Williamstown — Williams College has hired the firm Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB) to conduct a six-month transportation study.
One aspect of the study involves traffic safety and focuses on the movement of vehicles at specific intersections where both Campus Safety Services and the town have noted safety concerns. The study will evaluate the movement of vehicles at those locations and recommend improvements that can be implemented through projects and/or ongoing operations.
Temporary video cameras will be mounted on poles on Sunday, February 16, to record vehicular traffic on Tuesday, February 18, at the following intersections: Water Street at Main Street; Spring Street at Main Street; Lynde Lane at Stetson Road; Park Street and Hoxsey Street at Main Street; Park Street at Whitman Street/Mission Park; North Street/South Street at Main Street; and North Street at Whitman Street. The cameras will record the number of vehicles passing through each intersection and their travel direction (through, left, right). Four hours of data will be collected and analyzed for peak traffic between 7 and 9 a.m. and 4 and 6 p.m. The cameras will stop recording after 6 p.m. on February 18 and may remain in place for an additional day, if delayed by weather conditions.
Pedestrians will not be identifiable in the video, which is reviewed by software. A human will review the footage only if there is a particular concern with the traffic volume reported, to confirm the count. Volumes are recorded in 15-minute increments. Videos are processed independently for each intersection, so there is no possibility to link trips or trip patterns.
VHB, who will conduct the comprehensive six-month study, is a national engineering and transportation-planning firm. The firm has extensive experience with transportation planning in higher education and municipal settings.
The traffic study is part of a comprehensive evaluation of transportation to allow the college to understand and proactively address the impacts of evolving academic needs, student life, planned facility and infrastructure renewal, and new development on roads, buildings, parking lots, and open spaces. The resulting plan will offer a forward-looking strategy for transportation as a whole on the campus and a framework for mobility that is integrated with the college’s sustainability and universal access goals, including parking, pedestrian and bicycle networks, and accessibility. The plan will also inform policies and commuter-support programs appropriate to ensuring ongoing commuter choice.
Click here for more information on the comprehensive transportation study or the specific traffic safety study.
