Data Collection Assignment

from END 350 Portfolio - Caitlin Chan

by Caitlin Chan

Research in Planning Assignment

Results of comparing traffic patterns between a signalized intersection to a rotary in New York City

Memorandum to Mayor De Blasio

List of Figures, Appendix and Reference List included

PowerPoint presentation included

Memo

To: Mayor De Blasio Authors: Caitlin Chan, Frankie Zhou CC: Alexander Kunes, Andrew Schaefer Date: 10/19/20 Subject: Comparison of a Signalized Intersection and a Rotary in New York City _____________________________________________________________________________

Executive Summary:

A study is conducted to determine if a signalized intersection or roundabout/traffic circle/rotary intersection is best for New York City residents. Both sites in different boroughs generate unique data that can reveal valuable insight into the future of transportation. Research support drawn from online resources like Google Maps, academic journals, Department of Transportation’s website and information guide along with in person recorded data. Safety and efficiency were the deciding factors to conclude that signalized intersections provide a better way of travel for city residents. Allowing for numerous different modes of transport to exist and with more signs and signals to warn and guide incoming traffic, people are more aware of each other especially non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians. To effectively reduce traffic congestion and the number of crashes or car related deaths, New York City Mayor De Blasio should advise planners and policymakers to create more signalized intersections in order to efficiently control the diverse transport patterns of the millions of residents in one of the largest U.S. cities.

Introduction:

With a population of roughly 19 million people in New York City, transportation and the flow of traffic are important for life to run smoothly. In order to increase functionality and reduce congestion, a comparison will be made between a rotary and a signalized intersection.

The importance of the rotary and the signalized intersection, and the preference for one over the other, comes down to safety and efficiency. The varying factors noted in the fieldwork, analyzes the behavior of individuals who interact with the site including pedestrians, bikers, and drivers and how their tendencies within the site indicate whether one is a superior form of traffic control.

The rotary, or roundabout, is an oval shaped traffic circle located between 188th St and 64th Avenue in Queens, NY. Half of the oval is surrounded by residential areas and the other half is mainly commercial. The oval is rather significant to the area as it was built and named in honor of Edgar G. Holmes Jr., who was the first New Yorker to be killed in action in the Korean War. The signalized intersection is located between East Houston Street and Allen Street/1st Avenue on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It is the beginning of Manhattan’s first avenue and it is

also the connecting point between two major downtown streets. E Houston St separates lower Manhattan in that, north of it, begins 1st street. Getting through this intersection would take one in a direct path to whichever direction they intend to move, whether that be the east side, the west side or north towards midtown. The two traffic sites yielded both similarities and differences that might provide an answer to whether one is a safer and more effective approach. Results from this project will provide insight for policymakers, city planners, and the mayor to develop a plan that will improve road conditions citywide. Necessary changes will allow for better living environments for people today and into the future.

Data Sources and Methods of Analysis:

Both assessments of the signalized intersection and rotary were conducted in person. Both assessments were also conducted on the same day, October 10, 2020. The signalized intersection was observed from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. The rotary was observed from 3:05 pm to 4:00 pm. Pedestrian, vehicle, bicycle, skateboard, wheelchair, and other methods of transport are recorded with how it interacts with the site and what conditions are in the relationship. Results may vary due to differences in location and time. Due to certain circumstances due to COVID19, research lacks data and conclusions will be different compared to recording during normal living conditions. With a smaller amount of people and cars being observed, this study will provide insight into what life was when it was simpler and during a time where cities were not as populated. Possible answers can be found in solving questions regarding how to accommodate

millions of people in cities and what improvements can be made to further improve our current state of livelihood. Google Maps allowed a bird’s eye view of each site to help us develop a

precise sketch for each site. The New York City Department of Transportation website consists of current plans of city transit. This includes travel regulations for pedestrians, bicycles, buses, motorists, and etc. There are options to look up and learn more about safer streets and street design for pedestrians. Bicyclists can check out the bike map, bike share station locations, parking, lanes that are being built, along with ridership statistics and reports. Bus riders can check on current services, possible improvements, and safety information. Motorists can check traffic advisories, parking maps, speed limit locations, information on trucks and commercial vehicles, current and upcoming projects, safety and much more. Ferretronix.com gave background information about the significance of the Edgar G. Holmes, Jr. Oval. Arkansas Business found the City of Conway to be increasing the amount of roundabouts, this created better traffic conditions in a small city. The effects on Conway can provide important information for what big cities should do. The Journal of Transport Literature shared an example of a developing city in Nigeria also trying to implement rotary intersections. Enhance understanding for better traffic management, results can apply to other developing cities and developed cities. As for the observed signalized intersection, the NYCStreets blog gives insight into the protected lanes of traffic in dense downtown areas and the visuals show how they tend to collide with one another especially during times of construction. One thing that was noted during the observation was the varying waiting times for pedestrians and vehicles. The FHWA website defines the integrations of leading pedestrian intervals and how they benefit certain urban areas where heavy traffic occurs at intersections.

Findings:

Rotary

Edgar G. Holmes, Jr. rotary in Fresh Meadows has significantly less traffic compared to the signalized intersection in Manhattan. Queens is outside of the main center of New York City, therefore traffic flow was smooth and no congestion was found. Cars pass through rotary slow and have clear sight of incoming traffic as well as pedestrians and anyone who is not in a car. Cars stop at stop signs and yield to pedestrians. No walk signs or traffic lights are at this intersection. Given the amount of cars driving through is low, there are no bike lanes and

everyone can walk or ride on any sidewalk or designated path. Public transportation lanes are shown on the outer edge of the rotary; bus stops are located next to residential areas. One stop on each side of 188th st to allow busses to come and go on opposite sides of the rotary. On the commercial side of the rotary, cars can enter and leave malls as they need while following stop signs and yielding for right of way. Pedestrians in the area are calm and cars respond when they need to walk on a crosswalk. Cars are not allowed to speed and must follow the flow of traffic.

Figure 1 Photograph by Caitlin Chan

Area Conditions

Car speeds are significantly slower than signalized intersections but it is due to lack of crosswalk lights. Cars are obligated to watch for any incoming traffic and pedestrians or persons who need to cross the street. Lack of walk signals can be dangerous for pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles, this can lead to accidents and collisions. Edgar G. Holmes, Jr. rotary is small compared to other traffic circles but the system follows the same principles. To allow flow in the rotary, each car must not only look out for itself but also for everyone else traveling within the vicinity of the circle. If there was a higher volume of traffic, there would be much more action in the rotary that persons with little to no experience with a rotary could inevitably cause an incident.

Figure 2 Photograph by Caitlin Chan Figure 3 Photograph by Caitlin Chan

Safety is a top priority for allowing the relationship between motorized vehicles, non-motorized vehicles, and pedestrians to be peaceful. Although a rotary is not the safest intersection it does however allow connections between the area in the circle and outside of the circle. Signalized intersections only allow pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles to be traveling on the sidewalks and not always necessarily between besides for crossing. A rotary however allows travelers to walk between the circle for easier access to cross from opposite sides of the circle. The center can range to be either a park or green area to a plaza or square with a statue or fountain. It can provide visual aesthetic to the intersection besides crosswalks and traffic lights. It can also be relaxing and give life to the neighborhoods surrounded by roads and buildings.

Figure 4 Photograph by Caitlin Chan

Figure 5 Photograph by Caitlin Chan Convenience allows for neighborhoods regardless of population to flourish. The land used around the rotary is split between residential and commercial. People can for example buy goods easily by crossing through the rotary. There are banks, a pharmacy, a hotel, and a block down is a dentist office. In a way all sections have an importance in the daily agendas of residents and visitors. Remember this oval is tiny compared to Columbus circle in Manhattan, this location in Queens has less action but encompasses the same factors in how it influences the neighborhood.

Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Photos by Caitlin Chan

Signalized Intersection At the signalized intersection, feasibility of pedestrian movement within the intersection was one of many priorities. Compared to the time at which vehicles were given to enter and exit the intersection, pedestrians had longer intervals, giving them the advantage when crossing. This is because of the Leading Pedestrian Intervals or LPI present at this intersection. LPIs give pedestrians the opportunity to enter the intersection a few seconds before vehicles do, preventing them from interfering with one another (FHWA, 2013). Although this may add to the overall time it takes for one traffic cycle to complete, it improves the safety of pedestrians tremendously. A crash analysis conducted in several locations in New York City revealed that LPIs are even more effective in terms of enhancing safety, in areas where there are high percentages of vehicles performing turns. This traffic control method is one that has shown to reduce pedestrian crashes by as much as 50 percent in some intersections and in a concentrated area like downtown Manhattan, it tends to perform very well. This is one of the ways signalized intersections contribute to safety overall. The observed vehicle speeds at the intersection were generally slow but the volume of vehicles were considerably high, taking into account the lower movement rates due to the current pandemic. It was the same for pedestrians except those on bikes and/or skateboards moved rather quick. This was another advantage the intersection had over the roundabout. Not only does it account for numerous forms of transportation, it also has clear signs and lanes for each one, directing all forms of traffic efficiently.

Figure 9 Photograph by Frankie Zhou Figure 10 Photograph by Frankie Zhou

Area Conditions

Communication between pedestrians and vehicles are essential to maintaining a flow of traffic in intersections. The observed area covers 4 straight lanes and 4 turning lanes of traffic, along with 4 bike lanes and 4 sidewalks. Not to mention the bus lane that intertwines with the far right lanes of Houston and Allen, which are also in contact with the bike lanes. There is a lot going on and without the numerous signals and painted lanes, it would be very difficult for this intersection to function. However, the separation of lanes is clear to see for both vehicles and pedestrians here. With such high volumes of people and vehicles meeting and interacting at one point during regular times, having complete clarity and visibility of specified lanes is very important. This intersection excels to that end and the emphasis placed on the protected bike lane that crosses the intersection diagonally, demonstrates the importance of separating it from other traffic (Meyer, 2016). This way, bikers are protected from other traffic and are prevented from interfering with vehicles, which again improves the overall safety.

Figure 11 Photograph by Frankie Zhou Figure 12 Photograph by Frankie Zhou

The observed traffic lights are the main source of indication for when pedestrians should enter the crosswalk and for when vehicles are to accelerate, either going straight or performing a turn. The crosswalk lights that are present inside the intersection are absent in the rotary. When taking the convenience for pedestrians, bikers, skateboarders and/or those in wheelchairs in account, the signalized intersection is much more efficient. With the protected lanes and crosswalk lights, they are included to safely navigate this heavily concentrated area and the protected bike lanes allow for bikers to easily cross the intersection. In the rotary however, it would be extremely difficult for pedestrians or bikers to cross directly. Instead of being provided a way to cross, they

would have to cross through the streets separate from the rotary itself. There is no way for pedestrians and bikers to enter the rotary because they are not included in the purpose for one. In terms of functionality, the signalized intersection undeniably performs better for those not in vehicles. Arguably, there are certain times where the inclusion of pedestrian crossing in intersections harms efficiency and that is when they interfere with vehicles that are turning. There were many instances observed at the intersection where many quick stops often occurred for vehicles turning left. They were forced to impulsively use their brakes because pedestrians were rushing to cross in time. In these cases, accidents and collisions are more likely to occur. Although there were none during the observation period, the fact that it occurred numerous times within one hour was very telling of how often this happens. However, this downside is mainly at the fault of pedestrian behavior rather than the intersection itself.

Conclusion:

The observations of the rotary and signalized intersections provided findings that, in the case of New York City, a signalized intersection would benefit traffic flow and overall safety of both pedestrians and vehicles more than a rotary. Mayor De Blasio should collaborate with New York City’s Department of Transportation to implement these suggestions found in this

memorandum. The current system in place at this intersection is not perfect and is nowhere near that but there is no doubt that when it comes to safety and efficiency for everyone, it excels compared to the rotary. The inclusion of bike lanes, bus lanes painted crosswalk lanes, crosswalk lights, and separated turning lanes allows for the intersection to provide for quite a few modes of transportation. However, the rotary would be safer in the sense that, since it excludes pedestrian traffic and bikes/buses from personal vehicle traffic, there would be a lot less accidents and collisions occurring. When taking a look at vehicular congestion, the rotary would perform better at relieving traffic. Again, New York City is very densely populated. Rotaries in this city would not work like they do in other cities because of this. The fact that they do not integrate other forms of transportation within the traffic system, would mean the system is not efficient enough for wider implementation. Essentially, the signalized intersection would be safer and more efficient for all and the rotary itself would be safer and more efficient for cars specifically. There is a reason why rotaries are rarely seen in denser areas like Manhattan because functionality wise, the rotary works better in places that are less populated. Even in Queens, rotaries are not

ideal. The performance of the observed intersection is a defining example of how many forms of traffic can coincide at one point and work. Signalized intersections should be widely implemented throughout the entire city for the reason that they accommodate all and have safe ways of doing so. The issue mentioned earlier with the intersection, where pedestrians tend to get in the way of turning vehicles traffic can be addressed by raising awareness of following proper road rules. Since this can be inferred to be a possible cause for the majority of accidents, it is important to remedy the tendency of pedestrians to do so. The signals to cross and when to cross can be enhanced by implementing more countdown traffic lights for both pedestrians and vehicles. Since intersections already make up the majority of traffic areas in the city, modifying many existing ones by including the mentioned methods can possibly increase safety and efficiency of New York traffic dramatically. Possible funding opportunities can be found from the government, especially since this concerns driver and pedestrian safety, and apply to every signalized intersection in the country. Another source is handing out tickets to people who run red lights and endanger lives in the intersection. As those people continuously disrupt the conditions in the intersection, they must pay more and ultimately can have their vehicle taken away. Testing will be conducted after this plan is set in order to fully understand that all the potential benefits are reached, if there are any issues we can then improve and tweak the plan as needed.

Reference List:

Cottingham, J. (2018, July 2). Street Roundabouts Gaining Acceptance, Converts in State: With Conway leading the way, more cities adopting the design. Arkansas Business, 35(27), 10. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A547694363/ITOF?u=sunybuff_main&sid=ITOF&xid=34 3626ab

Federal Highway Administration. (2013, July). Signalized Intersections Informational Guide Second Edition. U.S. Department of Transportation. https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/conventional/signalized/fhwasa13027/fhwasa130 27.pdf

Google Maps. (2020). Google Maps. https://www.google.com/maps

Holmes, John B. (2000, July 13). Fresh Meadows History. Ferretronix. http://ferretronix.com/fresh_meadows/

Meyer, David. (2016, October 3). Eyes on the Street: The New East Houston Street. Streetsblog New York City. https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2016/10/03/eyes-on-the-street-the-new-easthouston-street/

New York City DOT. (2020). New York City DOT. https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/home/home.shtml

Owolabi, Adebayo Oladipo, Oyedepo, Olugbenga Joseph, & Okoko, Enobong Etim. (2015). Predictive modeling of entry flow at rotary intersections in Akure, a developing city and capital of Ondo state, Nigeria. Journal of Transport Literature, 9(2), 10-14. Epub April 00, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1590/2238-1031.jtl.v9n2a2