ROAD SAFETY AUDIT
Commonwealth Avenue & Harvard Avenue
Commonwealth Avenue & Allston Street
City of Boston
January 2016
Prepared For:
MassDOT
On Behalf Of:
City of Boston Department of Public Works
Prepared By:
HDR Engineering, Inc.
695 Atlantic Avenue
Boston, MA 02111
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
Table of Contents
Contents
Background ................................................................................................................................. 1
Project Data ................................................................................................................................. 2
Project Location and Description .............................................................................................. 3
Road Safety Audit Observations ............................................................................................... 6
Potential Safety Enhancements ............................................................................................... 13
Summary of Road Safety Audit ............................................................................................... 20
List of Appendices
Appendix A.
Appendix B.
Appendix C.
Appendix D.
RSA Meeting Agenda
RSA Audit Team Contact List
Detailed Crash Data
Traffic Volume and Speed Data
List of Figures
Figure 1: Locus Map .................................................................................................................................. 4
List of Tables
Table 1: Participating Audit Team Members ............................................................................................. 2
Table 2: Estimated Time Frame and Costs Breakdown ........................................................................... 13
Table 3: Potential Safety Enhancement Summary – Commonwealth Avenue & Harvard Avenue ........ 21
Table 4: Potential Safety Enhancement Summary – Commonwealth Avenue & Allston Street ............. 24
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
Background
A Road Safety Audit (RSA) was conducted as a part of the Commonwealth Avenue Phase 3 & 4 project
for the City of Boston Department of Public Works. The study corridor for the Commonwealth Avenue
Phase 3 & 4 project is located in the neighborhoods of Allston and Brighton in the City of Boston,
Massachusetts and comprises Commonwealth Avenue from Packard’s Corner at the intersection of
Commonwealth Avenue and Brighton Avenue to the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue &
Warren/Kelton Streets.
The purpose of the RSA is to identify safety deficiencies and potential short-, mid-, and long-term safety
improvements at the following intersections, shown in Figure 1, which were identified by the
Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) as eligible for the Highway Safety
Improvement Program (HSIP):
1. Commonwealth Avenue and Harvard Avenue – HSIP Bicycle Cluster 2004-2013
2. Commonwealth Avenue and Allston Street – HSIP Cluster 2011-2013
In general, all potential improvements identified as part of the RSA, particularly mid- and long-term
solutions, will be evaluated for possible incorporation into the Commonwealth Avenue Phase 3 & 4
project. This project is currently in the pre-25% conceptual design stage and design concepts have been
brought before the public and stakeholders, including several members of the RSA audit team.
Short-term, low-cost potential improvements for the studied intersections could be considered by the
responsible agency for immediate implementation prior to and independent of the Phase 3 & 4 project.
Short-term improvements would also be incorporated into the Phase 3 & 4 project as appropriate.
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Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
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Project Data
The RSA was conducted for the intersections of Commonwealth Avenue & Harvard Avenue and
Commonwealth Avenue & Allston Street on Friday, November 20, 2015. The audit team members are
listed in Table 1; detailed contact information is in Appendix A.
Table 1: Participating Audit Team Members
Agency/Affiliation
Steve McHugh
Boston EMS
Mike O'Hara
Boston Police Department
Selam Engida
Boston Public Health Commission
Zachary Wassmouth
Boston Public Works Engineering Division
Chenyuan Wang
Boston Region MPO
Wilson Aleman
Boston Transportation Department Engineering Division
Courtney Dwyer
MassDOT District 6
Robert Ballasty
MassDOT District 6 Traffic
John Mastera
MassDOT Traffic and Safety
David Loutzenheiser
Metropolitan Area Planning Council
Jessica Mortell
Toole Design Group (for Boston Active Transportation)
Bob Sloane
Walk Boston
Einah Pelaez
HDR
Jerry Friedman
HDR
Elaine Du
HDR
Crash data for the two RSA locations were obtained from the MassDOT Crash Portal and Boston Police
Department reports for January 2012 to December 2014, the most recent available 3 years of crash data.
Prior to the field visit, the audit team thoroughly reviewed pre-audit materials including crash data and
summaries, crash diagrams, traffic volumes and turning movement counts, and midblock speeds for both
intersections in order to give context to the existing site conditions. After a review of the existing
conditions, the audit team visited both intersections to conduct a field review. Following the field visit, a
post-audit discussion was held with the audit team to summarize observations and findings. Potential
short-, mid-, and long-term safety countermeasures were also identified with the audit team.
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Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
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FINAL
Project Location and Description
The two intersections studied in this RSA are Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and
Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street as part of the Commonwealth Avenue Phase 3 & 4 project. The
Commonwealth Avenue Phase 3 & 4 project focuses on improvements along Commonwealth Avenue,
which is a four-lane urban principal arterial (functional class 3) with one-lane carriage roads immediately
to the north and south of the mainline roadway. The width of the mainline roadway ranges between 50
feet and 65 feet, with 10- to 15-foot wide travel lanes. The width of the carriage roads ranges from 22 feet
to 57 feet including parking. The varying width of the carriage roads is primarily due to the four different
parking configurations found at various locations: parallel parking one side only; angle parking one side
only; angle one side and parallel one side; and angle parking both sides. The eastbound and westbound
roadways are separated by an 8-foot median, and the eastbound carriage road is generally separated from
the mainline road by a 25-foot landscaped median. The westbound carriage road is separated from the
mainline road by the MBTA light rail tracks on a 29-foot reservation (wider at station locations). The
prima facie speed limit along this segment of Commonwealth Avenue is 30 mph.
Commonwealth Avenue is also an existing shared use bicycle route, although there are no designated
bicycle facilities. Land use in the area consists of medium density multi-family residential uses with
supporting commercial districts. The study area is located within the Allston-Brighton Neighborhood
District under the Multifamily Residential Subdistricts (MFR-1). Multiple Neighborhood Business
Subdistricts are also included in the study area, including the Packard’s Corner Community Subdistrict
(CC-2), Harvard Avenue Community Commercial Subdistrict (CC-1), Gorham Street Neighborhood
Shopping Subdistrict (NS-1), and Kelton Street Local Convenience Subdistrict (LC-1).
The MBTA Green Line Boston College (B) Branch light rail travels along Commonwealth Avenue atgrade between the westbound carriage road and the westbound mainline travel lanes. The inbound and
outbound light rail tracks are separated by a 5-foot fence. Signalized vehicle at-grade crossings are
present at Harvard Avenue and Allston Street where the light rail must obey traffic signals at the
crossings. There are five light rail stations within the Phase 3 & 4 project area, including the Harvard
Avenue station at Commonwealth Avenue & Harvard Avenue and the Allston Street station at
Commonwealth Avenue & Allston Street.
Commonwealth Avenue & Harvard Avenue
Commonwealth Avenue and Harvard Avenue is a four-legged signalized intersection. At this intersection,
Commonwealth Avenue has two lanes in the eastbound and westbound directions along the mainline road
and one lane in each direction along the carriage roads. Harvard Avenue is a two-lane urban principal
arterial (functional class 3) with one lane each in the northbound and southbound directions. Left turns
from the Commonwealth Avenue carriage roads onto Harvard Avenue are not permitted. Right turns on
red are not permitted at this intersection.
Pedestrian crosswalks are provided at all approaches. Pedestrian push buttons and pedestrian signal heads
are present along the Commonwealth Avenue mainline road and Harvard Avenue, but not present at the
crossings of the carriage roads. The signal phasing includes an actuated all-red pedestrian phase that
allows pedestrians to cross along all approaches. Designated bicycle lanes are located at the northbound
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Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
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and southbound approaches along Harvard Avenue. There are no designated or shared bicycle lanes along
Commonwealth Avenue at this intersection.
Parking is available along the westbound and eastbound carriage roads as angled parking. There are bus
stops for the MBTA Route 66 bus located at the northbound and southbound approaches. These are both
“near-side” stops. The MBTA Green Line is located between the westbound approach and the westbound
carriage road. The Harvard Avenue station for inbound service toward downtown Boston is located at the
west approach and the station for outbound service toward Boston College is located at the east approach.
These are both “near-side” stops.
Crash data for the Commonwealth Avenue and Harvard Avenue intersection indicated 46 crashes for the
January 2012 to December 2014 period. Sixteen crashes (35%) involved bicyclists or pedestrians, 10
crashes (22%) were left turn crashes, and 8 crashes (17%) were rear-end crashes. Twenty-two crashes
(25%) involved drivers between the ages of 21 and 29. Out of all crash types, 10 crashes (22%) were hitand-run crashes. Detailed crash data is provided in Appendix C.
Commonwealth Avenue & Allston Street
Commonwealth Avenue and Allston Street is a four-legged signalized intersection. The signal phasing
includes dedicated turn phases for the westbound and eastbound left turning movements. At this
intersection, Commonwealth Avenue has two lanes in the eastbound and westbound directions along the
mainline road and one lane in each direction along the carriage roads. Allston Street is a two-lane urban
minor collector (functional class 6) with one lane each in the northbound and southbound directions.
There are no left turn restrictions for vehicles turning from the Commonwealth Avenue carriage roads
onto Allston Street. There are no “right turn on red” restrictions at this intersection.
Pedestrian crosswalks are provided at all approaches. Pedestrian push buttons and pedestrian signal heads
control crossing of the Commonwealth Avenue mainline road, but there are no pedestrian signal heads to
control crossing of the carriage roads or Allston Street. The pedestrian phase to cross the Commonwealth
Avenue mainline is actuated and concurrent with the northbound/southbound Allston Street phase.
There are no designated or shared bicycle lanes at this intersection. Parallel parking is available at the
north and south approaches in addition to the carriage roads. The Green Line is located between the
westbound mainline and the westbound carriage road. The Allston Street station for inbound service
toward downtown Boston is located at the west approach and the station for outbound service toward
Boston College is located at the east approach. These are both “near-side” stops.
Crash data for the Commonwealth Avenue and Allston Street intersection indicated 36 crashes for the
January 2012 to December 2014 period. Nine crashes (25%) involved bicyclists or pedestrians, 10 crashes
(28%) were left turn crashes. Twenty-six crashes (35%) involved drivers between the ages of 21 and 29.
In contrast to the Harvard Avenue crash data, only 2 crashes (6%) were hit-and-run crashes.
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Figure 1. Locus Map
↑
N
Legend
RSA Study Location
Not to Scale
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Road Safety Audit Observations
Observations and safety issues were identified by the RSA team during the pre-audit discussion and field
visit. Issues identified by the RSA team and discussed in the following sections include the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Signals, Signage, and Pavement Markings
Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodations
Transit
Operations
Geometry and Roadway Alignment
Clear Zones and Lighting
Commonwealth Avenue & Harvard Avenue
1. Signals, Signage, and Pavement Markings
•
•
•
•
“Do Not Enter” signs are present at the
eastbound carriage road in the southwest
corner. However, the “Do Not Enter” signs
are missing at the westbound carriage road at
the northeast corner to warn vehicles from
entering the westbound carriage road
approach.
A “Keep Right” sign is present on the western
Image 1: Commonwealth Ave at Harvard Ave looking
side of Harvard Avenue to warn westbound
east – missing signage and U-turn restrictions
vehicles of the roadway median. However,
the “Keep Right” sign is missing on the eastern side of Harvard Avenue for vehicles traveling
eastbound.
While in the field, it was observed that the
pedestrian signals and the traffic signal located
on the east side on Harvard Avenue between the
eastbound mainline road and carriage road
experience glare from the sun, which may
obstruct the visibility of the signals for
pedestrians and vehicles. These signals are
lacking signal head visors.
The intersection is very wide along Harvard
Avenue due to the extreme (200-foot) width of
the Commonwealth Avenue right-of-way. There
are no pavement markings in the middle of the
intersection, and as a result vehicles turning
Image 2: Commonwealth Ave at Harvard
from Harvard Avenue were observed to cause
Ave looking south - No pavement markings
confusion for opposing traffic when queuing in
in the middle of the intersection
the middle of the intersection.
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•
•
•
Some vehicles were observed to make U-turns along Commonwealth Avenue onto the carriage
roads. These vehicles experience conflicts with vehicles along both the mainline and carriage
road. There is no signage restricting U-turns at this intersection.
All signal and signage poles are painted black, which can impair the nighttime visibility of the
poles. Object markers signs are located in the median of Commonwealth Avenue and are not
clear.
All signal heads controlling Commonwealth Avenue are post-mounted, except for a single mastarm signal which controls the westbound carriage road.
2. Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodations
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pedestrian signals are provided to control crossings
of the Commonwealth Avenue mainline and of
Harvard Avenue. However, there are no pedestrian
signals to control crossings of the carriage roads.
Pedestrian push buttons to cross Commonwealth
Avenue are only present along the mainline road. In
order for a pedestrian to activate the push button
from the north side of Commonwealth Avenue, the Image 3: Commonwealth Ave at Harvard Ave
looking east - Pedestrians crossing during the
pedestrian must first cross the carriage road and
pedestrian phase
MBTA T tracks to reach a pedestrian push button.
Pedestrian refuges between the mainline road and the carriage roads are too small and do not
provide enough space for pedestrians to queue. In particular, when a Green Line train discharges
passengers at the Harvard Avenue station, pedestrians must queue on the refuge and MBTA
tracks.
The existing traffic signal timing includes an exclusive pedestrian phase that allows enough time
for pedestrians to cross only the Commonwealth Avenue mainline road. It does not allow enough
time for pedestrians to cross the full width of
Commonwealth Avenue from carriage road to
carriage road. In addition, the existing
pedestrian phasing and timing requires
pedestrians to wait up to 98 seconds before
crossing, and a number of pedestrians were
observed to be crossing outside of the
pedestrian phase. Many of the pedestrians
crossing against the signal were attempting to
reach Green line trains. There were 7 crashes
Image 4: Commonwealth Ave at Harvard Ave
(15%) involving pedestrians crossing this
looking northeast - Pedestrian signals and refuges
intersection.
There are bicycle lanes present along Harvard Avenue, but no designated bicycle facilities along
Commonwealth Avenue. Nine crashes (20%) involved bicyclists being struck by motor vehicles.
Bicyclists traveling along Harvard Avenue were observed to get trapped in the intersection due to
the short green time on the northbound/southbound movements.
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3. Transit
•
•
•
•
The MBTA Route 66 bus runs along Harvard Avenue and stops are located at the nearside of the
northbound and southbound approaches to the intersection. Currently, the bus lanes also function
as right-turn lanes for vehicles traveling along Harvard Avenue. Due to the asymmetrical
location of the Green Line within the corridor, the
northbound bus stop is located at a considerably greater
distance from the Harvard Avenue Station, and
transfers require crossing many more lanes of traffic,
compared to the southbound bus stop. However, a bus
shelter is provided at the northbound bus stop, and not
the southbound, due to the available extra sidewalk
width south of the intersection. (The Harvard Avenue
right-of-way is wider to the south).
The MBTA Green Line trains at the Harvard Avenue
Station stop directly at the intersection adjacent to
Image 5: Commonwealth Ave at Harvard
moving traffic. Stopped trains may be causing sight
Ave looking east - Green line B branch
distance issues for vehicles turning from the
train arriving at Harvard Ave station
Commonwealth Avenue eastbound mainline roadway
due to stopping very close to the intersection.
Pedestrian access to the MBTA station is limited to one location for each platform, via the main
crosswalks at the intersection. Pedestrians were observed crossing at non-crosswalk locations in
order to reach and leave the west end of the inbound platform, a maneuver which involves
crossing the four mainline Commonwealth Avenue lanes, the angle parking bays, and the inbound
carriage lane.
MBTA trains are controlled by their own vehicular-style signal heads at the intersection. Trains
operate across the intersection concurrently with Commonwealth Avenue mainline vehicular
traffic, including permitted left and right turns across the tracks. There is no transit signal
priority.
4. Operations
•
•
There are multiple conflicts between carriage road vehicles and Commonwealth Avenue mainline
vehicles, particularly for turning movements. For example, vehicles turning right onto Harvard
Avenue from the westbound Commonwealth
Avenue mainline conflict with vehicles traveling
along the westbound carriage road. Additionally,
vehicles turning from Commonwealth Avenue
onto Harvard Avenue will queue in and block the
intersection. Ten crashes (22%) involved left
turning vehicles at the intersection.
The northbound departure along Harvard
Avenue is highly congested and also mixed use
for bicycles, vehicles, and buses. During the field
visit, the northbound departure experienced
queue spillover from the Harvard Avenue at
Image 6: Commonwealth Ave at Harvard Ave
Glenville Road intersection.
looking east - Vehicle has turned left from
Commonwealth Ave onto Harvard before the
passing of a train
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5. Geometry and Roadway Alignment
•
•
•
•
•
Observed horizontal alignment issues include geometric inconsistencies at the approaches.
Harvard Avenue is narrower on the southbound approach to Commonwealth Avenue as compared
to the northbound approach.
Vehicles turning left from Harvard Avenue
southbound onto Commonwealth Avenue eastbound,
or from Harvard Avenue northbound onto
Commonwealth Avenue westbound, have a very
large turning radius. This is due to the width of
Commonwealth Avenue including the mainline,
carriage roads, and MBTA tracks.
Vehicles turning left from Harvard Avenue
northbound onto Commonwealth Avenue westbound
do not have enough space to turn left due to
oncoming southbound vehicles. Turning vehicles
queue in the middle of the intersection while waiting Image 7: Commonwealth Ave at Harvard Ave
looking south - Northbound turning vehicles
for a gap in southbound vehicles. When there are
vehicles turning northbound left and southbound left, these vehicles are almost head-on.
Drainage issues were observed for the pedestrian ramp crossing Commonwealth Avenue at the
south carriage road at the southwest corner of the intersection. After rain from the previous night,
a puddle was observed at the ramp, indicating poor drainage at this location.
It was noted that the metered angle parking spaces on the southern carriage road appear to be
underutilized during daytime hours.
6. Clear Zones and Lighting
•
•
There were several reports of the signal post at the
northwest corner between the MBTA T tracks and the
westbound carriage road being struck by vehicles. As
observed in the field, the base of this signal post is at the
same grade as the pavement. An RSA team member
stated that in the past, vehicles traveling from Harvard
Avenue have struck the signal post.
Due to the width of the intersection it may not be clearly
lit at night. Commonwealth Avenue has streetlights
located in the median of the mainline roadway. There is
also street lighting along the Commonwealth Avenue
carriage roads adjacent to the sidewalks, as well as
along Harvard Avenue adjacent to the sidewalks
Image 8: Commonwealth Ave at Harvard
approximately 100 feet back from the carriage roads.
Ave looking north - Signal post that has
been struck by vehicles on a recurring
basis
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Commonwealth Avenue & Allston Street
1. Signals, Signage, and Pavement Markings
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
While in the field, it was observed that the pedestrian
signals experience glare from the sun, which may
obstruct the visibility of the signals for pedestrians
and vehicles. These signals lack signal head visors.
All signal heads controlling Commonwealth Avenue
Image 9: Commonwealth Ave at Allston St
movements are post-mounted. The only mast-arm
signals are those which control Allston Street, which looking northeast - Glare on pedestrian
signal heads which lack visors
are mounted on a single mast-arm at the southern leg
of the intersection. In combination with potential sight distance issues noted under “Geometry
and Roadway Alignment” below, the lack of mast-arm signals may also contribute to a lack of
intersection awareness for eastbound traffic.
All signal and signage poles are painted black, which can impair nighttime visibility of the poles.
Object markers signs are located in the median of Commonwealth Avenue and are not clear.
Pavement markings were observed to be faded
and in poor condition along Allston Street. The
north and south crosswalks and stop bars are
faded.
The northbound and southbound approaches along
Allston Street are missing yellow center lines,
which makes it difficult for drivers to position
their vehicles in the correct lane.
Some vehicles were observed to make U-turns
along Commonwealth Avenue at the intersection
onto the carriage roads. These vehicles experience
Image 10: Commonwealth Ave at Allston St
conflicts with vehicles along both the mainline
looking north: Southbound approach is
and carriage road. There is no signage restricting
missing yellow center line
U-turns at this intersection.
The “No Turn On Red” sign for southbound Allston Street traffic is located on an MBTA trolley
pole, which may not be conspicuous for a stopped driver due to the sign’s offset from the road. It
was reported that this sign may have been
temporarily located on this pole rather than on a
more appropriate traffic signal post which is
subject to frequent knock-downs.
2. Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodations
•
Pedestrian signals are provided to control
pedestrian crossing of the mainline. However,
there are no pedestrian signals to control crossing
of Allston Street or the carriage roads.
Image 11: Commonwealth Ave at Allston St
looking north: Missing pedestrian signal heads
and push buttons along the carriage road
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•
•
•
The existing traffic signal timing includes a push button-actuated pedestrian phase which is
concurrent with Allston Street vehicular movements. Pedestrian push buttons to cross
Commonwealth Avenue are only present along the mainline road. In order for a pedestrian to
activate the push button from the north side of Commonwealth Avenue, the pedestrian must cross
the carriage road and MBTA T tracks to reach a pedestrian push button.
The current signalization does not allow for pedestrians or bicyclists to cross the full width of
Commonwealth Avenue from carriage road to carriage road. In addition, the existing pedestrian
phasing and timing requires pedestrians to wait up to 86 seconds before crossing. There were 5
crashes (14%) involving pedestrians crossing this intersection.
There are no designated bicycle facilities along Commonwealth Avenue or Allston Street. Four
crashes (11%) involved bicyclists being struck by motor vehicles.
3. Transit
•
•
•
The MBTA Green Line trains at the Allston Street
station stop directly at the intersection adjacent to
moving traffic. Both inbound and outbound stops
are “near side” relative to Allston Street. The
stopped trains may be causing sight distance
issues for vehicles turning from the
Commonwealth Avenue eastbound mainline
roadway due to stopping very close to the
Image 12: Commonwealth Ave at Allston
intersection.
Street looking north: MBTA Green Line
Pedestrian access to the MBTA station is limited
train passing through the intersection
to one location for each platform, via the main
crosswalks at the intersection. Pedestrians have been observed crossing at non-crosswalk
locations in order to reach and leave the westerly portion of the inbound platform, which does not
have a concrete barrier wall for its full length. This pedestrian maneuver involves crossing the
four mainline Commonwealth Avenue lanes and the inbound carriage lane.
MBTA trains are controlled by their own vehicular-style signal heads at the intersection. Trains
operate across the intersection concurrently with Commonwealth Avenue mainline vehicular
traffic, with the exception of the Commonwealth Avenue eastbound left-turn phase. There is no
transit signal priority.
4. Operations
•
•
•
There are multiple conflicts between carriage road vehicles and Commonwealth Avenue mainline
vehicles, particularly for turning movements. Vehicles turning from the Commonwealth Avenue
mainline experience conflicts with vehicles traveling along the carriage roads.
The prevalent crash type is left-turn crashes, of which there were 10 crashes (28%) at the
intersection. Four crashes involved westbound vehicles traveling along Commonwealth Avenue
turning left onto Allston Street colliding with vehicles traveling eastbound along Commonwealth
Avenue.
RSA team members observed vehicles traveling along Commonwealth Avenue eastbound and
westbound that appeared to be traveling above the posted speed limit. This may be due to
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eastbound vehicles from Warren/Kelton Streets traveling downhill. There is a sign located in the
Commonwealth Avenue mainline median warning eastbound drivers to slow down.
5. Geometry and Roadway Alignment
•
•
Parallel parking is available along Allston Street
and along the Commonwealth Avenue carriage
roads. Parking regulations allow vehicles to park
close to the intersection along the Commonwealth
Avenue eastbound and westbound carriage roads.
As a result of the proximity of the parked vehicles
to the intersection and crosswalks, drivers may be
unable to see crossing pedestrians and bicyclists
and other vehicles.
Image 13: Commonwealth Ave at Allston St
looking west - Parallel parking along the
The Commonwealth Avenue alignment on the
carriage roads
eastbound approach includes a right-hand curve
which begins at the Warren/Kelton intersection ends approximately 250 feet west of Allston
Street. There is also a landscaped median with a number of large mature trees located on the
inside of this curve. It appears as though the combination of curve and tree limbs adjacent to and
overhanging the roadway may be interfering with vehicular sightlines and driver awareness of the
upcoming Allston Street intersection. As noted above under “Signals, Signs and Pavement
Markings”, the lack of mast-arm signals may also contribute to a lack of intersection awareness
for eastbound traffic.
6. Clear Zones and Lighting
•
•
•
There were several reports of the signal post at
the northwest corner between the MBTA tracks
and the westbound carriage road being struck by
vehicles on a recurring basis. As observed in the
field, this signal post is at the same grade as the
pavement.
The traffic signal located in the northwest corner
and north of the westbound carriage road was
observed to be obscured by a tree on northwest
corner.
Due to the width of the intersection of, it may
not be properly lit at night. Commonwealth
Avenue has streetlights located in the median of Image 14: Commonwealth Ave at Allston St
the mainline roadway. There is also street
looking north - Signal post that has been struck by
vehicles on a recurring basis
lighting along the Commonwealth Avenue
carriage roads and Allston Street adjacent to the sidewalks.
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Potential Safety Enhancements
Following the field visit, a post-audit discussion was held with the audit team to summarize observations
and findings, as well as to identify potential short-, mid-, and long-term safety countermeasures. The
suggestions documented herein have been provided by audit team members, and do not necessarily
represent those of the report author, HDR Engineering, Inc.
Potential safety enhancements are summarized for the following issues as identified in the Road Safety
Audit Observations section. The suggested improvements included in this RSA report should not be
considered a comprehensive list, as additional or different measures that were not discussed during the
RSA, but accomplish the same goals, could be evaluated or considered.
Each proposed safety enhancement was classified as a short-term, mid-term, or long-term enhancement
and a low, medium, or high cost enhancement, as identified in Table 2. Some recommendations,
especially long-term/high-cost suggestions, may require further study and evaluation to determine if the
countermeasure can be implemented.
In general, as noted earlier in the report, all suggestions will be evaluated as part of the design process for
the Commonwealth Avenue Phase 3 & 4 project, while short-term/low-cost solutions can be considered
for implementation by the appropriate agency independent of the Phase 3 & 4 project.
Table 2: Estimated Time Frame and Costs Breakdown
Time Frame
Costs
Short-Term
<1 Year
Low
<$10,000
Mid-Term
1-3 Years
Medium
$10,001-$50,000
Long-Term
>3 Years
High
>$50,000
Commonwealth Avenue & Harvard Avenue
1. Signals, Signage, and Pavement Markings
•
•
•
Add the missing “Do Not Enter” signs at the westbound carriage road at the northeast corner of
the intersection near the taxi stand. This will warn drivers of one-way westbound flow from the
Commonwealth Avenue westbound carriage road. This is a low-cost and short-term
improvement.
A “Keep Right” sign should be added to the median approach on the eastern side of the
intersection for vehicles traveling eastbound. This will help inform drivers unfamiliar with the
area of the median in the roadway and may help prevent property damage accidents. This is a
low-cost and short-term improvement.
Add visors to all traffic signal and pedestrian signal heads to reduce sun glare. The addition of
visors on pedestrian signal heads may help pedestrians to better see the pedestrian signals and
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•
•
•
•
•
•
potentially reduce pedestrian-related crashes at the intersection. This is a low-cost and short-term
improvement.
Add pavement markings in the middle of the intersection, including a dashed double yellow
centerline, to guide turning vehicles and bicyclists. This will help in defining the intersection and
potentially reduce turning crashes by delineating the preferred path for turning movements at the
intersection. This may also potentially reduce bicyclist-related crashes. This is a low-cost and
short-term improvement.
Consider part-time or full-time prohibition on U-Turns and indicate with appropriate signage.
Restricting U-turn movements will reduce conflicts with opposing traffic along the
Commonwealth Avenue mainline and carriage roads. This is a low-cost and short-term
improvement, but may require further study to evaluate impacts on circulation.
Add object markers and/or reflectorized treatment to traffic signal posts to increase visibility and
prevent property damage crashes and post knock-downs. This is a low-cost and short-term
improvement.
Relocate traffic signal posts so that they are sufficiently offset from curbs, and increase curb
reveal to proper height to protect posts. This will prevent property damage crashes and post
knock-downs. This is a medium cost and short-term improvement.
Provide mast-arm mounted signals for the Commonwealth Avenue mainline approaches to
increase signal visibility. This is a high-cost and long-term improvement.
Narrow travel lane widths to current City standards on all approaches. This is a medium-cost and
short-term improvement.
2. Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodations
•
•
•
•
•
Add pedestrian signal heads and APS push buttons at all corners of the intersection including
carriage roads. This may alleviate pedestrian confusion and potentially reduce pedestrian-related
crashes. This is a medium-cost and short-term improvement.
Create larger pedestrian refuges along Commonwealth Avenue along the median and between the
mainline road and the carriage roads. This would create more space for pedestrians to queue when
crossing Commonwealth Avenue and potentially reduce pedestrian-related crashes. This is a
high-cost and long-term improvement and would require participation by the MBTA to make
improvements within their right-of-way.
Evaluate the feasibility and impacts of providing concurrent pedestrian phases and improve and
optimize the signal timings to allow more time for pedestrians to cross. Add a leading pedestrian
interval (LPI) to allow additional time for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the full width of
Commonwealth Avenue from carriage road to carriage road. This is a low-cost and short-to-mid
term improvement requiring detailed technical analysis.
Place the signal on pedestrian recall during all hours or when pedestrians are expected. This
would allow pedestrians to cross Commonwealth Avenue without utilizing the push buttons and
could potentially reduce pedestrian crashes. This is a low-cost and short-term improvement.
Consider implementation of bicycle accommodations along Commonwealth Avenue in advance
of the Phase 3 & 4 project. Potential improvements would include pavement markings and
signage to indicate recommended bicycle positioning for both through and turning movements,
and to promote vehicular awareness of bicycle presence; addition of left-side bicycle lanes along
carriage roads; and conversion of head-in angle parking to head-out angle parking to improve
driver awareness of cyclists. These are low-to-medium cost and short-to-mid term
improvements.
Page 14
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
•
Integrate bicycle improvements at this intersection into a comprehensive bicycle accommodation
strategy to be developed for the entire Commonwealth Avenue corridor. Potential improvements
include separated bicycle facilities; protected intersection treatments; revised signal timing and
phasing to facilitate staged left-turning movements and longer green time to allow bicycles to
clear the intersection; elimination of selected vehicular movements; traffic calming; selected
elimination of angle-parking; and creation of larger spaces for bicycle queuing. This is a highcost and long-term improvement.
3. Transit
•
•
•
Consider relocating the northbound MBTA Route 66 bus stop to the midblock of the northbound
departure (far side) of Harvard Avenue. This would facilitate transfers between northbound buses
and the Harvard Avenue Green Line Station and would allow for the northbound approach to be
utilized as 2 lanes, including a dedicated turn lane. Other potential solutions include
implementing off-board fare collection to allow for faster boarding and decreased delays due to
bus activity. This would increase the capacity and improve the vehicular level of service of the
northbound approach. The relocation of the northbound bus stop is a low-cost and mid-term
improvement.
Consider relocating the stopping point for MBTA Green Line trains to be at least 50 feet back
from the intersection in both directions to increase sight distance for vehicles. This improvement
would potentially decrease the number of left and right turning crashes on the north side of the
intersection, as well as decrease the number of pedestrian- and bicycle-related crashes. This is a
high-cost and long-term improvement.
Consider relocating station platforms to “far-side” of intersection and implement transit signal
priority. This is a high-cost and long-term improvement.
4. Operations
•
•
•
Reduce or remove parking on the north leg of Harvard Avenue from Commonwealth Avenue to
Glenville Terrace to allow for more space for vehicles, buses, and bicyclists. This would relieve
the existing congestion and alleviate some of the existing multimodal conflicts at the intersection.
This is a low-cost and mid-term improvement and would require additional public process due to
the proposed parking impacts.
Consider closure, change in flow direction, and/or turn prohibitions at the north and south
carriage roads. This would help reduce intersection conflicts between Commonwealth Avenue
mainline turning vehicles and carriage road vehicles and potentially reduce turning movement
crashes. This is a high-cost and long-term improvement.
Along Commonwealth Avenue at Harvard Avenue, allow westbound right turns onto Harvard
Avenue only from the carriage lane. By forcing westbound right turning vehicles onto the
carriage lane, the turning movement conflict with the Green Line and carriage road vehicles is
reduced. This is a medium-cost and mid-term improvement and would require additional
analysis to determine feasibility and impact on overall local circulation patterns and other local
streets.
5. Geometry and Roadway Alignment
Page 15
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
•
•
•
•
Restripe the northbound Harvard Avenue approach to include a left turn lane to accommodate the
northbound left turning traffic. Use minimum lane widths per current City standards, maintain
existing bicycle lanes and provide bicycle boxes. The dedicated left turn lane would reduce
queuing at the northbound approach and prevent through vehicles from getting trapped behind
left turning vehicles in the middle of the intersection. This may require relocating the northbound
bus stop as described under “Transit” above. This is a low-cost and mid-term improvement.
Widen the carriage lane median at the southeast corner of the intersection and add pedestrian bulb
outs to reduce the turning radius for vehicles turning from Harvard Avenue onto Commonwealth
Avenue. This would help better define the intersection and potentially reduce turning movement
related crashes, as well as add additional pedestrian space and potentially reduce pedestrianrelated crashes. This is a high-cost and long-term improvement.
Perform a field inspection of drainage at the crossings of Commonwealth Avenue and Harvard
Avenue to study and potentially alleviate drainage issues at the intersection. This is a mediumcost and mid-term improvement.
Consider and evaluate significant revisions to overall intersection geometry, including full or
partial closures of carriage roads; restrictions on allowed turns to and from carriage roads;
implementation of dedicated left-turn lanes and signal phases along Commonwealth Avenue; leftturn restrictions and/or prohibitions from the Commonwealth Avenue mainline. This is a highcost and long-term improvement.
6. Clear Zones and Lighting
•
•
Add delineation and provide greater curb-reveal to protect the traffic signal post at the northwest
corner between the MBTA tracks and the westbound carriage road to prevent it from being struck
by vehicles. This is a medium-cost and mid-term improvement.
Add 4-way lighting on the east and west mainline median along Commonwealth Avenue to
improve lighting and nighttime visibility at the intersection. This is a high-cost and mid-term
improvement.
Commonwealth Avenue & Allston Street
1. Signals, Signage, and Pavement Markings
•
•
•
A “Keep Right” sign should be added to the median approach on the eastern side of the
intersection for vehicles traveling eastbound, and a “Keep Right” sign should replace the existing
object marker on the westbound median approach. These signs will help inform drivers
unfamiliar with the area of the median in the roadway and may help prevent property damage
accidents. This is a low-cost and short-term improvement.
Add visors to all traffic signal and pedestrian signal heads to reduce sun glare. The addition of
visors on pedestrian signal heads may help pedestrians to better see the pedestrian signals and
potentially reduce pedestrian-related crashes at the intersection. This is a low-cost and short-term
improvement.
Restripe the intersection to have a double yellow center line on the northbound and southbound
approaches to better define lane usage along Allston Street. Restripe crosswalks and stop bars.
This is a low-cost and short-term improvement.
Page 16
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
•
•
•
•
•
•
Relocate the “No Turn On Red” sign presently located on MBTA trolley pole and mount on
traffic signal post facing southbound Allston Street approach. This is a low-cost and short-term
improvement.
Add object markers and/or reflectorized treatment to all traffic signal posts to increase visibility
and prevent property damage crashes and post knock-downs. This is a low-cost and short-term
improvement.
Relocate traffic signal posts so that they are sufficiently offset from curbs, and increase curb
reveal to proper height to protect posts. This will prevent property damage crashes and post
knock-downs. This is a medium cost and short-term improvement.
Provide mast-arm mounted signals for the Commonwealth Avenue mainline approaches. This
will increase signal visibility, particularly for eastbound vehicles exiting the horizontal curve, and
potentially reduce confusion at the intersection. This is a high-cost and long-term improvement.
Consider part-time or full-time prohibition on U-Turns and indicate with appropriate signage.
Restricting U-turn movements will reduce conflicts with opposing traffic along the
Commonwealth Avenue mainline and carriage roads. This is a low-cost and short-term
improvement, but may require further study to evaluate impacts on circulation.
Add or adjust locations of parking regulation signs on all approaches to reinforce that vehicles
should not park within 20-feet of the intersection. This will improve sightlines for all users and
may reduce crashes of all types. This is a low-cost and short-term improvement.
2. Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodations
•
•
•
•
•
•
Add pedestrian signal heads and APS push buttons at all corners of the intersection including
carriage roads. This may alleviate pedestrian confusion and potentially reduce pedestrian-related
crashes. This is a medium-cost and short-term improvement.
Improve and optimize the signal timings to allow more time for pedestrians to cross. Add an LPI
to allow additional time for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the full width of Commonwealth
Avenue from carriage road to carriage road. This is a low-to-medium cost and short-term
improvement.
Place the signal on pedestrian recall during all hours or when pedestrians are expected to allow
for pedestrians to cross Commonwealth Avenue without utilizing the existing push buttons or
waiting for a vehicular call on Allston Street. This could potentially reduce pedestrian-related
crashes. This is a low-cost and short-term improvement.
Provide passive pedestrian detection for times when signal is not on pedestrian recall. This is a
medium-cost and mid-term improvement.
Create larger pedestrian refuges along Commonwealth Avenue along the median and between the
mainline road and the carriage roads. This would create more space for pedestrians to queue when
crossing Commonwealth Avenue and potentially reduce pedestrian-related crashes. This is a
high-cost and long-term improvement and would require participation by the MBTA to make
improvements within their right-of-way.
Consider implementation of bicycle accommodations along Commonwealth Avenue in advance
of the Phase 3 & 4 project. Potential improvements would include pavement markings and
signage to indicate recommended bicycle positioning for both through and turning movements,
and to promote vehicular awareness of bicycle presence, and addition of left-side bicycle lanes
along carriage roads. This is a low-to-medium cost and short-term improvement.
Page 17
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
•
Integrate bicycle improvements at this intersection into a comprehensive bicycle accommodation
strategy to be developed for the entire Commonwealth Avenue corridor. Potential improvements
include separated bicycle facilities; protected intersection treatments; revised signal timing and
phasing to facilitate staged left-turning movements; elimination of selected vehicular movements;
traffic calming; and creation of larger spaces for bicycle queuing. This is a high-cost and longterm improvement.
3. Transit
•
•
Consider relocating the stopping point for MBTA Green Line trains to be at least 50 feet back
from the intersection in both directions to increase sight distance for vehicles. This improvement
would potentially decrease the number of left and right turning crashes on the north side of the
intersection, as well as decrease the number of pedestrian- and bicycle-related crashes. This is a
high-cost and long-term improvement.
Consider relocating station platforms to “far-side” of intersection and implement transit signal
priority. This is a high-cost and long-term improvement.
4. Operations
•
•
Consider closure, change in flow direction, and/or turn prohibitions at the north and south
carriage roads. This would help reduce intersection conflicts between Commonwealth Avenue
mainline turning vehicles and carriage road vehicles and potentially reduce turning movement
crashes. This is a high-cost and long-term improvement.
Deploy speed feedback signs on the eastbound and westbound mainline approaches to inform
drivers of their speed when traveling along the corridor. This is a medium-cost and mid-term
improvement.
5. Geometry and Roadway Alignment
•
•
•
•
Widen the eastbound carriage lane median and add pedestrian bulb outs to reduce the turning
radius for vehicles turning from Allston Street. This would help better define the intersection and
potentially reduce turning movement related crashes, as well as add additional pedestrian space
and potentially reduce pedestrian-related crashes. This is a high-cost and long-term
improvement.
Perform in-field sight-distance analysis to identify deficiencies related to the horizontal curve and
roadway landscaping and other features. Remove or trim tree limbs or other features which
impede sight distance. This will improve sightlines for eastbound vehicles and may reduce
crashes of all types at the intersection. This is a low-cost and short-term improvement.
Consider and evaluate restrictions on allowed turns to and from carriage roads; implementation of
dedicated left-turn lanes and signal phases along Commonwealth Avenue; left- turn restrictions
and/or prohibitions from the Commonwealth Avenue mainline. This is a high-cost and longterm improvement.
Consider implementing road diet to Commonwealth Avenue main line by providing one through
lane in each direction with dedicated left turn lane at intersections as required. This is a high-cost
Page 18
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
and long-term improvement, and will require a traffic study to evaluate impacts on capacity and
level of service.
6. Clear Zones and Lighting
•
•
•
Relocate the signal post at the northwest corner so that it is not obscured by the existing tree.
This is a medium-cost and mid-term improvement.
Add 4-way lighting on the east and west mainline median along Commonwealth Avenue to
improve lighting and nighttime visibility at the intersection. This is a high-cost and mid-term
improvement.
Add delineation and provide greater curb-reveal to protect the traffic signal post at the northwest
corner between the MBTA tracks and the westbound carriage road to prevent it from being struck
by vehicles. This is a medium-cost and mid-term improvement.
Page 19
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
Summary of Road Safety Audit
Potential safety enhancements as reviewed by the RSA team are summarized in Table 3 for the
Commonwealth Avenue & Harvard Avenue intersection and Table 4 for the Commonwealth Avenue &
Allston Street intersection, including the time frame, cost, responsible party, and safety benefit for each
potential improvement. The safety benefit is a subjective assessment of the potential effectiveness of each
enhancement.
Page 20
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
Table 3: Potential Safety Enhancement Summary – Commonwealth Avenue & Harvard Avenue
Safety Issue
Potential Safety Enhancement
Safety Benefit
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Agency
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Add DO NOT ENTER sign for
westbound carriage road on the
northeast corner near the taxi stand.
Low
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Add visors to all signal and
pedestrian heads to reduce sun
glare
Low
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Add pavement markings including
dashed double yellow centerline in
the middle of the intersection for
turning vehicles, bike lanes, etc.
Low
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Consider U-Turn restrictions or
prohibitions
Medium
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Add Keep Right sign on eastern
median approach
Low
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Add object markers or reflectorized
treatments to traffic signal posts
Low
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Relocate signal posts to provide
proper curb-offsets; increase curb
reveal to protect posts.
Medium
Short-Term
Medium
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Provide mast-arms signals for
mainline approaches.
Low
Long-Term
High
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Narrow travel lane widths to current
City standards.
Low
Short-Term
Medium
BTD
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Accommodations
Consider concurrent pedestrian
phases, improve and optimize
timings and add leading pedestrian
interval to allow pedestrians and
cyclists to cross Commonwealth
Avenue from carriage road to
carriage road.
Medium
Short-to-MidTerm
Low
BTD
Page 21
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
Safety Issue
Potential Safety Enhancement
Safety Benefit
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Agency
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Accommodations
Place signal on pedestrian recall
during all hours or when pedestrians
are expected.
Medium
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Accommodations
Add pedestrian signal heads and
APS pushbuttons at all corners of
the intersection including carriage
roads
Medium
Short-Term
Medium
BTD
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Accommodations
Create larger pedestrian refuges
along Commonwealth Ave
Medium
Long-Term
High
MassDOT/MBTA/PWD
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Accommodations
Implement bicycle accommodations
in advance of Phase 3 & 4 project,
including pavement markings,
signage, angle parking revisions,
left-side bicycle lanes on carriage
roads.
Medium
Short to MidTerm
Low to
Medium
BTD
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Accommodations
Integrate bicycle improvements into
overall corridor bicycle strategy.
Potentially to include separated
bicycle facilities; protected
intersection treatments; revised
signal timing and phasing; revisions
to allowed vehicle movements and
parking; traffic calming; bike queuing
spaces.
High
Long-Term
High
MassDOT/BTD/PWD
Transit
Consider relocating northbound bus
stop to mid-block of the northbound
departure along Harvard Ave
Low
Mid-Term
Low
BTD/MBTA
Transit
To increase sight distance for
vehicles, relocate Green Line
stopping point 50 feet back from the
intersection in both directions
Medium
Long-Term
High
MassDOT/MBTA
Page 22
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
Safety Issue
Potential Safety Enhancement
Safety Benefit
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Agency
Transit
Consider relocating station platforms
to “far-side” and adding transit signal
priority
Low
Long-Term
High
MBTA/BTD
Operations
Reduce or remove parking on north
leg of Harvard Avenue from
Commonwealth Avenue to Glenville
Terrace
Medium
Mid-Term
Low
BTD
Operations
Reduce intersection conflicts by
closing, changing flow direction,
and/or introducing turn prohibitions
at carriage roads.
High
Long-Term
High
BTD
Operations
For westbound Comm Ave, allow
right turns only from the carriage
lane.
Medium
Mid-term
Medium
BTD
Geometry and Roadway
Alignment
Restripe northbound Harvard
Avenue approach to include left-turn
lane. Use minimum City lane widths,
retain bike lanes, add bike boxes
Medium
Mid-Term
Low
BTD
Geometry and Roadway
Alignment
Review eastbound carriage lane
median to possibly widen or add
pedestrian bulb outs
Medium
Long-Term
High
BTD/PWD
Geometry and Roadway
Alignment
Perform a field inspection and
resolve drainage deficiencies
Low
Mid-Term
Medium
PWD/BWSC
Geometry and Roadway
Alignment
Consider turn restrictions; mainline
left-turn lanes; signal timing and
phasing.
High
Long-Term
High
BTD/PWD
Clear Zones and Lighting
Add delineation and greater curb
reveal to protect traffic signal post in
the northwest corner
Medium
Mid-Term
Medium
BTD/PWD
Clear Zones and Lighting
Add 4-way lighting on the east and
west medians along Commonwealth
Avenue
Medium
Mid-Term
High
PWD
Page 23
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
Table 4: Potential Safety Enhancement Summary – Commonwealth Avenue & Allston Street
Safety Issue
Potential Safety Enhancement
Safety Benefit
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Agency
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Add visors to all signal and
pedestrian heads to reduce sun
glare
Low
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Add Keep Right sign on eastern
median approach and replace object
marker on westbound median
approach with Keep Right sign.
Low
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Add object markers or reflectorized
treatments to traffic signal posts
Low
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Restripe the intersection to have a
yellow center line on the northbound
and southbound approaches.
Restripe crosswalks and stop bars.
Low
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Relocate signal posts to provide
proper curb-offsets; increase curb
reveal to protect posts.
Medium
Short-Term
Medium
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Relocate “No Turn On Red” sign
from MBTA pole to signal post facing
Allston southbound approach
Low
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Consider U-Turn restrictions or
prohibitions
Medium
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Provide mast-arms signals for
mainline approaches.
Low
Long-Term
High
BTD
Signals, Signage, and
Pavement Markings
Add or adjust parking regulation
signs to reinforce corner parking
restrictions.
Medium
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Accommodations
Improve and optimize timings and
add leading pedestrian interval to
allow pedestrians and cyclists to
cross Commonwealth Avenue from
carriage road to carriage road.
Medium
Short-to-MidTerm
Low
BTD
Page 24
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
Safety Issue
Potential Safety Enhancement
Safety Benefit
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Agency
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Accommodations
Add pedestrian signal heads and
APS pushbuttons at all corners of
the intersection including carriage
roads
Medium
Short-Term
Medium
BTD
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Accommodations
Place signal on pedestrian recall (not
push button activated) at all times
when pedestrians are expected.
Low
Short-Term
Low
BTD
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Accommodations
Provide passive pedestrian
detection.
Low
Mid-Term
Medium
BTD
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Accommodations
Create larger pedestrian refuges
along Commonwealth Ave
Medium
Long-Term
High
MassDOT/MBTA/PWD
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Accommodations
Implement bicycle accommodations
in advance of Phase 3 & 4 project,
including pavement markings,
signage, LPI signal phases, left-side
bike lanes at carriage roads.
Medium
Short-Term
Low to
Medium
BTD
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Accommodations
Integrate bicycle improvements into
overall corridor bicycle strategy.
Potentially to include separated
bicycle facilities; protected
intersection treatments; revised
signal timing and phasing; revisions
to allowed vehicle movements; traffic
calming; bike queuing spaces.
High
Long-Term
High
BTD/PWD
Transit
To increase sight distance for
vehicles, relocate Green Line
stopping point 50 feet back from the
intersection in both directions
Medium
Long-Term
High
MassDOT/MBTA
Transit
Consider relocating station platforms
to “far-side” and adding transit signal
priority
Low
Long-Term
High
MBTA/BTD
Page 25
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
Safety Issue
Potential Safety Enhancement
Safety Benefit
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Agency
Operations
Deploy speed feedback signs on
both the eastbound and westbound
approaches
Medium
Mid-Term
Medium
BTD
Operations
Reduce intersection conflicts by
closing, changing flow direction,
and/or introducing turn prohibitions
at carriage roads.
High
Long-Term
High
BTD
Geometry and Roadway
Alignment
Review eastbound carriage lane
median to possibly widen or add
pedestrian bulb outs
Medium
Long-Term
High
BTD/PWD
Geometry and Roadway
Alignment
Identify sight-distance deficiencies
related to horizontal curvature, and
roadside features including
landscaping. Remove or trim
landscaping as required.
Medium
Short-Term
Low
BTD/PWD/Parks
Geometry and Roadway
Alignment
Consider carriage road turn
restrictions, dedicated left-turn lanes
and signal phases; mainline left-turn
restrictions.
High
Long-Term
High
BTD/PWD
Geometry and Roadway
Alignment
Consider road diet by reducing main
line to one through lane in each
direction plus left-turn lanes as
needed. Requires traffic study to
evaluate impacts.
Medium
Long-Term
High
BTD/PWD
Clear Zones and Lighting
Relocate signal post obscured by
tree at northwest corner
Medium
Mid-Term
Medium
BTD
Clear Zones and Lighting
Add delineation and greater curb
reveal to protect traffic signal post in
the northwest corner
Medium
Mid-Term
Medium
BTD/PWD
Clear Zones and Lighting
Add delineation and increase the
grade of the traffic signal pole in the
northwest corner
Medium
Mid-Term
High
BTD
Page 26
Road Safety Audit
Commonwealth Avenue/Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue/Allston Street
Prepared by HDR Engineering, Inc.
FINAL
Safety Issue
Potential Safety Enhancement
Clear Zones and Lighting
Add 4-way lighting on the east and
west medians along Commonwealth
Avenue
Safety Benefit
Time Frame
Cost
Responsible Agency
Medium
Mid-Term
High
PWD
Page 27
Appendix A. RSA Meeting Agenda
Agenda
Project:
Subject:
Date:
Location:
RSA for Commonwealth Avenue at Harvard Avenue and Allston Street
Friday, November 20, 2015
Brighton Marine Health Center, 77 Warren Street, Boston
9:00 AM
Welcome Message and Introductions
9:05 AM
Review of Site Conditions



9:15 AM
Geometry and traffic control
Traffic volumes
Crash history
Roundtable Discussion


Experiences and observations
Identification of possible issues
10:00 AM
Field Review of Harvard Avenue Intersection
11:00 AM
Field Review of Allston Street Intersection
12:00 PM
Lunch & Post Field Review Discussion



Summarize observations and findings
Summarize potential short- and long-term countermeasures
Finalize recommendations
12:50 PM
Next Step and Schedule
1:00 PM
Adjourn
Appendix B. RSA Audit Team Contact List
Participating Audit Team Members
Date:
November 20, 2015
Location:
Boston, MA
Audit Team
Agency/Affiliation
Email Address
Members
Steve McHugh
Boston EMS
mchugh@bostonems.org
Boston Police Department Michaelc.ohara@pd.boston.gov
Boston Public Health
Selam Engida
SEngida@bphc.org
Commission
Boston Public Works
zachary.wassmouth@boston.gov
Zachary Wassmouth
Engineering Division
cwang@ctps.org
Chenyuan Wang
Boston Region MPO
Mike O'Hara
Wilson Aleman
Courtney Dwyer
Boston Transportation
Department Engineering
Division
MassDOT District 6
Phone Number
617-343-1110
617-343-4376
404-409-1469
617-635-4953
857-702-3698
wilson.aleman@boston.gov
617-635-4430
courtney.dwyer@state.ma.us
857-368-6165
MassDOT District 6
Traffic
MassDOT Traffic and
John Mastera
Safety
Metropolitan Area
David Loutzenheiser
Planning Council
Toole Design Group (for
Boston Active
Jessica Mortell
Transportation)
Bob Sloane
Walk Boston
Robert.Ballasty@dot.state.ma.us 857-368-6312
Einah Pelaez
Robert Ballasty
John.Mastera@state.ma.us
857-368-9648
dloutzenheiser@mapc.org
617-933-0343
Jmortell@tooledesign.com
617-619-9910
x-203
bsloane@walkboston.org
617-367-9255
HDR
einah.pelaez@hdrinc.com
917-853-7529
Jerry Friedman
HDR
jerry.friedman@hdrinc.com
617-357-7731
Elaine Du
HDR
elaine.du@hdrinc.com
914-993-2034
Appendix C. Detailed Crash Data
Commonwealth Avenue & Harvard Avenue
SYMBOLS
TYPE OF CRASH
Moving Vehicle
SEVERITY
Head On
Backing Vehicle
COLLISION DIAGRAM
Non-Involved Vehicle
Angle
Pedestrian
CITY/TOWN: BOSTON
REGION:
DATE PREPARED
6
10/14/2015
PREPARED BY:
Turning Move
Parked Vehicle
David Petree
Fixed Object
ROADWAY NAMES:
COMMONWEALTH AVENUE, HARVARD AVENUE
TIME PERIOD ANALYZED:
01/01/2012 - 12/31/2014
Bicycle
Rear End
Fatal Accident
Sideswipe
Animal
Out of Control
BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
14
24
42
44
12
10
N
21
22
28
35
25
WEALT
H AVE
38 39
COMMO
N
SOURCE OF CRASH REPORTS:
Injury Accident
6
13
Crash Data Summary Table
Commonwealth Avenue at Harvard Avenue
January 2012 – December 2014
Crash Diagram Ref # 1
Crash Date Crash Day Time of Day Severity January 1, 2012
Sunday
3:31 AM
Injury
2
January 13, 2012
Friday
10:25 AM
3
January 13, 2012
Friday
4
January 22, 2012
5
Manner of Collision Ages
Light Condition Weather Conditon D1 D2 Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
30
Unk
No Injury
Single Vehicle
- Fixed Object
Day
Rain
53
Tall vehicle struck traffic signal pole; Right turn to in-bound
Comm Ave, NW Right Turn
8:11 AM
Injury
Pedestrian
Day
Rain
55
Veh EB struck pedestrian walking bike across the street on far
side of intersection.
Sunday
1:21 PM
Injury
Left Turn Approaching
Traffic
Unk
Unk
19
Unk
On NB approach, vehicle turning left from Dunkin Donuts hit
NB vehicle stopped.
March 12, 2012
Monday
12:00 PM
Injury
Right Angle
Day
Sunny
25
Unk
Apparent Right Angle; WB vehicle struck in passenger side
(SB) by motorcycle
6
March 21, 2012
Wednesday
8:20 PM
Injury
Rear-end
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
28
Unk
Hit and Run; WB vehicle turning left struck in rear
7
March 24, 2012
Saturday
5:10 PM
No Injury
Right Angle
Day
Sunny
21
Unk
Hit and Run; Not stated which direction the vehicles were
traveling.
8
March 31, 2012
Saturday
12:15 PM
No Injury
Rear-end
Unk
Unk
66
Unk
Hit and Run; Driver was on Harvard but it is unknown which
approach.
9
April 27, 2012
Friday
7:00 PM
No Injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Unk
Cloudy
17
Unk
Hit and Run, Veh EB turning left onto Harvard was struck in
the front left bumper causing a dent
10
June 28, 2012
Thursday
12:39 PM
Injury
Bicycle
Day
Sunny
22
43
EB bicycle in bike lane struck by EB right turning vehicle;
claimed park truck obstructed view
11
Sept 6, 2012
Thursday
10:19 AM
Injury
Pedestrian
Day
Sunny
47
Unk
Hit and Run; Pedestrian struck in crosswalk
12
Sept 6, 2012
Thursday
11:46 AM
No Injury
U-Turn
Day
Sunny
38
21
EB vehicle making u-turn struck by WB vehicle
13
Sept 21, 2012
Friday
11:45 PM
No Injury
Backing
Night - Street
Lights
Unk
30
Unk
Hit and Run, On WB Carriage RD, Taxi backing from taxi
stand struck by WB vehicle
14
October 19, 2012
Friday
10:00 AM
No Injury
Sideswipe
Unk
Cloudy
53
D3 Comments WB taxi turning left struck EB scooter traveling straight
Hit and Run, Veh EB in right lane struck by Veh EB in left lane
attempting to change lanes
Crash Diagram Ref # Severity Manner of Collision Crash Date Crash Day Time of Day 15
October 30, 2012
Tuesday
16
Nov 11, 2012
17
Ages
Light Condition Weather Conditon D1 10:00 AM
Injury
Rear-end
Unk
Unk
23
Sunday
9:00 PM
No Injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
19
24
WB vehicle struck EB vehicle turning to south (right turn)
[based on directions, maneuvers, and location of damage; the
EB vehicle was likely turning to north (left turn).
Dec 11, 2012
Tuesday
5:06 PM
No Injury
Pedestrian
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
24
Unk
Right turning vehicle struck pedestrian in a wheelchair;
direction of travel unknown
18
Dec 24, 2012
Monday
2:14 AM
No Injury
Rear-end
Night - Street
Lights
Cloudy
26
Unk
Rear End, Failed Brakes, Not stated which direction the
vehicles were traveling.
19
Dec 24, 2012
Monday
2:14 AM
Rear-end
Night - Street
Lights
Cloudy
26
Unk
Veh rear-ended while stopped on Harvard Ave at Comm Ave.
Brakes were not working
20
January 20, 2013
Sunday
2:30 AM
No injury
Rear-end
Unk
Unk
40
Unk
Hit and run, Veh stopped at on Harvard Ave at Comm Ave
when struck from behind causing damage to rear. Other M/V
fled on Comm Ave without stopping
21
January 24, 2013
Thursday
12:23 PM
No injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Day
Other
20
55
Veh traveling WB on Comm Ave turning left onto Harvard Ave
struck veh traveling EB on Comm Ave EB Carriage Road
between front left tire and rear door area
22
January 25, 2013
Friday
10:43 PM
Injury
Pedestrian
Night - Street
Lights
Sleet
23
Unk
A pedestrian was crossing Comm Ave when vehicle headed
NB on Harvard Ave side swiped pedestrian while making a left
turn onto Comm Ave WB. Did not see victim crossing street
due to blind spot
23
January 26, 2013
Saturday
1:27 PM
No injury
Single Vehicle
- Parked
Vehicle
Unk
Unk
30
Unk
Hit and run, parked Veh struck in parking lot of Blanchards
Liquor.
24
March 2, 2013
Saturday
6:30 AM
No injury
Sideswipe
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
Unk
Unk
Police unit with lights and siren activated approaching Comm
Ave and Liden St struck vehicle that failed to pull over because
of another vehicle (Boston taxi)
25
May 5, 2013
Sunday
3:35 AM
No Injury
Bicycle
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
Unk
Unk
Taxi traveling WB Comm Ave Carriage Rd turning right onto
Harvard Ave struck bicyclist who was turning left onto Harvard
Ave from Comm Ave EB
26
May 31, 2013
Friday
8:20 PM
Unk
Bicycle
Day
Other
26
34
A bicyclist was traveling along Harvard toward Comm in the
bike lane when a vehicle turned right into a driveway and
struck the bicyclist. Direction of travel unknown.
D2 D3 Comments Vehicle turning right onto Harvard Ave yielded to pedestrian
and struck from behind
Crash Diagram Ref # Crash Date Crash Day Time of Day Severity 27
October 5, 2013
Saturday
2:58 PM
Injury
28
October 17, 2013
Thursday
8:10 PM
29
October 30, 2013
Wednesday
30
Nov 6, 2013
31
Manner of Collision Ages
Light Condition Weather Conditon D1 D2 Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
22
Unk
Veh traveling WB on Comm Ave was struck in the front when
veh traveling EB on Comm Ave took left turn onto Harvard Ave
No injury
Rear-end
Unk
Unk
44
Unk
Hit and run, Veh traveling SB on Harvard Ave turning left onto
Comm Ave was struck from the rear
5:27 PM
Injury
Pedestrian
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
65
25
A ped crossing Comm Ave heading north was struck by veh
headed EB on Comm Ave. Veh was trying to turn left onto
Harvard but went straight instead because of a backup and hit
ped
Wednesday
10:15 AM
Injury
Bicycle
Day
Sunny
59
21
A bicyclist traveling EB on Comm Ave Carriage Rd was struck
in crosswalk while turning left onto Harvard Ave by veh turning
right onto Comm Ave from Harvard Ave. Both say they had
green lights
Nov 14, 2013
Thursday
12:27 PM
No injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Day
Sunny
73
41
Veh traveling NB on Harvard Ave struck by veh headed SB on
Harvard Ave while making a left turn onto Comm Ave
32
Nov 15, 2013
Friday
8:40 AM
No injury
Bicycle
Day
Sunny
21
Unk
A bicyclist riding EB on Comm Ave was unable to stop as a
veh made a right turn onto Harvard Ave
33
Dec 4, 2013
Wednesday
1:12 PM
Injury
Bicycle
Day
Sunny
50
Unk
A bicyclist was traveling southbound along Harvard and was
struck by a vehicle that was pulling out of a parking spot
(direction and street unknown)
34
Dec 31, 2013
Tuesday
Unk
Unk
Unknown
Unk
Unk
Unk
35
February 9, 2014
Sunday
2:40 AM
No Injury
Right Angle
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
34
28
A vehicle traveling outbound (WB) on Comm Ave crossing
Harvard was struck by a vehicle traveling NB along Harvard.
36
March 16, 2014
Sunday
8:50 PM
No Injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
Unk
Unk
A vehicle traveling inbound (EB) along Comm Ave was turning
left onto Harvard was struck by a vehicle traveling outbound
(WB) along Comm Ave.
37
March 29, 2014
Saturday
2:00 PM
Injury
Bicycle
Day
Cloudy
26
Unk
A bicyclist was traveling on Harvard at the corner of Comm
Ave when he was struck by a vehicle.
38
March 31, 2014
Monday
7:38 AM
No Injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Day
Rain
33
46
A vehicle was traveling EB and turning left onto Harvard from
Comm, crossing service road when struck by a vehicle
traveling outbound (WB) on the service road.
39
April 17, 2014
Thursday
7:28 AM
No Injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Day
Sunny
Unk
39
A vehicle was driving outbound (WB) on Comm Ave service
road at Harvard, was struck by a vehicle traveling inbound on
Comm Ave turning left onto Harvard
D3 Comments Unk
Crash Diagram Ref # Crash Date Crash Day Time of Day Severity 40
July 1, 2014
Tuesday
4:30 PM
No Injury
41
July 11, 2014
Friday
8:00 AM
42
August 27, 2014
Wednesday
43
October 1, 2014
44
Manner of Collision Ages
Light Condition Weather Conditon D1 D2 Single Vehicle
- Parked
Vehicle
Day
Sunny
Unk
Unk
A vehicle drove out of the alleyway and hit the bumper of a
truck. Direction of travel unknown.
No Injury
Bicycle
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
23
26
Parked vehicle opened door and hit by bicyclist
11:26 PM
Injury
Pedestrian
Night - Street
Lights
Rain
17
Wednesday
8:00 PM
Injury
Bicycle
Unk
Unk
21
Unk
A bicyclist was traveling in the area of Comm and Harvard and
passing a yellow light, when a vehicle struck the driver.
October 4, 2014
Saturday
9:50 PM
Injury
Pedestrian
Night - Street
Lights
Rain
Unk
22
A pedestrian running for the T was struck by a vehicle
traveling WB along Comm Ave mainline.
45
Nov 5, 2014
Wednesday
5:15 PM
Injury
Unknown
Day
Sunny
61
73
46
Nov 10, 2014
Monday
5:00 PM
No Injury
Rear-end
Unk
Unk
48
69
Crash included on the collision diagram.
D3 Comments A vehicle was traveling WB on Comm Ave at a green light hit a
pedestrian who was crossing Harvard Ave.
30
Limited police narrative
A school bus traveling along Commonwealth Avenue turned
right onto Harvard and was struck by a second vehicle trying
to pass the bus - travel directions unknown
Crash Data Summary Table
Commonwealth Avenue at Harvard Avenue
January 2012 – December 2014
Month
25%
20%
17%
17%
15%
15%
13%
11%
10%
7%
4%
5%
4%
4%
2%
2%
2%
0%
J (8)
F (1)
M (8)
A (2)
M (2)
J (1)
J (2)
A (1)
S (3)
O (7)
N (6)
D (5)
Day of Week
25%
20%
20%
15%
15%
Wednesday
(7)
Thursday (7)
15%
15%
Saturday (7)
Sunday (7)
15%
11%
9%
10%
5%
0%
Monday (5)
Tuesday (4)
Friday (9)
Time of Day
25%
20%
17%
13%
15%
10%
5%
0%
7%
7%
15%
13%
4%
13%
7%
2%
0%
0%
2%
Manner of Collision
30%
25%
20%
22%
20%
17%
15%
15%
10%
7%
4%
5%
7%
2%
4%
2%
0%
Rear‐end Sideswipe Left Turn U‐Turn (1) Right Bicycle (9) Ped. (7)
(8)
(2)
(10)
Angle (3)
Single
Veh. (3)
Backing Unknown
(1)
(2)
Light Condition
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
39%
37%
24%
Day (18)
0%
0%
Dawn (0)
Dusk (0)
Night ‐ Street Lights
(17)
Unknown (11)
Weather Condition
70%
60%
50%
50%
40%
26%
30%
20%
11%
11%
10%
2%
0%
Clear/Sunny (23)
Cloudy (5)
Rain (5)
Snow/Sleet (1)
Other/Unknown
(12)
Driver Age
40%
37%
35%
30%
25%
25%
20%
15%
10%
10%
8%
6%
7%
5%
5%
2%
0%
0%
15‐20 (5) 21‐29 (22) 30‐39 (9)
40‐49 (7)
50‐59 (6)
60‐69 (4)
70‐79 (2)
80+ (0)
Unk (32)
Driver Age (Excluding Unknown Ages)
45%
40%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
16%
13%
9%
11%
7%
4%
5%
0%
0%
15‐20 (5)
21‐29 (22)
30‐39 (9)
40‐49 (7)
50‐59 (6)
60‐69 (4)
70‐79 (2)
80+ (0)
Commonwealth Avenue & Allston Street
­
1
SYMBOLS
TYPE OF CRASH
Moving Vehicle
SEVERITY
Head On
Backing Vehicle
COLLISION DIAGRAM
Non-Involved Vehicle
Angle
Pedestrian
CITY/TOWN: BOSTON
REGION:
DATE PREPARED
6
PREPARED BY:
10/14/2015
Richard Storm
Turning Move
Parked Vehicle
Fixed Object
ROADWAY NAMES:
COMMONWEALTH AVENUE, ALLSTON STREET
TIME PERIOD ANALYZED:
01/01/2012 - 12/31/2014
SOURCE OF CRASH REPORTS:
BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
Injury Accident
Bicycle
Rear End
Fatal Accident
Sideswipe
Animal
Out of Control
2
Crash Data Summary Table
Commonwealth Avenue at Allston Street
January 2012 – December 2014
Crash Diagram Ref # Crash Date Crash Day Time of Day Severity Manner of Collision 1
March 11, 2012
Sunday
8:40 AM
Injury
2
May 19, 2012
Saturday
9:30 PM
3
Sept 11, 2012
Tuesday
4
Sept 20, 2012
5
Ages
Light Condition Weather Conditon D1 D2 D3 Rear-end
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
29 Unk A vehicle traveling WB along Comm Ave at Allston St was
rear-ended
Injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
32 33 A vehicle traveling EB along Comm Ave turning left onto
Allston NB was struck by a vehicle traveling WB along Comm
Ave
11:25 AM
Injury
Unknown
Day
Sunny
55 22 Police report narrative insufficient
Thursday
8:38 PM
No Injury
Left Turn Same
Direction
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
28 Unk A vehicle traveling EB along Comm Ave in the left lane
collided with a vehicle traveling EB in the carriage lane when
the vehicle in the carriage lane attempted to turn left onto
Allston St (SB)
Sept 22, 2012
Saturday
12:15 AM
Injury
Unknown
Night - Street
Lights
Rain
21 23 Parties involved in crash provided conflicting information about
travel direction before and during the incident.
6
Oct 18, 2012
Thursday
1:41 AM
No Injury
Single Vehicle
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
28 Unk Insufficient police narrative
7
Nov 6, 2012
Tuesday
10:00 PM
No Injury
Right Angle
Unk
Unk
23 Unk A vehicle traveling NB on Allston St ran a red light and drove
into the intersection, collided with a vehicle traveling EB on
Comm Ave
8
Nov 12, 2012
Monday
1:42 PM
Injury
Bicycle
Day
Sunny
22 65 A bicyclist was struck by a motor vehicle. Bicycle failed to yield
to red light
9
Dec 4, 2012
Tuesday
8:12 AM
Injury
Pedestrian
Day
Sunny
51 72 A pedestrian was crossing EB Comm Ave when struck by a
vehicle turning left from Allston onto Comm Ave [likely SB
turning left].
10
Dec 16, 2012
Sunday
1:27 AM
Injury
Right Angle
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
61 22 A vehicle traveling EB along Comm Ave at Allston St was
struck by a vehicle traveling SB along Allston across Comm
Ave. SB vehicle fled the scene.
11
March 6, 2013
Wednesday
11:10 AM
Injury
Pedestrian
Day
Rain
22 61 A vehicle was traveling along Comm Ave at Allston toward
Washington St (WB), struck the MBTA barrier, and a
pedestrian.
12
April 2, 2013
Tuesday
10:55 PM
No injury
Pedestrian
Unk
Unk
22 60 A pedestrian was crossing Comm Ave to catch the T when
struck by a WB vehicle
Comments 3
Crash Diagram Ref # Severity Manner of Collision Crash Date Crash Day Time of Day 13
April 16, 2013
Tuesday
14
April 18, 2013
15
Ages
Light Condition Weather Conditon D1 D2 D3 6:52 PM
Injury
Unknown
Unk
Unk
Unk Unk Description of accident scene not provided
Thursday
11:06 AM
No injury
Left Turn Unknown
Day
Sunny
43 24 Veh traveling WB on Comm Ave Carriage was struck in right
front and rear door by veh from Comm Ave WB making a left
turn onto Allston Ave (directions do not make sense, one has
to be going the other way)
May 24, 2013
Friday
9:13 PM
Injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Night - Street
Lights
Heavy Rain
78 20 A vehicle was traveling EB along Comm Ave carriage road
turning left onto Allston when struck by a vehicle traveling WB
along Comm Ave mainline
16
May 30, 2013
Thursday
8:30 AM
Injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Day
Sunny
67 81 A vehicle was traveling inbound (EB) on Comm Ave and was
struck by a vehicle traveling outbound (WB) along Comm Ave
turning left
17
July 27, 2013
Saturday
10:01 AM
Injury
Bicycle
Day
Sunny
22 28 A bicyclist was traveling inbound (EB) along Comm Ave at
Allston when struck by a vehicle.
18
August 14, 2013
Wednesday
4:15 PM
No injury
Rear-end
Day
Sunny
Unk Unk A vehicle was traveling inbound (EB) on Comm Ave was
turning left onto Allston when rear-ended by a vehicle.
19
Sept 14, 2013
Saturday
8:11 PM
No injury
Bicycle
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
27 Unk A vehicle was traveling in the outbound carriage lane near
Allston when\ struck by a bicyclist
20
Sept 19, 2013
Thursday
10:53 AM
No injury
Rear-end
Day
Sunny
Unk Unk A vehicle was traveling along the inbound (EB) carriage lane
when struck in the rear end by a vehicle traveling outbound
(WB) on Comm turning left onto Allston
21
Oct 29, 2013
Tuesday
2:05 PM
No injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Unk
Unk
24 54 59 A vehicle was traveling WB on Comm Ave making a left turn
onto Allston Street when the vehicle stuck an EB vehicle on
Comm Ave
22
Nov 4, 2013
Monday
3:00 PM
Injury
Bicycle
Day
Other
26 39 A bicyclist was traveling inbound (EB) in the outbound (WB)
carriage lane at the intersection of Allston and Comm when a
struck by a vehicle traveling on Allston St toward Kelton St
(SB)
23
Dec 19, 2013
Thursday
7:55 PM
No Injury
Unknown
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
22 59 45 3 vehicles - A vehicle struck a traffic light in the median strip
24
Jan 10, 2014
Friday
10:00 PM
No Injury
Right Angle
Night - Street
Lights
Cloudy
Unk Unk WB vehicle in carriage lane struck by SB vehicle on Allston
Street
25
Jan 25, 2014
Saturday
1:38 PM
No Injury
Train
Day
Cloudy
Unk Unk EB vehicle turning left struck front of EB train
26
March 8, 2014
Saturday
1:38 PM
Injury
Pedestrian
Day
Sunny
23 35 Pedestrian in EB carriage lane crossing Allston St struck by
vehicle traveling in unknown direction, but appears to be NB.
Comments 4
Crash Diagram Ref # Severity Manner of Collision Crash Date Crash Day Time of Day 27
March 23, 2014
Sunday
28
May 12, 2014
29
Ages
Light Condition Weather Conditon D1 D2 D3 12:05 AM
Injury
Pedestrian
Unk
Clear
Unk Unk EB vehicle struck pedestrian in near crosswalk
Monday
11:28 AM
No Injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Day
Sunny
58 49 A vehicle traveling NB along Allston St passing through the
intersection with Comm Ave was struck by a vehicle traveling
SB on Allston St turning left onto Comm Ave EB
May 23, 2014
Friday
6:10 PM
No Injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Dusk
Cloudy
24 31 EB vehicle struck by WB vehicle turning left
30
May 31, 2014
Saturday
5:15 PM
No Injury
Single Vehicle
- Parked
Vehicle
Day
Sunny
28 Unk Hit and Run; Parked vehicle struck. Location unknown.
31
June 10, 2014
Tuesday
2:45 PM
No Injury
Single Vehicle
- Parked
Vehicle
Day
Sunny
Unk Unk NB vehicle struck parked vehicle
32
August 18, 2014
Monday
16:10
Injury
Right Angle
Day
Sunny
21 19 22 33
Sept 3, 2014
Wednesday
6:00 PM
No Injury
Single Vehicle
- Parked
Vehicle
Unk
Unk
43 Unk Hit and Run; Parked vehicle struck. Location unknown.
34
Nov 2, 2014
Sunday
10:08 AM
Injury
Rear-end
Day
Snow
36 24 3 WB vehicles stopped at traffic signal rear end/sideswiped by
vehicle passing on left between vehicles and barrier
35
Nov 20, 2014
Thursday
10:15 PM
No Injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Night - Street
Lights
Unk
25 24 WB vehicle struck by EB vehicle turning left
36
Dec 1, 2014
Monday
6:01 PM
Injury
Left Turn Opposing
Traffic
Night - Street
Lights
Clear
Unk Unk EB vehicle struck by WB vehicle turning left
Comments EB vehicle on Comm Ave struck by SB vehicle on Allston St
Crash included on the collision diagram.
5
Crash Data Summary Charts
Commonwealth Avenue at Allston Street
January 2012 – December 2014
Month
25%
20%
17%
17%
14%
15%
11%
11%
8%
10%
6%
6%
5%
3%
3%
J (1)
J (1)
6%
0%
0%
J (2)
F (0)
M (4)
A (3)
M (6)
A (2)
S (6)
O (2)
N (5)
D (4)
Day of Week
25%
19%
20%
15%
19%
19%
14%
11%
8%
8%
10%
5%
0%
Monday (5)
Tuesday (7)
Wednesday
(3)
Thursday (7)
Friday (3)
Saturday (7)
Sunday (4)
Time of Day
25%
19%
20%
14%
15%
11%
8%
10%
8%
8%
11%
11%
8%
5%
0%
0%
0%
0%
6AM ‐
8AM
8AM ‐ 10AM ‐ 12PM ‐ 2PM ‐
10AM 12PM 2PM
4PM
4PM ‐
6PM
6PM ‐
8PM
8PM ‐ 10PM ‐ 12AM ‐ 2AM ‐
10PM 12AM 2AM
4AM
4AM ‐
6AM
6
Manner of Collision
28%
30%
25%
20%
15%
14%
11%
11%
11%
11%
10%
3%
5%
0%
0%
Rear‐end (4) Sideswipe
(0)
Left Turn
(10)
Right Angle Bicycle (4)
(4)
Pedestrian
(5)
Train (1)
Single
Vehicle (4)
Light Condition
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
47%
33%
17%
0%
Day (17)
Dawn (0)
3%
Dusk (1)
Night ‐ Street Lights
(12)
Unknown (6)
Weather Condition
70%
61%
60%
50%
40%
30%
19%
20%
8%
10%
8%
3%
0%
Clear/Sunny (22)
Cloudy (3)
Rain (3)
Snow/Sleet (1)
Other/Unknown (7)
7
Driver Age (Excluding Unknown Ages)
60%
50%
50%
40%
30%
20%
12%
10%
4%
8%
12%
10%
4%
2%
70‐79 (2)
80+ (1)
0%
15‐20 (2)
21‐29 (26)
30‐39 (6)
40‐49 (4)
50‐59 (6)
60‐69 (5)
8
Appendix D. Traffic Volume and Speed
Data
n
0
Ke
lto
,50
Rd
Rd
ed
sd
11
am
ls
Al
alt
Ave
14
hA
ve
13
Fo
we
30
Com
mon
1,0
15
Rd
ld
Legend
- Intersection Number
### - Est 2014 ADT
14,2
t
gs S
tfie
8
1#
am S
Grig
t
ot
12
Ave
18
Gorh
17
lth A
ve
ard
16
Harv
St
70
11,810
wea
19
n
16
St
to
on
on
rdh
mm
1
10
ght
Re
St
Co
Bri
ale
Linden Rd
n
re
ar
W
13,060
Existing 2014 Traffic Volumes
­
Sc
60
N
~ 500 ft
## (##) - AM (PM) 2014 Volume
# 12
30 (29)
33 (44)
32 (50)
6 (5)
21(61)
2 (22)
370 (412)
21(17)
227 (363)
8 (13)
175 (230)
51(29)
7 (45)
517 (859)
(558) 501
(19) 13
300 (189)
20 (25)
384 (322)
3 (33)
346 (247)
6 (21)
395 (327)
17 (6)
North Carriage
Road
73 (46)
45 (62)
# 32
North Carriage
Road
79 (62)
32 (37)
85 (138)
(25) 30
# 42
# 92
# 102
# 11
15
2
70
)
06
(4
30 (77)
12 (10)
11(24)
52 (67)
295 (303)
23 (42)
(2) 2
(46)145
(43) 51
16
(552) 498
(6) 3
(406) 702
# 33
27 (23)
30 (38)
517 (859)
301(665)
281(632)
Signalized Pedestrain
Crossing
# 43
322 (369)
15 (13)
14 (44)
46 (54)
166 (302)
18 (33)
38 (68)
16 (28)
174 (230)
11(17)
(13) 16
(54) 87
(16) 14
(162) 268
(361) 667
(4) 6
14 (30)
258 (593)
9 (9)
South Carriage
Road
6 (15)
13 (11)
42 (47)
145 (275)
40 (41)
48 (81)
152 (217)
61(70)
Commonwealth
Ave
(53) 54
(398) 755
(25) 10
17 (24)
531(424)
South Carriage
Road
Signalized Pedestrain
Crossing
5 (15)
262 (606)
32 (54)
# 21
43 (22)
(476) 818
# 63
(17) 66
(70)103
(24) 5
17
355 (725)
# 31
24 (21)
38 (22)
11(5)
(460) 796
(64) 50
# 41
164 (87)
328 (287)
41(52)
18
22 (16)
25 (35)
(4) 9
(53) 47
(14) 14
345 (691)
10 (34)
# 73
2 (2)
10 (11)
19
21(12)
50 (35)
11(7)
234 (162)
(4) 2
(31) 41
(4)13
12 (9)
204 (220)
(0) 1
(13) 32
(16) 13
(511) 825
(11) 5
# 83
# 93
# 103
1
10
(494) 783
(14) 12
21(14)
56 (14)
(93)103
(447) 736
(9) 5
357 (711)
13 (15)
371(643)
42 (82)
47 (29)
12 (10)
19 (21)
216 (141)
1(4)
8 (8)
178 (180)
19 (32)
(98) 191
(471) 775
(24) 18
33 (34)
316 (568)
34 (51)
# 51
# 61
14
Commonwealth
Ave
43 (55)
302 (558)
14 (6)
# 71
# 81
# 91
# 101
(48) 73
(35)104
13
12
11
Existing 2014 Traffic Volumes
Commonwealth Avenue & Harvard Avenue
23
Existing 2014 Traffic Volumes
Commonwealth Avenue & Allston Street
11
Existing 2014 ADT
­
Roadway Segment
Harvard Ave between Glenville Ave and
Commonwealth Ave
Harvard Ave between Commonwealth
Ave and Brainerd Rd
Commonwealth Ave between Fuller St
and Thorndike St
Commonwealth Ave between
Warren/Kelton Sts and Boulevard Terrace
Direction
NB
SB
TOTAL
NB
SB
TOTAL
EB
WB
EB CR
WB CR
TOTAL
EB
WB
EB CR
WB CR
TOTAL
ADT
5840
7220
13060
7230
7030
14260
5630
6240
810
1030
13710
7890
8610
-1200
17700
Existing 2014 Speeds
­
Roadway
Peak Hour
AM
Commonwealth Ave
@ Harvard Ave
PM
OP
AM
Commonwealth Ave
@ Allston St
PM
OP
Direction
NB
SB
EB
WB
NB
SB
EB
WB
NB
SB
EB
WB
NB
SB
EB
WB
NB
SB
EB
WB
NB
SB
EB
WB
Speed (mph)
19.0
18.2
15.9
22.2
17.5
21.3
21.0
21.8
23.5
18.9
20.4
18.4
14.4
19.0
32.9
30.1
23.0
13.3
29.1
25.3
16.3
21.7
20.8
24.8