Livingston Avenue Pedestrian Study, Columbus, OH

Trans Associates performed a study to evaluate the safety and flow patterns of pedestrian traffic within the Livingston Avenue corridor, adjacent to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Campus located in the City of Columbus, OH. The extent of the study area included a 1.0-mile segment of Livingston Avenue between S 4th Street and S 18th Street consisting of numerous unsignalized and signalized intersections and pedestrian crosswalks servicing components of the NCH campus.The study analyzed and evaluated the following:

  • Existing crosswalk location efficiency relative to existing and forecasted development patterns within the Livingston Avenue corridor;
  • Existing pedestrian safety accommodations based upon observed pedestrian and vehicular traffic data; and
  • The relative impact of the proposed development/expansion of NCH facilities (within 10 years) on parking and pedestrian traffic patterns/accommodations.

Upon conclusion of the study, Trans Associates recommended numerous geometric and traffic control improvements to increase pedestrian safety and driver awareness. Examples  included installation of a median refuge island, thermoplastic crosswalk markings, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) assemblies, new ADA ramps and sidewalk connections.

Existing condition Livingston Ave
Existing condition Livingston Ave

Auxiliary Truck Parking Lot Design

Pennsylvania Turnpike Lawn Service Plaza

In 2015, Trans Associates was tasked by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) to complete a Systemwide Truck Parking Improvement Study. The study evaluated existing service plazas and identified other possible locations where land was available to provide truck parking facilities. Lawn Service Plaza was ultimately selected and Trans Associates performed the design of the facility. The goal of this project was to maximize the availability of tractor trailer truck parking at the plaza. The PTC owned adjacent land which was used for this purpose. The design from Trans Associates added 77 dedicated tractor-trailer parking spaces which increased available truck parking by more than five fold.

The project included:

  1. 6.3 acres of full-depth concrete pavement for the truck parking and circulation area;

  2. Installation of signing and pavement markings;

  3. Expansion of an existing stormwater detention basin;

  4. Construction of a new, larger stormwater detention basin to protect exceptional value wetlands;

  5. Repaving of an employee parking area and access road;

  6. Relocation of the electric service for the Plaza underground; and

  7. Upgrades to the plaza-wide LED lighting.

Nearly 5 Football Fields in Size!

Additional infrastructure was also installed for video monitoring of the new lot, and to facilitate a future ITS integration which would provide truck drivers on the Turnpike with advance information that would include parking space availability. The Plaza access points were reconfigured in the design, but remained open during construction for daily deliveries, employee arrivals and turnpike access for emergency vehicles.

Safety Design

The truck parking location was designed to be spatially separated from other classes of vehicles and the many pedestrians using the Plaza. There is a wide wide access from the existing truck ramp and wide aisles for turns and maneuvering. Exclusive pull-through parking bays further minimize conflicts between tractor trailers within the new lot. Lighting for the existing Plaza and the new truck parking area was upgraded with efficient LED lighting to provide safety and security for cars, trucks and pedestrians at night. Additional installed security cameras will enhance safety and security for truckers parking overnight.

Steitz Road Widening, Delaware County, OH

Trans Associates is the prime engineer on this one mile widening project in Delaware County, OH.  With development increasing in the area, the County wanted to widen the roadway to 24′ with safety shoulders, improve drainage and realign an S-curve to meet a 45-mph design.

SERVICES PERFORMED
Transportation Study – The study phase in 2018 determined the most effective storm water management system which informed roadway design.

Roadway Design – Design covered one mile of roadway which included a tie-in point on Steitz Road 450’ north of the project area to match a separate roadway design project underway by others.

Pavement Design – With the exception of potential curve widening along the improved S-curve midway through the existing alignment, TA utilized the existing alignment and profile with a variable-thickness resurfacing course to minimize excavation. The location of longitudinal sawcut lines were determined through an evaluation of the existing pavement condition with the intent to salvage existing pavement where feasible.

Drainage Design – The corridor is located directly along a drainage basin ridge between the Olentangy and Scioto Rivers, creating a lack of drainage outlets for roadway stormwater. TA worked closely with the DCEO to identify and locate existing field tiles that would ultimately be the only positive outlets available to the corridor. A standard ditch section was determined to encroach excessively into residential front yards, and was successfully replaced with a full-length storm sewer system designed with minimal grades to avoid deep trenches. Stormwater BMP’s will be designed to provide water quality and volume.

Georgesville Road Traffic Signal Operations & Safety Study

Georgesville Road is a major north-south corridor on the West side of Columbus serving the Westland Area. Trans Associates was retained by Franklin County Engineer’s Office (FCEO) to provide equipment inventory, safety evaluation, timing and phasing recommendations for four intersections along Georgesville Road adjacent to the Hollywood Casino.

The study intersections control the access driveways to Westland Mall and the Hollywood Casino. The Hollywood Casino is located just south of West Broad Street (US 40) along Georgesville Road. The signalized intersections in the area are all are part of the COC Central System, but are controlled by four different entities – the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), the City of Columbus (COC) and the Franklin County Engineer’s Office (FCEO). The intersection of Georgesville Road with West Broad Street is controlled by ODOT.

SERVICES PERFORMED
Asset Inventory – Document equipment used at each intersection, Trans Associates identified failed detection equipment and failed coordination timestamps from the Central System during the field inspection. These failures were causing unnecessary delay to the traveling public.

Timing and Phasing Study – Trans Associates identified failed detection equipment and failed coordination timestamps from the Central System during the field inspection.

Safety Analysis – Evaluated the signal equipment and perform capacity analysis. Recommended safety and capacity improvements for the corridor. Trans Associates also identified lane use and phasing changes that would reduce delay and improve the safety of the intersection. A recommendation was made for dual left turn lanes to be restriped as single left turn lanes, so left turns could be permitted, not only protected, which reduced intersection delay.

Homewood Pedestrian Improvements Project

The  Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) of Pittsburgh received TAP* funding to enhance pedestrian safety in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The goal was to improve pedestrian safety and promote Safe Routes To School in the vicinity of Faison Elementory.  Trans Associates provided transportation engineering and design services for the project as a prime contractor to the URA.

The pedestrian needs study to identified and prioritized improvement recommendations. Public meetings were held to present findings and confirm work scope. The PennDOT project development process was used to finalize design plans and prepare documents for bidding on PennDot’s ECMS system.

Design Improvements Included

  • ADA ramp designs and new sidewalk/curb replacements
  • Flashing School Speed Limit Warning Devices by Faison Elementary
  • Improved LED Lighting under the busway and railroad underpasses
  • New thermoplastic pedestrian crosswalks and signage plan
  • Street furnishings including benches, bike racks, trash receptacles, tree pits
  • Traffic calming on Finance Street which included speed humps
  • Pedestrian scale lighting

* Transporation Alternatives Program funding from PennDOT

School Flasher Brandywine Drive

College Township  wanted to address an increase in the number of students crossing a windy township road on the way to and from school.  The residents desired the added visibility that a school zone flasher could provide. 

Trans Associates conducted a field survey and prepared base mapping for the preliminary design in accordance with PennDOT Publication 149M Traffic Signal Design Handbook and Publication 148 Traffic Standards Signals.

The flasher was designed with solar power which reduced the installation expense for the project. The flasher features LED lighting for additional energy savings and lowered maintenance costs.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital Safety Study

The South 18th Street corridor, in Columbus, Ohio, traverses the eastern portion of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital campus.  Since employee and visitor parking was on the east side of 18th and the hospital was on the west side, pedestrian traffic was heavy crossing this street.  Pedestrians struggled to find a large enough gap in major road traffic to safely cross during peak hours and there had been numerous near-hits in the area.  As the hospital was consistently receiving reports of the difficulties in crossing South 18th Street,  adminstration officials determined to alleviate these pedestrian safety issues and prevent any potential crashes in the future.

The hospital engaged Trans Associates to perform an evaluation of safety issues along the corridor. The study identified possible crossing hazards and proposed several mitigation techniques to improve safety and reduce the possibility of future pedestrian-related crashes along the South 18th Street corridor. Many of these suggested improvements and modifications were incorporated into the City’s plan for widening 18th Street and enhancing the pedestrian systems throughout the corridor.