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Planning board reviews draft traffic‑study guidelines; staff to refine thresholds
Summary
Traffic engineer Elizabeth McChesney presented draft Middletown traffic impact study guidelines proposing a 100‑trip threshold and detailed data and software standards; board members asked staff to clarify thresholds so small projects are not overburdened and to add references to ITE guidance and study‑area rules.
The planning board reviewed draft Traffic Impact Study (TIS) guidelines prepared by Crossman Engineering and presented by registered traffic engineer Elizabeth McChesney.
McChesney outlined a recommended workflow: an initial scope memo to define study limits, manual turning‑movement counts during weekday AM and PM peak hours (7–9 a.m., 4–6 p.m.), 48‑hour ATR guidance for segment counts, preferred analysis software (Synchro for microsimulation; HCS for roundabouts), crash‑data review (town‑supplied five‑year dataset), and industry standard trip‑generation rates (ITE). She said the typical threshold for a full study is 100 or more new trips but that other triggers include increased pedestrian activity, signal changes, or projects on heavily developed corridors (East Main Road, West Main Road, Valley Road, Quonochontaug/Quinnac Avenue as cited in the draft).
Board members commended the technical detail but requested clearer, implementable thresholds and an off‑ramp for minor developments (for example, two‑lot subdivisions) so small projects are not required to perform full studies. Members suggested extracting key summary metrics (for example, volume‑to‑capacity ratios) into a simple board‑facing table to help non‑engineers evaluate developer submissions. Staff agreed to meet with board members and the presenter to soften mandatory language, reference ITE/industry guidance explicitly and provide clearer study‑area rules before returning a revised draft for further review.
Next steps: staff and the consultant will draft clarified threshold language and incorporate references to ITE guidance; a small working group of board members will review the recommended edits before the draft is returned to the board and solicitor for ordinance/regulation placement.
