HomeMy Public PortalAboutTraffic Memo_201406171157434878 JIMcMA ■ O� McMAIION ASSOCIATES
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PRINCIPALS
Joseph W.McMahon,P.E.
Joseph J.DeSands,P.E.,PTOE
June 13,2014 John S.DePalma
William T.Steffens
Casey A.Moore,P.E.
Fred Lavery Gary R.McNaughton,P.E.,PTOE
US Auto Group of Massachusetts Ltd. ASSOCIATES
43 N.Beacon Street John J.Mitchell,P.E.
Christopher J.Williams,P.E.
Watertown,MA 02472 R.Trent Ebersole,P.E.
Matthew M.Kozsuch.P.E.
RE: Trip Generation Comparison
21 N.Beacon Street
Watertown,MA
Dear Mr. Lavery:
McMahon Associates has prepared a trip generation assessment for the proposed automobile
dealership to be located at 21 N.Beacon Street(Route 20) in Watertown,MA.The site presently
consists of a 6,700 square-foot Sullivan Tire store with six service bays.The site will be
redeveloped into a pre-owned automobile sales dealership that will maintain the existing 6,700
square-foot building consisting of an automotive showroom,sales offices and two service bays.
The site will provide ten parking spaces in the front of the building and site access will continue
to be provided via two unsignalized driveways on N.Beacon Street(Route 20).
In order to determine if the proposed project is expected to result in any noticeable increase in
vehicles trips to the site,a trip generation comparison between the existing land use and the
proposed land use was completed.To establish the trip generation comparison,the Institute of
Transportation Engineers(ITE)publication, Trip Generation Manual,91h Edition was used as a
reference. ITE is a national research organization of transportation professionals and their
publication provides traffic generation information for various land uses compiled from studies
conducted by members nationwide.Vehicle trip generation for the site was developed based on
data in this publication for the existing Sullivan Tire using Land Use Code(LUC)848(Tire Store)
and for the proposed automobile sales dealership using LUC 841 (Automobile Sales).
Table 1 presents a comparison between the existing Sullivan Tire store and the proposed
automobile sales dealership.The difference in vehicle trips between the existing site use and the
proposed site use was determined by applying the theoretical difference in trip generation
between the existing tire store and the proposed site based on ITE trip generation rates.
Corporate Headquarters: Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
Serving the East Coast from 12 offices throughout the Mid-Atlantic, New England, and Florida
J
Fred Lavery
June 13,2014
Page 2 of 3
Table 1
Vehicular Trip Generation Comparison
Weekday AM Weekday PM Saturday Weekday
Peak Hour Peak Hour Peak Hour Daily
Description Size In Out Total In Out Total h Out Total In Out Total
Proposed Automobile Dealershipp) 6,700 s.f. 10 3 13 7 11 18 14 13 27 108 108 216
Existina Sullivan's Tire Store(z) 6,700 s.f. 12 7 19 12 16 28 16 18 34 84 83 167
AdditionalTripsp) -2 4 -6 -5 -5 -10 -2 -5 -7 24 25 49
(1)ITE Land Use Code 841(Automobile Sales)based on 6,700sq-ft
(2)ITE Land Use Code 848(Tue Store)based on 6,700sq-ft
(3)Difference between Proposed 6,700 sq-ft Automobile Dealerstup and Existing 6,700 sq-ft T¢e Store
As seen in Table 1, as a result of the proposed project there is a reduction in vehicle trips to the
site expected during the weekday morning,weekday afternoon and Saturday midday peak
hours.Table 1 indicates that during the weekday morning peak hour the site would be expected
to serve approximately six fewer trips (two fewer trips entering,four fewer trips exiting),
during the weekday afternoon peak hour the site would be expected to serve approximately ten
fewer trips(five fewer trips entering,five fewer trips exiting), and during the Saturday Midday
peak hour the site would be expected to serve approximately seven fewer trips (three fewer
trips entering,four fewer trips exiting).The ITE data does indicate a slight increase in daily trips
to the site on a typical weekday.Table 1 shows that over the course of an entire day the site
would serve approximately 49 additional trips (24 trips entering,25 trips exiting).This increase
in daily trips indicates that a larger volume of trips access the site during off-peak times where
traffic volumes of the adjacent street traffic are lower. Based on a 2009 traffic count from
MassDOT,Route 20 in the vicinity of the site(between Church Street and Spring Street)in
Watertown has an average daily traffic(ADT)volume of 24,800 vehicles per day. The
additional 49 trips shown in Table 1 represents less than a half percent increase on Route 20,
which is considered to be imperceptible.
It should also be noted that the proposed project will essentially be an extension of the existing
pre-owned automobile sales facility located at 43 N.Beacon Street. The majority of vehicles
destined for the new location are already on the study area roadway,thereby further reducing
any traffic impacts on N.Beacon Street. Any new trips to/from the site would likely be offset by
a reduction in trips from the existing facility at 43 N.Beacon Street.
Based on our trip generation assessment,there would be minimal traffic impacts associated
with the proposed automobile sales dealership located at 21 N.Beacon Street. In comparison to
the previous Sullivan Tire store, the change in use will not be substantially more detrimental to
the neighborhood than the current use as there is a reduction in site trips expected during each
peak hour and only a slight increase in daily traffic. The daily traffic increase is minimal in
comparison to the traffic volumes currently on Route 20.
1 ,
Fred Lavery
June 13,2014
Page 3 of 3
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information.
Gary R.McNaughton, P.E., PTOE
Vice President&Regional Manager—New England