incident
response,
targeted
traffic
TRAFFIC CALMING
enforcement and programs that enhance
Many communities in the united states
transit operations.
Tsm must account
are now exploring further measures
equally for the needs of all modes of travel,
beyond sidewalks that place pedestrians
and should ensure that bike, pedestrian
and bicyclists on a more even playing field
and transit movements and safety are not
with motorized traffic. These measures,
compromised in exchange for improving
collectively called traffic calming, use
roadway capacity.
physical design of the roadway to reduce automobile speeds. They are not
Prior to increasing lane capacity on a
intended for roads where the primary
roadway, the city of north bend should
objective is to rapidly move large volumes
ensure that existing capacity is utilized
of traffic, though in some circumstances
at maximum efficiency through the
efforts to slow traffic can actually improve
application of tsm investments. These
traffic flow. Most often they are used in
measures may include, but are not limited
residential areas where residents see
to the following:
the road as part of their neighborhood; or in downtown shopping districts
•
ROADWAY CONDITIONS AND LEVEL- OFSERVICE The purpose of this chapter is to describe and assess existing traffic characteristics, and the operational elements of the existing roadway system that include traffic
volume,
level-of-service
and
accident analysis.
TRAFFIC VOLUMES Traffic count data was assembled from several sources, and was supplemented by additional counts taken during April and May of 2011.
Historical counts
were obtained from King County Public
Roundabouts and traffic circles
where creating a pleasant pedestrian
versus signalization,
environment is critical to maintaining
•
Addition of turn lanes,
the economic vitality of downtown. The
•
One-way street system,
potential benefits of traffic calming include
•
Turning movement restrictions,
reduced traffic speeds, and reduced traffic
•
Channelization of turning
volumes, achieved by discouraging “cut-
movements,
through” traffic on residential streets.
•
Re-striping lanes,
Traffic calming techniques also typically
•
Raised medians,
improve the aesthetic quality of streets,
•
Signalization and signal
through landscaping of medians, bump-
coordination, and
outs, and traffic circles.
access points to I-90 to provide a detailed
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
(bikes, buses, cars, and trucks by number
• Tsm
Access management strategies. allows
improvement
to
the
transportation system with relatively
The city of north bend current six-year
minimum investments, and is a logical
transportation improvement program
component of a comprehensive, flexible
(tip) for 2012 through 2017 is summarized
and
in appendix c. The tip is based on the city’s
cost-effective
improvement plan.
transportation
transportation system needs considering both traffic service and maintenance of the physical street structure.
Works, Washington State Department of Transportation, traffic impact study reports provided by the City of North Bend,
and
additional
counts
were
conducted by TrafStats, Inc. and the City of North Bend. These counts addressed most of the important arterial locations in North Bend, and included 24-hour counts and vehicle classification counts on all the hourly breakdown of all vehicles by type of axles). Traffic counts demonstrate a number of variations from year-to-year, over different seasons of the year, hour-by-hour over the 24-hour day, and in the types of vehicles by area of the city. A comparison of traffic counts taken at the same locations in 2003 and in 2011 shows overall fewer vehicles in 2011. This comparison, included in Table 3: Historical Traffic Volume Change, 2003-2011, may reflect economic cycles and altered traffic control features, as well as societal changes such as increased telecommuting and flexible work hours.
Transportation
66