Written by Mike Kibbee, PE, PTOE
Traffic impact studies for new and redeveloping sites are necessary in order to protect and enhance the mobility and safety of the surrounding transportation system, as well as internal to the site itself. The study itself identifies information the developer and design team can use to fine tune and plan the project.
Some of the items include:
- The number of daily, a.m., and p.m. peak hour vehicle trips projected to be generated by the subject development
- The distribution of site generated vehicle trips based on likely trip origins and destinations such as employment centers, shopping, schools, etc., as well as the most efficient routes to/from them
- Background (non-development) traffic volume forecasts for the roadways in the vicinity of the development site
- Safe and efficient access to/from the development site
- The adequacy of the surrounding transportation system to accommodate the additional traffic generated by the development
- Types and locations of traffic control devices (traffic signals, roundabouts, stop signs, controlled pedestrian crossings, etc.) that will be required to mitigate the traffic impacts of the development
- The contribution of the development’s site generated vehicle trips to the surrounding transportation system
- Alternatives and recommendations for mitigation of the traffic impacts created by the additional traffic from the development
- Classification of and design parameters for all new roadways internal to the development
Some recent traffic studies include:
- Brickyard Master Transportation Study (Castle Rock, CO)
- Loretto Heights Redevelopment Master Traffic Study (Denver, CO)
- Pennsylvania Ave Apartments (Fort Worth, TX)
- Western Center Retail (Fort Worth, TX)
Harris Kocher Smith provides a full range of traffic/transportation engineering services including traffic studies, parking studies and parking design, traffic signal warrant analysis and design, roundabout analysis and design, roadway and intersection design, construction phasing and traffic control design, pavement marking and signing design, and sidewalk and pedestrian facilities design.
