HomeMy WebLinkAboutExisting Conditions_201401311822540439TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 1
EXISTING CONDITIONS
INTRODUCTION
Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. (GPI) has conducted this Traffic Study of the Mid-Island area for the
Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission (NP&EDC). NP&EDC prepared
the Mid-Island Area Plan in March 2003, which identified a number of critical
traffic/transportation issues, including both short-term and long-term improvement options for
both isolated intersections, as well as corridor treatments within the Mid-Island area. A primary
goal of this traffic study is to quantify and evaluate the recommendations of the 2003 Mid-
Island Area Plan, based on actual field evaluation, traffic counts and engineering
standards. The following intersections are included within the study area:
• Sparks Avenue at Pleasant Street and Hooper Farm Road
• Milestone Road at Polpis Road
• Milestone Road at Monomoy Road
• Milestone Road at Old South Road, Pleasant Street and Orange Street (Milestone Rotary)
• Orange Street at West Creek Road
• Pleasant Street at West Creek Road
• Pleasant Street at Cherry Street
• Pleasant Street at Williams Lane
• Pleasant Street at Williams Street
• Orange Street at Union Street
• Pleasant Street at York Street and Atlantic Avenue (Five Corners)
• Sparks Avenue at Prospect Street, Surfside Road and Atlantic Avenue (Four Corners)
• Surfside Road at Vesper Lane
• Surfside Road at Bartlett Road
• Surfside Road at Miacomet Avenue
• Surfside Road at Miacomet Road and Surfside Drive
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 2
• Surfside Road at Fairgrounds Road
• Old South Road at Fairgrounds Road
Improvements to the intersection of Sparks Avenue at Pleasant Street and Hooper Farm Road are
planned under a separate project to provide a single lane roundabout. This traffic study
evaluated the impacts on the proposed roundabout design under improvement scenarios, i.e. the
Pleasant Street one-way alternative
This study includes data collection efforts, field studies, accident analysis, capacity analysis and
conceptual design of potential improvement alternatives. In addition, order of magnitude
construction cost estimates have been developed for each improvement alternative
recommended.
GEOMETRICS AND TRAFFIC CONTROL
The roadway network is made up of the major roadways and intersections in the study area.
Figure 1 illustrates the eighteen locations included in the study. A description of the principal
roadways and the intersections that are a part of the project network follows.
Study Area Roadways
The principal east-west roadways within the Mid-Island area are three parallel streets: Orange
Street, Pleasant Street and Sparks Avenue. Each of these is a Town-maintained, two-lane two-
way roadway, with the exception of Orange Street west of Union Street, which is a one-way
roadway in the eastbound direction. Overall pavement widths along Orange Street, Pleasant
Street and Sparks Avenue generally vary between 20 and 24 feet, with sporadic sidewalks. An
informal bike route, which shares the paved travelway with motor vehicles, is present along
Orange Street, connecting downtown Nantucket with the Polpis Bicycle Path. Several north-
south one-way and two-way streets provide connections between these three roadways. The
most significant of these streets are West Creek Road, Cherry Street and Williams Street
between Orange Street and Pleasant Street and Williams Lane between Pleasant Street and
Sparks Avenue. Land use along these roadways consists primarily of residential, commercial
and municipal uses.
Pleasant Street converges with Sparks Avenue at its intersection with Hooper Farm Road and
then continues easterly to converge at the Milestone Rotary, where the principal east-west
roadway then becomes Milestone Road. Milestone Road is a State maintained, minor arterial
that is orientated in an east-west direction, extending from the Milestone Rotary to the west to
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
GPI Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. Figure 1
Engineers, Architects, Planners, Construction Engineers & Inspectors Study Intersection Map
Legend:
= Study Intersection
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 4
Siasconset to the east and is approximately 6-miles long. Milestone Road is a two-lane, two-way
roadway, with an overall pavement width of approximately 25 feet. A bike route is present
along the south side of Milestone Road, which is approximately 8 feet wide, extending from the
Milestone Rotary to Siasconset. Milestone Road adjacent land uses within the Mid-Island study
area is primarily conservation, wooded areas and residential. The Nantucket Water Company is
located just to the east of the Rotary, on the south side of Milestone Road.
The principal north-south roadways within the Mid-Island area are Surfside Road/Atlantic
Avenue and Old South Road. Each of these is a Town-maintained, two-lane and two-way
roadway, with overall pavement widths varying generally between 22 and 24 feet. A bicycle
path is present along the west side of Surfside Road, which is approximately 8 feet wide and
extends from Vesper Lane to the Surfside beaches. To the north of Vesper Lane in the vicinity
of Prospect Street, the bicycle path shares the paved travelway with motor vehicles. Land use
along these roadways is predominately residential. Each of the Nantucket public schools is
located on the easterly side of Surfside Road and the Nantucket Memorial Airport is located at
the southerly end of Old South Road.
Study Area Intersections
Sparks Avenue at Pleasant Street and Hooper Farm Road
This intersection consists of the offset alignment of Hooper Farm Road and Pleasant Street. The
Sparks Avenue eastbound approach, Pleasant Street and Hooper Farm Road are all under STOP-
sign control, while the Sparks Avenue westbound approach is uncontrolled. There is a raised
delta island along the Pleasant Street approach that defines its offset with Hooper Farm Road.
The Sparks Avenue westbound through traffic merges to Pleasant Street without adequate traffic
control. The pavement and travel lane width varies, with an edge-to-edge distance of
approximately 25 feet along Sparks Avenue and approximately 23 feet along both Pleasant Street
and Hooper Farm Road. Directional flow along each roadway is separated by a double yellow
centerline. A sidewalk is provided only along Hooper Farm Road; however, there are no
compliant wheelchair ramps present or sidewalks present along the remainder intersection
roadways. Land use in the vicinity of this intersection is primarily retail and light commercial
along Pleasant Street and on the north side of Sparks Avenue and primarily residential along
Hooper Farm Road and on the south side of Sparks Avenue. Improvements to this intersection
are currently planned under a separate project and include the reconstruction of the intersection
to provide a modern single lane roundabout. These improvements are described in detail in the
Planned Findings/Recommendations section of this report.
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Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 5
`
Existing (3-Way Stop) Proposed (Roundabout)
Milestone Road at Polpis Road and Monomoy Road
The geometric layout of these locations is quite similar. They are both wide-open “T”
intersections with large sweeping turn lanes. The leg of each “T” is separated into dedicated
left- and right-turn lanes, while vehicles turning from Milestone Road to the corresponding side
street are channelized on the side street and must proceed to merge onto the side street. A
bicycle path is present along the southerly side of Milestone Road, however there are no
provisions for crossings, nor are there any sidewalks, bike paths or bike lanes along the
intersecting side streets. The posted speed limit on Milestone Road is 35 miles per hour (mph),
just east of Polpis Road, and is reduced to 25 mph approaching the Milestone Rotary. The
posted speed limit on Monomoy Road is 30 mph and 35 mph on Polpis Road.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 6
Milestone Rotary (Old South Road/Milestone Road/Sparks Avenue/Orange Street)
The Old South Road northbound approach consists of one 11-foot wide lane, the Milestone Road
westbound approach consists of two 12-foot wide lanes, with the outer lane delineated as a
through lane (to Orange Street). The Sparks Avenue eastbound approach consists of one 15-foot
wide lane and the Orange Street approach consists of two 14.5-foot wide lanes, with the outer
lane delineated as a through/right-turn lane. The posted speed limits on Old South Road,
Milestone Road, Sparks Avenue and Orange Street approaching the rotary are 25 mph, 25 mph,
20 mph and 30 mph, respectively. The Milestone Rotary is configured to have the Orange
Street, Milestone Road and Old South Road approaching roadways intersect the traffic circle on
a tangent operating under YIELD sign control and the Sparks Avenue approach intersecting at
90 degrees operating under STOP sign control. This configuration leads to faster travel speeds
entering the rotary and the potential for increased conflicts. Bicycle and pedestrian access
through the rotary is difficult. Bicyclists are forced to cross in crosswalks and enter sidewalks
rather than proceeding through the rotary. This creates additional conflicts between bicyclists
and pedestrians. Parking adjacent to the rotary contributes to congestion.
Orange Street at West Creek Road
Single approach lanes are present on all three legs of this unsignalized “T” intersection with the
West Creek Road northbound approach operating under STOP sign control. A poorly delineated
bike route is present along Orange Street. Pedestrian accessibility does not conform to current
standards at this location.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 7
Pleasant Street at West Creek Road
The West Creek Road southbound approach to this unsignalized “T” intersection operates under
STOP-sign control. Single approach lanes are present on all three legs. Similar to the West
Creek Road and Orange Street intersection, pedestrian accessibility does not conform to current
standards at this location. The head-in parking at Lucky’s Express, located on the northwest
corner of the intersection, contributes to congestion at this location.
Pleasant Street at Cherry Street, Williams Lane and Williams Street
The Cherry Street, Williams Lane and Williams Street (minor street) approaches operate under
STOP-sign control, while Pleasant Street (major street) operates uncontrolled. These
intersections are all closely spaced, with the geometry of these intersections potentially leading
to driver confusion and conflicts. While the STOP sign along the eastbound Pleasant Street
approach is intended for the Williams Lane traffic, drivers on Pleasant Street may be confused
and be stopping unexpectedly. The tight geometry of the Cherry Street at Pleasant Street
intersection forces vehicles to encroach on approaching lanes. Sight distance is limited for
vehicles exiting Cherry Street onto Pleasant Street. Furthermore, pedestrian accessibility does
not conform to current standards at this location.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 8
Orange Street at Union Street
Single approach lanes are present on all three legs of this unsignalized “T” intersection with the
Union Street southbound approach operating under STOP sign control. All intersecting
roadways are two-way with the exception of the Orange Street eastbound approach. Pedestrian
accessibility does not conform to current standards at this location. There are obstructions along
the sidewalks, lack of continuous sidewalks and wheelchair ramps and no visible crosswalks.
Five Corners (Pleasant Street/York Street/Atlantic Avenue)
This intersection is an all-way stop controlled (AWSC) intersection, with single approach lanes
present on each of the five legs. All five roadways are two-way with the exception of the York
Street westbound approach, which is a one-way roadway in the southbound direction (towards
Pleasant Street), forming a one-way pair with West Dover Street.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 9
Four Corners (Sparks Avenue/Prospect Street/Surfside Road/Atlantic Avenue)
The Four Corners intersection consists of the offset alignment of Prospect Street and Sparks
Avenue. This intersection also operates under AWSC, with single approach lanes present on
each of the four legs. Pedestrian accessibility does not conform to current standards at this
location.
Surfside Road at Vesper Lane
The Vesper Lane eastbound approach and the Nantucket High School exit-only westbound
approach to this unsignalized intersection operate under STOP-sign control. Single approach
lanes are present on all four legs. The Cottage Hospital and Holdgate’s Laundry abut Vesper
Lane at this intersection and the Nantucket High School is located just south of this intersection
on the east side of Surfside Road. Pedestrian accessibility does not conform to current standards
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 10
at this location. The sidewalks are in poor physical condition, have obstructions and lack
wheelchair ramps. Furthermore, while there is a bicycle path located on the west side of
Surfside Road, it ends abruptly and does not provide any further guidance to bicyclists.
Bicyclists coming to/from the north must share the Surfside Road travel ways with vehicles.
Surfside Road at Bartlett Road
Single approach lanes are present on all three legs of this unsignalized “T” intersection with the
eastbound Bartlett Street approach operating under STOP-sign control. The Surfside Road
Bicycle Path is located on the westerly side of Surfside Road. A crosswalk is present across the
Bartlett Road approach; however, the existing crosswalk is faded and does not provide adequate
pedestrian protection. The Nantucket Elementary School is located to the north of this
intersection, on the east side of Surfside Road. Sight distance is limited at this intersection
looking to the north from Bartlett Road due to the horizontal alignment of Surfside Road.
Improvements to the sidewalk and crosswalk infrastructure are critical at this location due to the
presence of the bicycle path and the Elementary School just north of the intersection.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 11
Surfside Road at Miacomet Avenue
Single approach lanes are present on all three legs of this unsignalized “T” intersection with the
Miacomet Avenue eastbound approach operating under STOP sign control. The presence of
adjacent parking and driveways along Miacomet Avenue results in a large pavement area with
poorly defined right-of-way. Driveways are present immediately to the west of this intersection
on both the north and south sides of Miacomet Avenue. A bicycle path is located on the
westerly side of Surfside Road. With the multiple driveways and the presence of the bike path
passing through this intersection, the geometry and right-of-way, particularly to/from Miacomet
Avenue, is somewhat confusing.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 12
Surfside Road at Miacomet Road and Surfside Drive
The Miacomet Road eastbound approach and Surfside Drive westbound approach to this
unsignalized intersection operate under STOP sign control. Single approach lanes are present on
all four legs. The Surfside Road Bicycle Path is present on the westerly side of Surfside Road.
While there are crosswalks present at this intersection, there are no accessible sidewalks on the
easterly portion of Surfside Road or Surfside Drive.
Surfside Road at Fairgrounds Road
The Fairgrounds Road eastbound and westbound approaches to this unsignalized intersection
operate under STOP sign control. Single approach lanes are present on all four legs. A bicycle
path is present on the westerly side of Surfside Road. Similar to all the intersections along
Surfside Drive, the pedestrian facilities are not visible or apparent to motorists. The existing
crosswalk is faded and does not provide adequate pedestrian protection.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 13
Old South Road at Fairgrounds Road
Single approach lanes are present on all three legs of this unsignalized “T” intersection with the
Fairgrounds Road eastbound approach operating under STOP sign control. The Nantucket
Electric driveway is located on the south side of Fairgrounds Road and enters the intersection
under STOP sign control. During peak periods this location has been identified as experiencing
congestion due to the larger number of turning vehicles, both to and from Fairgrounds Road.
This intersection has also been studied previously and the preliminary plan is to provide separate
left- and right-turn lanes along the Fairgrounds Road approach. As part of the new Public Safety
Building (on the Nantucket Electric property), the driveway will be relocated away from the
intersection.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 14
TRAFFIC VOLUMES
To establish base traffic conditions within the area, automatic traffic recorder (ATR) counts,
turning movement counts (TMCs) and vehicle classification counts were conducted at the study
area locations. The counts were performed during the peak season weekday AM peak period
(7:00 to 10:00 AM), the weekday PM peak period (3:00 to 6:00 PM) and the Saturday midday
peak period (11:00 AM to 2:00 PM) in July 2004. ATR counts conducted by the Nantucket
Planning and Economic Development Commission (NP&EDC) during June, July and August
2004 were used to obtain daily traffic volumes on the study area roadways for weekday and
Saturday daily periods.
Evaluation of the peak period traffic counts indicates that the weekday AM peak hour occurs
between 9:00 and 10:00 AM, the weekday PM peak hour occurs between 3:45 and 4:45 PM and
the Saturday midday peak hour occurs between 11:15 AM and 12:15 PM. It should be noted,
however, that the individual intersection peak hours were used in the analysis to provide a
conservative analysis scenario. All count data are provided in the Appendix.
Traffic on a given roadway typically fluctuates throughout the year depending on the area and
the type of roadway. To determine if the July traffic-volume data needed to be adjusted to
account for this fluctuation, Massachusetts Highway Department (MassHighway) weekday
seasonal adjustment factors were researched.1 This information revealed that July volumes are
approximately 21.0 percent higher than annual average-month conditions. Therefore, to provide
a conservative analytical framework (higher than average), the collected data were used as
counted. Furthermore, given the seasonal fluctuation of traffic on the island, the peak summer
volumes were used for analysis. The MassHighway seasonal adjustment data are provided in the
Appendix. Table 1 summarizes the existing daily and peak-hour traffic volumes on the study
area roadways. The 2004 Existing traffic-flow networks for the weekday AM, weekday PM and
Saturday midday peak hours are shown graphically on Figures 2, 3 and 4, respectively.
1MassHighway Statewide Traffic Data Collection 2003 Weekday Seasonal Factors.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 15
Table 1
EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUME SUMMARY
Location/Time Period
Daily Volume
(vpd)a
Peak Hour
Volume (vph)b
K
Factorc
Directional
Distributiond
Atlantic Ave south of Pleasant St:
Weekday Daily
Weekday AM Peak Hour
Weekday PM Peak Hour
Saturday Daily
Saturday Midday Peak Hour
Fairgrounds Rd west of Old South Rd:
Weekday Daily
Weekday AM Peak Hour
Weekday PM Peak Hour
Saturday Daily
Saturday Midday Peak Hour
Milestone Rd east of Orange St:
Weekday Daily
Weekday AM Peak Hour
Weekday PM Peak Hour
Saturday Daily
Saturday Midday Peak Hour
Old South Rd south of Fairgrounds Rd:
Weekday Daily
Weekday AM Peak Hour
Weekday PM Peak Hour
Saturday Daily
Saturday Midday Peak Hour
Orange St east of Union St:
Weekday Daily
Weekday AM Peak Hour
Weekday PM Peak Hour
Saturday Daily
Saturday Midday Peak Hour
6,800
6,900
8,100
7,000
20,400
18,800
15,100
13,100
16,800
16,600
296
372
294
474
653
569
1,246
1,610
1,354
1,167
1,367
1,191
1,025
1,232
1,133
4.4
5.5
4.3
5.9
8.1
8.1
6.1
7.9
7.2
7.7
9.1
9.1
6.1
7.3
6.8
56% NB
58% SB
53% SB
56% EB
51% WB
58% WB
55% EB
54% WB
52% WB
50% NB
52% SB
51% NB
51% NB
56% SB
55% SB
aVehicles per day. bVehicles per hour. cPercent of average daily traffic occurring during the peak hour. dEB = eastbound; WB = westbound; NB = northbound; SB = southbound.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 16
Table 1 (continued)
EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUME SUMMARY
Location/Time Period
Daily
Volume
(vpd)a
Peak Hour
Volume (vph)b
K
Factorc
Directional
Distributiond
Pleasant St east of Atlantic Ave:
Weekday Daily
Weekday AM Peak Hour
Weekday PM Peak Hour
Saturday Daily
Saturday Midday Peak Hour
Sparks Ave west of Pleasant St:
Weekday Daily
Weekday AM Peak Hour
Weekday PM Peak Hour
Saturday Daily
Saturday Midday Peak Hour
Surfside Rd south of Vesper Ln:
Weekday Daily
Weekday AM Peak Hour
Weekday PM Peak Hour
Saturday Daily
Saturday Midday Peak Hour
9,300
8,600
10,600
10,600
13,300
12,900
713
706
755
523
536
571
756
782
724
7.7
7.6
8.8
4.9
5.1
5.4
5.7
5.9
5.6
72% WB
64% WB
68% WB
59% EB
69% EB
63% EB
56% NB
59% SB
52% SB
aVehicles per day. bVehicles per hour. cPercent of average daily traffic occurring during the peak hour. dEB = eastbound; WB = westbound; NB = northbound; SB = southbound.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 20
ACCIDENTS
Accident data for the study area intersections were obtained from the Nantucket Police
Department for the period between 2000 and 2003. In addition to the number of accidents, the
accident occurrence was compared to the volume of traffic through a particular intersection to
determine any significance. Accordingly, the accident rates were calculated for each study area
intersection and compared with the statewide and district-wide averages. An intersection
accident rate is a measure of the frequency of accidents compared to the volume of traffic
through an intersection and is presented in accidents per million entering vehicles (acc/mev).
For unsignalized intersections, the statewide average is 0.66 acc/mev and the MassHighway
District 5 average is 0.61 acc/mev. A comparison of the calculated accident rate to these
averages can be used to establish the significance of accident occurrence and whether or not
potential safety problems exist. In order to provide a comparable analytical framework, a
seasonal adjustment factor needed to be applied to the July, summer peak traffic volume data to
account for the annual fluctuation in traffic. Therefore, to provide an average-month analytical
framework, the collected traffic-volume data were downwardly adjusted by 21 percent to reflect
an average-month analysis condition using the MassHighway weekday seasonal adjustment
factors, as described in the Traffic Volumes section. A summary of the accident data at the study
area intersections is provided in Table 2. All crash rate worksheets are provided in the
Appendix.
TRAFFIC STUDY Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts Final Report Page 21 Table 2 ACCIDENT SUMMARY 2000 – 2003 Number of Accidents Severityb Accident Typec Location Total Average per Year Accident Rate Ranka PD PI F MV MP B Ped Deer Pleasant St at York St and Atlantic Ave 17 4.25 0.89 1 17 0 0 12 0 3 2 0 Pleasant St at Williams Ln 13 3.25 0.88 2 13 0 0 13 0 0 0 0 Milestone Rd at Polpis Rd 20 5 0.82 3 20 0 0 14 1 0 0 5 Surfside Rd at Fairgrounds Rd 14 3.5 0.69 4 14 0 0 10 2 0 0 2 Surfside Rd at Miacomet Ave 14 3.5 0.62 5 10 4 0 12 0 1 0 1 Old South Rd at Fairgrounds Rd 14 3.5 0.61 6 13 1 0 12 1 1 0 0 The Milestone Rotary 22 5.5 0.57 7 21 1 0 19 2 1 0 0 Surfside Rd at Bartlett Rd 11 2.75 0.56 8 10 1 0 11 0 0 0 0 Surfside Rd at Miacomet Rd and Surfside Dr 12 3 0.55 9 12 0 0 10 1 0 0 1 Surfside Rd at Atlantic Ave, Prospect St and Sparks Ave 13 3.25 0.52 10 11 2 0 11 0 1 1 0 Sparks Ave at Pleasant St and Hooper Farm Rd 15 3.75 0.51 11 15 0 0 15 0 0 0 0 Surfside Rd at Vesper Ln 10 2.5 0.49 12 9 1 0 8 0 1 0 1 Pleasant St at West Creek Rd 8 2 0.49 13 8 0 0 7 0 0 1 0 Orange St at Union St 8 2 0.40 14 8 0 0 7 0 0 1 0 Pleasant St at Cherry St 6 1.5 0.39 15 6 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 Pleasant St at Williams St 4 1 0.32 16 4 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 Milestone Rd at Monomoy Rd 5 1.25 0.21 17 4 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 Orange St at West Creek Rd 1 0.25 0.04 18 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Source: Nantucket Police Department (2000-2003). aHighest accident rate to lowest accident rate. bPD = property damage only; PI = personal injury; F = fatality. c MV = motor vehicle; MP = Moped; B = bicycle; Ped = pedestrian.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 22
Based on the accident data, there were six study area intersections that experienced higher than
the district-wide and/or statewide averages for unsignalized intersections. These locations are
discussed below from highest to lowest accident rate and are followed by high accident locations
that experienced on average five or more accidents per year.
The Five Corners intersection has experienced the highest accident rate. The accident rate for
the intersection is 0.89 acc/mev, which is higher than the district-wide and statewide averages for
unsignalized intersections, and therefore may be indicative of a safety problem, which may be
attributed to the confusing intersection geometry, numerous approaches and vast amount of
pavement. The intersection has experienced on average approximately 4 accidents per year over
the four-year analysis period. One hundred percent (17 of 17) of the accidents involved property
damage only. Approximately 18 percent (3 of 17) involved a bicycle and approximately 12
percent (2 of 17) involved a pedestrian. Improvements are proposed at this location that are
expected to improve overall intersection operation, resulting in improved safety.
The Pleasant Street and Williams Lane intersection has experienced the second highest accident
rate. The accident rate for the intersection is 0.88 acc/mev, which is higher than the district-wide
and statewide averages for unsignalized intersections, and therefore may be indicative of a safety
problem, which may be attributed to the confusing intersection geometry and awkward roadway
alignment. There was an average of approximately 3 accidents per year at this intersection. One
hundred percent (13 of 13) of the accidents involved property damage only. Improvements are
proposed at this location that are expected to improve overall intersection operation, resulting in
improved safety.
The Milestone at Polpis Road intersection has experienced the third highest accident rate. The
accident rate for the intersection is 0.82 acc/mev, which is higher than the district-wide and
statewide averages for unsignalized intersections, and therefore may be indicative of a safety
problem, which may be attributed to the existing geometric issues and the numerous merging and
conflict points. There was an average of 5 accidents per year over the four-year analysis period
that occurred at this intersection. One hundred percent (20 of 20) of the accidents involved
property damage only. Improvements are proposed at this location that are expected to improve
overall intersection operation, resulting in improved safety.
The Surfside at Fairgrounds intersection has experienced the fourth highest accident rate. The
accident rate for the intersection is 0.69 acc/mev, which is slightly higher than the district-wide
and statewide averages for unsignalized intersections, and therefore may be indicative of a safety
problem, which may be attributed to existing sight distance deficiencies. There was an average
of approximately 4 accidents per year at this intersection. One hundred percent (14 of 14) of the
accidents involved property damage only. Improvements are proposed at this location that are
expected to improve overall intersection operation, resulting in improved safety.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 23
The Surfside Road at Miacomet Avenue intersection has experienced the fifth highest accident
rate. The crash rate for the intersection is 0.62 accidents per million entering vehicles (acc/mev).
This rate is slightly higher than the district-wide average of 0.61 and less than the statewide
average of 0.66, which may be attributed to the presence of adjacent parking and driveways,
large pavement areas and poorly defined right-of-way. This intersection has experienced on
average approximately 4 accidents per year. Approximately 71 percent (10 of 14) of the
accidents involved property damage only with approximately 7 percent (1 of 14) of the accidents
involving a bicycle.
The Old South Road at Fairgrounds Road intersection has experienced the sixth highest accident
rate. The crash rate for the intersection is 0.61 accidents per million entering vehicles (acc/mev).
This rate is equal to the district-wide average and less than the statewide average, which may be
attributed to the heavy turning volumes and poorly defined lanes. This intersection has
experienced on average approximately 4 accidents per year over the four-year analysis period.
Approximately 93 percent (13 of 14) of the accidents involved property damage only with
approximately 7 percent (1 of 14) of the accidents involving a bicycle.
The Milestone Rotary has experienced on average approximately 6 accidents per year.
Approximately 95 percent (21 of 22) of the accidents involved property damage only, with
approximately 5 percent (1 of 22) of the accidents involving a bicycle. The crash rate for the
intersection is 0.57 accidents per million entering vehicles (acc/mev). This rate is less than both
the district-wide and statewide averages of 0.61 and 0.66, respectively.
The remaining study area intersections have experienced four accidents per year or less and the
accident rate for each intersection is less than the district-wide and statewide averages for
unsignalized intersections. There were no fatal accidents reported at any of the study area
intersections during the time period studied.
PARKING ANALYSIS
The retail and commercial uses along Pleasant Street, Sparks Avenue and Orange Street within
the Mid-Island area generate substantial parking demands. However, due to the narrow overall
pavement widths of these roads, along with the connecting side streets, such as West Creek
Road, on-street parking opportunities are very limited. This leads to vehicle congestion from
vehicles moving in and out of parking spaces conflicting with through traffic and increased
congestion due to motorists circulating to find available parking. Off-street parking within the
Mid-Island area is also limited during peak times, particularly at the businesses contained within
the area bounded by Sparks Avenue to the south and west, Orange Street to the east and Sanford
Road and Bear Street to the north. Again, the lack of sufficient parking contributes to congestion
by motorists circulating to find available parking.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 24
One of the goals of the Mid-Island Area Plan is to promote more of a downtown feel to the Mid-
Island area and part of this effort is to make shared parking and longer-term parking more
desirable. The Town, as part of its Zoning Bylaws, has implemented a plan for shared parking
and access, with all new parking, except in extreme situations, located in the rear of buildings,
with the building placed at or near the street line. Providing shared parking between multiple
land uses results in fewer parking spaces and impervious surface required to meet the parking
demands of the individual uses. The parking demand reduction as a result of shared parking is
attributed to variation in the parking demand of the different uses over the course of the day. In
addition, the proximity of the land uses encourages multi-purpose trips in which people attracted
park one and visit more than one land use.
Therefore, the peak parking demand of the businesses and restaurants located in the central area
of the Mid-Island area, bounded by Sparks Avenue to the south and west, Orange Street to the
east and Sanford Road and Bear Street to the north, were evaluated to determine the time of day
when each use requires the most parking and therefore the necessary number of parking spaces
to accommodate each use. In addition, the existing parking areas were evaluated to determine
where parking areas should be enhanced, while maintaining the historical character of the island.
The peak parking demand of the businesses and restaurants located in the central area of the
Mid-Island area were determined by conducting parking counts at the existing facilities at fifteen
minute intervals between 3:00 and 6:00 PM on a Thursday and 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM on a
Saturday during August 2004. The parking study locations are shown graphically on Figure 5.
Parking demand for these uses is expected to be highest during these time periods. The obtained
parking demand summaries for the weekday PM peak period and the Saturday midday peak
period are shown on Figures 6 and 7, respectively.
Based on the parking data, there were several parking areas that experienced at or near capacity
situations during one or both of the time periods studied. These parking areas included
businesses on West Creek Road, such as On-Glaze Salon, Kitty Murtaghs, Nantucket Bagel and
Lucky Express and businesses along Pleasant Street, such as Trattoria, the Stop & Shop, Hen
House, Bamboo and the Post Office. Conversely, the Sanford parking lot, with the exception of
the Sea Grill Restaurant/Photo Express parking area, experienced very low utilization rates.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report 7-8-05 Page 28
TRANSIT SERVICES
The Nantucket Regional Transit Authority (NRTA) provides seasonal, island wide
transportation, operating nine routes with 13 buses. Seven of these nine routes service the Mid-
Island area and are discussed below. Therefore, the transit service through the study area plays
an important role in the future viability of the region. Available NRTA historical data for the
above nine bus routes were researched to determine frequency, usage and ridership. A
description of each of the nine bus routes follow, while Figure 8 graphically depicts the transit
routes and shuttle stops within the “central” Mid Island Area.
Mid-Island Loop
The Mid-Island Loop serves the mid-island area of Nantucket via Washington Street, Francis
Street, Union Street, York Street, Atlantic Avenue, Surfside Road, Surfside Drive, Hooper Farm
Road, Sparks Avenue, Orange Street, Daves Street and Pleasant Street, Dover Street and into the
downtown area via Union Street, with the downtown shuttle stop at Salem Street. Park and Ride
Lots are available along this route at the Nantucket Elementary School on Surfside Road, The
Muse on Surfside Road and The Chicken Box on Daves Street. The shuttle runs daily from 7:00
AM to 11:30 PM and maintains a 30-minute headway from the end of May to the middle of June
and from the middle of September to the end of September. From the middle of June through the
middle of September a 15-minute headway is maintained between shuttles.
Miacomet Loop
The Miacomet Loop serves the mid-island and outlying area of Nantucket via Washington
Street, Francis Street, Union Street, Orange Street Rotary, Old South Road, Fairgrounds Road,
Surfside Road, Bartlett Road, Raceway Drive, Somerset Lane, Hummock Pond Road, Milk
Street Extension, Prospect Street, and Dover Street and into the downtown area via Union Street,
with the downtown shuttle stop at the corner of Washington and Salem Streets. Park and Ride
Lots are available along this route at the Chicken Box Restaurant for the Landmark House stop
as well as at the Faregrounds Restaurant on Fairgrounds Road, The Muse on Surfside Road and
the Oddfellows Lodge on Bartlett Road. The shuttle runs daily from 7:00 AM to 11:20 PM and
maintains a 30-minute headway from the end of May to the middle of June and from the middle
of September to the end of September. From the middle of June until the middle of September a
20-minute headway is maintained between shuttles.
Sconset via Old South Road Route
The Sconset via Old South Road Route serves the residential areas, businesses and restaurants
along Old South Road and the village of Sconset via the Sconset stop on Main Street to
Milestone Road, Nobadeer Farm Road, Old South Road, Orange Street and Union Street and into
downtown via Francis and Washington Streets, with the downtown shuttle stop on Washington
Street. There are no direct Park and Ride Lots available along this route; however, riders may
use the Park and Ride Lot at The Chicken Box on Daves Street and walk approximately 500-feet
to the Landmark House stop on Orange Street. The shuttle runs daily from 7:15 AM to 11:15 PM
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report 7-8-05 Page 29
and maintains an hour and fifteen minute headway between the end of May and the end of
September.
Sconset via Milestone Road Route
The Sconset via Milestone Road Route serves the village of Sconset via the Sconset stop on
Main Street. It proceeds via Milestone Road, Orange Street and Union Street into the downtown
area via Francis and Washington Streets, with the downtown shuttle stop on Washington Street.
There are also no direct Park and Ride Lots available along this route, however similar to the
Sconset via Old South Road Route, riders may use the Park and Ride Lot at The Chicken Box
and walk 500-feet to the Landmark House on Orange Street. The shuttle runs daily from 7:15
AM to 11:15 PM and maintains an hour stop headway between the middle of June and the
middle of September.
Sconset via Polpis Road Route
The Sconset via Polpis Road Route serves the residential areas and destinations along Polpis
Road and the village of Sconset via the Sconset stop on Main Street. It proceeds to School Street,
West Sankaty Avenue, Coffin Street, Sankaty Road, Polpis Road, Milestone Road, Orange Street
and Union Street and into downtown via Francis and Washington Streets, to the downtown
shuttle stop on Washington Street. Similar to the Sconset via Old South Road and Milestone
Road Routes, there are no direct Park and Ride Lots available along this route, however, riders
may use the Park and Ride Lot at The Chicken Box and walk approximately 500-feet to the
Landmark House stop on Orange Street. The shuttle runs daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and
maintains an hour and twenty minute headway between the beginning of July and early
September.
Surfside Beach Route
The Surfside Beach Route serves Surfside Beach via Surfside Road, Fairgrounds Road, Orange
Street and Union Street and into downtown via Francis and Washington Streets, with the
downtown shuttle stop at the corner of Washington Street and Main Street. A Park and Ride Lot
is available along this route at the Faregrounds Restaurant and riders may use the Park and Ride
lot at the Chicken Box Restaurant and walk to the Landmark House Stop. The shuttle runs daily
from mid-June to Labor Day from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and maintains a forty-minute headway.
Airport Route
The Airport Route serves Nantucket Memorial Airport and the downtown via Macy Lane, Old
South Road, Orange Street and Union Street and into downtown via Francis and Washington
Streets, with the downtown shuttle stop on Washington Street. The shuttle will operate in 2005
daily from July 1st to September 5th from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and maintains a thirty-minute
headway. There are no direct Park and Ride Lots available along this route, however riders may
use the Park and Ride Lot at the Chicken Box Restaurant.
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report 7-8-05 Page 30
Figure 9 depicts the passengers carried on the NRTA shuttle from 1995 to 2004. The NRTA data
indicates that between 1995 and 2004, the passengers carried have increased at a rate of
approximately 8.4 percent per year. However, as can be seen in this figure, there was a
significant increase in passengers from 1995 to 1998 (approximately 103%), which can be
attributed to its expanded services, including both additional routes and buses.
Figure 9
PASSENGERS CARRIED ON NRTA SHUTTLE, 1995 TO 2004
223,472259,868307,236286,380282,810197,219139,364 227,937 291,783 317,468
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
350000
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report 7-8-05 Page 31
Figure 10 graphically depicts the average daily ridership (ADR) on the NRTA shuttle from 1995
to 2004. The NRTA data indicated that between 1995 and 2004, the ADR has increased at a rate
of approximately 3.9 percent per year. The greatest increase in ADR occurred between 1997 and
1998, where the ADR increased approximately 24.1 percent, which also can be attributed to the
NRTA’s expanded services.
Figure 10
AVERAGE DAILY RIDERSHIP ON NRTA, 1995 TO 2004
1,7462,3692,2621,8681,394 1,617 2,318 2,347 2,376
2,328
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report 7-8-05 Page 32
All bicycles paths are accessible from the NRTA shuttle routes and all NRTA shuttle buses are
equipped with bicycles racks mounted on the front of each bus that accommodate two bikes on a
first come first serve basis. In addition, stationary bicycle racks are available at several of the
NRTA shuttle stops. These bicycle racks provide both residents and visitors a better opportunity
to make use of the NRTA shuttle. Figure 11 depicts the bicycles carried on the NRTA shuttle
from 1997 to 2004. The NRTA data indicated that between 1997 and 2003, the total bicycles
carried on the NRTA shuttle have increased approximately 2.8 percent per year.
Figure 11
TOTAL BICYCLES CARRIED ON NRTA SHUTTLE, 1997 TO 2004
4,6308,2716,8305,0835,563 6,515 6,761 5,368
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
As can be seen from the transit data as service increased, ridership, in general, is increased,
indicating a demand for transit service. Recommended improvements are discussed in the
Findings/Recommendations section of this report.
TRAFFIC STUDY Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts GPI Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. Figure 8 Engineers, Architects, Planners, Construction Engineers & Inspectors Mid-Island Transit Map
TRAFFIC STUDY
Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Final Report Page 34
BIKEWAYS
The island of Nantucket has over 24 miles of bicycle paths comprised of six designated bicycle
routes. These include the Surfside Road Bicycle Path, the Madaket Road Bicycle Path, the
Milestone/Sconset Road Bicycle Path, the Cliff Road Bicycle Path, the Polpis Road Bicycle Path
and the Eel Point Bicycle Path. These bicycle paths provide convenient access to many
destinations/areas of the island, are generally separated from the adjacent roadways, 8 feet wide
and in good condition. There are also informally designated bicycle paths along roadways such
as Bartlett Road, Nobadeer Farm Road and Old South Road. The bicycle paths are illustrated on
Figure 12.
While there is a bicycle path located on the west side of Surfside Road, it ends abruptly at
Vesper Lane and does not provide any further guidance to bicyclists. There is currently no
connecting bike path from the Surfside Bicycle Path to the Milestone/Sconset Road Bicycle Path
or a bicycle path into the Downtown area. Recommended improvements are discussed in the
Findings/Recommendations section of this report.
TRAFFIC STUDY Mid-Island Area, Nantucket, Massachusetts GPI Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. Figure 12 Engineers, Architects, Planners, Construction Engineers & Inspectors Nantucket Bicycle Paths