ROAD SAFETY AUDIT
Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue
Town of North Andover
September 24, 2009
Prepared For:
Massachusetts Highway Department
Prepared By:
Tetra Tech Rizzo
Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
Table of Contents
Background .................................................................................................................................1
Project Data.................................................................................................................................1
Project Location Description .....................................................................................................2
Audit Observations and Safety Enhancements........................................................................5
Summary of Road Safety Audit...............................................................................................11
List of Appendices
Appendix A.
Appendix B.
Appendix C.
Appendix D.
Appendix E.
Appendix F.
RSA Meeting Agenda
RSA Audit Team Contact List
Speed Regulations
Detailed Crash Data
MVPC Draft Memorandum
Bayside Engineering Technical Memorandum
List of Figures
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Locus Map.............................................................................................................................. 3
Peak Hour Traffic Volumes ................................................................................................... 4
List of Tables
Table 1.
Table 2.
Participating Audit Team Members ....................................................................................... 1
Potential Safety Enhancement Summary ............................................................................. 12
Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
Background
The Federal Highway Administration defines a Road Safety Audit (RSA) as the formal safety
examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multidisciplinary team. The
purpose of an RSA is to identify potential safety issues and possible opportunities for safety
improvements considering all roadway users. According to the Merrimack Valley Metropolitan Planning
Organization’s 2007 Regional Transportation Plan, the intersection of Chickering Road (Route 125) with
Massachusetts Avenue in North Andover is one of the top 20 high crash intersections within the region.
This intersection falls within the top five percent of crash clusters in this region, which makes it eligible
for the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). In order to receive HSIP funding, a Road Safety
Audit must be conducted. Therefore, this intersection was chosen as the site of a Road Safety Audit by the
Massachusetts Highway Department (MassHighway) and the Merrimack Valley Metropolitan Planning
Organization (MPO) in order to identify potential short-term and long-term safety improvements that
could be made if HSIP funding is received.
Project Data
The Road Safety Audit was conducted on September 3, 2009 for the intersection of Chickering Road
(Route 125) and Massachusetts Avenue in the Town of North Andover. As shown in Table 1, the audit
team consisted of representatives from Federal, State, Regional, and Local agencies and included
engineering, planning, and emergency response professionals.
Table 1. Participating Audit Team Members
Audit Team Member
Neil Boudreau
Carrie Lavallee
John Gregg
Tim White
Tony Komornick
Jim Terlizzi
Curt Bellavance
John Carney
Chief Richard Stanley
Scott Nussbaum
Gene Willis
Bruce Thibodeau
Erik Maki
Sasha Wood
Agency/Affiliation
MassHighway – State Traffic Engineer
MassHighway – Project Manager
MassHighway – District 4 Traffic Engineer
Federal Highway Administration
Merrimack Valley Planning Commission
Merrimack Valley Planning Commission
Division of Community Development, Town of North
Andover
Police Department, Town of North Andover
Police Department, Town of North Andover
Fire Department, Town of North Andover
Engineering Department, Town of North Andover
Division of Public Works, Town of North Andover
Tetra Tech Rizzo, Consultant
Tetra Tech Rizzo, Consultant
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Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
A pre-meeting was held at the North Andover Department of Public Works office in order to introduce
the project and review information provided by MassHighway. Information reviewed included a crash
summary, traffic volume data, speed limit information, and existing traffic signal data.
A site visit was conducted immediately following the pre-meeting. A follow-up meeting was also held
after the site visit to discuss observations and potential improvements. The meeting agenda is included in
Appendix A and the full contact list is included in Appendix B.
Project Location Description
The intersection of Chickering Road (Route 125) and Massachusetts Avenue is located in the
northwestern section of North Andover, approximately 1.2 miles east of I-495, as shown in Figure 1.
Chickering Road is under MassHighway jurisdiction and Massachusetts Avenue is under the jurisdiction
of the Town. Chickering Road is functionally classified as an Urban Principal Arterial and generally runs
in a north-south direction and provides a connection from Haverhill in the north to Andover in the south.
Massachusetts Avenue is classified as an Urban Minor Arterial and generally runs in an east-west
direction connecting Lawrence and I-495 in the west to the Town Center. The posted speed limits are 40
miles per hour on Chickering Road and 35 miles per hour on Massachusetts Avenue, which are the same
as noted in Special Speed Regulations and #358-A (Chickering Road) and #2040-A and #2040
(Massachusetts Avenue). The speed regulations are included in Appendix C.
The Chickering Road northbound approach to the intersection consists of a left-turn pocket, a through
lane, and a shared through-right lane. There are two receiving lanes on the northern side of the
intersection which quickly merge down to one lane. The Chickering Road southbound approach to the
intersection consists of two general purpose lanes with a very short channelized right turn pocket. There
are two receiving lanes on the south side of the intersection which merge into one lane. The
Massachusetts Avenue eastbound approach consists of a shared left-through lane and a dedicated rightturn pocket. There is one wide receiving lane on the east side of the intersection. The Massachusetts
Avenue westbound approach to the intersection consists of one wide general purpose lane. There is one
receiving lane on the west side of the intersection. Narrow, painted shoulders are provided on all
approaches to the intersection, although some are faded and worn. The roadway surface appeared in good
condition.
There are sidewalks on the western side of Chickering Road to the north and south of the intersection.
There are sidewalks on the southern side of Massachusetts Avenue to the east and west of the intersection.
There is also a sidewalk along the northern side of Massachusetts Avenue to the east of the intersection,
although it does not continue all the way to the intersection as it stops approximately 75 feet east of the
intersection. There are crosswalks across the northbound and eastbound approaches. Land uses in the area
are generally residential and institutional. There are several schools and a church in the vicinity and there
is a school crossing approximately 600 feet west of Chickering Road on Massachusetts Avenue.
Crash reports were provided by the North Andover Police Department and MassHighway prepared the
collision diagram for a four-year period from January 2005 through December 2008. There were a total of
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Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
Figure 1.
Locus Map
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Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
73 reported crashes at the intersection within the four-year period. Based on the collision diagram
provided by MassHighway, the highest incidence of crashes was rear-end type involving vehicles
traveling through in the northbound direction (approximately 21 percent) followed by angle collisions
between southbound through vehicles and northbound left-turning vehicles (approximately 14 percent).
According to the a draft memorandum from the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission to
MassHighway District 4 dated July 24, 2009, the intersection experiences a crash rate of 1.81 crashes per
million entering vehicles. This is more than double the statewide and District 4 averages for signalized
intersections (0.80 and 0.78, respectively). Crash data is included in Appendix D. The Merrimack Valley
Planning Commission draft memorandum is included in Appendix E.
Turning movement count data was provided in an attachment to a Technical Memorandum by Bayside
Engineering, dated December 10, 2008. The memorandum in included in Appendix F. The intersection
was counted on May 28, 2008 and the peak hours occur from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM to 5:30
PM. Chickering Road volumes are higher than those along Massachusetts Avenue. The highest volumes
are traveling southbound during the morning peak hour and northbound during the afternoon peak hour.
The intersection carries nearly 2,500 vehicles during the morning peak hour and nearly 2,400 vehicles
during the afternoon peak hour. Traffic volumes at the intersection are shown below in Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Peak Hour Traffic Volumes
The MVPC study also analyzed traffic operations at this intersection. The study found that the
intersection operates at level of service C during both peak hours under existing conditions and there is
excess capacity in each lane group under average annual conditions.
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Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
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MassHighway officials pointed out that this Road Safety Audit project is separate from another project
(No. 605730) that includes this signal as one of eight signal equipment upgrades as part of a traffic
betterment project. It was noted that some of the recommendations made as part of the RSA could be
incorporated into that contract. Project No. 605730 is expected to be advertised on September 26, 2009.
At the Massachusetts Avenue/Chickering Road intersection, the geometry and signal sequence will
remain the same. New pedestrian signals and preemption equipment are proposed. New loops are
currently proposed on the Massachusetts Avenue eastbound and westbound approaches. MassHighway
District 4 is planning to recommend that new loops be installed on the Chickering Road northbound and
southbound approaches, as well, in order to accommodate any changes that may be made as a result of
this RSA process (particularly those involving the northbound lane use that will be discussed later in this
report). An overlap will be provided for the eastbound right turn (concurrent with the northbound left
turns).
Audit Observations and Safety Enhancements
Audit participants discussed existing issues at the intersection of Chickering Road and Massachusetts
Avenue prior to visiting the site. During the site visit, additional issues were raised. The post-audit
meeting provided an opportunity for the RSA team to propose potential improvements to each of the
issues. A summary of the safety concerns and potential improvements is provided below.
•
Northbound alignment – The northbound
lanes make a jog through the intersection to
line up with the receiving lanes. The leftmost through lane lines up with the rightmost receiving lane. The right-most
approach lane lines up with the foliage at the
northeast corner of the intersection. It was
mentioned that many motorists do not use
the right lane today, presumably because of
the awkward alignment. This alignment
could be responsible for some of the rearend type crashes happening in the
northbound direction, which account for
approximately 21 percent of the total crashes
at this intersection. This issue has both short- and long-term enhancements. In the short-term, there
are two potential options. The first option is providing dotted lines through the intersection in the
northbound direction to point vehicles into the correct lanes as they travel through the intersection.
This would maintain the existing geometry and lane use and would only require some pavement
markings to be added. This could potentially increase the number of vehicles using the right-most
lane to travel northbound through the intersection and would help to define the lanes as vehicles are
traveling through the intersection. A second short-term option is to modify the northbound lane
configuration to provide one through lane and one right-turn lane. With this change, only one
receiving lane would be necessary so the northbound departure could be restriped as one lane and a
wider shoulder could be striped there. Since the majority of the vehicles traveling northbound through
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Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
the intersection use the middle lane and not the right lane, this restriping may not have much of an
impact on overall operations at the intersection and would help to improve safety through the
intersection and eliminate one merge point. A long-term improvement for this location involves
widening Chickering Road north of Massachusetts Avenue to the east, providing a better alignment
for the two northbound through lanes. As with the first option, this could help to increase the number
of vehicles using the right-most lane to travel through the intersection. From the field visit, it
appeared there was approximately 15 feet from the existing edge of pavement to the State Highway
Layout line, so a widening may be possible without any land takings. It should be noted that MVPC
analysis shows that the queues in the northbound direction with only one through lane can extend
back to or past Fernview Avenue during the weekday afternoon peak hour under average annual and
above average conditions, respectively. As such, the widening may be the better long-term option if
traffic operations are being taken into consideration. The restriping to provide one through lane and
one right-turn lane may be better suited for an interim improvement.
•
•
Eastbound lane assignment – As mentioned
earlier in this report, the eastbound approach
consists of one shared left/through lane and
an exclusive right-turn lane. The eastbound
and westbound traffic along Massachusetts
Avenue run concurrently with no leading or
lagging phases in either direction. The issue
at this location is that the eastbound left
turning traffic blocks the through traffic
occupying the same lane such that the
through traffic cuts over into the right-turn
lane to bypass the left turning vehicles.
When this maneuvering happens there is a
potential conflict when a vehicle turning left
from the westbound direction enters the intersection at the same time because they are not expecting
eastbound through-vehicles to emerge from the right turn pocket. In addition, there appeared to be a
large number of trucks turning left from Massachusetts Avenue to go north on Chickering Road. It
was suggested that the lane configuration be examined to determine if a separate left-turn lane should
be provided instead of a right-turn lane. This lane reconfiguration would require the removal of the
eastbound right turn overlap phase that is currently proposed under Project No. 605730. The lane
reconfiguration could help to reduce the angle collisions between eastbound left-turning vehicles and
westbound through vehicles, or nearly 10 percent of the reported crashes at this location. Another
short-term option would be to provide a lead phase for the eastbound traffic that may allow some of
the left turns to clear during the phase. This would allow protected/permissive phasing instead of
permissive only phasing. A new signal head would be required for this option to provide a
green/yellow left turn arrow. This option may not be 100% effective in relieving the issue because if
the left-turning vehicle is a few cars back in the queue, the lead phase will not work as planned.
MassHighway would be responsible for any signal modifications.
Autran Avenue – The intersection of Autran Avenue with Massachusetts Avenue is in close
proximity to the Chickering Road intersection. Autran Avenue is easily blocked if the eastbound
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Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
queues approaching Chickering Road get to be more than a few vehicles. There were four reported
crashes (approximately six percent of the
total at the intersection) that may have
been caused by a vehicle attempting to
enter Autran Avenue. For instance, if the
Massachusetts Avenue eastbound queue is
blocking the entrance to Autran Avenue, a
vehicle turning left into Autran Avenue
may have to wait until the Massachusetts
Avenue eastbound traffic gets a green
indication and that left-turning vehicle
may block the rest of the westbound
traffic along Massachusetts Avenue. This
could create a potential conflict with a
vehicle making a southbound right turn
from Chickering Road who may not see that traffic is stopped around the corner and may run into the
back of the queue. In order to prevent Autran Avenue from being blocked in the short-term, a “Do
Not Block Intersection” sign could be installed along Massachusetts Avenue just west of Autran
Avenue. This could help to reduce some crashes that are happening near Autran Avenue on
Massachusetts Avenue and Chickering Road. Another short-term option would be to prohibit left
turns into Autran Avenue. In this case, a “No Left Turn” sign could be installed on Massachusetts
Avenue westbound just east of Autran Avenue. The same benefit as the “Do Not Block Intersection”
sign option could be achieved with this option. As with all signage, enforcement could be an issue. As
such, a more permanent option could be explored that would involve geometric changes to physically
prohibit left turns into Autran Avenue. The curbing could be modified to provide a channelized right
turn in from Massachusetts Avenue eastbound. That would prohibit left turns from happening into
Autran Avenue and force residents to find an alternative route into their neighborhood (Adams
Avenue) from the east. This modification could be made in the mid-term.
In addition, Massachusetts Avenue widens by one lane to provide an eastbound right-turn lane at
Chickering Road just east of Autran Avenue. This geometry puts a vehicle exiting Autran Avenue
directly in the Massachusetts Avenue eastbound right-turn lane. This issue could be remedied with a
modification to the roadway geometry west of Autran Avenue to provide a better transition from
Autran Avenue to Chickering Road. Another option would be to change Autran Avenue from twoway travel at Massachusetts Avenue to one-way southbound (into Autran Avenue only) and have
residents exit the neighborhood via Adams Avenue. This may help to reduce some of the rear-end
collisions in the eastbound direction at the Chickering Road/Massachusetts Avenue intersection. All
of these improvements fall under the jurisdiction of the Town.
•
Pavement markings – Many pavement markings in the intersection are faded and worn or covered
with sand. MassHighway could add this intersection to the list of locations that should be repainted
by their on-call striping contractor and it would be a short-term improvement. The sand could be
removed from the roadway by MassHighway maintenance staff in the short-term. Visible pavement
markings could help motorists realize which lane they are in and may help to reduce any sideswipe
accidents at the intersection.
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Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
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•
•
•
Opticom – The opticom equipment at this intersection does not work. The receivers appear to be
outdated and it is unclear if they will work with the other existing signal equipment, as some of the
signal equipment appears to be newer than the opticom equipment. New pre-emption equipment is
proposed as part of Project No. 605730 and will be installed under that contract. The new equipment
may only have minor safety benefits at the intersection itself, but the time it saves an emergency
response vehicle getting through the intersection could have an immeasurable impact at the site of the
emergency.
Worn/Limited Signage – The intersection does not provide many regulatory or warning signs. There
are no advance warning signs for the lane drop/merge in the northbound or southbound directions.
There is one merge sign at the merge point in the northbound direction. Advance warning signs
should be added at the intersection to make motorists aware of the merge ahead and a merge warning
sign should be added just before the merge in the southbound direction. The merge warning sign in
the northbound direction should be relocated back from the merge point in accordance with the
MUTCD. There is only one lane-use sign posted
in the northbound direction. Similar signs in the
southbound and eastbound directions could be
useful to drivers to ensure that they are in the
correct lane before they get into the intersection.
The signage related to the intersection would be
added by MassHighway and these could all be
done in the short-term under Project No. 605730.
In addition, there are school zone warning signs
and markings along Massachusetts Avenue that
are worn and faded. These could be upgraded by
the Town in the short-term. It is recommended that
the Town install green/yellow fluorescent signs for
better visibility. The increased or improved
signage around the intersection could help to clarify areas of conflict (i.e. vehicles merging,
pedestrians crossing, etc) for motorists and make them more aware of their surroundings and reduce
the number of collisions in and around the intersection.
Pedestrian signals and access– The pedestrian
signals are difficult to see and they do not hold a
steady “Don’t Walk” sign when they are not in
use. When not in use, the head stays dark and it is
difficult for a pedestrian to see when it changes to
the “Walk” indication. These signal heads are
scheduled to be replaced under Project No.
605730.
In addition, there are no crosswalks on the north or
east sides of the intersection. Since the pedestrian
phase runs on an exclusive phase today, crossings
could be accommodated on all approaches with no
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Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
impacts to the existing signal operations. The existing wheelchair ramps should also be rebuilt as
concrete ramps with detectable warning
panels. There is also a piece of the sidewalk
that is missing on the north side of
Massachusetts Avenue east of Chickering
Road that should be constructed. Since there
are schools in this immediate area there are
children walking through this intersection
and the appropriate connections should be
made from all directions. The crosswalks
could be painted in the short-term, but the
wheelchair ramps and sidewalk construction
would be a longer term improvement to be
made by MassHighway. These
improvements could help to encourage
pedestrians to use the proper facilities (crosswalks and sidewalks) instead of walking through the
intersection at unsafe locations and may help to prevent crashes involving pedestrians in the future.
•
Southbound left turns – The southbound left-turning vehicles make their turns from the shared
left/through lane. It was mentioned that the southbound left turning vehicles do not have adequate
time to get through the intersection because the southbound traffic runs concurrently with the
northbound traffic. The southbound left
turns often clear the intersection at the end
of the phase. Since the northbound and
southbound traffic phases run concurrently,
it is often difficult for a vehicle making a
northbound left turn to tell if there are any
vehicles traveling through in the southbound
direction in the right lane because the
southbound left-turning vehicle is blocking
their view of the through traffic that may be
in the right lane. There are many school
buses that make this southbound left turn
and they block the view for the northbound
left-turning vehicles. It was suggested that a
southbound left turn lane be provided, even though the volume is small (35 in the morning peak hour
and 20 in the afternoon peak hour). This would help to move the southbound left-turning vehicles out
of the traffic flow and give northbound left-turning vehicles a better view of the southbound through
traffic that is approaching. This could help to reduce some of the angle crashes involving northbound
left-turning vehicles and southbound through vehicles, which account for approximately 14 percent of
the total crashes at the intersection today. In addition, if the southbound left turns were moved out of
the traffic flow, the number of rear-end collisions happening in the southbound direction could also
be reduced since a vehicle turning left would no longer block the through lane. The addition of a
southbound left-turn lane could be accommodated in conjunction with one of two changes in the
northbound direction. If the northbound right-most lane is converted to a right-turn only lane, then a
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Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
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short southbound left-turn lane could be striped in the location of the existing yellow gore striped area
(opposite the northbound left-turn lane) and part of the left-most northbound receiving lane and could
be done in the mid-term. If the northbound departure from the intersection is widened, the southbound
left-turn lane could be striped in directly opposite from the northbound left turn lane and the two
northbound receiving lanes would be maintained. This improvement would have to be done in the
long-term with the widening. With either of these options, the signal phasing could stay as it is under
existing conditions, but an additional signal head should be provided above the new southbound left
turn lane. A second signal phasing option would be to provide a lead phase for the southbound left
turns to run concurrently with the northbound left turns.
Another option to improve the safety at the intersection would be to modify the traffic signal phasing
to provide a protected only left-turn phase for the northbound left turns. This would require a new
signal head to be installed. The elimination of the permissive northbound left turn would reduce the
conflicts between the northbound left and southbound through traffic. If the northbound left turns
were to run on protected only phasing, the southbound left turns blocking the view of the southbound
through traffic by the northbound left vehicles would no longer be an issue. This could help to reduce
the southbound rear-end crashes, as well as the northbound left/southbound through angle crashes.
The MVPC memo says the overall intersection will still operate at LOS C during both peak hours
with this change in place (in addition to some other minor timing changes) during average annual
conditions. This change is minor and could be made in the mid-term. Any improvements made to the
southbound approach to the intersection would be under the jurisdiction of MassHighway.
•
•
Overgrown foliage – There are trees and bushes that have grown into
the sidewalk area and that are blocking some signage. Trees and
bushes could be
trimmed back in
the short-term to
provide better
visibility of the
existing signage
and access to the
pedestrian
walkways. Any
trimming done
along
Massachusetts Avenue would be done by the Town. Trimming along
Chickering Road was completed on September 16, 2009 by
MassHighway Maintenance.
Pre-kindergarten school traffic was raised as a potential issue, although its effects have not yet been
realized since the school had not yet opened at the time of the audit. The drop-off traffic associated
with the new school is expected to use this intersection. The Town will make observations in the midterm (once the school is fully operational) and recommendations would follow, as necessary.
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Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
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•
Signal visibility within intersection – For vehicles turning left on any of the approaches, it is difficult
to see the signal indication once a driver has
pulled into the intersection since the signals
are only located overhead on the span wire.
Supplemental post-mounted signals could be
added to provide drivers with an additional
signal head to view when they are within the
intersection. This is especially important for
protected-permissive left turns. As part of
Project No. 605730, a supplemental 5-lens
signal head is proposed on the southeast
corner of the intersection facing the eastbound
approach. If possible, a second signal head
could be added to the same post for the
southbound left-turning movement. Another
post-mounted signal could be provided on the delta island for the northbound and westbound leftturning movement. If these elements were added to the signal improvement project, they could be
completed in the short-term and have the potential to make left turn maneuvers safer. Angle crashes at
the intersection currently account for 49.3 percent of all crashes.
Summary of Road Safety Audit
All of the safety issues and their potential safety enhancement were discussed in the previous section.
Table 2 summarizes the potential recommendations discussed by the audit team. The recommendations
are categorized based on their potential safety payoff, in addition to their cost, time frame, and
responsible agency.
Safety payoff estimates are subjective and may be based on the relative percent of crashes that may be
reduced by the enhancement; for example, low (<30%), medium (31% to 70%), and high (>71%). The
time frame is categorized as short-term (<1 year), mid-term (1 to 3 years), or long-term (>3 years). The
costs are categorized as low (<$10,000), medium ($10,001 to $50,000), or high (>$50,001).
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Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
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Table 2. Potential Safety Enhancement Summary
Safety Issue
Safety Enhancement
Safety Payoff
Provide dotted line through
Medium
intersection to clarify lane
Chickering Road
alignment
northbound alignment
Restripe right lane to right turn only
High
Widen and fix alignment
High
Reconfigure lanes – Left, Shared
Medium
Eastbound through traffic
Through/Right (Check analysis)
using right-turn lane
Provide eastbound lead phase
Low
Install “Do Not Block Intersection”
Low
signs and markings
Install “No Left Turn” sign on
Autran Avenue blocked by
Low
Massachusetts Avenue WB east of
Massachusetts Avenue traffic Autran Avenue
Modify curbing to physically
Low
prohibit left turns into Autran
Avenue
Autran Avenue exiting traffic Review geometry & realign curb
Low
blocks Massachusetts
approaching Autran Avenue
Avenue eastbound right-turn
Prohibit turns out of Autran Avenue
Low
lane
Pavement markings
worn/faded
Repaint worn markings, clear sand
from roadway to reveal markings
Opticom equipment does not
Replace opticom equipment
work
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Agency
Mid-Term
Low
MassHighway
Mid-Term
Long-Term
Low
High
MassHighway
MassHighway
Mid-Term
Low
MassHighway
Mid-Term
Low
MassHighway
Short-Term
Low
Town
Short-Term
Low
Town
Mid-Term
Medium
Town
Mid-Term
Medium
Town
Short-Term
Low
Town
Low
Short-Term
Low
Low
Short-Term
Low
MassHighway (to be
done under resurfacing
contract #605694)
MassHighway (to be
done under signal
project #605730)
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Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
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Table 2. Potential Safety Enhancement Summary (Continued)
Safety Issue
Limited Signage/Worn
Signage
Poor visibility of pedestrian
signals
Poor pedestrian access
Southbound left turns block
view of southbound through
traffic for northbound left
turning traffic
Safety Enhancement
Safety Payoff
Install advance warning signs for
the merge ahead on northbound
Low
and southbound approaches
Install Merge sign in advance of
Low
lane drop on southbound side of
Chickering Road
Move Merge sign from point of
lane drop to a location in advance
Low
of lane drop on northbound side of
Chickering Road
Install lane use signs on
Low
southbound and eastbound
approaches
Replace school zone warning sign
Low
Replace pedestrian signal
equipment and provide pedestrian
Low
heads and push buttons on all
corners of the intersection
Paint crosswalks across the
Low
westbound and southbound
approaches
Construct missing piece of
sidewalk on north side of
Low
Massachusetts Avenue
Reconstruct wheelchair ramps with
Low
concrete and detectable warning
panels
Provide southbound left turn lane
and associated signal head
Medium
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Agency
MassHighway (to be
done under signal
project #605730)
MassHighway (to be
done under signal
project #605730)
Short-Term
Low
Short-Term
Low
Short-Term
Low
Short-Term
Low
Short-Term
Low
Short-Term
Medium
MassHighway (to be
done under signal
project #605730)
Short-Term
Low
MassHighway (to be
done under resurfacing
contract #605694)
Mid-Term
Medium
MassHighway
Long-Term
Medium
MassHighway
Mid-Term or LongTerm (depends on
NB option chosen)
Medium
MassHighway
MassHighway (to be
done under signal
project #605730)
MassHighway (to be
done under signal
project #605730)
Town
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Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
Table 2. Potential Safety Enhancement Summary (Continued)
Safety Issue
Southbound left turns block
view of southbound through
traffic for northbound left
turning traffic
Safety Enhancement
Modify signal phasing to provide
protected only phasing for
northbound left turns and provide
new signal head
Signs and sidewalks blocked
Trim back brush
by foliage
Safety Payoff
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Agency
Medium
Mid-Term
Medium
MassHighway
Low
Short-Term
Low
MassHighway –
Chickering Road,
Town – Massachusetts
Avenue
Poor signal visibility within
intersection
Add post mounted signals to the
southeast corner and delta island
on the northwest corner of the
intersection
High
Short-Term
Medium
MassHighway (to be
done under signal
project #605730
Pre-kindergarten school
drop-off traffic will add
volume at this intersection
Monitor traffic operations at
intersection once school is opened
Low
Mid-Term
Low
Town
Page 14
Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
Appendix A. RSA Meeting Agenda
Road Safety Audit
North Andover – Route 125 at Massachusetts Ave
Meeting Location: North Andover DPW
384 Osgood Street
Thursday, September 3, 2009
9:00 – 11:00 AM
Type of meeting:
High Crash Location – Road Safety Audit
Attendees:
Invited Participants to Comprise a Multidisciplinary Team
Please bring:
Thoughts and Enthusiasm!!
9:00 AM
Welcome and Introductions
9:15 AM
Review of Site Specific Material
• Crash, Speed & Volume Summaries– provided in advance
• Existing Geometries and Conditions
9:45 AM
Visit the Site
• Drive to the intersection
• As a group, identify areas for improvement
11:15 AM
Post Visit Discussion / Completion of RSA
• Discuss observations and finalize findings
• Discuss potential improvements and finalize recommendations
12:00 noon
Adjourn for the Day – but the RSA has not ended
Instructions for Participants:
• Before attending the RSA on September 3rd, participants are encouraged to drive
through Route 125/Massachusetts Avenue intersection and complete/consider
elements on the RSA Prompt List with a focus on safety.
• All participants will be actively involved in the process throughout. Participants
are encouraged to come with thoughts and ideas, but are reminded that the
synergy that develops and respect for others’ opinions are key elements to the
success of the overall RSA process.
• After the RSA meeting, participants will be asked to comment and respond to the
document materials to assure it is reflective of the RSA completed by the
multidisciplinary team.
Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
Appendix B. RSA Audit Team Contact List
Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
Date:
9/3/09 9:00 AM
Audit Team
Members
Neil Boudreau
Carrie Lavallee
John Gregg
Tim White
Tony Komornick
Jim Terlizzi
Curt Bellavance
John Carney
Chief Richard
Stanley
Scott Nussbaum
Gene Willis
Bruce Thibodeau
Erik Maki
Sasha Wood
Location: 384 Osgood Street
Agency/Affiliation
Email Address
MassHighway – Traffic
MassHighway – Project Management
MassHighway – District 4
Federal Highway Administration
Merrimack Valley Planning Commission
Merrimack Valley Planning Commission
Division of Community Development, Town
of North Andover
Police Department, Town of North Andover
neil.boudreau@mhd.state.ma.us
carrie.lavallee@mhd.state.ma.us
john.gregg@mhd.state.ma.us
timothy.a.white@dot.gov
akomornick@mvpc.org
jterlizzi@mvpc.org
cbellavance@townofnorthandover.com
jcarney@napd.us
Police Department, Town of North Andover rstanley@napd.us
Fire Department, Town of North Andover
Engineering Department, Town of North
Andover
Division of Public Works, Town of North
Andover
Tetra Tech Rizzo
Tetra Tech Rizzo
snussbaum@townofnorthandover.com
gwillis@townofnorthandover.com
bthibodeau@townofnorthandover.com
erik.maki@tetratech.com
sasha.wood@tetratech.com
Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
Appendix C. Speed Regulations
Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
Appendix D. Detailed Crash Data
Crash Summary for Chickering Road (Rte 125) and Massachusetts Avenue Intersection, North Andover, MA
Crash
Number Crash Day
Manner of Collision
Light Condition
Weather Condition
Road Surface
1
2
3
4
5
Monday
Thursday
Saturday
Thursday
Monday
Crash Date
January 24, 2005
January 27, 2005
March 5, 2005
March 10, 2005
March 14, 2005
Time of Day
7:14 AM
9:18 PM
11:53 AM
3:12 PM
7:59 AM
Angle
Angle
Rear-end
Angle
Angle
Daylight
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Cloudy
Clear
Clear
Clear
Clear
Snow
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dry
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Friday
Sunday
Thursday
Thursday
Saturday
Tuesday
Monday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Monday
Saturday
Tuesday
Friday
Tuesday
May 6, 2005
May 15, 2005
June 30, 2005
July 7, 2005
July 23, 2005
August 16, 2005
August 22, 2005
September 29, 2005
October 13, 2005
November 10, 2005
November 14, 2005
December 10, 2005
December 20, 2005
January 6, 2006
January 10, 2006
8:16 PM
12:03 PM
12:00 PM
12:43 PM
8:55 PM
11:15 AM
2:11 PM
8:55 AM
7:43 PM
5:57 PM
2:44 PM
10:08 AM
6:01 PM
11:45 AM
4:26 PM
Rear-end
Angle
Angle
Rear-end
Angle
Angle
Angle
Rear-end
Angle
Angle
Rear-end
Angle
Rear-end
Sideswipe, same direction
Rear-end
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dry
Wet
Dry
Dry
Dry
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Wednesday
Friday
Sunday
Sunday
Sunday
Tuesday
Friday
Sunday
January 25, 2006
February 3, 2006
February 5, 2006
February 26, 2006
March 12, 2006
April 25, 2006
May 26, 2006
July 9, 2006
4:39 AM
8:54 AM
3:15 PM
5:18 PM
1:27 PM
3:19 PM
9:01 PM
10:10 PM
Single vehicle crash
Rear-end
Angle
Rear-end
Sideswipe, same direction
Angle
Angle
Angle
Clear
Cloudy
Clear
Cloudy
Clear
Clear
Clear
Cloudy
Cloudy
Clear
Clear
Clear
Clear
Cloudy
Cloudy
Snow/Sleet, hail (freezing
Dark - Lighted Roadway rain or drizzle)
Daylight
Rain
Daylight
Clear
Daylight
Clear
Daylight
Cloudy
Daylight
Clear
Dark - Lighted Roadway Rain
Dark - Lighted Roadway Clear
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
Monday
Wednesday
Monday
Sunday
Friday
Thursday
Wednesday
Friday
Friday
Friday
Saturday
July 17, 2006
August 16, 2006
September 25, 2006
October 1, 2006
October 20, 2006
November 2, 2006
November 15, 2006
December 8, 2006
December 8, 2006
December 8, 2006
December 30, 2006
12:55 PM
5:15 PM
5:01 PM
5:16 PM
1:29 PM
8:17 AM
2:08 PM
5:45 AM
6:03 AM
1:20 PM
1:20 PM
Angle
Rear-end
Rear-end
Angle
Rear-end
Rear-end
Rear-end
Angle
Angle
Angle
Rear-end
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Daylight
Daylight
Clear
Clear
Cloudy
Rain
Rain
Rain
Unknown
Cloudy
Snow
Clear
Snow
Dry
Dry
Dry
Wet
Wet
Wet
Unknown
Dry
Snow
Dry
Ice
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
Sunday
Saturday
Friday
Wednesday
Thursday
Thursday
Friday
Thursday
Friday
Sunday
Friday
Sunday
Thursday
Saturday
Friday
Thursday
Wednesday
Friday
Sunday
February 18, 2007
February 24, 2007
April 13, 2007
April 18, 2007
April 26, 2007
May 10, 2007
May 11, 2007
July 5, 2007
July 27, 2007
August 5, 2007
September 28, 2007
October 7, 2007
October 11, 2007
October 20, 2007
October 26, 2007
November 15, 2007
November 21, 2007
November 23, 2007
December 9, 2007
10:12 PM
1:13 PM
8:00 AM
12:23 PM
9:00 AM
8:32 AM
11:37 AM
8:30 PM
3:05 PM
2:30 PM
4:10 PM
7:31 PM
8:37 AM
1:05 PM
2:20 PM
6:10 PM
6:43 PM
5:16 PM
12:37 PM
Angle
Rear-end
Rear-end
Angle
Rear-end
Rear-end
Angle
Single vehicle crash
Rear-end
Angle
Angle
Rear-end
Angle
Angle
Angle
Rear-end
Angle
Angle
Angle
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Daylight
Dusk
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Unknown
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Daylight
Unknown
Clear
Cloudy
Rain
Clear
Clear
Rain
Unknown
Clear
Clear
Clear
Clear
Rain
Clear
Clear
Rain
Clear
Clear
Clear
Unknown
Wet
Dry
Wet
Dry
Dry
Wet
Unknown
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dry
Wet
Dry
Dry
Wet
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Daylight
Daylight
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Daylight
Daylight
Snow
Wet
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dry
Wet
Dry
Comments
Driver trying to make left hand turn
onto Autran Ave.
Vehicle slid due to snow conditions
Vehicle ran red light
Signal not working at this time due to
widespread power outage
Crash result of previous crash
Incident report available but no crash
report
Involved cyclist
Vehicles slid on wet pavement
Crash Summary for Chickering Road (Rte 125) and Massachusetts Avenue Intersection, North Andover, MA
59
60
61
Thursday
Thursday
Wednesday
January 31, 2008
February 21, 2008
March 12, 2008
62
63
64
65
66
Wednesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Thursday
March 19, 2008
April 2, 2008
June 12, 2008
June 27, 2008
August 7, 2008
67
Thursday
August 7, 2008
68
69
70
71
Tuesday
Saturday
Friday
Sunday
72
73
Wednesday
Saturday
Not mapped
6:18 PM Head-on
9:02 PM Sideswipe, same direction
11:49 PM Head-on
9:59 PM
9:16 PM
5:35 PM
12:21 PM
6:17 PM
Rear-end
Angle
Rear-end
Head-on
Angle
Dark - roadway not
lighted
Unknown
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Dark - Unknown
Roadway Lighting
Dark - Lighted Roadway
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Cloudy
Unknown
Clear
Dry
Unknown
Dry
Snow
Clear
Clear
Clear
Rain
Wet
Dry
Dry
Dry
Wet
Involved emergency response
vehicle from previous crash & a
parked car
Daylight
Rain
Wet
September 2, 2008
October 11, 2008
November 28, 2008
December 7, 2008
6:28 PM Angle
Sideswipe, opposite
3:39 PM direction
8:28 AM Head-on
8:46 AM Rear-end
2:25 PM Angle
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Daylight
Dry
Dry
Dry
Dry
Not actually a sideswipe crash
December 17, 2008
December 20, 2008
8:43 AM Rear-end
1:30 PM Rear-end
Daylight
Daylight
Clear
Clear
Cloudy
Cloudy
Sleet, hail (freezing rain or
drizzle)
Snow
Snow
Slush
Slid as result of snow on roadway
Mapped but no incident report available
Incident report available but no crash report submitted
There were only incident reports submitted for Crash Numbers 35, 40, & 60 (no crash reports submitted as of 8/12/2009).
We received 7 additional incident reports from 2008 for this intersection but they did not have narratives and have not been submitted to the RMV yet. They were not able to be mapped.
Crash numbers 18, 26, 45 were submitted to the RMV but North Andover did not have incident reports for these crashes
Four crashes were not mapped due to insufficient location/direction information (Crash Numbers 4, 40, 67, 73)
Crash Numbers 6 and 34 involve cars that were traveling in the area close to Autran Ave (near the intersection of Chickering Road & Massachusetts Avenue)
Summary
73
Angle
36
49.3%
Total Crashes
Rear-End
27
37.0%
Head On
4
5.5%
Manner of Collision
Single Vehicle
Crash
Sideswipe, same direction
2
3
2.7%
4.1%
Time of Day
Sideswipe, opposite
direction
1
1.4%
6:00am-10:00am
13
17.8%
10:00am-2:00pm
19
26.0%
2:00pm-6:00pm
20
27.4%
6:00pm-10:00pm
16
21.9%
10:00pm-2:00am
3
4.1%
2:00am-6:00am
2
2.7%
Dusk
1
1.4%
Lighting
Dark - roadway
not lighted
1
1.4%
Dark - unknown
roadway lighting
1
1.4%
Unknown
2
2.7%
Road Surface
Dry
49
67.1%
Wet
14
19.2%
Snow
4
5.5%
Ice
1
1.4%
Monday
6
8.2%
Tuesday
5
6.8%
Wednesday
9
12.3%
Thursday
18
24.7%
Slush
1
1.4%
Unknown
4
5.5%
Daylight
50
68.5%
Day of Week
Friday
16
21.9%
Saturday
8
11.0%
Sunday
11
15.1%
Source: North Andover Police Department Incident Reports for the period of January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2008
Dark-lighted
18
24.7%
Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
Appendix E. MVPC Draft Memorandum
Road Safety Audit—Chickering Road (Route 125) at Massachusetts Avenue – North Andover, MA
Prepared by Tetra Tech Rizzo
Appendix F. Bayside Engineering
Technical Memorandum