Oct 2018

ROAD SAFETY AUDITOR-213 AND TOLIVER ROAD

Presentation Outline

Background

• What are current conditions?

Data

• Trends

Issues Observed

• What did the team see?

Potential Solutions

• Current Scheduled Solutions

• Long Term Solutions

• Recommendations

Schedule

BackgroundWHAT ARE CURRENT CONDITIONS

Background InformationPedestrian/Bicycle Facilities:

◦ Shared-use path (south side of Toliver Road), east of OR 213

◦ Nothing along OR 213

Traffic Volumes (ADT 2016):

◦ Toliver Road: 2,000 Vehicles

◦ OR 213:

o11,400 non truck vehicles

oTruck AADT 1,100 or 10.02%

o Single Unit: 700

oMulti Unit: 400

Posted Speed Limit:

◦ OR 213: 45 mph

◦ Toliver Road: 35 mph

Molalla Zoning and Future Growth

Intersection

• Molalla has a large population commuting to Portland each day

• Several more businesses are looking to come in –o Truck Supply on 213

between Toliver and 211 and

o A car repair shop on Toliver• More housing lots are being

developed

Stakeholder Concernso Queues are causing unsafe driving: aggression, impatience,

cutting across lanes. High complaint area and community is concerned about safety.

o The bus garage (First Student) for the schools is on the corner and struggle with the intersection.

o Businesses are seeing increased demand causing more deliveries to the area including propane, gas, and other basic resources.

o First responders have no room in the area when an accident occurs.

o Pedestrians are walking in ditches when it’s dry and the road when it isn’t. There is no where safe to cross.

o Drivers are consistently confused or miss the intersection.

DataWHAT DID THE DATA TELL US, AND WHERE ARE THE TRENDS

Crash Data Trends: Intersection

◦ 2007 – 2017 reported crashes

◦ 2017 data is still considered preliminary

Data reviewed with trends found for:

◦ Severity

◦ Time of Day

◦ Year

◦ Age

◦ Collision Type

Data reviewed with no trends found:

◦ Month

◦ Day of Week

◦ Lighting

◦ Weather

◦ Road ConditionSource: https://katu.com/news/local/two-teens-injured-in-crash-near-molalla

Intersection Crash Trends: Severity

6

21

8

30

5

10

15

20

25

PDO Injury C Injury B Injury A

NU

MB

ER O

F R

EPO

RTE

D C

RA

SHES

(2

00

7-

20

16

)

MOST SEVERE INJURY

84% Injury Crashes

• Injury A – Most severe injury category• PDO – Property Damage Only

21 1

2

2

12 2

13

2

8

1

11 1

1 1

1

1

11

1

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

NU

MB

ER O

F R

EPO

RTE

D C

RA

SHES

YEAR

Injury A

Injury B

Injury C

PDO

Intersection Crash Trends: YearNote: 2017 data is preliminary and may be incomplete

12 crashes 32%

• 2016 shows a significant increase in crashes. • 2016 had approximately a 10% increase in traffic volumes potentially caused by

diversion from multiple construction areas, development, and other factors.

Intersection Crash Trends: Collision Type

1 1 2 24

1

12

2

21

1

2

42

1

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

NU

MB

ER O

F R

EPO

RTE

D C

RA

SHES

(2

00

7-

20

16

)

COLLISION TYPE

Injury A

Injury B

Injury C

PDO

17 crashes (45%)15 angle or turning

movement crashes (39%)

Issues ObservedWHAT THE TEAM SAW

Observation:

– Drivers take small gaps after becoming impatient

WB left-turn in front of truck

Observation:

– High volume of trucks and large vehicles, requiring larger gaps

Truck waiting to turn from Toliver Road

Issue: Finding an appropriate gap to turn

Issue: Queues on OR 213 and Toliver Road

WB queues (from Toliver Rd)

Observation:• Vehicles waiting to turn left cause large

queues and impatience– WB approach experienced the longest

delays– SB direction was more random, but became

relatively long quickly– Waits as long as 2-4 minutes were observed

during the peak times

SB queues (from OR213)

Observation (Turning Radii):– High volume of large vehicles making

turning movements– Large trucks require both lanes to

complete turning movements – WB right is a tight movement

• Large vehicles (such as buses) off track the pavement

• Traffic Data:– 6% -18% truck traffic– E.g., 5% - 25% of large vehicles making

westbound left

Issues: Intersection Geometry

Truck turning WB right

Observation (Offset):– Drivers cut across the double yellow lines

to make a NB left turn

– Intersection has negative offset (east-west)• Toliver Road lefts

and throughs cannot go at same time

• This leads to confusion

Issues: Intersection Geometry

NB left cutting across centerline

Intersection offset: EB view from west leg (Toliver Road)

Issue: Intersection Visibility and Sight Distance

View of the intersection looking south

Observation:o Difficult to see vehicles at the intersection on Toliver

Road as you approach on OR 213 (SB)o Intersection lacks delineation, especially at night time o Existing illumination is focused on the side street and

offset from the intersectiono Vertical crest curve just north of the intersection

makes it difficult for NB left vehicles to see low-profile approaching vehicles

Observation:o Sight distance for the WB

approach is limited by slope and vegetation

o Vehicles encroach beyond stop bars on both sides of Toliver Rd

o Drivers lean forward to see trafficVehicle creeping out to see oncoming traffic View east leg of Toliver Road, looking north

Issue: Intersection Visibility and Sight Distance

Bus driver view: WB looking south Bus driver view: WB looking north

Photo Source: Greg Rants (First Student)

Corridor Design Issues: Shoulder

OR 213 shoulder and ditch

Observation:– Narrow shoulders (1-3’)– Steep and deep ditches– Results in minimal recovery

area for vehicles – No room in case of an

emergency– No room for pedestrians or

bicycles

• Crash Data:– 3 fixed object crashes (ditch)

Corridor Design Issues: Pedestrian

Pedestrian walking southbound on OR 213

Observation:– Lack of pedestrian and

bicycle facilities– Lack of shoulder– Pedestrians observed

walking on OR 213, many with their back to traffic

– Several pedestrians observed crossing OR 213

– No existing crosswalk

Potential SolutionsNOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHAT CAN WE DO?

Short Term Solutions –FundedODOT ARTs Project (Construction – 2020)◦ Installing illumination

◦ Advanced Intersection Warning Signs with Street Names

◦ Transverse Rumble Strips on Approaches

◦ Reduce vegetation to increase site distance and make signs more visible

City of Molalla◦ Reduce vegetation to increase site distance and

make signs more visible on Toliver Rd

◦ Replace signage as needed

Source: ODOT Systemic Safety Measures: Basic Intersection Upgrades

Long Term Improvement ProjectGoal is to meet the needs of all users and increases safety.

Currently budgeted for shelf ready project • PE Only $700,000

High interest from the community, city, and ODOT for a safety solution

High interest for an operational improvement.

So what can we do?

Long Term Considered Solution 1Corridor cross-section change

◦ Will move turning traffic out of travel lane but does not address being able to find a gap to turn and increases the distance to cross.

◦ Queue in turn lane may block other intersections and driveways.

◦ Because of the queue space needed and tapering required, cannot build turn lanes - would have to do the entire length.

Long Term Considered Solution 2

Traffic signal ◦ Creates gaps for turning

◦ Increases queuing potentially to other intersections

◦ To have protected turns, needs full three lanes built.

CRF: (urban areas)

◦ Reduction of 67% in angle crashes

◦ Increase of 143% in rear-end crashes

Long Term Considered Solution 3Roundabout o Creates gaps for traffic, slows and calms traffic, provides visual clue that traffic is shifting from rural to urban.

CRF: 82% all injury crashes

Concept 1 (140’ ICD, centered on intersection) Concept 1 (125’ ICD, offset west of intersection)

Best Solution

Long Term Solutions

3 Lane Cross Section Traffic Signal RoundaboutO

bse

rved

Pro

ble

ms Finding A Gap Doesn’t address Will Fix Creates timing

Queues May Worsen Will Worsen DecreasesIntersection Geometry Will fix Doesn’t address Will Fix

Sight Distance Will fix Doesn’t address Will FixShoulder Design May Fix May fix Will Fix

Accidents May Reduce Increases ReducesPedestrians May Fix May Fix Will fix

• The solution with the best chance to increase safety for all problems observed is a roundabout Will slow traffic as it

enters the town Increases gaps for traffic

to safely merge Increases sight distance Fixes the geometry

problems Reduces Queues Reduces accidents

• Design will have to consider size for trucks in the appropriate sizing and include a truck apron

• Initial concept is for a single lane• Given constraints to either side of the road,

detours will most likely have to look to build the roundabout in sections

Final RSA Report: November 9th

ODOT will prepare a formal response following the Final RSA Report

Mobility Presentation Nov 20th

Solicit concerns and feedback for the design to be incorporated from the beginning.

City of Molalla Council Meeting in December

Design phase to begin in January

Schedule

Questions – Feedback - ConcernsAs important stakeholders, we

want to include your feedback and concerns from the beginning!