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VESTAL CORRIDOR STUDY

Revised DraftTECHNICAL MEMORANDUM #1

CURRENT OPERATING CONDITIONSEXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Broome County, New York

Prepared For:New York State Departmentof Transportation, Region 9

44 Hawley StreetBinghamton, NY 13901

DOT Contract No. D0104064DOT PIN No. 9038.10

Fed. Aid No. Q76-9038-010SBG Project No. 16860

July, 2001

Prepared by:The SEAR-BROWN Group, Inc. Eng-Wong, Taub & Associates85 Metro Park, Rochester, NY 14623 2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121

Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates516 West 36th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018

Vestal Corridor Study The Sear-Brown Group

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TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM #1CURRENT OPERATING CONDITIONS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has contracted with theconsultant team, Sear Brown, Eng-Wong, Taub & Associates, and Howard/Stein-Hudson toinitiate a Department study to address current and forecasted capacity and mobility needs andTransportation Infrastructure Improvements in the Vestal Corridor.

The study area includes Route 434, from Vestal Avenue west to North Main Street (Vestal FourCorners), and Vestal Road (County Route 44) from Route 434 to North Main Street, as shown inFigure 1.

The general goals of the study are:

• to identify transportation needs in the Problem Area (“needs assessment”);

• to develop plans that describe capital, Transportation Systems Management (TSM), andoperational projects, to be executed in future years, that are consistent with local and regionalLong Range Plans; and,

• to select the preferred investment strategy.

Technical Memorandum #1 documents the data collection effort and evaluation of currentoperating conditions.

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Vestal Corridor StudyFigure - 1

NYSDOT Region 9Study Area Map


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EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUMES

Average Daily Traffic (ADT)Automatic traffic recorders (ATR’s) were used to collect bi-directional traffic volumes, dividedinto 15-minute intervals, for 20 locations within the study area. These counts were collected ateach location for a one-week duration of time in order to identify the morning, midday,afternoon, and Saturday peak hours. These counts were taken between April 4, 2001 and May11, 2001.

Heavy Truck TrafficTwo of the ADT locations noted above included classification counts, which identify the type ofvehicle based on the number and spacing of the axles. The classification count locationsincluded one on Vestal Parkway, in the vicinity of Town Square Mall, and one on Vestal Road,east of Sycamore Road. The heavy truck percentage (3 or more axles) on Vestal Parkway isapproximately 11% and the heavy truck percentage on Vestal Road is approximately 6%.Additional data will be collected in September 2001 to verify these percentages, as constructionthe area could have temporarily inflated the truck percentages.

Peak HoursA review of the 24-hour machine volume counts revealed that the peak hours, in the study area,occur from 7:30 – 8:30 am, 12:15 pm – 1:15 pm, 4:30 – 5:30 pm, during weekdays, and 12:15 –1:15 pm on Saturday. Therefore, these peak hours will be used for analysis purposes.

Turning Movement CountsTurning movement counts were taken at 15 intersections within the study area to supplement 20intersection counts provided by the NYSDOT and Binghamton Metropolitan TransportationStudy (BMTS). Turning movements were collected during the morning, midday, evening, andSaturday peak travel periods. The turning movement counts were collected during the months ofOctober 1999 and February 2001. Additionally, turning movement counts were performed atfive locations for a holiday peak period (a Saturday between Thanksgiving and Christmas,December 2000). The holiday counts were collected at the following locations:

• Vestal Road at African Road (ID #24)• Vestal Parkway at Glenn G. Bartle Drive (ID #5)• Vestal Parkway at Parkway Plaza (ID #11)• Vestal Parkway at Town Square Mall (ID #13)• Vestal Parkway at Main Street (ID #20)

The highest traffic volumes along Vestal Parkway occur during the evening peak travel hour. TheSaturday holiday counts were similar (+/- 10%) to the Saturday counts except for notableincreases at the shopping plazas (12-30%) and a 50% decrease in the traffic entering and exitingthe SUNY Binghamton University. Figures 2 (a-c) through 5 (a-c) at the end of this summarydetail the turning movements counts for the four time periods noted above.


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Mid-Block Pedestrian and Bicycle Movements

Bicycle and pedestrian counts were collected at three locations along Vestal Parkway formorning, midday, evening, and Saturday peak periods. These counts were performed on October19-21, 2000, before the winter season began. The counts were conducted at the followinglocations:

• Vestal Parkway between Clayton Avenue and NYS Route 26 ramps• Vestal Parkway between African Road and Town Square Mall entrance• Vestal Parkway between Martha Road and Bunn Hill Road

The Saturday peak period for all three locations experienced the most pedestrian traffic with 7 to27 people compared to the other peak time periods. The higher pedestrian volumes occurredbetween Clayton Avenue and NYS Route 26 Ramps, in the vicinity of the Vestal Library and theVestal High School, and between Martha Road and Bunn Hill Road in the vicinity ofBinghamton University. In general the number of bicyclists were in the range of 0-4 per peakperiod.

EXISTING SPEEDS AND DELAY

Vehicle speed and delay data was collected on the following routes within the study area:

• Vestal Parkway (from Main Street to Binghamton City Line)• Vestal Road (from Main Street to Vestal Parkway)• Main Street (between Vestal Parkway and Vestal Road)

Speed and delay runs were conducted during the weekday morning peak period (7:00 to 9:00AM), weekday midday peak period (11:00 to 1:00 PM), weekday evening peak period (4:00 to6:00 PM), and Saturday peak period (11:00 – 3:00 PM). These studies provide informationregarding the average travel speed, average running speed, and associated delays at variouslocations in the corridor. Average travel speed is based on the average travel time, defined as thetotal time to transverse given highway segment. Average running speed is based on the averagerunning time, defined as the total time during which the vehicle is motion while traversing agiven highway segment. The running speed does not include stopped delay, while the travelspeed does.

• Travel speeds vary greatly along the length of the Vestal Parkway. The running speed in thearea of Campus Plaza to Jensen Road is slightly over the speed limit (45 mph) at 45 to 50miles per hour, while from Jensen Road to Sycamore Road/Rano Boulevard the runningspeed is 10 to 20 miles per hour below the speed limit. In general, the running speed ofVestal Parkway is 10 to 15 miles per hour below the posted speed limit.

• The running travel speeds along Vestal Road are generally at or above the posted speed limitof 30 miles per hour. The section between Gates Road and the Railroad Overpass was 5 to


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10 miles per hour below the speed limit while the section from the Railroad Overpass toSycamore Road were 10 to 15 miles per hour above the speed limit.

The Main Street running speeds were generally at or slightly below the posted speed limit of 30miles per hour except between Stage Street and Vestal Parkway in the southbound directionwhere the running speed is approximately 10 miles per hour below the posted speed limit.

TRUCK LICENSE PLATE SURVEY

A truck license plate survey on Vestal Road was conducted for the weekday AM, Midday, PM,and Saturday midday peak periods at nine entry/exit points. The license plate survey wasconducted to determine the travel patterns of the truck traffic that travels within the study area.The nine entry/exit locations included:

1. Vestal Road west of Murray Hill Road – westbound entry and eastbound exit2. Route 201 Northbound ramp from Vestal Road – northbound exit only3. Route 201 Southbound ramp to Vestal Road – southbound entry only4. Bunn Hill Road south of Vestal Road – northbound entry and southbound exit5. Jensen Road south of Vestal Road – northbound entry and southbound exit6. African Road south of Vestal Road – northbound entry and southbound exit7. Route 17 off-ramp to Vestal Road (Interchange 68) – southbound entry only8. Sycamore Road south of Vestal Road – northbound entry and southbound exit9. Route 17 on-ramp from Vestal Road – eastbound entry along Vestal Road, westbound

exit along Vestal Road, and westbound exit onto Route 17 ramp. This location alsoincluded trucks on Vestal Road west of this location.

Trucks were classified as a vehicle with six or more tires or had three or more axles, buses werenot included in this survey. The license plate data was entered into a database to match entry andexit points for the trucks.

It should be noted that at the time of the license plate survey, the Route 17 westbound exit rampto Route 201 South (Exit 70S) was closed for reconstruction. Due to this closure, a detour routewas signed to exit Route 17 at Exit 71N and then to travel west on Harry L Drive to Route 201.Overall, the primary entry points into the Vestal Road corridor, in order of their truck volumes,are:

• Location 3 – Route 201 Southbound ramp (25%)• Location 1 – Westbound on Vestal Road west of Murray Hill Road (20%)• Location 6 and 8 – African Road and Sycamore Road (15% each)

Similarly, the primary exit points from the study corridor are:

• Location 2 – Route 201 Northbound ramp (30%)• Location 9 – On-Ramp to Westbound Route 17 (18%)• Location 1 – Eastbound on Vestal Road west of Murray Hill Road (15%)


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Some of the truck travel trends identified from the license plate survey include:

• Trucks arriving to the study area from the east use Vestal Parkway to Vestal Road andthen return to the east via Murray Hill Road to Vestal Parkway.

• Several trucks arriving from the north use the Route 201 ramps to enter and then exit theVestal Road area.

• Trucks arriving from the west use Vestal Parkway to Sycamore or African Roads andthen exit by traveling west along Vestal Road to the Route 17 Westbound on-ramp.

• During the PM peak period, there are fewer license plate matches than during the othertime periods. This may be due to trucks returning to their business at the end of the dayand parking for the night.

• The Saturday midday period had fewer license plate matches than the weekday periodsbecause many trucking companies are closed and there are fewer trucks on the road.

Interviews were also conducted with local businesses and trucking companies to gather furtherdata on trucks arriving and departing from each business in the area.

Truck routes can be generalized based on the origins, destinations and travel routes written byrespondents on the survey forms. Trucks originating in the west typically use eastbound Route17, exit to southbound Route 26, and exit to eastbound Route 434. From there, trucks turn lefteither at Jensen, Sycamore or African Roads to reach Vestal Road. Trucks originating in the eastnormally use westbound Route 17, exit to southbound Route 201, and exit to Vestal Road.

Routes 201 and 26 are the only major north-south roadways that cross the Susquehanna River,and connect Route 434 and Vestal Road to Route 17 and Interstates 81 and 88. One truckingcompany expressed a desire for a river crossing to Route 17 terminating at Vestal Road andAfrican Road. Also, several respondents were unhappy that the eastbound Route 17 off-ramp toVestal Road prohibits trucks.

Trucks destined to the west normally used the Vestal Road on-ramp to westbound Route 17.Trucks destined to Binghamton from Vestal Road used Jensen, Sycamore, African, or MurrayHill Roads to travel eastbound on Route 434 to Route 363. Respondents indicated that trucksdestined to the east typically used Vestal Road to northbound Route 201 to eastbound Route 17.

EXISTING LEVEL OF SERVICE

The LOS for signalized intersections is defined in terms of control delay. Control delay is ameasure of driver discomfort, frustration, fuel consumption and lost travel time. Specifically,Level of Service criteria are stated in the terms of control delay per vehicle for a 15-minuteanalysis period and range from “A” to “F.”

An overall intersection LOS below “D” is generally considered unacceptable at signalizedintersections. Signalized intersections with a LOS below “D” indicate that during the peak 15-minute travel period at the intersection, the average stop delay per vehicle traveling through theintersection will exceed 55 seconds.


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Levels of Service at unsignalized intersections are also defined in terms of delay. While levelsstill range from “a” to “f”, it is not possible to directly compare these LOS to those at signalizedintersections. The delay criteria employed for unsignalized intersections have differentthresholds than those used for signalized intersections. An overall intersection LOS below “e” isgenerally considered unacceptable at unsignalized intersections. Unsignalized intersections witha LOS below “e” indicate that during the peak 15-minute travel period at the intersection, theaverage stopped delay per vehicle will exceed 50 seconds.

The NYSDOT considers a LOS D to be acceptable. All of the signalized intersections operate atan overall Level of Service D or better for the existing condition. Even though the overall Levelof Service operates at a D or above, certain movements operate at a Level of Service E or below.For the majority of intersections within the study area, the left turn/u-turn movements areexperiencing a Level of Service E or below. The specific movements and the associated timeperiods are noted below in Table 1.

TABLE 1DEFICIENT LEVELS OF SERVICE

A – Signalized Intersection Level of Service, a – Unsignalized Intersection Level of Service

ID # Intersections Movement Level of ServiceMorning Peak PeriodVestal Parkway Intersections

19 Clayton Avenue WB left/U-turn F18 NYS Route 26 SB Ramps EB U-turn E

WB left E16 Airborne Avenue WB left/U-turn E15 Ridgehaven Avenue EB U-turn E

WB left/U-turn E14 African Road EB left/U-turn E

WB left/U-turn E13 Town Square Mall EB left E12 Rano Blvd./Sycamore Rd. EB left E11 Parkway Plaza WB left E

NB left ENB left/thru E

SB left E10 Jensen Road WB left E9 Campus Plaza EB left/U-turn E

WB U-turn E5 Glenn G. Bartle Drive WB left E

SB left E4 Murray Hill Road WB left E3 Vestal Plaza EB U-turn E

WB left E


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ID # Intersections Movement Level of Service2 Clubhouse Road EB U-turn E

WB left E1 Vestal Ave.\Normandy Ct. NB left E

Vestal Road Intersections23 Oak Street SB left f31 NYS Rte. 201 Off-ramp SB left e

Midday Peak PeriodVestal Parkway Intersections

19 Clayton Avenue WB left/U-turn E18 NYS Route 26 SB Ramps EB U-turn E

WB left E16 Airborne Avenue WB left/U-turn E15 Ridgehaven Avenue EB U-turn E

WB left/U-turn E14 African Road EB left/U-turn E

WB left/U-turn E12 Rano Blvd./Sycamore Rd. EB left E11 Parkway Plaza WB left E10 Jensen Road WB left E

SB F9 Campus Plaza EB left/U-turn E8 Bunn Hill Road EB left E5 Glenn G. Bartle Drive SB left E4 Murray Hill Road EB left E3 Vestal Plaza WB left E2 Clubhouse Road EB U-turn E

WB left E

Vestal Road Intersections27 Jensen Road NB f28 Commerce Road SB f30 Bunn Hill Road NB left f31 NYS Rte. 201 Off Ramp SB left e

Evening Peak PeriodVestal Parkway Intersections

19 Clayton Avenue WB left/U-turn F18 NYS Route 26 SB Ramps EB U-turn E15 Ridgehaven Avenue EB U-turn E14 African Road WB left/U-turn E12 Rano Blvd./Sycamore Rd. EB left E11 Parkway Plaza EB left E

WB left E


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ID # Intersections Movement Level of ServiceSB left E

10 Jensen Road WB left E9 Campus Plaza EB left/U-turn E5 Glenn G. Bartle Drive SB left E4 Murray Hill Road EB left E3 Vestal Plaza WB left E2 Clubhouse Road EB U-turn E

WB left E

Vestal Road Intersections21 Main Street WB F23 Oak Street SB left f25 Rano Blvd./Sycamore Rd. WB left F27 Jensen Road NB e28 Commerce Road SB f30 Bunn Hill Road NB left f31 NYS Rte. 201 Off Ramp SB left f

SB right fSaturday Peak PeriodVestal Parkway Intersections

19 Clayton Avenue WB left/U-turn F18 NYS Route 26 SB Ramps WB left E15 Ridgehaven Avenue EB U-turn E14 African Road WB left/U-turn E12 Rano Blvd./Sycamore Rd. EB left E

WB left E10 Jensen Road EB left E

WB left E9 Campus Plaza EB left/U-turn E2 Clubhouse Road EB U-turn E

Vestal Road Intersections21 Main Street WB E23 Oak Street SB left f27 Jensen Road NB e30 Bunn Hill Road NB left f31 NYS Rte. 201 Off Ramp SB right f

Saturday Holiday Peak PeriodVestal Parkway Intersections

11 Parkway Plaza NB left FNB left/thru E


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QUEUEING

Based on the analysis of the corridor using Synchro 5.0, which produces maximum queue results,the following locations show existing queue deficiencies:

TABLE 2DEFICIENT QUEUE LENGTHS

ID # Intersections Movement AvailableStorage

Max QueueLength

Morning Peak PeriodVestal Parkway Intersections

19 Clayton Avenue WB left/U-turn 240 3728 Bunn Hill Road WB thru 143 1894 Murray Hill Road NB left 120 216

SB left 185 2291 Vestal Ave./Normandy Ct. EB thru 255 385

Midday Peak PeriodVestal Parkway Intersections

19 Clayton Avenue WB left/U-turn 240 27412 Rano Blvd./Sycamore Rd. NB left 145 1648 Bunn Hill Road WB thru 143 5824 Murray Hill Road NB left 120 202

SB left 185 2093 Vestal Plaza NB left 100 1741 Vestal Ave./Normandy Ct. EB thru 255 260

Evening Peak PeriodVestal Parkway Intersections

20 Main Street NB left 115 11819 Clayton Avenue WB left/U-turn 240 41212 Rano Blvd./Sycamore Rd. NB left 145 1988 Bunn Hill Road WB thru 143 10244 Murray Hill Road NB left 120 318

SB left 185 377Vestal Road Intersections

23 Oak Street SB left 477 49024 African Road NB left 125 19525 Sycamore Road WB left 260 311

NB left 190 26131 NYS Rte. 201 Off Ramp SB right 462 521

Saturday Peak PeriodVestal Parkway Intersections

19 Clayton Avenue WB left 240 32712 Rano Blvd./Sycamore Rd. NB left 145 172


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ID # Intersections Movement AvailableStorage

Max QueueLength

SB left 320 3694 Murray Hill Road NB left 120 1671 Vestal Ave./Normandy Ct. EB thru 255 318

Vestal Road Intersections31 NYS Rte. 201 Off Ramp SB right 462 647

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS, ACCIDENT HISTORY AND ANALYSIS

A safety evaluation was conducted for Vestal Parkway, Vestal Road, Main Street, and Route 201.Accident data including accident reports, County Localized Accident Surveillance System(CLASS) and Statewide Accident Surveillance System (SASS) was obtained for the latest three-year period for these road segments (September 1996 to August 1999). This data was used toidentify above average accident locations in the corridor. Additional Priority InvestigationLocations (PIL’s), plus segment and overall corridor accident rates, are currently being calculatedand will be added to the final corridor planning report. The 15 high-accident locations identifiedin the study area are summarized below:

Location #1: Vestal Parkway & Route 201 on/off ramps (ID #6&7)

Year Fatal Accidents Injury Accidents Property Damage/Non-Reportables1996 0 3 0/11997 0 3 3/11998 0 5 7/21999 0 0 4/0

During the three-year study period, 29 accidents occurred at this intersection. The leadingaccident types were rear-ends at 76% and overtaking accidents at 10%. Of the 22 rear-endaccidents, most (68%) occurred on the southbound Route 201 off-ramp merge with westboundVestal Parkway, and the predominant attributing factors were driver inattention and followingtoo closely. Traffic volumes indicate that westbound Vestal Parkway through movements areheavy during peak hours, and visual observations have concluded that significant vehicle queuingresults on the southbound off-ramp and westbound Vestal Parkway approaches. The short lengthof the acceleration lane and resulting merge area onto westbound Vestal Parkway may haveattributed to the rear-end and overtaking accidents.

Summary of DataEstimated AADT (2000) = 28,096 vehicles **Total Number of Accidents (1996-99) = 29Accident Rate Actual (Expected) = 0.59 acc/MEV (0.18 acc/MEV) **Injury Accidents Actual (Expected) = 38% (34%)

** Rate calculated for southbound Route 201 off-ramp intersection with the westbound Vestal Parkway, which hadthe highest number of accidents.


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Location #2: Vestal Parkway & Route 26 Interchange (ID #17&18)


During the three-year study period, 51 accidents occurred at this interchange. The leadingaccident type was rear-ends at 53%. Of the 27 rear-end accidents, 12 (44 %) occurred on thenorthbound and southbound Route 26 off-ramp merges with eastbound Vestal Parkway, and thepredominant attributing factors were driver inattention and following too closely. Traffic dataindicates that volumes are heavy during peak hours, and visual observations have concluded thatvehicle queuing occurs on these two approaches. Other attributing factors may be the shortlength of the acceleration lanes and the difficulty with which motorists can see eastbound VestalParkway traffic over their left shoulders when merging due to vehicles stopped at the northboundapproaches. The two traffic signals and the weave from the on/off ramps for Route 26 may alsobe attributing factors at this location.


** Rate calculated for northbound Route 26 on/off-ramp intersection, which had the highest number of accidents.

Location #3: Vestal Parkway & Bunn Hill Road (ID #8)


During the three-year study period, 57 accidents occurred at this intersection. The leadingaccident types were rear-ends at 53% and right-turn accidents at 23%. Of the 30 rear-endaccidents, most (90%) occurred on eastbound and westbound Vestal Parkway, and thepredominant attributing factors were driver inattention and following too closely. Trafficvolumes indicate that the eastbound and westbound through movements are heavy during peakhours, and observations concluded that vehicle queuing results on these two approaches. Stop-and-go traffic due to excessive vehicle congestion may have attributed to these accidents.

The majority of right-angle accidents (69%) were due to eastbound vehicles disregarding thetraffic signal. Just ahead of Bunn Hill Road on eastbound Vestal Parkway, vehicles may access


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northbound Route 201 via an exit-only lane. Motorists may be paying attention to entering Route201 instead of the traffic signal. Motorists may not always yield on the Route 201 SB ramp toVestal Parkway WB. There is also a short distance in getting to the left turn lane to Bunn HillRoad.

Summary of DataEstimated AADT (2000) = 40,894 vehiclesTotal Number of Accidents (1996-99) = 57Accident Rate Actual (Expected) = 1.27 acc/MEV (0.60 acc/MEV)Injury Accidents Actual (Expected) = 39% (39%)

Location #4: Vestal Parkway & Campus Plaza (ID #9)


During the three-year study period, 25 accidents occurred at this intersection. The leadingaccident type was rear-ends at 88%. All 22 rear-end accidents occurred on the eastbound andwestbound approaches to the intersection, and the predominant attributing factors were driverinattention and following too closely. Traffic volumes indicate that eastbound and westboundthrough movements are heavy during peak hours. Stop-and-go traffic due to excessive vehiclecongestion may have attributed to these accidents. A traffic signal and turning lanes wereinstalled at this location in 1998.


Location #5: Vestal Parkway & Jensen Road (ID #10)


During the three-year study period, 55 accidents occurred at this intersection. The leadingaccident types were rear-ends at 49% and right-angle accidents at 18%. Of the 27 rear-endaccidents, most (96%) occurred on eastbound and westbound Vestal Parkway, and thepredominant attributing factors were driver inattention and following too closely. Traffic


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volumes indicate that the east/west through movements are heavy during peak hours, andobservations show that vehicle queuing results on these two approaches. Also, the westboundapproach is at a 3% downgrade and the eastbound approach is a straight section where motoristscan quickly gain speed after the Parkway Plaza intersection. Stop-and-go traffic due to excessivevehicle congestion may have attributed to the rear-end accidents. The majority (80%) of right-angle accidents were due to eastbound and westbound motorists disregarding the traffic signal.Inability to see the traffic signal or unsafe speed may have attributed to the right-angle accidents.


Location #6: Vestal Parkway & Main Street (ID #20)


During the three-year study period, 43 accidents occurred at this intersection. The leadingaccident type was rear-ends at 70%. Of the 29 rear-end accidents, most (79%) occurred on theeastbound and westbound approaches to the intersection, and the predominant attributing factorswere driver inattention and following too closely. Traffic volumes indicate that the eastboundand westbound through movements are heavy during peak hours, and visual observations haveconcluded that significant vehicle queuing results on these two approaches. Stop-and-go trafficdue to excessive vehicle congestion may have attributed to these accidents.


Location #7: Vestal Road & Route 201 Interchange (ID #31&32)



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The leading accident type was rear-ends at 76%. Of the 35 rear-end accidents, most (94%)occurred on the southbound Route 201 off-ramp approach and the northbound Route 201 on-ramp. The predominant attributing factors were following too closely and driver inattention.Visual observations have concluded that vehicle queuing occurs on these two approaches. Thesouthbound Route 201 off-ramp approach slopes downward at approximately 3% grade. Also,there is insufficient signing at the top of the ramp to warn motorists of the steep ramp and thepossibility of queued vehicles due to heavy cross-flow on Vestal Road.

The yield sign is positioned on the northbound Route 201 on-ramp to allow free-flow ofwestbound Vestal Road traffic onto northbound Route 201; eastbound Vestal Road trafficdestined for the ramp must first yield to westbound Vestal Road through traffic, then yield againapproximately three car lengths ahead to westbound Vestal Road right-turning traffic. It iscounterproductive to create conditions that may cause queuing across both lanes of traffic. If theyield sign is moved to control the westbound right-turning traffic, queuing will not result on thenorthbound on-ramp and across Vestal Road. The limited sight distance, awkward angles, andbridge abutments may also be attributing factors to accidents at this location.


** Rate calculated for southbound off-ramp intersection, which had the highest number of accidents.

Location #8: Vestal Road & Main Street (ID #21)


During the three-year study period, 24 accidents occurred at this intersection. The leadingaccident types were rear-ends at 50% and overtaking at 25%. The 12 rear-end accidents occurredmostly (83%) on the northbound and southbound approaches to the intersection, and thepredominant attributing factor was following too closely.



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Location #9: Vestal Road & Bunn Hill Road (ID #30)


The unsignalized intersection of Vestal Road and Bunn Hill Road is in the Town of Vestal.During the three-year study period, seven accidents occurred here. The leading accident type wasright-angle accidents, which occurred four times. Of the four right-angle accidents, two involvednorthbound vehicles attempting to turn left and striking an eastbound vehicle.


Location #10: Vestal Road & Jensen Road(ID #27)


During the three-year study period, eleven accidents occurred at this intersection. The leadingaccident types were rear ends and overtaking, which each occurred three times. All threeovertaking accidents occurred on the northbound approach and involved a vehicle attempting toturn right and striking another northbound vehicle. The northbound approach is a wideunmarked lane that could accommodate two vehicles side-by-side and may cause driverconfusion.

Two of the three rear-end accidents involved a westbound vehicle striking another westboundvehicle that is stopped in the roadway, waiting to make a left-turn. These rear-end accidentsmight be the result of higher travel speeds since westbound Vestal Road is downgradeapproaching Jensen Road.



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Location #11: Vestal Road & Murray Hill Road (ID #34)

Year Fatal Accidents Injury Accidents Property Damage/Non-Reportables1996 0 0 0/11997 0 0 1/21998 0 0 01999 0 0 0/1

During the three-year study period, five accidents occurred at this intersection. The leadingaccident type was right-angle accidents, which occurred three times. Two right-angle accidentsoccurred at the intersection and the third involved a northbound vehicle exiting from a drivewayjust west of the intersection.


Location #12: Vestal Road & Oak Street (ID #23)


During the three-year study period, five accidents occurred at this intersection. The leadingaccident types were rear-ends and right-angle accidents, each occurring twice. The rear-endaccidents involved vehicles on the southbound approach, and the right-angle accidents consistedof southbound vehicles attempting a left turn and striking a westbound vehicle.


Location #13: Vestal Road & Prentice Road (ID #26)



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During the three-year study period, nine accidents occurred at this intersection. The leadingaccident type was rear- end accidents, which occurred four times. Vestal Road at Prentice Roadis curved and downgrade from west to east. These roadway characteristics may have been afactor in the rear-end accidents and for the three accidents involving vehicles that either lostcontrol or skidded.


Location #14: Vestal Parkway & Parkway Plaza (ID #11)


The intersection of Vestal Parkway (Route 434) and Parkway Plaza/Arby's driveways is in theDuring the three-year study period, 64 accidents occurred at this intersection. The leadingaccident type was rear-ends at 88%. Of the 56 rear-end accidents, most (93%) occurred onwestbound Vestal Parkway, and the predominant attributing factors were driver inattention andfollowing too closely. Traffic volumes indicate that the westbound through movement is heavyduring peak hours, and visual observations have concluded that significant vehicle queuingresults on this approach. Another observation indicated that the westbound traffic signalprogression between the neighboring Jensen Road intersection and Parkway Plaza is timed sothat few vehicles are permitted through the Parkway Plaza traffic signal after stopping at JensenRoad. Stop-and-go traffic due to poor signal progression and excessive vehicle congestion mayhave attributed to these accidents. Furthermore, many (39%) of the westbound rear-endaccidents involved three or more vehicles, which indicates vehicle queuing. During peak trafficconditions, the WB queues from Rano Boulevard/Sycamore Road reach the intersection andcause dangerous situations.

Of the eight locations studied along Vestal Parkway, this was the only intersection where afatality occurred. Approximately 500 feet west of the intersection, a driver on westbound VestalParkway "took their eyes off the road to look at the passenger" and drifted over the raisedconcrete median into the eastbound Vestal Parkway travel lanes, where it sideswiped aneastbound vehicle. The sideswiped vehicle was then rear-ended by an eastbound vehicle. Driverinattention was the attributing factor for this fatal accident.

Other factors that may be attributing to accidents at this location may be the Hess Station, locatedeast of the intersection, which has driveways that are offset from the intersection.


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Location #15: Vestal Parkway & Sycamore Road/Rano Boulevard (ID #12)


During the three-year study period, 74 accidents occurred at this intersection. The leadingaccident type was rear-ends at 76%. Of the 56 rear-end accidents, most (91%) occurred on theeastbound and westbound approaches to the intersection, and the predominant attributing factorswere driver inattention and following too closely. Traffic volumes indicate that the eastboundand westbound through movements are heavy during peak hours, and visual observations haveconcluded that significant vehicle queuing results on these two approaches. Stop-and-go trafficdue to excessive vehicle congestion may have attributed to these accidents.


PROVISIONS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS

There are limited pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the Vestal Corridor study area. Pedestrianfacilities include sidewalks, curb cuts, and pedestrian signals and crosswalks. The majority ofthe pedestrian facilities in the study area are located in the vicinity of the mall and shoppingplazas.

Bicycle facilities within the study area consist of New York State and local on-street bicycleroutes. New York State Bike Route 17 and Local Bike Route 2 both run along Vestal Roadthrough the study area. There are also local secondary bike routes.

Additionally, the NYSDOT has denoted bicycle pavement markings at new traffic signalinstallations to indicate that a bicycle will actuate the traffic signal. These pavement markingsare on the northbound approach at the Vestal Parkway & Route 26 southbound intersection.


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A multi-use trail (Vestal Rail Trail) was recommended in the Binghamton MetropolitanGreenway Study within the study area along the abandoned rail line, the sand & gravel mine, andthe towpath of the former Chenango Canal. A segment of this trail that runs along theabandoned rail line between Main Street and African Road is scheduled to begin constructionthis year (2001).

TRANSIT PROVISIONS

Transit service in the study area is provided by Broome County Transit (BC Transit) and the OffCampus College Transport, Inc. (OCCT).

The BC Transit operates 17 fixed bus routes using 43 buses in the Binghamton, Johnson City,and Endicott area. BC Transit has a two-fare system, Peak and Off-Peak. The Peak fare is $1.00and occurs from 5:00 AM to 9:15 AM and 3:15 PM to 6:00 PM. The Off Peak fare is $0.50 andoccurs from 9:15 AM to 3:15 PM and after 6:00 PM. Saturday operates as an Off Peak fare all-day and there is no service on Sunday. All of BC Transit’s buses are wheelchair accessible andhave bike racks. There are two bus shelters located in the study area; one is located at theintersection of Vestal Road & Gates Road and the other at Vestal Plaza. BC Transit will beinstalling more bus shelters throughout their system in October 2001.

The BC Transit routes operating in the study area are listed below:

• Route 5• Route 15• Route 17/25• Route 47• Shoppers’ Special

The OCCT is a student owned and operated transportation service that provides service tostudents and community members of Binghamton University and surrounding off campusneighborhoods. OCCT operates ten buses and two lift equipped vehicles.

The OCCT Transit route operating within the study area is listed below:

• Rivera Ridge –Town Square Mall

In the Binghamton Metropolitan Transportation Study’s (BMTS) 2001 –2002 Unified PlanningWork Program (UPWP), they will be investigating the opportunities for integrating the busservice operated by the OCCT with the BC Transit system.

vestal corridor study revised draft technical … · vestal corridor study the sear-brown group i...

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