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Traffic study says new Royal Residences access fits existing capacity; neighbors dispute results
Summary
MDM Transportation told the Town of Concord planning board that sight lines and intersection capacity would improve after a relocated driveway, with the project generating roughly 1,000 weekday trips and about 80–92 peak-hour trips; nearby residents said the study underestimates local congestion and urged the board to rely on the peer review.
MDM Transportation presented traffic findings to the Town of Concord planning board, saying the proposed Royal Residences development at 275 Forest Ridge Road would generate about 1,000 weekday trips and roughly 80–92 vehicle movements during peak hours. Jack Lawrence, the presenter, said the relocated driveway improves sight lines and that Main Street and Forest Ridge Road can accommodate the project without triggering a traffic signal warrant: "Traffic fits well within capacity," he told the board. He added the team proposes 1.66 parking spaces per unit and a total of 394 parking stalls.
Why it matters: Neighbors and board members pressed the consultant for details about how hourly peaks were derived from the ITE trip rates and how events at nearby facilities (an ice rink and the Thoreau Club) were captured in counts. Resident Andrew Ingalls told the board the report understates impacts and that technical terms were not explained for lay readers. "That's not gonna be true," Ingalls said of the presenter’s conclusions, arguing the study downplays likely local impacts.
What the study says: Lawrence said the analysis used October counts to capture active school and hockey-season traffic, included post-pandemic travel patterns and a background project (Powder Mill apartments), and found the Main Street/Forest Ridge Road intersection would remain at level of service D or better in both no-build and build scenarios. The study also modeled future growth and found sight lines improved with the proposed driveway relocation, which removes one of two adjacent curb cuts.
Responses and next steps: The applicant and traffic reviewer emphasized that ITE trip generation distributes commuter departures over several hours and that the 80–92 figure describes peak-hour entries/exits rather than total residents leaving each day. Board members and several residents asked the traffic peer-review consultant to verify those calculations before the board makes a final determination. The chair noted the site’s traffic peer review will be posted when complete and said the board will consider those findings at a subsequent hearing.
Where things stand: The planning board accepted a written extension from the applicant to allow time for peer-review letters and follow-up responses, and continued the public hearing to Jan. 23, 2025, giving the traffic peer reviewer time to post comments and for the applicant to respond.
