NICHOLS SCHOOL

1. NICHOLS SCHOOL TRAFFIC OPERATIONS STUDY

2. Existing Operations Examined Data Collection • On-site Count Collection of Representative Traffic Conditions • Morning Study Hours (7:00 am – 9:00 am) • Evening Study Hours (2:00 pm – 5:00 pm) • Intersections • Signalized - Colvin/Amherst & Colvin/Tillinghast • Unsignalized - Nottingham/Amherst & Crescent/Colvin • Driveways • Main Driveway • Ceremonial Driveway

3. ON-CAMPUS VEHICULAR & PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATIONOBSERVATIONS • Observed Circulation for All Modes of Travel Within the Campus • Noted Speed of Vehicles • Identified Points of Conflict Between Pedestrians and Vehicles • Opportunities for Improvement to be Coordinated with the Consensus Plan

5. Level of Service Transportation Research Board’s Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) 2000 defines LOS as “a quality measure describing operational conditions within a traffic stream”. LOS A = Best Operating Conditions LOS B to E = Sliding Scale of Worsening Conditions LOS F = Worst Operating Conditions

6. Peak Hour Influence • Coincide (or not) with Adjacent Intersections • Shows the Most Impact Evaluated Over a One-Hour Period • Shorter Peak Periods May Have More or Less Severe Impacts • Used to Evaluate Mitigation for Improvement

7. Intersection Operations (Morning) Amherst Street at Colvin Avenue • Overall LOS = C • Worst Approach: Colvin SB • Highest Volume: Colvin SB to Amherst WB • Issues: • Amherst WB Traffic Queues Back to Colvin/Amherst • Mod. Heavy Traffic Volumes Colvin SB to Amherst EB • Mod. Heavy Traffic Volumes Amherst WB from Parkside

8. Driveway Operations(Morning) Ceremonial Driveway • Issues: • Entering Traffic – Left-Turning • TWLTL Provides Refuge for Left-Turning Traffic • Signal at Colvin and Right-Turning Traffic Create Gaps for Entering Traffic • Traffic Monitors Assist When Queues Develop • Entering Traffic - Right-Turning • Assist Left-Turning Traffic by Creating Gaps • Influence Heavy WB Amherst Traffic • Exiting Traffic - Right-Turns Only Prescribed By School • Advisory Signing at Gate • Assisted by Traffic Monitors When Internal Circulation Delayed

9. Driveway Operations(Morning) Main Driveway • Issues: • Gaps Created by Right-Turning Traffic and From the Ceremonial Driveway Entering/Exiting Traffic • TWLTL Allows Safe Refuge Until Sufficient Gap is Developed for Movement

10. Intersection Operations(Morning) Nottingham Place at Amherst Street • Overall LOS = E • Worst Approach: Nottingham NB to Amherst EB • Highest Volume: Amherst WB to Nottingham SB • Issues: • Heavy Rt-Turning Volume (Nottingham NB to Amherst EB) • Stop-Controlled on Nottingham • Heavy Lt-Turning Volume (Amherst WB to Nottingham SB) • Refuge on Amherst Street (WB) while opposing Amherst EB Traffic

11. Intersection Operations(Morning) Tillinghast Place at Colvin Avenue • Overall LOS = B • Worst Approach: Tillinghast WB • Highest Volume: Colvin SB • Issues: • Lengthy Colvin SB Queues Block Intersection • Traffic Monitors Keep the Tillinghast/Nichols Exit Clear • Tillinghast WB to Colvin SB Higher Volumes Add to Heavy Volume on Colvin SB • Nichols Rt-Turning Traffic Opposes Tillinghast WB to Access Colvin SB

12. Intersection Operations(Morning) Crescent Avenue at Colvin Avenue • Overall LOS =C • Worst Approach: Crescent WB • Highest Volume: Colvin SB • Issues: • Queues on Colvin Backup to Crescent at Peak Flows • Due to Colvin/Amherst Operation and Tillinghast/Nichols Exiting Traffic • Gaps on Colvin SB are Shorter and Less Frequent • Gaps on Colvin NB are Available

13. SYNCHRO SIMULATION(Morning) Colvin Avenue at Amherst Street • Frequent and Lengthy Queues on Colvin SB • Heavy Amherst WB Traffic Conflicts with Left-Turning Vehicles at Ceremonial & Main Driveway Amherst Street At Nottingham Place • Frequent Backup on Nottingham Place & Amherst Street WB Colvin Avenue and Tillinghast Place • Colvin Avenue SB Queues can Block the Intersection Colvin Avenue and Crescent Avenue • Crescent Avenue Operates Under Acceptable LOS Despite Opposing Colvin Avenue Volumes

15. SYNCHRO SIMULATION(Evening) Colvin Avenue at Amherst Street • Frequent Queue Development on Amherst EB • Mod. Heavy Amherst WB Traffic Conflicts with Left-Turning Vehicles at Ceremonial & Main Driveway Amherst Street At Nottingham Place • Frequent Queue Development on Nottingham Place & Amherst Street Colvin Avenue and Tillinghast Place • Volumes from Tillinghast and Nichols are Higher than Morning Colvin Avenue and Crescent Avenue • Crescent Avenue Operates Under Acceptable LOS Despite Opposing Colvin Avenue Volumes

17. Summary Results of Initial Investigations Nichols School Morning Peak Hour: 7:30 - 8:30 am • Approximately Same Peak Hour as Adjacent Streets • Adjacent Street Traffic Volumes are Moderate to Heavy • Commuter Patterns Are Noted (Predominant SB & WB) • Turning Movements and Opposing Volumes Lower the Intersection LOS • Gaps for Turning Movements are Short/Less Frequent • Driveway Egress/Ingress Activities Influence Adjacent Intersection

18. Summary Results of Initial Investigations Nichols School Evening Peak Hour: 3:00 - 4:00 pm • Offset from Adjacent Streets Peak Hour • Heavy Adjacent Street Volumes Occur Later than School Peak Hour • Adjacent Street Traffic Volumes are Moderate to Heavy • Commuter Patterns Are Noted (Predominant NB & EB) • Turning Movements and Opposing Volumes Lower the Intersection LOS • Gaps for Turning Movements are Short/Less Frequent • Driveway Egress/Ingress Activities Influence Adjacent Intersection

19. Thank You For Your Kind Attention Kelly M. Thompson, P.E. Kashyap Revalli