to ensure positive
pedestrian illumination.
Drainage and
Seepage
Mid
Long Term &
High Cost
Develop plan with MassHighway to
discuss drainage responsibilities
(i.e., using City’s combined system). Mid/Long Term
& Mid/High Cost
Consider long term improvement
resulting for seepage.
Mid
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Potential
Safety Issue
Angle crashes
Enforcement of
gridlock related
incidents
Possible Countermeasures
Implementation
Timeframe
& Cost
Introduce protected left turn phase
for EB left turn movements.
Mid Term &
Mid Cost
Mid
Add
supplementary
signage
reminding motorists of the need to
yield for permissive left turns.
Short Term &
Low Cost
Low
Short Term &
Low Cost
Low
Long Term &
High Cost
Low/Mid
Shorter Term &
Low cost
Low/Mid
Short Term &
Low Cost
Low
Consider enforcement of gridlock
causing events.
Consider “Don’t Block the Box”
markings to prevent gridlock.
As plans move forward to upgrade
controller, use a single controller for
Adjacent intersection
this intersection and adjacent VFW
operation
Highway at Lakeview intersection or
improve coordination.
Median related
Issues
No parking area
Remove/relocate signage to improve
driver visibility of opposing traffic
stream.
Add object marker on Lakeview
median to alert motorists.
Continue to enforce no parking,
particularly on SB Bridge Street
approach.
Potential
Safety Payoff
Photos
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7.0 Discussion
With respect to the safety improvement opportunities described in the previous section it is important
to consider the following: 1) many treatments are both low cost and short term and 2) there is a
complimentary nature of many of the safety strategies in that one improvement will aid with multiple
safety issues. Please note that although this document provides a series of specific recommendations
which warrant short term implementation, the approach towards improved safety is dynamic in nature
and warrants revisiting over time.
As previously noted, the currently pending CVS / Pharmacy development has the potential to
significantly impact the overall operation and safety of the intersection. The RSA team felt strongly
that all aspects of this project must be considered from a safety perspective, especially given the
already existing high crash history of this intersection. Additionally, the RSA team did want to
recommend consideration of various alternatives associated with relocating the Lakeview and VFW
Highway intersection (i.e., removing the 5th intersection leg). One final issue related to the current
intersection operation and safety is related to intersection storage. Opportunities to increase storage on
the westbound and southbound approaches should be explored.
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8.0 Appendix A: Distributed RSA Meeting Materials
Materials provided to RSA team members in advance of the meeting included the following:
1. Intersection Layout
2. Traffic Signal Data
3. Collision Diagrams (by manner of collision)
a. Angle – 6 sheets
b. Rear-end – 4 sheets
c. Other – 1 sheet
d. Head-on – 1 sheet
e. Sideswipe – 1 sheet
f. Lakeview @ VFW – 1 sheet
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