Tag Archives: Stroad

Avoid statistically inevitable outcomes…

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We cannot ethically continue to design roads in a way we do not give pedestrians and drivers a fighting chance to avoid tragedies.

Current speed limits in many Lehigh Valley town centers simply do not give folks a fighting chance. That was the case was in Emmaus in May. The 11 year old who lost her life wasn’t the only victim. The elderly driver who has to live with this is also a victim. An investigation ruled correctly the driver was not at fault. The driver was obeying the posted speed limit.

Statistical reality caught up with us in the Borough that day. The same will happen in Macungie as it’s inevitable with the current design of Main St.

In Emmaus, the 11 year girl was an unforeseen variable. Problem is 11 year olds tend to do that. No matter how well raised. So do elderly, the disabled, pets, someone who leaves a restaurant and had a glass of wine with dinner. I can go on and on but you get the point.

By nature and by design town centers are full of unpredictable variables. (that comes with density) They are complex environments. It’s what makes them special places. Within them not everyone behaves in a predictable manner. This is a baseline. It is. You cannot change it. We have to accept it.

What can we change?

We can change the speed limit. We can change the road design to match the speed limit. The “inconvenience” factor relating drivers is negligible to non-existent.  Let’s quantify.

IF Chestnut St. was a straight shot with no stops, driveways, crosswalks etc. and considering the “business district” is 1 mile in length.

1 mile travel time: (roughly the length of Emmaus business district)
35 MPH – 1:45 seconds mile
25 MPH – 2:24 seconds to go 1 mile

Under the best (unlikely) scenario the difference is 39 seconds of travel time. Of course the route isn’t a straight shot. The road has traffic signals, crosswalks and driveways. Statistical reality is that your almost never going to have that “straight shot” through town. Therefore, accelerating to 35 mph for brief periods of time to get from one obstacle to the next won’t get you somewhere 39 seconds faster. Reality is  it’s just a few SECONDS quicker if anything at all. Not to mention the incredibly inefficient waste of gas/wear and tear on your automobile that comes with rapid accelerations/decelerations. And just the plain stupidity of accelerating from red light to the next.

On the flip slide there is an irrefutable and direct correlation between a 10 mph speed reduction and a reduction of both the frequency and severity of accidents. From 25 to 35 mph the death rate DOUBLES. (Triple A foundation for traffic studies) Full stop. Again, from 25 to 35 mph the death rate DOUBLES.
Screen Shot 2015-07-28 at 11.06.59 AMGive everyone a fighting chance.
First, it’s my opinion you take the “convenience” of drivers where in measurable terms equals mere seconds of drive time completely out of the equation. It is an asinine argument. It’s also an inflated argument where perception isn’t reality. But let’s say it was. To think seconds of your time is worth putting yourself and everyone around you at higher risk is incredibly selfish and tragic.

Visual perception at different speeds.

Visual perception at different speeds.

Reducing the speed limit on Main St. Macungie (35 to 25) Chestnut street in Emmaus (35 to 25) and Hamilton Boulevard in Lower Macungie (from 40-45 to a consistent 35mph) needs to happen now. Followed by aggressive traffic calming strategies so the physical design matches the posted speeds.

I know for a fact Macungie Borough, Emmaus Borough and Lower Macungie Township have all requested over the years lower speed limits on Chestnut, Main St. and the Boulevard. The problem each time from what I understand is Penndot. Somewhere there is a disconnect. Penndots own smart transpiration guidebook outlines a 25 mph desired operating speed on a “Main Street“. In Lower Mac the catalyst for a request was actually Hamilton Crossings shopping center. Clearly,the developers understand slower speeds are good for business and the economy of the upstart Boulevard.

Common sense dictates lowering the speed limits. Standards reinforce it. Local municipalities who know the roads best have requested it. Residents have demanded it. So what is the issue here? When we set operating speed too high we have a statistical inevitable outcome of tragedy. 

What we know:

  • Slower speeds are safer for everyone
  • The loss of travel time is negligible to non-existent
  • Slower speeds in town centers actually ease congestion
  • Slower speed is better for downtown businesses

You can also sum up this entire argument here. ELIMINATE STROADS! As deadly as a STRAOD designed too fast through a Borough is, a STROAD designed with highway geometry seemingly for 55+ mph but posted artificially at 45mph or containing traffic signals is just as dangerous.

Very few roads should be posted between 35mph and 55mph. That is the tragedy zone. Design it as a road (get people from A-B) or make it a street (multi modal value capture) But please, STOP BUILDING STROADS.

STROADS: Dangerous Expensive Low return on investment

STROADS:
Dangerous
Expensive
Low return on investment

STROAD DYNAMICS IN GRAPH FORM

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Here is a diagram from Strongtowns post called STROAD dynamics. It was created by a planning firm called Design Rochester. I just expanded on it a little bit to show the safety correlation and photos.

This sums up the way we need to look at the Rt. 222 Bypass and Boulevard from a context sensitive standpoint.

STROAD DIAGRAM

Rt. 222 bypass: Road, Street or Stroad?

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Originally written in 2014, I revisited this post a decade later as the bypass resurfaces again in LVPC discussions and in the news. The problems have become worse. The road is as inefficient as ever and much more dangerous. 

For roadways to yield the highest return on investment, we must clearly define their intended purpose and design them accordingly. Generally, two options:

bypass

Pictured is the Rt. 222 Kutztown bypass. A well designed ROAD with on/off ramps and low accessibility paired with highway geometry allows for 55 mph speed limit. It safely moves automobiles quickly and efficiently through the corridor.

 

ROAD  

  • High speed by design 
  • Highway geometry
  • Low accessibility
  • A place for automobiles only. This facilitates safely moving them at high speeds.

 

 

East-Blvd-After-Dual-Left-Hard-Turn-Lane-e1357934233263

This is the Hamilton Boulevard vision outlined in a 2013 corridor study. It’s multimodal in nature creating a higher value environment. Traffic travels at safer speeds due to calming measures. This is much closer to a STREET generating higher returns on investment for the community.

 

 

STREET 

      • Safe by design
      • Complex environment
      • High accessibility
      • A place to capture value and encourage commercial development
      • Designed for all modes of transportation. A generally pleasant environment.
      • Facilitates high value development

 

 

So which type is the the bypass and which is the boulevard? I argue side by side STROADS. Similar to how a futon serves poorly as both a couch and a bed, a STROAD moves cars too slowly for efficient travel yet too fast to attract meaningful private investment. This leads to a costly failure that doesn’t excel at anything. As taxpayers why do we spend public money on very expensive things that don’t accomplish any goal particularly well?

*Update: In 2015, I spearheaded a letter-writing campaign supporting Lower Macungie’s LVTS funding request to address the issue and attempt to fix the mess. Unfortunately, that request was ignored and today almost 10 years later the situation is even more dangerous.

 

STROAD

Here is the Macarther Rd. Classic STROAD. An obviously dangerous place for pedestrians. But despite highway geometry, does not move automobiles quickly or efficiently either. Lots of accidents. Dangerous for automobiles. Dangerous for people. Very expensive to build and maintain. Jarring environment. Not a pleasant place.

STROAD 

        • Does not move automobiles quickly or safely
        • Dangerous for pedestrians
        • Expensive to build and maintain
        • Encourages low value development.

 

Side by side stroads is the direction we’re headed today.

STROADS are the futon of the transportation network.

STROADS are the futon of the transportation network.

The 222 bypass today is a dangerous STROAD built with highway geometry but with traffic signals instead of on/off ramps and artificially limited to 45 mph. The “bypass” doesn’t move cars efficiently or quickly. It’s also very dangerous. The whole thing is quite frankly a speed trap since the posted speed doesn’t correspond to the design speed. Therefore: STROAD *Note in 2019 the speed limit was increased to 55mph.

On the the boulevard we have a developing STROAD. As of late township staff worked hard to require higher quality development. Still, most PENNDot road improvements have been of a STROAD nature directly conflicting with stated goals of safety, value and walkability. It fundamentally encourages low value strip or “power center” development. For ex. planned driveways off Hamilton Crossings will be super sized and dangerous. That will not make it a very safe place for people. Therefore businesses will respond rationally and over build parking lots, oversized signs, supersized driveways ect. As all this compounds we may wake up one day with Macarther Rd. west.

To fix this we need to STOP and all get on the same page, deciding once and for all what purpose we want these roads to serve. Try to be both and you will fail at both. 

Keys:
Bypass – Purpose to move cars efficiently and quickly between clusters of destinations

  • Grade separation on the bypass. Get rid of the signals and build ramps.
  • Raise the speed limit to 55 (THIS WAS DONE IN 2019)
  • Prioritize through movements.

Boulevard – Purpose foster a vibrant community center. A multi-modal corridor.

  • Calm traffic using techniques/strategies outlined in Penndots smart transportation manual.
  • Transit corridor
  • Make safe for Pedestrians
  • Fix zoning code to allow high value development (as opposed to only strip malls)
  • Neighborhood Commercial