Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Median topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Study proposes center median on Route 304; consultants estimate roughly 300 crashes could be avoided
Summary
The Route 304 concept includes a center median to prevent left turns from through lanes; consultants said the analyzed stretch logged 838 crashes and estimated about 300 could be prevented by medians combined with U‑turn facilities, though access and truck movements present trade‑offs.
Scott Levine of Transpo Group highlighted a multi‑mile proposal on Route 304 to introduce a center median that would prohibit left turns from the through lanes and shift turning movements to U‑turn facilities or signalized intersections. Levine said the corridor segment analyzed recorded about 838 crashes, roughly 600 of which were the types a median would address, and the team forecast that approximately 300 crashes could be avoided by implementing medians alongside complementary treatments.
The trade‑offs: the consultant stressed medians improve safety but reduce direct property access: drivers wanting to turn left would need to use quarter‑mile to half‑mile spaced U‑turn facilities (which could be designed as roundabouts, widened signalized intersections, or dedicated U‑turn treatments). Levine also noted that some U‑turn solutions accommodate only passenger cars; larger trucks would require different accommodations or larger geometry that increases footprint.
How it performs: modeling showed medians would address many angle and left‑turn crash types and provide a measurable safety benefit. The study team emphasized that the median is one option among several and that each corridor location includes multiple alternatives (roundabouts or signal improvements), all of which will be subject to further engineering, environmental review and funding feasibility.
Public input and next steps: presenters asked residents to indicate whether comments applied corridor‑wide or were site specific. Any median proposal would advance only after engineering design, right‑of‑way evaluations and environmental review; cost estimates vary with footprint and property impacts, and the team said some improvements can be under $1 million while roundabouts and larger pavement changes can reach single‑digit millions.
No final decision was made at the workshop; the jurisdictions will compile public comments and use the study concepts to seek funding and pursue design and environmental review if selected.
