TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY LUTHERVILLE AREA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL · PDF fileTRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY LUTHERVILLE AREA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Baltimore County, Maryland Prepared for: Board of Education

TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY

LUTHERVILLE AREA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Baltimore County, Maryland

Prepared for:

Board of Education of Baltimore County

Prepared by: KCI Technologies, Inc. 936 Ridgebrook Road Sparks, MD 21152 Phone: (410) 316‐7800 Fax: (410) 316‐7900

January 2013

Traffic Impact Study Board of Education of Baltimore County Lutherville Area Elementary School Baltimore County, MD January 2013

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. II I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1

A. Project Background ......................................................................................................................................... 1 B. Project Area ..................................................................................................................................................... 1

II. EXISTING CONDITIONS .......................................................................................................... 2 A. Existing Roadway Characteristics ................................................................................................................... 2

III. TRAFFIC VOLUMES ................................................................................................................ 3 A. Existing Traffic Volumes .................................................................................................................................. 3 B. Background Traffic Volumes ........................................................................................................................... 4 C. Total Traffic Volumes ...................................................................................................................................... 5 D. Capacity Analyses............................................................................................................................................ 7

V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................... 10

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Padonia Road and Jenifer Road HCS 2010 Results .............................................................................. 8

Table 2: Padonia Road and Tullamore Road HCS 2010 Results ........................................................................ 9

Table 3: Padonia Road and Roundwood Road HCS 2010 Results ..................................................................... 9

Table 4: Roundwood Road and Tullamore Road HCS 2010 Results .................................................................. 9

Table 5: Roundwood Road and Private Road (EXT. of Limerick Road) HCS 2010 Results................................. 9

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Study Area .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2: Existing Lane Use and Traffic Control ................................................................................................. 3 Figure 3: Existing AM and PM Peak Hour Volumes ........................................................................................... 4 Figure 4: Background 2014 AM and PM Peak Hour Volumes ........................................................................... 5 Figure 5: Development and Distribution of the School Trips ............................................................................ 6 Figure 6: 2014 Total Traffic Volumes…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...7

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Project Study Background Data Appendix B: Turning Movement Count Data Appendix C: HCM Capacity Analysis


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Executive Summary

KCI Technologies, Inc. (KCI) completed a Traffic Impact Study (TIS) for the proposed, Lutherville Area Elementary School for the Board of Education of Baltimore County. The traffic study was prepared in accordance with Baltimore County requirements and guidelines presented in the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ (ITE) Traffic Access and Impact Studies for Site Development. The proposed elementary school will have approximately 715 students and will serve students to the north, east and south of the proposed school location that are currently attending other elementary schools. The school is expected to open in 2014.

The proposed site is the location of the existing Mays Chapel Park and is surrounded by residential, assisted living and retail land uses. The site entrance will be on Roundwood Road directly across from a private roadway and just north of the Tullamore Road and Roundwood intersection. The traffic impact study included the following study intersections identified by the Baltimore County Traffic Engineering Division:

Padonia Road and Jenifer Road,

Padonia Road and Roundwood Road,

Roundwood Road and Tullamore Road,

Roundwood Road and the Site Access/private roadway, and

Padonia Road and Tullamore Road. Turning movement counts were conducted at the five study intersections and the data was used to evaluate the Existing, 2014 Background and 2014 Total Traffic conditions. The study intersections are generally expected to operate with a LOS D or better under Existing, 2014 Background and 2014 Total Traffic conditions, except for the Padonia Road and Jenifer Road intersection. The Padonia Road and Jenifer Road intersection has unacceptable levels of service on the northbound approach of the intersection, Jenifer Road, during the existing, 2014 Background and 2014 Total Conditions. The traffic signal warrant analysis conducted for the Padonia Road and Jenifer road intersection concludes that a traffic signal is warranted at the study intersection for the 2012 existing traffic volumes and 2014 background volumes. The need for mitigation at the Padonia Road and Jenifer Road intersection is independent of the proposed elementary school.


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I. Introduction

A. Project Background The Board of Education of Baltimore County, Maryland has proposed to construct the Lutherville Area elementary school on the site of the Mays Chapel Park in Mays Chapel, Baltimore County. The proposed site access would be at the intersection of Roundwood Road and a private roadway (Limerick Circle extended). The proposed elementary school is expected to be completed by 2014 and will have approximately 715 students. KCI Technologies coordinated with the Baltimore County Traffic Engineering Division to determine the study intersections, background growth rate and proposed background developments. The major tasks completed for this study include:

Turning movement counts at the following study intersections: o Tullamore Road at Padonia Road, o Roundwood Road (west) at Padonia Road, o Jenifer Road at Padonia Road, o Roundwood Road at Tullamore Road, and o Site Access/Private Road at Roundwood Road

Existing conditions assessment of key features including, o Pavement condition, o Posted speed limits, o Number, use, and width of lanes, and o Photos.

B. Project Area The proposed site access for the elementary school is at the intersection of Roundwood Road and a private road (Limerick Circle extended) just north of Padonia Road. See Figure 1 for a location map showing the proposed site location and the study intersections. The existing land uses in the area consist of retirement communities, assisted living communities and a shopping center. The nearest traffic signal is located at Tullamore Road and Padonia Road.


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Figure 1: Study Area

II. Existing Conditions

A. Existing Roadway Characteristics

Roundwood Road is a two‐lane, undivided roadway with on street parking permitted on the west side of the road. Roundwood Road is approximately 32 feet wide with an 11 foot travel lane in each direction. The posted speed on Roundwood Road is 25 miles per hour (MPH). Padonia Road consists of a four‐lane section between Roundwood Road and Tullamore Road with 11 foot lanes and a posted speed limit of 40 MPH. Padonia Road becomes a two‐lane roadway between Roundwood Road and Jenifer Road with 11 foot lanes and 10 foot shoulders, with a posted speed limit of 30 MPH. The private roadway consists of a two‐lane section with 11 foot lanes and on‐street parking permitted on the north side of the road. The private roadway has a posted speed limit of 25 MPH. Figure 2 contains the existing lane use and traffic control for the study intersections.


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Figure 2: Existing Lane Use and Traffic Control

III. Traffic Volumes

A. Existing Traffic Volumes Turning Movement Counts (TMC) were conducted on October 3, 2012 (Wednesday) from 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM and 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM for the Padonia Road and Tullamore Road, Padonia Road and Roundwood Road, Roundwood Road and Tullamore Road, and Roundwood Road and Private Road intersections while local schools were in session. A 13‐hour TMC was conducted at Padonia Road and Jenifer road from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM as requested by the Baltimore County Traffic Engineering Division. The TMC data was used to determine the morning and evening peak hour for each study intersection to be used for the traffic impact study. The AM peak hour generally occurs between 7:30 and 8:30 AM and the PM peak hour generally occurs between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM. The TMC data is provided in Appendix B. Figure 3 shows the existing AM and PM peak hour traffic volumes.


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Figure 3: Existing AM and PM Peak Hour Volumes

B. Background Traffic Volumes It is anticipated that the proposed elementary school will be constructed and operational by the year 2014. Baltimore County Traffic required the use of a two percent background growth rate in the study area. No new developments were identified for the background traffic. The background growth rate was applied to the Padonia Road through volumes and the turning movements to and from Jenifer Road. It was assumed that the developments on Roundwood Road and Tullamore Road were completely built‐out and would not experience additional background growth. The background 2014 traffic volumes are shown in Figure 4.


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Figure 4: Background 2014 AM and PM Peak Hour Volumes

C. Total Traffic Volumes The proposed elementary school is to be located on the site of the Mays Chapel Park and is expected to serve approximately 715 students. The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation 9th Edition was used to estimate the projected number of trips to be generated by the elementary school. The single access point to the school would at the intersection of Roundwood Road and a private roadway. The intersection will be stop controlled on the school access road and the private road approaches. The school is expected to generate approximately 322 AM peak hour trips and 108 PM peak hour trips. See Appendix A for the ITE Trip Generation rates for an elementary school. No local rates for this type of development were supplied by Baltimore County.


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Using information provided from the Baltimore County Public Schools it was assumed that the trip distribution would result in approximately 75 percent of the trips traveling to and from the east, 15 percent of the trip traveling to and from the west, five percent of the trips traveling to the south using Jenifer Road and five percent of the trips staying in the neighborhood. For the Baltimore County Public Schools Project Rationale which sets the school boundary limits, see Appendix A. See Figure 5 for the development and distribution of the elementary school trips.

Figure 5: Development and Distribution of the School Trips

The proposed elementary school trips were then added to the 2014 background growth trips to develop

the proposed total traffic volumes. See Figure 6 for the 2014 total traffic volumes.


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Figure 6: 2014 Total Traffic Volumes

D. Capacity Analyses Intersection capacity analyses were performed using the existing traffic volumes for the study intersections using the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual Methodology using the SYNCHRO software. A capacity analysis is an objective assessment of the operation of an intersection based on a number of factors including peak hour traffic volumes, number of lanes, use of lanes, presence of parking, presence of trucks and approach grades. The result of the capacity analysis is level of service (LOS) which ranges from A (best) to D (minimum desirable) to F (failing or breakdown).


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The intersections of Padonia Road and Tullamore Road, Padonia Road and Roundwood Road, Roundwood and Tullamore Road, and Roundwood Road and Private Road currently are operating with LOS D or better on all approaches under existing conditions. The Padonia Road and Jenifer Road intersection currently operates at LOS E and F on the northbound and southbound approaches during the AM and PM peak hours under existing conditions. In the 2014 Background condition, the intersection of Padonia Road and Tullamore Road, Padonia Road and Roundwood Road, Roundwood and Tullamore Road, and Roundwood Road and private road are expected to continue to operate with a LOS D or better on all approaches. The Padonia Road and Jenifer Road intersection is expected to continue to operate at LOS E and F on the northbound and southbound approaches during the AM and PM peak hours In the 2014 Total Background condition, the intersection of Padonia Road and Tullamore Road, Padonia Road and Roundwood Road, Roundwood and Tullamore Road, and Roundwood Road and Private Road are expected to continue to operate with a LOS D or better on all approaches. The Padonia Road and Jenifer Road intersection is expected to operate at LOS E and F on the northbound and southbound approaches during the AM and PM peak hours. Tables 1 through 5 show the capacity analysis results for the study intersections. Upon review of the capacity analyses it has been determined that the construction of the proposed elementary school will not significantly impact traffic operations of the study intersections. The failing level of service at the Padonia Road and Jenifer Road intersection during the existing conditions indicates a current need for mitigation independent of the proposed elementary school.

Table 1: Padonia Road and Jenifer Road HCS 2010 Results

INTERSECTION OF W. PADONIA ROAD AND JENIFER ROAD (UNSIGNALIZED)

Existing Background 2014 Total 2014

Approach Delay (LOS) Approach Delay (LOS) Approach Delay (LOS)

AM PM AM PM AM PM

Eastbound 0.0 (A) 0.1 (A) 0.0 (A) 0.1 (A) 0.0 (A) 0.1 (A)

Westbound 2.0 (A) 1.5 (A) 2.0 (A) 1.6 (A) 2.1 (A) 1.6 (A)

Northbound 46.9 (E) 241.7 (F) 43.3 (E) 322.7 (F) 52.6 (F) 347.2 (F)

Southbound 34.6 (D) 31.2 (D) 33.2 (D) 34.6 (D) 37.8 (E) 36.2 (E) *Delay = Seconds/Vehicle


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Table 2: Padonia Road and Tullamore Road HCS 2010 Results

INTERSECTION OF W. PADONIA ROAD AND TULLAMORE ROAD (SIGNALIZED)



AM PM AM PM AM PM

Southbound 8.0 (A) 9.9 (A) 8.0 (A) 12.2 (B) 11.4 (B) 13.7 (B)

Northbound 7.6 (A) 8.7 (A) 7.6 (A) 9.6 (A) 8.4 (A) 10.2 (B)

Eastbound 15.4 (B) 13.9 (B) 15.4 (B) 13.6 (B) 14.9 (B) 13.3 (B)

Westbound 14.3 (B) 15.1 (B) 14.3 (B) 14.9 (B) 14.8 (B) 14.8 (B)

Intersection Summary

14.4 (B) 14.0 (B) 14.4 (B) 14.0 (B) 14.3 (B) 14.0 (B)

*Delay = Seconds/Vehicle

Table 3: Padonia Road and Roundwood Road HCS 2010 Results

INTERSECTION OF W. PADONIA ROAD AND ROUNDWOOD ROAD (UNSIGNALIZED)



AM PM AM PM AM PM

Southbound 9.4 (A) 11.0 (C) 9.0 (A) 11.5 (B) 11.1 (B) 13.1 (B)

Eastbound 0.6 (A) 2.4 (A) 0.6 (A) 2.4 (A) 1 (A) 2.5 (A)

Westbound 0.0 (A) 0.0 (A) 0.0 (A) 0.0 (A) 0.0 (A) 0.0 (A) *Delay = Seconds/Vehicle

Table 4: Roundwood Road and Tullamore Road HCS 2010 Results

INTERSECTION OF ROUNDWOOD ROAD AND TULLAMORE ROAD (UNSIGNALIZED)



AM PM AM PM AM PM

Eastbound 7.4 (A) 7.3 (A) 7.4 (A) 7.3 (A) N/A N/A

Westbound 7.4 (A) 9.5 (A) 7.4 (A) 9.4 (A) 9.3 (A) 8.9 (A)

Northbound 1.1 (A) 2.1 (A) 1.1 (A) 2.1 (A) 0.0 (A) 0.0 (A)

Southbound 1.8 (A) 1.5 (A) 1.8 (A) 1.5 (A) 4.1 (A) 3.4 (A) *Delay = Seconds/Vehicle

Table 5: Roundwood Road and Private Road (EXT. of Limerick Road) HCS 2010 Results

INTERSECTION OF ROUNDWOOD ROAD AND PRIVATE ROAD‐EXT. OF LIMERICK (UNSIGNALIZED)



AM PM AM PM AM PM

Westbound 9.0 (A) 9.4 (A) 5.1 (A) 9.3 (A) 16.1 (C) 11.0 (B)

Northbound 0.0 (A) 0.0 (A) 0.0 (A) 0.0 (A) 7.0 (A) 3.0 (A)

Southbound 0.2 (A) 0.4 (A) 0.2 (A) 0.4 (A) 0.2 (A) 0.4 (A)

Eastbound N/A N/A N/A N/A 9.0 (A) 8.6 (A) *Delay = Seconds/Vehicle


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IV. Conclusions and Recommendations The results of the traffic impact study for the proposed Lutherville Area Elementary school indicate that traffic is generally expected to operate at acceptable levels of service with the construction of the new school. However, there are currently operational deficiencies at the Padonia Road and Jenifer Road intersection that are unrelated to the construction of the proposed elementary school. The background traffic and total traffic conditions result in acceptable levels of service at all the study intersections except Padonia Road and Jenifer Road. The majority of site‐generated traffic would not use the Padonia Road and Jenifer Road intersection because the school limit boundaries do not include areas to the southwest of the school. Any proposed mitigation at the Padonia Road and Jenifer Road intersection is independent of the proposed elementary school.



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TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY LUTHERVILLE AREA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL · PDF fileTRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY LUTHERVILLE AREA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Baltimore County, Maryland Prepared for: Board of Education