[0:07] Good evening everyone and welcome to the
virtual public meeting for the US 202
[0:11] and Route 179 roundabout project.
My name is Nathan Parish and I am the
[0:19] PennDOT project manager. We also have
with us members of the design team
[0:25] including Martin Ziminy who is the
project manager and Andrew Thomas uh a
[0:31] transportation engineer. Uh supporting
them at Kier's engineering is also HDR
[0:37] ad Marble and Malakin shear.
If you have a question for today's
[0:43] meeting please use the Q&A feature
located in the top of your screen. You
[0:48] can include the slide number when
submitting your questions.
[0:53] For today's meeting, we will cover the
project timeline, uh review the project
[0:58] purpose, talk about roundabouts, review
safety considerations and the project
[1:03] area. We'll cover the proposed design
and operations. We'll have an
[1:08] environmental overview and a traffic
simulation of the roundabout. We'll then
[1:12] talk on construction staging and the
project schedule and then wrap up with
[1:18] questions and answers.
[1:23] So this is a brief uh timeline for the
project.
[1:28] Uh in 2020, Sbury Township completed a
study of the US 202 corridor and
[1:34] identified potential improvements. any
roundabout was identified as one of
[1:38] those improvements at the US 202 and 179
intersection that led PennDOT to
[1:44] starting preliminary engineering in the
spring of 2023.
[1:49] We are targeting fall 2026 for starting
final design and then construction
[1:54] starting in the spring of 2028.
With that, I'll turn it over to Martin
[1:59] to run through more of the project
details.
[2:05] All right, thanks Nate.
Me get my video on.
[2:11] All right, so our project location is up
here in Soulbury Township. It's at the
[2:17] multi-point intersection of US 202,
which also known as Lower York Road and
[2:23] Route 179, also known as West Bridge
Street and Kitchen Lane.
[2:28] The uh projects located in Sbury
Township within Bucks County.
[2:39] And now here's a general overview map of
the project area. The project area is a
[2:46] triangle of the three routes with US
202, Route 179, and Kitchen Lane.
[2:54] The intersections currently signalized
with two stop controlled access ramps.
[2:59] And this intersection is a major
junction point along US 202 which
[3:04] connects Pennsylvania communities to New
Jersey communities.
[3:08] Route 179 West Bridge Street is also a
minor arterial between US 202 and the
[3:14] town in New Hope. Uh the intersection
also accommodates students commuting on
[3:19] school buses to New Hope Soulbury School
District approximately 3/4 of a mile to
[3:25] the east of our project.
The total intersection ADT is
[3:30] approximately 24,000 vehicles per day.
You can see the various directional
[3:36] vehicle and truck traffic data on the
slide as currently shown. Uh the posted
[3:42] speeds in the area currently 45 mph
along US 202 and 35 mph along Route 179
[3:50] and Kitchen Lane.
[3:54] And due to the presence of several
deficiencies and high traffic volumes,
[3:59] the existing intersection experiences
severe congestion and safety issues
[4:03] during the peak hours and also during
the summertime.
[4:11] Shown here is an image from the 2007
DVRPC corridor study showing existing
[4:17] and proposed bicycle and trail networks.
[4:22] You can see inside the circle for a
zoomedin view of the network map.
[4:29] Soulbury Township recently constructed a
new portion of the gateway trail from
[4:34] Sugan Road down to Kitchen Lane and
coordination with Soulbury Township is
[4:39] ongoing regarding the preferred
alignment and location of the gateway
[4:43] trail through the project limits.
[4:49] Back to our overview map,
you can see how the proposed bicycle
[4:54] network shows going through the project
area. Solid orange line to the right of
[4:59] the image is the recently constructed
trail. The dashed orange line shows the
[5:05] overall proposed trail location, most of
which which exists from Logan Square to
[5:10] just north of the recently constructed
assisted living center.
[5:15] And later in the presentation, Andrew
will show where the roundabout project
[5:18] is able to add trails, sidewalks, and
crossings for future connections to
[5:22] township facilities.
[5:26] Now over to Andrew.
[5:31] » Thanks, Martin. Thanks, [clears throat]
Nate.
[5:35] » So
on this slide, we're focusing on the
[5:39] main purpose of the project. This
intersection currently experiences
[5:43] significant congestion and delay
particularly during the peak travel
[5:47] times. We have found that these issues
are driven by a few key factors. First,
[5:52] there are operational deficiencies,
meaning the way traffic moves through
[5:56] the intersection today isn't very
efficient due to signal timing, turning
[5:59] movements, and conflicting traffic.
Second, there are geometric constraints.
[6:04] The roadway configuration limits how
traffic can move through the area and
[6:08] makes it difficult to accommodate
current traffic demands effectively.
[6:13] Third, there are safety and capacity
gaps. The intersection is handling more
[6:18] traffic than it was originally designed
for, which can increase both delay and
[6:22] potential for conflicts.
You'll also notice that pedestrian
[6:26] facilities are limited. There aren't
many safe and convenient options for
[6:30] walking through the area today, which is
something we're looking to improve as
[6:34] part of this project.
On the right side of the slide, we're
[6:38] showing existing Q lengths. The colored
lines represent how far vehicles
[6:42] typically back up during peak
conditions, which you can see Q's extend
[6:46] well beyond the intersection on US 202
and Route 179, reinforcing the
[6:51] operational challenges that currently
exist at this location.
[7:01] On this slide focuses on the recent
crash history at the US 202 and Route
[7:07] 179 intersection. Over the most recent
5-year period from 2020 to 2024, there
[7:13] were a total of 10 reported crashes. A
key takeaway is that the majority 80% of
[7:20] these were Anglo crashes involving
turning vehicles.
[7:24] And 80% of these crashes were not
related to weather or environmental
[7:28] factors, which suggests that the primary
cause are tied to the intersection's
[7:32] design and operations.
In addition to the crashes at the
[7:36] intersection itself, there were four
rear end crashes and one additional
[7:40] angle crash along northbound US 202 just
south of the intersection. These are
[7:46] like likely related to congestion and Q
spillback where vehicles are stopping
[7:50] unexpectedly and causing conflicts.
Overall, this crash history highlights
[7:55] existing safety concerns particularly
related to turning movements and
[7:58] congestion.
[8:04] Why a roundabout? Roundabouts relieve
congestion and modal tension. Unlike
[8:09] traditional signalized intersections,
roundabouts keep traffic moving
[8:12] continuously, which reduces delays and
improves travel times.
[8:17] Roundabouts also improve accessibility
and connectivity for all users,
[8:21] including motorists, pedestrians, and
bicyclists, and trail users.
[8:26] Roundabouts also include a focus on
safety. They are proven to reduce both
[8:31] the number and severity of crashes
because they naturally slow vehicle
[8:36] speeds as drivers enter and move through
the intersection.
[8:40] Roundabouts also reduce the type of
crashes that tend to cause the most
[8:43] serious injuries, specifically head-on
and right angle collisions.
[8:49] I'll pass it back to you.
[8:54] » All right. Thanks. So to continue this
discussion on why a roundabout
[9:00] uh we can talk about the fact that
roundabouts are a FHWA proven safety
[9:06] counter measure and they address items
in PENDOT strategic highway safety plan
[9:13] and per the graphic on the right per the
[snorts] 24 2024 PENDOT study on 47
[9:19] roundabouts the roundabout conversion
projects resulted in crashes involving
[9:24] injuries being reduced by 51%
with a total number of crashes dropping
[9:30] by 7%.
Also of note that 46 other roundabouts
[9:36] have been installed on state routes and
our additional data will be soon
[9:40] available.
[9:47] So, roundabouts versus traffic circles.
You can see the differences
[9:54] in the slide above shown regarding how
roundabouts differ from traffic circles.
[10:02] Roundabouts have a a yield at entry
rule, whereas
[10:09] entering traffic at traffic circles may
interfere with circulating traffic.
[10:15] Second line down, we have entering
traffic at roundabouts is deflected
[10:19] slowly around the central island or as
traffic circles have inconsistent entry
[10:24] designs and may allow for higher speed
entries.
[10:28] Third line down. Roundabout flares
increase capacity at intersections where
[10:33] capacity is needed the most, whereas
traffic circles may have poor entry
[10:37] conditions and may not benefit from
flare layouts.
[10:46] So, in addition to the roundabout
benefits listed on the left,
[10:53] as far as slower speeds go, that equals
more time to make decisions, act and
[10:59] react.
It is includes less complicated
[11:04] situations to interpret.
It reduces the need to judge closing
[11:09] speeds and gaps in fast traffic.
[11:13] And regarding the severity index graphic
shown on the right, as your speeds
[11:19] increase, the likelihood of pedestrians
surviving a collision decreases.
[11:25] From the 90%
survival rate at a 20 mph impact speed,
[11:30] this drops down to a 20% survival rate
at a 40 mile per hour impact speed.
[11:40] So here we'll show a graphic from Utah
DOT about conflict points. A conflict
[11:45] point is a location where road users
paths intersect.
[11:50] The number and type of conflicts
directly influence an intersection
[11:54] safety performance. A traditional
intersection has a total of 32 conflict
[11:59] in conflict points, whereas translation
to a roundabout deletes
[12:06] 24 of those and it only has eight
conflict points due to the one or the uh
[12:13] one way.
[12:18] And a roundabout builds around the most
severe conflict points by removing those
[12:24] severe crashes such as T-bones and
head-on collisions.
[12:33] Now we can talk about the pedestrian
crossings at roundabouts.
[12:38] Crosswalks are set back [snorts] one car
length from the roundabout.
[12:44] This separates conflicts between the
cars and the pedestrians. [snorts]
[12:48] Roundabouts allow drivers to focus on
pedestrian and vehicular movement
[12:52] separately.
First yielding to the pedestrians and
[12:55] then focusing on the circulating
traffic.
[12:59] And roundabouts also allow pedestrians
to cross if there is cued traffic.
[13:08] Another design element that improves the
safety of the intersection we want to
[13:12] highlight is intersection lighting. As
part of the pendant policy, it's
[13:16] recommended to illuminate roundabout
intersections. The lighting is proposed
[13:20] to highlight the key features of the
roundabout, the entries, the exits,
[13:24] pedestrian crossings, and circulating
traffic.
[13:28] The lighting is directed toward the
roadway and is contained within the
[13:31] footprint of the roadway with minimal
lighting to the surrounding properties.
[13:36] So, as you can see in the photograph,
this is an example of an illuminated
[13:40] intersection and crosswalks to improve
pedestrian visibility at night.
[13:46] And as our design progresses into final
design, design team will coordinate with
[13:50] the township and PennDOT to discuss
lighting preferences for pole and
[13:54] mounting types and specifications.
This allows the project to install
[13:58] lighting that would be consistent for
the area and for the future development.
[14:06] Now we want to show a map of the
surrounding area and a couple of
[14:11] roundabouts with similar context to this
one. So our project is lo located
[14:16] highlighted in blue.
Recently constructed roundabouts are
[14:21] shown in purple. These include the Eastn
Road roundabout near Doyle Town,
[14:26] Doylestown and the Porcher Road
roundabout near Quakertown.
[14:30] Some roundabouts in design in the area
are shown in green. This includes the US
[14:36] 202 in York Road roundabout south of our
project in Buckingham Township and the
[14:42] Mincy Trail roundabout near Dublin.
Now pass back over to Andrew to talk
[14:47] about the proposed design.
[14:53] Thanks Martin. [clears throat]
Now let's get into the proposed design
[14:57] of the project. First, let's take a look
at the existing conditions for the area.
[15:02] Again, on the right, we see the
signalized intersection of US 202, Route
[15:07] 179, and Kitchen Lane. On the left, we
see the signalized intersection of US
[15:12] 202 drive and Logan Square Shopping
Center.
[15:20] Now, here's a overall proposed design
from a highle aerial view. The first
[15:25] portion is the full reconstruction of
the 2021 179 intersection shown within
[15:32] the yellow circle. Now let's focus on
the roundabout. Now
[15:39] this slide provides a closer look at the
intersection configuration at US 202
[15:44] Route 179 Kitchen Lane. As shown here,
the current layout is somewhat complex
[15:50] and can be confusing for drivers,
particularly for those unfamiliar with
[15:53] the area.
From a safety standpoint, the existing
[15:57] layout creates numerous conflict points,
including crossing and left turn
[16:02] movements that are typically associated
with the more severe crashes.
[16:07] Overall, this existing configuration and
the congestion/confusion
[16:12] creates it creates is one of the primary
reasons improvements are being proposed
[16:17] at this location.
Here
[16:23] we're showing the proposed design for
the intersection. The project proposes
[16:27] construction of a four-legg single lane
roundabout.
[16:31] The goal of this design is to improve
traffic operations, reduce delays, and
[16:37] address safety concerns we discussed in
the previous slides.
[16:42] One important feature of the US 202 is
the US 202 northbound bypass lane to
[16:48] direct traffic towards New Hope without
entering the roundabout, which helps
[16:53] reduce congestion and keep traffic
flowing more efficiently.
[16:59] The project includes opportunities for
landscaping within the center island,
[17:04] which will be mounted to obstruct sight
lines.
[17:08] This can help create a gateway feel
while also reinforcing the roundabout
[17:13] layer layout for drivers.
The design also accounts for Soulbury
[17:18] Township's proposed gateway trail
connection
[17:22] which supports better multimodal
connectivity through the corridor. The
[17:26] graphic also highlights bicycle ramps on
the route 179 and kitchen lane legs
[17:33] which provides a transition for
bicyclist to choose between entering the
[17:37] roundabout or the sidewalks or shared
use path.
[17:43] Lastly, the design includes proposed
rain gardens and bioils which are the
[17:49] dark green areas
which are intended to help manage storm
[17:53] water runoff from the project area while
providing a more attractive roadside
[17:58] environment.
[18:05] How did this footprint come about? As
part of roundabout design, one of the
[18:11] main design features is establishing
your design vehicle, which is a large
[18:15] vehicle that is likely to utilize the
intersection and ensure that the design
[18:20] can handle it within the curve to curve
footprint.
[18:24] In this graphic, you will see a few of
the turning templates that the the
[18:28] design team has generated to ensure that
the footprint accommodates all
[18:32] movements.
The key feature here is the truck apron
[18:37] around the center island. The truck
apron is a mountable area designed
[18:40] specifically for the rear wheels of
larger vehicles. Passenger vehicles are
[18:45] expected to stay within the normal
circulating roadway. This allows the
[18:50] roundabout to remain compact enough to
slow passenger vehicles while still
[18:55] providing enough space for trucks and
other large vehicles to navigate the
[18:59] intersection.
As we advance to final design, we would
[19:04] like public input on any unique design
vehicles that may need to utilize the
[19:08] intersection. Should you know of any,
please submit this when you fill out the
[19:14] comment card on the project website so
it can be documented and reviewed by
[19:18] Pendot and the design team.
[19:27] And back to you, Martin.
[19:32] All right, thanks Andrew.
So now let's discuss the Q lengths and
[19:37] the intersection improvements within the
proposed roundabout and the northbound
[19:42] bypass lane to Route 179.
On this slide, we're looking at the
[19:49] expected operational benefits of the
proposed improvements. [snorts] The
[19:53] tables show Q lengths in feet and
intersection delay in seconds during the
[19:59] AM and PM peak hours for the existing
condition and for both the future 2050
[20:04] no build and build conditions.
The orange box shows marked reductions
[20:11] in all Q lengths except for a slight
increase in the US 202 southbound Q. The
[20:17] largest reduction being US 202
northbound going from 265 feet down to
[20:24] 75 ft in the AM and from 219 ft to 60 ft
in the PM. And even though the US 202
[20:31] southbound PMQ increases slightly, the
overall PM intersection delay decreases
[20:38] from 215 seconds down to 16 seconds.
and the overall AM intersection delay
[20:45] decreases from 90 seconds down to 8
seconds.
[20:51] So, initially the proposed roundabout
did not include the bypass lane along US
[20:56] 202 northbound to Route 179, which is
projected to continue to experience
[21:01] increased delay in Q lengths if not
addressed.
[21:05] and analysis indicates that the addition
of a second northbound approach lane for
[21:10] the Route 179 bypass lane traffic
substantially reduces delay and Q
[21:15] lengths and improves operations through
the roundabout and at the Logan Square
[21:20] Shy Drive intersection. So, as a result,
the striping and lane usage from Logan
[21:25] Square Shrive intersection up to the
roundabout will be reconfigured, which
[21:31] leads us to the next slide.
[21:41] Go ahead, Andrew.
>> Thanks, Mark. So, now we're back out to
[21:46] the zoomed out aerial view from earlier.
The yellow oval highlights the portion
[21:52] of US 202 at the SH Drive, Logan Square
signalized intersection. This area is
[21:57] outside of the main roundabout
reconstruction limits, but is still part
[22:01] of the overall operational improvements.
[22:09] Now we are zoomed into that yellow oval
area. This slide shows the existing
[22:14] traffic pattern in this section of the
corridor. Today, northbound US 202
[22:20] operates with one through lane, while
southbound US 202 has two through lanes
[22:26] through the intersection before merging
back down to one shortly after the
[22:30] intersection.
On the bottom right side of the graphic
[22:35] shows the newly constructed assisted
living facility, which includes
[22:39] designated right turn lanes to serve new
access points.
[22:47] Now we're showing the proposed striping
changes just south of the roundabout.
[22:52] This intent is to provide two northbound
lanes from SH Drive Logan Square
[22:56] intersection toward the proposed
roundabout. This helps feed traffic more
[23:01] efficiently into the northbound bypass
lane to route 179.
[23:07] To fit these improvements within the
existing roadway width, the southbound
[23:11] direction of US 202 will be reduced from
two through lanes to one through lane in
[23:17] this section.
The design still maintains the necessary
[23:22] turning lanes in both directions. So
access to the side streets and adjacent
[23:26] properties is preserves.
[23:35] Back to you, man.
All right, talking about operations for
[23:40] this portion of the project.
In this slide, we're looking at the
[23:44] expected operational benefits of the
proposed improvements.
[23:49] The table show the Q lengths in feet and
intersection delay in seconds during the
[23:54] AM and PM peak hours for the existing
condition and for both the future 2050
[24:00] no build and build conditions. [snorts]
So the green box
[24:05] shows the changes in Q lengths at the
Logan Square Shire Drive intersection.
[24:10] Primary focus here was to reduce the
very large US 2022 northbound Q lengths
[24:15] in both the AM and PM periods. [snorts]
Notice that the US 202 northbound Q
[24:22] lengths goes from 1,045 down to 366 ft
in the AM and from 56 ft down to 266 ft
[24:34] in the PM. This is largely due to the
change over to two lanes northbound, one
[24:39] lane southbound. Through this portion of
the project, all Q lengths drop except
[24:44] for US 202 southbound, which increases
in both the AM and PM periods. But
[24:50] overall, intersection delay drops
substantially in the AM and the slightly
[24:56] increases slightly in the PM.
[25:04] So as far as environmental goes, of
course, PENDOT is following the NEPA
[25:09] process for the National Environmental
Protection Agency.
[25:14] As far as key features and importance
notes here, uh we have two unnamed
[25:21] tributaries, one at the north and one at
the south ends of the project area. The
[25:26] project does not impact Aquaton Creek.
As far as wetlands go, no wetlands were
[25:33] identified within the project limits.
And flood planes, there are no flood
[25:38] plane impacts.
[25:41] Regarding the Soulberry Gateway Trail,
the project results in a
[25:48] section 4F deminimous use to the
Soulberry Gateway Trail.
[25:53] As a result of the project,
portions of the trail will require
[25:59] relocation.
The trail relocation will be
[26:03] incorporated into the Pendot project and
[snorts] the project will not adversely
[26:08] impact the trails recreational features
and coordination with Soulbury Township
[26:12] is ongoing.
This meeting is seeking comment from the
[26:17] public on the project's use of the trail
and the potential temporary closure of a
[26:21] portion of the trail while it's
realigned.
[26:31] Now we're going to show a simulation of
the proposed roundabout design.
[26:36] Keep in mind though that the simulation
run is at a slightly increased playback
[26:40] speed.
So actual speeds approaching and through
[26:45] the roundabout will be posted and
regulated for 25 milesPH.
[26:53] The video is intended to help visualize
how traffic would move through the
[26:56] intersection during the PM peak 15minute
period. Vehicles will enter the
[27:01] roundabout at lower speeds. They'll
yield to circulating traffic and
[27:05] continue through to the desired exit
leg.
[27:09] A key feature to watch is the northbound
bypass lane. This allows that movement
[27:13] to avoid entering the roundabout and the
bypass lane. Vehicles yield to traffic
[27:18] exiting the roundabout before heading to
Route 179.
[27:42] » All right. And I'll pass it over to
Andrew.
[27:46] Thanks, Martin. [clears throat]
So, now we'll walk through the proposed
[27:50] roundabout and how it will be
constructed.
[27:54] The project will use phase construction
so that traffic can continue moving
[27:59] through the area while the work is
underway. During stage one, the
[28:04] contractor will begin with temporary
pavement to accommodate shifted traffic
[28:07] for stage two. This will be constructed
by closing the shoulder of Route 179 and
[28:14] median of US 202 kitchen lane
utilizing short-term
[28:20] uh traffic control.
[28:26] During stage two, the majority of the
roundabout construction will take place.
[28:32] Traffic on US 202 will be shifted into
one lane configuration using the
[28:37] existing two southbound lanes.
Turning movements through the
[28:41] intersection will be controlled with
temporary traffic signals and stop signs
[28:45] to maintain traffic flow during
construction.
[28:49] Access to nearby properties will remain
open during all stages of the projects.
[28:59] and over to stage three. The remaining
portions of the roundabout and
[29:03] approaches will be constructed.
At this stage, kitchen lane will be
[29:08] temporarily closed and detourred. The
detour route is short, approximately 6
[29:14] milesi, and we'll use kitchen lane and
Sugan Road to maintain local
[29:19] circulation.
This is the final stage of construction
[29:23] and once this work is complete the
roundabout and associated roadway
[29:27] improvements will be place will be fully
in place and the next slide will provide
[29:32] an overview of the anticipated project
schedule.
[29:41] All right, now we can talk about the
project schedule overview. On this
[29:45] graphic slashgant chart, you'll see the
upcoming design activities and
[29:50] construction activities.
So, currently we are in preliminary
[29:56] engineering with environmental studies
ongoing and geotechnical testing studies
[30:02] ongoing.
Then
[30:06] shortly we will begin our rightaway
analysis and acquisition of any
[30:12] necessary parcels
and then move on into final design after
[30:18] util and which in which utility
coordination and permitting will
[30:23] continue. So final design will should
take us through the end of 2027
[30:28] with a
[30:32] project scheduled letting of March 2028
or first quarter and then the
[30:38] construction would take over and
duration is based on the layout that was
[30:43] discussed earlier in the presentation.
Should the construction phasing need to
[30:47] change this duration will also change.
Some other factors that play into the
[30:53] duration of the construction can be
utility relocations, fabrication times,
[30:57] and of course weather. Some of these
items will be further evaluated in the
[31:02] final design. Currently, the project's
expected to let as I said in March 2028
[31:07] with construction completion by the end
of the 2029 construction season.
[31:14] And also important to note down at the
bottom as far as public involvement
[31:18] notes go, uh, comments can be submitted
via the project's website feedback form.
[31:24] It's available, uh, for twoeek period
from today, June 9th until June 23rd.
[31:32] And an in-person plans display is also
scheduled for Tuesday, June 16th from
[31:37] 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. prior to the board of
supervisors meeting at the Soulbury
[31:43] Township Municipal Building. Further
details are available on the project
[31:47] website.
[31:53] Back over to you, Nate.
>> Thank you, Martin.
[31:58] Uh and so with that, we'll begin to take
questions from the attendees. Just a
[32:03] couple reminders that this meeting is
being recorded and will be placed on the
[32:06] project web page. There is also a
comment form on the project web page
[32:11] where you can continue to provide
comments uh about the project. And with
[32:17] that, we'll start to take questions that
we received in the Q&A. And so what
[32:22] we'll do is we'll we'll read the
question so the the group can hear it
[32:25] and then uh respond. Then if we get
additional questions, we'll continue to
[32:30] respond to those as they come in. It
looks like right now we have two
[32:33] questions that we received so far. And
the first question is, I don't fully
[32:39] understand how the roundabout benefits
pedestrian crossing without any timed
[32:45] signal. And I know you can go back to
the zoomed in view of the roundabout.
[32:55] » Sure.
as Martin's uh getting to that slide.
[32:59] So, the one of the differences between a
roundabout and a signal is the distance
[33:06] that a pedestrian needs to cross. When
you're crossing a traffic signal there,
[33:12] there may be a a pedestrian crossing
manhand or signal that tells you to
[33:17] cross, but it's a significant distance.
And during that time, you know, vehicles
[33:22] could be turning left, they could be
turning right, they could be traveling
[33:26] through a red light, uh exposing, uh the
pedestrian and a potential, uh
[33:31] collision. That's kind of what uh Martin
highlighted with his
[33:35] uh figure earlier around conflict
points. So, what a what a roundabout
[33:40] does, it kind of separates the
intersection from the pedestrian
[33:44] crossing.
So, as a vehicle approaches the
[33:48] roundabout, they first encounter the
pedestrian crossing. And a pedestrian is
[33:53] crossing a much shorter distance
with a roundabout than at a traffic
[33:59] signal. It's typically one lane at a
time. So, they will they will view
[34:03] traffic approaching. When there's a gap
or a vehicle slows down, they will cross
[34:07] to the center. they then do the same
thing um from the center of uh the
[34:13] island to the opposite end of
uh to to to the other side of the
[34:18] intersection. So between separating you
know once and then once the pedestrian
[34:23] crosses the vehicle can then move
forward past the crosswalk and determine
[34:29] if they want to enter the roundabout
safely at that point. So it's kind of
[34:32] separating the entrance from the
roundabout from the pedestrian crossing.
[34:36] Uh, and it's also creating a a much
smaller crossing distance for a
[34:41] pedestrian and vehicles are also moving
much slower at a roundabout which
[34:45] improves the safety for pedestrians.
[34:52] Next question. Uh, it seems to me that
202b
[34:56] at
I'm not sure what that what that says.
[35:00] This is at LI. Can Square and Sh Drive
signal start to accumulate a backlog in
[35:06] traffic?
>> I think it's meant to be Logan Square
[35:10] and Shire Drive.
>> Yeah. Do you want to take that one then?
[35:13] Uh Martin, talk about the uh cues that
we're seeing there.
[35:20] » Sure, I will try. The um
focus of the lane switch was for
[35:27] northbound, which has uh a marked
marketkedly increased
[35:34] queue and delay currently and is
forecast to just get worse heading in
[35:38] the northbound direction.
So with the switch for two lanes
[35:43] northbound with the one right lane being
the bypass lane as shown to get on to
[35:49] 179 that will reduce the uh delay in Q
for northbound
[35:57] whereas the southbound there is a a
somewhat of an increase with the change
[36:04] to one lane um
mostly for the PM peak But it is less of
[36:12] an increase than it would be if
the two the one lane northbound remained
[36:19] through 2050 with no improvements.
[36:24] » Martin, can you go to the overall view
of the the intersection and and the
[36:28] corridor itself just kind of highlight
we can highlight some of the the
[36:34] changes.
Yeah. So what Martin's sharing here is
[36:38] kind of the the Shy Drive intersection
and the 179 intersection. What Martin,
[36:42] you know, was saying before is that in
the existing condition.
[36:46] Uh there there there's kind of two lanes
southbound, one lane northbound, but as
[36:51] we were looking at the roundabout, we we
thought it would be best to switch that
[36:54] in the future condition with with with
the bypass lane that we're proposing. So
[36:59] it's kind of what Martin was saying. And
even though there there may be some
[37:02] small increases in in Q length in the
southbound direction because we're going
[37:08] from two to one lane, there's
significant savings in cues and delay on
[37:13] the northbound side and for the overall
intersection itself. So, even though
[37:17] there's a a tweak to lane
configurations, it's really an overall
[37:20] benefit in terms of operations and
reduced delay for this little network
[37:25] here by by making that switch um at SH
and uh the 179 intersection.
[37:34] If
>> I could just chime in briefly as well,
[37:36] this is Ken O'Brien from HDR. Uh that
southbound queue is not going to
[37:40] continue to accumulate. That 800 feet is
the maximum queue that we expect during
[37:45] the afternoon peak hour. And again,
during the morning peak hour, it's only
[37:48] expected to be approximately 300 feet.
So, we don't expect it to just continue
[37:51] to build and build. Again, the 800 feet
is the maximum that we expect.
[37:56] Thanks,
>> K.
[38:04] Uh that is all the comments that we have
received so far. Uh so just a quick
[38:11] reminder that the meeting is being
recorded. If you have additional
[38:14] comments or feedback on the
presentation, there is the comment form.
[38:18] Uh you can also reach out to me around
additional information for the product
[38:22] and additional comments. Uh and
uh also we'll be at uh the Sbury
[38:28] Township Municipal Building uh Tuesday
the 16th from 5:30 to 6 for Inerson's
[38:34] plans display.
And uh that concludes our presentation
[38:39] this evening. So thank you everybody.