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<br /> • There was one reported accident on Stewart Road in the five year period from <br /> January 1, 1993 through December 31, 1997. The probability of accidents will <br /> decrease with the reduction in traffic volume and a likely reduction in vehicle <br /> speeds. <br /> Closing a street can have negative safety impacts, including: 1 } an increase in <br /> emergency vehicle response time; 2) the barricade could be hit by a motorist; and <br /> ' 3) the increased traffic at other intersections could increase the probability of <br /> accidents at those intersections if capacity is significantly affected. <br /> In the case of the Stewart Road closure, the anticipated effects on safety are <br /> slight, as 1) the closure was reviewed and approved by the Fire Marshall; 2) the <br /> barricade and all associated signing and marking, is in compliance with the <br /> Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Device (MUTCD) standards; and 3) as <br /> mentioned under Intersection Capacity, the traffic diverted to the 11 & Bailey <br /> Hill and the 11''' & Bertelsen intersections will have only minor impacts on the <br /> capacity of each intersection. <br /> (2) Traffic investigations: <br /> ? 24-hour traffic volume counts were taken in September 1995. These showed pre- <br /> closure traffic volumes of 1,564 vehicles per day (vpd) east of Bertelsen Road and <br /> 1,359 vpd west of Bailey Hill Road. Six-hour manual counts done during the <br /> April 1998 Origin and Destination Study suggest somewhat lower volumes of <br /> 1,200 vpd east of Bertelsen and 820 vpd west of Bailey Hill. <br /> Traffic volumes with the street closed were 180 vpd at Bailey Hill Road and 970 <br /> vpd at Bertelsen Road. <br /> ? An Origin and Destination Study, done for six hours on April 14, 1998, showed <br /> that over 60% of the Stewart Road traffic at the Bailey Hill Road end is through <br /> traffic. Most of these motorists would not be inconvenienced by a closure as their <br /> trip length would be the same if they used 11~' Avenue. As discussed in (a)(1), <br /> above, it is estimated that the closure results in 4.5 extra vehicle-hours of travel <br /> time per weekday. <br /> ? Vehicle Speeds: Included in almost all citizen requests have been complaints of <br /> vehicles speeding on the unimproved section of Stewart Road. The problem is <br /> actually one of a perception of speeding rather than actual speeding. A speed <br /> study conducted in 1993 showed an average speed of 23 miles per hour, which is <br /> lower than most residential streets and is about what was expected, given the <br /> road's condition. However, it is the road's condition which gives the impression <br /> that vehicles are speeding; vehicles traveling on the rough surface create more <br /> noise and raise dust, creating the perception of higher speeds. <br /> ? Accidents: Stewart Road does not have an accident problem, as there was only <br /> one accident for the five period from January 1, 1993 through December 31, <br /> Administrative Order 58-99-05, Findings <br /> i <br /> <br />