Submit Subm it Pu Public Commen mments 73 rd S.R. 55 S.R. 55 at at - PDF document

10/22/2020 We Welcome • Purpose/explanation of public hearing rd Av 73 rd S.R. S. R. 55 55 at at 73 Avenue • Public hearing format Intersection Improvement • Visit our sign ‐ in table Town of Merrillville, Lake County • Informational handouts • Participate during public comment session Indiana De Ind Departm rtment of of Transpo ansportation • Submit written public comments Thur ursda sday, Oct October 22, 22, 2020 2020 • Project display area 6: 6:00 00 p.m p.m. Merril Merr illv lville Hi High School ool 1 2 rd Avenue Submit Subm it Pu Public Commen mments 73 rd S.R. 55 S.R. 55 at at 73 enue • Introduction of INDOT project team • Sign-in at attendance table to be added to • Submit public comments using the options described in the first page of project mailing list. the information packet: • Project management • A public hearing notice was mailed to known • Public involvement • Public Comment Form property owners in the project area. • LaPorte District – INDOT Regional Office • Via e-mail (cjc@troyergoup.com or thollandsworth@indot.in.gov) • An announcement of this hearing was posted to • Environmental services • Participating during the public comment session via microphone INDOT’s website. • Real estate Note that verbal comments will be recorded and transcribed for inclusion into the public hearing transcript. • • A copy of the presentation and project • INDOT respectfully requests comments be submitted by Troyer Group • documentation is available online via INDOT’s Engineering, design, and environmental Thursday, November 6, 2020. • website. analysis team • Legal notice publishing: • Recognition of elected and local public • All comments submitted will become part of the public record, and they will be • Times in Northwest Indiana officials entered into a transcript, reviewed, evaluated, and given full consideration during • October 7, 2020 and October 14, 2020 the decision-making process. 3 4 Projec Pro ect St Stak akeholde ders Project Resour Pro urce ce Loc Locatio tions • Indiana Department of Transportation • Indiana Division Federal Highway Administration • La Lake Cou County Pu Public blic Libr Library, Merrillville errillville Br Bran anch • Lake County, Town of Merrillville 1919 W. 81st Ave., Merrillville, IN 46410 • Elected and local officials Phone: (219) 769 ‐ 35421 • Residents and citizens Visi Visit the the pr project we web pa page: https://www.in.gov/indot/4090.htm • Commuters • Businesses Transpor sportation tion Serv Services Call Call Ce Center er • Emergency services Provides citizens and business customers with a single point of contact to request transportation • Schools services, obtain information, or provide feedback through multiple channels of communication. • Churches 855 855 ‐ 463 463 ‐ 68 6848 48 • IN INDOT4U.com • INDOT@indot T@indot.in. in.gov • Community organizations 5 6 1

10/22/2020 Pro Projec ect Dev Developm pmen ent En Envir vironm nmental Docu Document National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) • Requires INDOT to analyze and evaluate the impacts of a proposed project to the natural and socio- economic environments • NEPA is a decision-making process • Purpose and Need • Alternatives Screening Preliminary design Environmental phase • Preferred Alternative Additional work to Real estate acquisition phase Project selection begins finalize environmental Release environmental Early coordination Purpose & Need document and project • Impacts are analyzed, evaluated, and described in an environmental document for public design Construction Develop alternatives review and comment document • What are the impacts this project might have on the community? • How can impacts be avoided? • Can impacts be minimized? Public Hearing Public Involvement – Communicate Project • Mitigation for impacts? Decision • Environmental document released for public involvement • June 2020 • Available for review via public repositories 7 8 En Envir vironm nmental Docu Document Ex Exam ample ples of of It Item ems Ev Evaluated • Environmental Process Right-of-way Air quality • • Streams, wetlands, and other waters Noise • Establish purpose and need • • Floodplains Community impacts • Develop possible alternatives • • Endangered species Environmental justice • The “Do Nothing” alternative is a baseline for comparison • • • Evaluate and screen alternatives Farmland Hazardous materials • • • Identify a preferred alternative Cultural resources Permits • • (historic/archaeological) Mitigation • • Solicit public comment on environmental document and preliminary design plan Parks and recreational lands (trails) Public involvement • • • Address and consider public comment as part of decision-making process Commercial development • • Finalize and approve environmental document 9 10 Exis Existin ting In Intersec ection Exis Existin ting In Intersec ection Calumet Park Cemetery NORTH NORTH NORTH Calumet Park Cemetery SR 55 / Taft St. SR 55 / Taft St. SR 55 / Taft St. Dairy Queen Luke Oil Shopping Center Gas Station 73 rd Ave. Dairy 73 rd Ave. Queen Luke Oil Gas Station 11 12 2

10/22/2020 rd Av rd Av 73 rd 73 rd S.R. S.R. 55 55 at at 73 Ave. – P – Project Pu Purpose and and Need Need S.R. S.R. 55 55 at at 73 Ave. – P – Project Pu Purpose and and Need Need (c (cont.) Pu Purpos ose Need (c Need (cont.) • Increase operational safety at the intersection by reducing the frequency and • Intersection improvements must also ensure operational efficiency. severity of vehicular accidents. • Maintain or improve operational efficiency in the construction year and the horizon year. • Existing intersection operates at a intersection Level of Service (LOS) C – “Stable Flow.” Need Need • Accident rate is exceedingly high • If the area experiences a relatively low 0.3% yearly traffic growth • INDOT assesses accident rate as accidents per 1 million vehicles entering (MVE) intersection. • Potential operational deficiencies begin at a rate of 1.5 accidents per MVE. rate, LOS will decrease to D within 20 years. It would be even • The SR 55 at 73 rd Ave. crash rate is 4.2 accidents per MVE. sooner with higher growth. • Accident data: • 455 total accidents from 2008 to 2019 (38/year) • Higher intersection congestion leads to increased accidents. • 104 (23%) resulted in injury, 2 resulted in death • 249 (55%) were rear end collisions • 143 (31%) involved a failure to yield, typically while turning 13 14 Other Ot her Al Altern rnativ ives es Consi nsider ered ed Pref Preferre red Alterna ternative – Round oundabout about Inte tersec ecti tion on • No • Meets purpose and need of project No Build Build (Sign (Signaliz lized ed Inte tersection tion) • Baseline for comparison of build alternatives • Enhances safety by: • Does not meet purpose and need, does not enhance safety at the intersection, • Reducing the operational speed along the SR 55 and 73 rd Ave. corridors and operational efficiency is likely to decline with traffic growth. • Reducing the number of potential vehicle conflict points • Va Various Roun unda dabout Geomet etri ries es • Significantly reducing the severity of traffic accidents • Si Single ngle ‐ Lan Lane Rounda undabo bout ut • Optimized lane configuration enhances operational efficiency at the intersection • Safest roundabout geometry, but design year LOS of F “Gridlock.” • Dual Existi Exis ting Sign Signalized Inte tersection: tion: Rounda undabo bout: ut: Dual ‐ Lan Lane Rounda undabo bout • Highest expected crash frequency among all roundabout alternatives, albeit fewer injury ‐ Construction Year Construction Year causing accidents. AM LOS: C / PM LOS: C AM LOS: B / PM LOS: B • Si Single ngle ‐ Lan Lane, wi with Ri Right ‐ Tu Turn By Bypass ss Lane Lanes Horizon year (forecasted traffic) Horizon year (forecasted traffic) • Safest multi ‐ lane geometry, but design year LOS of D “Approaching Unstable Flow.” AM LOS: D / PM LOS: D AM LOS: C / PM LOS: C • Dual Dual ‐ Lan Lane Rounda undabo bout wi with Si Single ngle ‐ La Lane ne Exi Exits • Similar crash expectancy to preferred alternative but operated a lower expected LOS. 15 16 Roundab undabout ut – I – INDOT Pref Preferre red Al Alterna rnativ ive Roundab undabouts uts En Enhance hance Saf Safety ty • One ‐ way circular intersection • Collisions at traditional intersections U.S. DOT Federal Highway Administration Statistics are severe because of: • Traffic flows counter ‐ clockwise around a center island Traditional intersections account for: • High speed • • Yield at entrance 45% of all crashes ‐ FHWA • • Angle of impact 33% of all traffic fatalities ‐ FHWA • No parking Compared to traditional intersections, • No “activity” in center island roundabouts: • Reduce fatalities and injuries by 82% ‐ FHWA • Reduce total crashes by 44% ‐ FHWA • Require vehicles to travel at lower speeds For more information: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/innovative/round abouts/ 17 18 3