comprehensive campus transportation plan - University of ...

University of Massachusetts Lowell Campus Transportation Plan
III. Existing Conditions Analysis & Key Findings
Extensive demographic, traffic, parking, pedestrian and bicycle data were
assembled as part of this study, including up-dated traffic counts, to use as
a basis for understanding the existing conditions at UMass Lowell. Analyses
were performed to understand how people travel to and around the
campuses, and what the current infrastructure constraints and
management challenges are. Detailed information on the data and
analyses are included in the Appendix.
While the transportation needs for commuting are very different than for
inter-campus movement, they both rely heavily on the roadway
infrastructure around and between the campuses. Traffic operations in the
City of Lowell, therefore, impact UMass Lowell faculty, staff and students
whether they are arriving at or departing from parking lots as part of their
daily commute, or are travelling between campuses using the UMass Lowell
shuttle bus. Accordingly, traffic congestion is as much of an issue for the
UMass Lowell population as it is for the general public. Bicycle and
pedestrians also depend on this roadway infrastructure.
The analysis of existing traffic conditions was checked for consistency with
observations in the field, and with reports of actual experience from the
UMass Lowell population and City of Lowell staff . The data quantified the
extent of roadway congestion that prevails during the peak traffic periods in
the morning and evening, typical in an urban environment. It is noticeable,
however, that there is an extended evening peak period in Lowell, with
traffic activity ramping up from as early as 3 PM, when the public schools
are dismissed, until after 6 PM when the concentration of commuter traffic,
including UMass Lowell commuters, dies down.
Riverside Street just north of University Avenue
Figure 5 presents a snapshot of peak hour traffic conditions, summarizing
the vehicle level-of-service (VLOS) at the 16 key intersections analyzed in
the study. VLOS is a grading of the average delay experienced by all
vehicles passing through the intersection, with LOS A representing the
shortest delays and LOS F representing the longest delays. In general, a
VLOS D or better is considered to be an acceptable condition in an urban
situation. It should be noted, however, that at signalized intersections the
VLOS and associated delay is reported as an average for all vehicles using
the intersection, whereas at un-signalized intersections the VLOS is
reported for the critical movement (typically a left-turn from the side-street
across two-way traffic). Accordingly, a favorable VLOS at a signalized
intersection may in fact include a failing VLOS for a particular approach or
movement. A failing VLOS at an unsignalized intersection is for the side
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
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