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Consultants say AM peak delays could rise under two‑lane options; many peak trips are long-distance cut‑throughs
Summary
Apex consultants told the Envision Needham Center working group that two- and three‑lane alternatives increase travel delay during peak hours if all traffic stayed on Great Plain Avenue, but much of the worst congestion stems from long-distance cut‑through commuter trips; consultants used recent ATR counts and cell‑phone origin‑destination data in
Traffic consultants presented updated modeling at the Sept. 29 meeting showing that travel times through Needham Center would increase during the worst peak-hour conditions if all vehicles remained on Great Plain Avenue — and that a substantial share of the AM peak volume appears to be long-distance through‑traffic.
What was presented: the study used automatic traffic recorder counts from Sept. 9, calibrated intersection turning‑movement counts, and a stochastic micro‑simulation engine (replica/VISSIM-style modeling). The consultants compared four‑lane (retain lanes), hybrid (three‑lane), and two‑lane road‑diet alternatives and kept pedestrian-exclusive phasing at the two signalized intersections.
Key technical points and why they matter
- Peak periods and measurement: consultants focused on three critical windows — AM peak (07:45–08:45), school dismissal (14:45–15:45) and PM peak (16:00–17:00) — because those periods produce the greatest delay and therefore the greatest incentive for drivers to divert.
- Delay and queuing:…
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