PURPOSE 

The general purpose of this project is to improve pedestrian and vehicular safety, as well as to enhance mobility along US Route 7 through the Towns of Pittsford and Brandon.  US Route 7 has been designated as part of the Nation’s National Highway System (NHS).  The NHS consists of this country’s most significant transportation corridors in regard to interstate and inter-regional travel.  US Route 7 provides a critical geographic and economic link for the people and goods being transported through the western part of the state.

 The project area encompasses rural and village settings from kilometer (km) 2.25 (MM 1.40) in Pittsford (1.40 miles north of the Rutland/Pittsford town line) to km 8.67 (MM 5.39) in Brandon (approximately 0.1 miles south of the Brandon Village line).  The total project length is 16.9 km (10.58 miles), 9.7 km (6.1 miles) in Pittsford and 7.2 km (4.5 miles) in Brandon.  The rural sections are marked by sparse residential and commercial development along with a typical 80 kilometer/hour (km/h); 50 miles per hours (mph) posted speed limit.  The Villages of Pittsford and Brandon are more developed, have more pedestrian activity, and have on-street parking demands.  Posted speed limits in the Villages vary from 40 km/h (25 mph) to 65 km/h (40 mph).

NEED 

According to records maintained by the State of Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), the sufficiency rating of about 12.6 km (7.8 miles) of this corridor is below 60 out of a best possible score of 100.  The sufficiency ratings were last done statewide in 1996.  The rating evaluates sections of Vermont’s highways based on Structural Condition, Safety, and Quality of Service.  A sufficiency rating below 60 is indicative of a poor or a bad section of highway.  This type of condition on a section of the NHS is unacceptable. 

The prevailing traffic demand, in conjunction with US Route 7’s substandard alignment and cross section, creates deficiencies in vehicular and pedestrian safety, and mobility throughout the project. 

The Purpose and Need Statement has been divided into three sections:  Village of Pittsford and South; US Route 7 Between Pittsford and Brandon (Corridor); and Village of Brandon.  The Needs for each section were categorized as Specific or General, where Specific Needs identify specific locations where deficiencies were noted, and General Needs identify deficiencies that exist at more than one location or throughout the project.  Specific Needs have been numbered and the numbers include a prefix of P, C or B which represent the Pittsford, Corridor, or Brandon Village sections of the project, respectively.  Locations where Specific Needs were identified are shown in Figure 2. 

NOTE:  The specific deficiencies outlined in the following sections have been identified through an established public participation process.  As the project development process advances, it is possible that other specific issues may arise.  The following list is dynamic and is not intended to be all-inclusive.

         Village of Pittsford and South 

This section includes the area between km 2.25 (MM 1.40) in Pittsford (at beginning of southbound truck lane) and the Plains Road intersection with US Route 7 (km 6.90 [MM 4.29]) just north of the Village.

Specific Needs 

P1        Jewett Hill:  Sight distances to the south for vehicles exiting the Jewett Meats driveway were measured and were found to be deficient for the posted 80 km/h (50 mph) speed limit due to a vertical crest curve just south of the driveway.

P2        Existing Southbound Truck Lane:  The southbound two-lane-to-one merge on US Route 7 at the end of the truck lane (km 4.02 [MM 2.50]) is abrupt, thus creating the potential for weaving type accidents.

P2a      VT Route 3 Intersection:  The configuration of the US Route 7/VT Route 3/Oxbow Road intersection is a concern.  Sight distances to the north of the intersection for motorists exiting Oxbow Road are restricted due to the alignment of US Route 7 and the existing bridge railing along US Route 7.  The Oxbow Road intersection is opposite and offset from the VT Route 3 intersection causing through traffic to adjust their path of travel prior to entering the opposing roadway.  There is no controlled access at the Mobil gasoline station, which directly abuts the intersection.  Southbound US Route 7 traffic must veer left to stay on US Route 7 and not enter VT Route 3.

P3        Southern Arch Street Intersection:  Sight distances to the north of the intersection for motorists exiting the southern Arch Street intersection (km 4.62 [MM 2.87]) are partially restricted by a concrete planter and further complicated by the skewed angle of the intersection.  Turning maneuvers to and from Arch Street are difficult due to the angle of the intersection.

P4        Roadway Width: In the Village, the pavement width of US Route 7 is narrow (less than 6.4 m [21 feet]) in places.  This narrow width restricts traffic flow and does not allow for emergency stops without blocking through traffic.  Also, the inadequate roadway width makes it difficult for trucks traveling through the Village.

P5        Village Store/Banked Roadway:  Due to the lack of curb reveal and the inadequate roadway width, southbound traffic encroaches on the sidewalk to bypass traffic in the vicinity of the Village Store.  The roadway appears to be excessively banked at the curve just south of and in front of the Village Store.  Vehicles entering driveways to the store or adjacent houses nearly “bottom out” when passing over the rise in pavement at the outside of the curve.

P6        Furnace Road Intersection:  There is an island with a utility pole located at the end of Furnace Road.  The two-way traffic configuration on both sides of the island is confusing for motorists making turning movements onto Furnace Road.  Due to the lack of curb reveal and the inadequate roadway width, southbound traffic uses the sidewalk as a bypass lane.  There have been accidents at this location which may have been caused by motorist confusion.

P7        Pleasant Street Intersection:  Sight distance to the south of the intersections for vehicles exiting Pleasant Street is restricted due to a crest vertical curve.  The Pleasant Street approach to US Route 7 is on a relatively steep uphill grade contributing to poor sight distance.  Turning maneuvers into and out of Pleasant Street is difficult.  There have been numerous “rear-end” and “turning movement” accidents at or near this intersection.  The Fire Department often uses Pleasant Street as an alternate access to US Route 7 in order to avoid the deficient Arch Street/US Route 7 intersections.

P8        Mechanic Street Intersection:  Sight distance to the north, for vehicles exiting Mechanic Street, is restricted by the horizontal and vertical alignment of US Route 7.  It is also impaired by the existing bridge railing and vegetation.  The Mechanic Street approach to US Route 7 is on a relatively steep uphill grade contributing to poor sight distance.  Turning maneuvers into and out of Mechanic Street are difficult.

P9        Arch Street/Elm Street Intersections:  The existing horizontal curvature of US Route 7 includes a very sharp curve in the vicinity of the Arch Street and Elm Street intersections.  In addition to the abrupt horizontal curvature, the highway’s vertical alignment drops steeply to the south.  There is an advisory speed limit of 30 km/h (20 mph) through this area and large warning signs have been erected to direct southbound traffic around the turn instead of onto Elm Street.  There is uncontrolled access to parking at Kamuda’s Country Market, which allows unsafe turning movements into and out of Arch and Elm Streets.  Sight distance to the north of the intersection for vehicles exiting Arch Street and to the south for vehicles exiting Elm Street were measured and found to be deficient for the posted 55 km/h (35 mph) speed limit.  The ends of Arch Street and Elm Street are both on a relatively steep uphill grade making maneuvers into and out of them difficult.  The location of the crosswalk adjacent to Kamuda’s Country Market is considered unsafe due to its location on the horizontal curve.  There is no sidewalk at the end of the crosswalk adjacent to the store.  Curb reveal in the vicinity of the intersection is deficient and northbound vehicles reportedly encroach the sidewalk to bypass traffic.

P10      Depot Hill Road Intersection:  Sight distance to the south of the intersection for vehicles exiting Depot Hill Road is restricted due to parked vehicles at Keith’s Country Store.  Uncontrolled access to parking at the store allows vehicles to park alongside southbound US Route 7, which blocks sight lines from Depot Hill Road.  Northbound vehicles leave the roadway surface and ride up on the adjacent lawn or parking lot, in order to bypass vehicles waiting to turn into Keith’s Country Store or onto Depot Hill Road.

P11      Plains Road Intersection:  Plains Road intersects US Route 7 at a skewed angle and ends on a relatively steep downhill grade.  There have been numerous accidents at or near this intersection.

·                    The deficiencies at the Arch Street intersections are accentuated by the fact that the Fire Department and first response vehicles are located on Arch Street.  Emergency personnel, mostly volunteers, must travel through one of the deficient intersections to first reach the station and then again to respond to the emergency.

·                    Years of pavement overlays have left excessive depths of pavement in places and have buried utility covers, prohibiting access and obscuring the location of their aging infrastructure.  The pavement overlays have disturbed roadside drainage routes and rendered some of the ditches and catch basins ineffective.  Also, roadway overlays have buried sections of the existing curbing, which originally separated the roadway from the sidewalk.  Because of this, the sidewalk is currently used to bypass traffic.  At some locations, the sidewalk is used for parking.

·                    Lack of sidewalk-roadway separation has resulted in the Town eliminating some of the routes students use to walk to local elementary schools.  This has increased the demand for school buses, in addition to increasing the actual number and frequency of school bus stops on US Route 7.  The lack of defined sidewalks is especially a problem in the vicinity of the grammar school.

·                    Lack of off-street parking for businesses south of Furnace Road results in vehicles utilizing the sidewalk for on-street parking.  Both northbound and southbound vehicles park on the east side of US Route 7, partially blocking the sidewalk.  Also, trucks have a difficult time maneuvering between vehicles parked partially within the roadway.

·                    The volume of traffic, particularly the number of large trucks and recreation vehicles, is cited by the Town as restricting traffic flow along US Route 7.  This is due to the limited passing opportunities provided along US Route 7 and lack of turning lanes or bypass shoulders available at intersections.

·                    Trucks account for about 5.6% of the total daily traffic volume in the Village of Pittsford based on 1996 Automatic Traffic Recorder (ATR) counts.  This high truck percentage may be due to the fact that US Route 7 is the primary north-south corridor on the west side of Vermont.  The truck volume impedes free flow movement of traffic, which results in platoons or groups of vehicles traveling along the highway.  This increases travel time and reduces the availability of gaps for turning vehicles and pedestrian movement across US Route 7.

·                    The current heavy truck traffic volume through the Village is perceived by some as having a detrimental impact on the structural integrity of the buildings (some historic) adjacent to US Route 7.

·                    There is concern with the structural adequacy of the Mills Bridge (Bridge #108) due to the visual signs of deterioration, the overlays placed on the bridge deck, and the failed scuppers.

·                    Many uncontrolled access locations were observed for businesses along US Route 7, causing confusion amongst motorists.

·                    Pavement quality has deteriorated as indicated by cracking and rutting. 

  US Route 7 Between Pittsford and Brandon (Corridor) 

This section includes the area between the Plains Road intersection with US Route 7 (km 6.90 [MM 4.29]) just north of the Village of Pittsford and the southern urban compact limit of Brandon Village at km 5.41 (MM 3.36).

Specific Needs

 

C1       Pine Woods Road Intersection:  Pine Woods Road intersects US Route 7 on the inside of a horizontal curve within an 80 km/h (50 mph) posted speed limit.  Sight distance to the north and south of the intersection, for vehicles exiting Pine Woods Road, is restricted by utility poles and trees.  This sight is further restricted when snow banks are present.

C2       Truck Route Intersection:  The Town (Pittsford) is concerned that the posted speed limit along US Route 7 near the Kendall Hill Road (Truck Route) intersection is excessive due to the volume of traffic, especially trucks, making turning movements at this intersection.  Also, sight distance to the north of the intersection, for vehicles exiting the Truck Route, is restricted when trucks on US Route 7 (approaching the intersection from the north) use the exclusive right-turn lane.  Turning movements for trucks entering the Truck Route from the south restrict through traffic flow.  There were a number of accidents at this intersection prior to the construction of the exclusive right-turn lane in 1998.

C2a     Steep Side Slopes/Inadequate Guardrail:  One section of US Route 7 at approximately km 8.85 (MM 5.50) and north of the Truck Route intersection is noted as having deficient guardrail with very steep side slopes.

C3       Northbound Passing Opportunities:  There are inadequate passing opportunities (approximately 24%) for northbound traffic, especially from the Truck Route to the Pittsford/Brandon town line.

C4       Pomainville Farm:  Reportedly, due to inadequate driveway curve radii and the steep vertical alignment of US Route 7, trucks entering and exiting Pomainville Farm (approximately km 10.78 [MM 6.70]) often restrict through traffic flow along US Route 7.

C4a     Fort Vengeance Monument (km 11.27 [MM 7.00]):  There is a need to enhance parking and visibility at this location as the current parking area is gravel, is very small, and is located just south of a crest vertical curve resulting in poor sight distance to the north.

C5       Southbound Passing Opportunities:  There are inadequate passing opportunities (approximately 23%) for southbound traffic, especially from the Otter Valley Union High School to the Pittsford/Brandon town line.

C6       Otter Valley Union High School:  There is a need for better signage at the entrance to the high school.  The signage, intended to notify motorists that they are entering a school zone, appears inadequate and out of scale for the volume of traffic on US Route 7.  There were numerous accidents along US Route 7 in the vicinity of the high school prior to the construction of turn lanes in front of the school in 1998.

C7       McConnell Road Intersection:  Turning movements onto McConnell Road restrict through traffic flow along southbound US Route 7.  There have been a number of accidents at the McConnell Road intersection.

C8       Country Club Road Intersection:  The configuration of the Country Club Road intersection is confusing for motorists entering Country Club Road due to the location of an adjacent parking lot (with uncontrolled access) and due to the skew of the intersection approach.  There have been numerous accidents at or near this intersection.

C9       Nickerson Road Intersection:  Nickerson Road intersects US Route 7 on the outside of a 7° curve and on a 4% grade.  Turning movements onto Nickerson Road restrict through traffic flow along US Route 7.  The steep grade and superelevation may make it difficult for northbound traffic to negotiate a left turn onto Nickerson Road without encroaching on the opposite travel lane.  There have been numerous accidents at or near this intersection.

This section includes the area between the southern urban compact limit of Brandon Village (km 5.41 [MM 3.36]) and km 8.67 (MM 5.39) in Brandon (Arnold District Road intersection).

Specific Needs

B1       US Route 7/ VT Route 73 Corridor:  The US Route 7/VT Route 73 section of highway, which extends through the downtown, is marked by several significant horizontal curves, including a very sharp curve (known as the “90-degree curve” or “bank corner”) which is posted at an advisory speed of 25 km/h (15 mph).  This horizontal alignment, and the sharp curve in particular, makes it difficult for northbound and southbound trucks and recreation vehicles to stay in their respective lanes and causes confusion amongst all drivers.  The twisting horizontal and rolling vertical alignment of this section of roadway results in increased overall travel time through the Village.  There is a high frequency of accidents along this section of roadway (see below). 

B2, B3 US Route 7/VT Route 73 Intersections:  Vehicular turning movements and pedestrian crossing activity found at the two US Route 7/VT Route 73 intersections restrict traffic flow along US Route 7 and adversely impact safety.  Local roads also intersect US Route 7 at both locations, allowing many possible turning movements at each intersection.  Trucks frequently drive over curbing adjacent to the Civil War Monument (located at the southern US Route 7/VT Route 73 intersection) when attempting to maneuver around the sharp corner.  There is a high frequency of accidents at both intersections (see below). 

General Needs

·                    There have been a high number of accidents along US Route 7 through the Village.  Two High Accident Locations (HALs) on US Route 7 in Brandon have been identified by VTrans.  One is located from km 6.00 (MM 3.73) (near the southern US Route 7/VT Route 73 intersection) north to km 6.49 (MM 4.03) and includes the “Bank Corner.”  This HAL is ranked #2 by VTrans, making it the second highest accident location in the State of Vermont.  The other HAL on US Route 7, ranked #35, is located from km 6.65 (MM 4.13) to km 7.13 (MM 4.43) and includes the northern US Route 7/VT Route 73 intersection.  There is also a HAL on VT Route 73 (ranked #42) from km 4.38 (MM 2.72) to km 4.86 (MM 3.02) which includes both US Route 7/VT Route 73 intersections.

·                    The convolution of peak hour traffic from US Route 7 and VT Route 73 congests the Village resulting in long delays for side street access to and from US Route 7 and VT Route 73.

·                    Current on-street parking maneuvers are complicated by sight distance restrictions imposed by the angle of the parking spaces, as well as those created by large passenger vehicles, such as pickup trucks and mini-vans parked in adjacent spaces.  Also, the angular parking spaces are not deep enough for some vehicles, especially for vehicles with ladders, poles, or other equipment extending past the rear of the vehicle and into the traveled way.

·                    The frequency and location of pedestrian crossings, in conjunction with the limited gaps in through traffic available for pedestrian movement, raises safety concerns and further impedes vehicular traffic flow through the Village.

·                    The alignment of US Route 7 through the business district adversely impacts pedestrian mobility and safety due to the sight distance restrictions imposed by the horizontal curvature.

·                    Traffic counts indicate that 5.4% of the total daily traffic are trucks.  Based on VTrans' 1996 Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) count for the Village of Brandon, this equates to approximately 580 trucks per day.  This volume of truck traffic raises local concerns regarding pedestrian safety, degradation of air quality, and increased noise and dust generation.  The heavy truck traffic volume through the Village is perceived by some as having a detrimental impact on the structural integrity of the buildings.

·                    Pavement overlays have altered some drainage routes and restrict access to underground utilities.

·                    Pavement quality has deteriorated as indicated by lateral and longitudinal cracks.