September 11, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

09/27/2024 06:14:01 AM Page 141 to 144 of 180 36 of 71 sheets 141 school bus turnarounds, are those turnarounds big enough1 for school buses?2 THE WITNESS: Yes. School buses are3 designed to travel residential neighborhoods and they're4 no larger than emergency vehicles.5 THE PUBLIC: Okay. Thank you.6 And my final question is, I know you talked7 about the number of cars being, you know, in your data8 set, but I'm wondering about how does it affect the9 amount of time for cars to get out of Oval Road -- for10 the amount of time it will take cars to get out of Oval11 Road and onto Eagle Rock and whether they're making a12 left or a right and then with Eagle Rock filling up13 pretty quickly, you know, so what's the timing look like14 on, with these additional cars on drive times?15 THE WITNESS: So --16 THE PUBLIC: Can you talk about that.17 Traffic, meaning volume and then traffic, meaning time.18 People think I can go down from West Orange to Verona in19 ten minutes, now it takes me 25 minutes because of what20 people say, the traffic.21 THE WITNESS: So the difference between an22 unsignalized intersection and a signalized intersection23 is probably best described by this with your own24 experience. This particular intersection making the25 142 left out of Oval is the most difficult movement at that1 location and it's impaired by sight distance to the2 right, which makes you a little uncomfortable making the3 left and it's impaired by thru volume on Eagle Rock4 Road. So anybody making that left is delayed, depending5 upon the time of day and level of traffic, and is6 waiting for that gap and for that comfort level to make7 the left, and we all have different comfort levels as8 drivers as to making that turn. So that has a level of9 delay and frustration that you experience at an10 unsignalized intersection. With the signalized11 intersection and with the timing and level of service12 that we're achieving with the capacity, basically you,13 your experience is different. If you arrive during the14 green you have no delay. You're going to come down and15 there's a green and you're going to make the left and no16 problem. If you arrive at the end of the red then17 basically the experience you have at any traffic signal,18 the only delay you really experience is waiting for the19 light to come back to green. But you have a whole20 different experience and a whole

asically the experience you have at any traffic signal,18 the only delay you really experience is waiting for the19 light to come back to green. But you have a whole20 different experience and a whole different level of21 frustration. Your frustration is more like trying to22 make a decision, look for a gap, you're just waiting for23 the light to go green. So otherwise your experience is,24 time wise, is probably not too much different.25 143 THE PUBLIC: Right. So, you know, again,1 I'm not a traffic expert but will there an ability to2 make that left onto Oval Road from Eagle Rock, there3 will be a delayed green from the other direction.4 Sometimes in other cities or other towns are using,5 instead of going from a red arrow to a green arrow or6 vice versa, that they have a flashing yellow to warn7 that it is about to change. And this already being a8 dangerous intersection before, I think we need to look9 at the top of the line kind of whatever innovations are10 out there to prevent that. Would you agree?11 THE WITNESS: Yeah. We will be designing to12 current standards, county standards. We will be using13 state of the art detection systems that the county uses14 and the signal will be coordinated with Laurel Avenue.15 So all of that signal will incorporate the current bells16 and whistles that are available and permitted by the17 county. If it comes down to the county's acceptance of18 whatever standards they what too, but they look to19 design their signals to operate efficiently and meet the20 applicable federal requirements.21 THE PUBLIC: And final question, were you22 able to look at other intersections, and I believe you23 did look at Laurel and Eagle Rock, correct?24 THE WITNESS: We did look at it because we25 144 need to coordinate with that signal.1 THE PUBLIC: And what about the signal down2 the road at Eagle Rock and Pleasant Valley where it's3 already a disaster?4 THE WITNESS: We have not evaluated that5 intersection.6 THE PUBLIC: Okay. Could that be considered7 to evaluate that as well, to look at these changes8 because it's going to affect the whole roadway, which is9 already, I don't know if that's something that can be10 done, but it's going to definitely impact that11 intersection.12 THE WITNESS: Our focus and obligation is the13 signal at Eagle Rock and Oval.14 THE PUBLIC: Correct. But wouldn't you15 agree that could affect issues at

ng to definitely impact that11 intersection.12 THE WITNESS: Our focus and obligation is the13 signal at Eagle Rock and Oval.14 THE PUBLIC: Correct. But wouldn't you15 agree that could affect issues at Eagle, and again,16 Eagle Rock and at Pleasant Valley?17 THE WITNESS: There will additional traffic18 generation. One of the standards traffic engineers use19 and actually the state Department of Transportation uses20 to define whether you might see an impact requiring21 analysis, is whether an additional 100 vehicles per hour22 is generated through an intersection and we generate,23 once traffic comes out of Oval and distributes both east24 and west, we generate under that parameter, so we25