Rochester Road 3-Lane Conversion

Traffic Study by Fleis & Vandenbrink

The city hired engineering firm Fleis & Vandenbrink to perform a traffic study on the corridor to evaluate the impact of a road diet. Below is a summary of the key points:

1. Rochester Road is a major road and is signed for 35 mph.  2019 traffic counts (pre-COVID) show an average daily traffic ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 vehicles per day.
2. Traffic counts were taken at the six primary intersections along the corridor to evaluate how each intersection is currently operating and how it is predicted to operate with a road diet in place.  Intersection traffic volumes were increased to account for pre-COVID traffic volumes.
3. Traffic studies evaluate the “level of service” (LOS) at intersections. Generally, LOS of A to C is considered great, D is acceptable, E is poor and F is failing.
   • With a 3-lane road diet in place, all intersections will operate at LOS D or better, with a few areas with LOS E.   These areas are expected to be improved by optimizing the traffic signal timings along Rochester Road.
   • With a 3-lane road diet in place, the 20-year forecast indicates similar operations with minor additional delays due to modeled traffic growth (though traffic is actually expected to decrease slightly).
4. There were 374 accidents over a 5-year period (2016-2020), and 77 of these crashes had associated injuries (no fatalities).   40% of the crashes were rear-end crashes, which is common on roads without a center turn lane.  A road diet is expected to result in a 17% reduction in crashes per year along the corridor and will significantly reduce rear-end crashes.

Click the image of the cover page to the right to view the complete traffic study.