HomeMy WebLinkAboutTrans 2016-03-21 Item 2B - Discussion - Tukwila International Boulevard Pedestrian Crossing EvaluationTO:
FROM:
BY:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
City of Tukwila
Allan Ekberg, Mayor
Public Works Department - Bob Giberson, Director
INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
Mayor Ekberg
Transportation Committee we
Bob Giberson, Public Works Director' _
Robin Tischmak, City Engineer
March 18, 2016
Tukwila International Blvd — Pedestrian Crossing Evaluation
ISSUE
Present the results of a pedestrian crossing evaluation on Tukwila International Blvd between
S 140th St and S 144th St by The Transpo Group.
BACKGROUND
In 2015, the City commissioned a pedestrian crossing evaluation by The Transpo Group to study the
high levels of pedestrian crossing activity near the Abu -Bakr Mosque located at S 141st St and Tukwila
International Blvd. The study area included the entire street segment between S 140th St and S 144th St
on Tukwila International Blvd (TIB).
DISCUSSION
The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
provides a graphical analysis for when the comparative volumes of both pedestrians and vehicles could
warrant a signalized crossing. In this particular case, a signalized crossing would be warranted when
the recorded traffic volume of 890 vehicles coincides with approximately 125 - 130 pedestrian crossings
during the peak hour. The Transpo Group's study found that based on the documentation of 238
pedestrian crossings per peak hour, high traffic volumes, and pedestrian delays; there is a
demonstrated need for a pedestrian crossing in the vicinity of S 141st St and Tukwila International Blvd.
After consideration of the warrant analysis and the physical characteristics of the street segment, a fully
signalized intersection at S 140th St is the preferred engineering recommendation. The recommended
traffic signal would facilitate pedestrian crossing safety, improve access to TIB as well as promote
traffic calming measures along this key growing area near Tukwila Village. This recommendation also
assumes that the existing pedestrian crosswalk between S 142nd St and S 144th St will remain in place
as an alternative crossing location and would be upgraded to a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon.
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the study information provided for pedestrian and vehicle volumes, vehicle speeds, land use,
and geometric conditions, a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon will be installed at the existing
crosswalk between S 142nd St and S 144th St and a future signalized intersection is recommended at
Tukwila International Boulevard and S 140th St.
Attachments Memorandum by the Transpo Group
GIS map of TIB area
W:IPW EngIPROJECTSIA- RW & RS Projects\TIB at S141st Crossing (Abu Bakr Mosque request)IInfo Memo TIB S 141st Pedestrian Study 03 -18 -16 gl.docx
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MEMORANDUM
Date: September 23, 2015
To: Bob Giberson, Public Works Director, City of Tukwila
From: Ryan Peterson, PE, PTOE, Adam Parast, EIT and Tuan Nguyen, EIT
Subject: Tukwila International Boulevard — Pedestrian Crossing Evaluation
TG: 15153.00
This memorandum summarizes the pedestrian crossing evaluation conducted on Tukwila International
Boulevard between S 140th Street and S 144th Street in the City of Tukwila, Washington. The scope of the
analysis described in this memorandum includes a study of recent pedestrian counts, traffic volumes, and
travel speeds to determine the need for and safety and feasibility of constructing a mid -block pedestrian
crossing across Tukwila International Boulevard.
Project Description
Study Area
Tukwila International Boulevard has sidewalks on both sides and marked crosswalks at the signalized
intersection of S 144th Street. Additionally there is a mid -block crosswalk between S 144th Street and S
142nd Street with a pedestrian refuge island between the opposing pair of travel lanes. The next marked
crosswalk to the north is on S 132nd Street which is approximately a mile way. The roadway is a five -lane
Major Arterial with two lanes in each direction and a center two -way left -turn lane (TWLTL). The posted
speed limit is 35 miles per hour (mph). King County Metro Transit route 124 operates in the study area
with three bus stops within the study area. There is a bus stop between S 141' Street and S 142nd Street
in front of the Abu Bakr Islamic Center, a bus stop between S 142nd Street and S 144th Street and a bus
stop between S 140th Street and S 141" Street.
Land uses within the vicinity of the study area include a mix of residential and commercial zones. To the
east and west of Tukwila International Boulevard there is multifamily residential and single - family homes.
Between S 140 ' Street and S 141st Street is a large mobile -home park on the east side of Tukwila
International Boulevard. As part of the land uses in the vicinity, there is motel and future development on
the corner of S 144th Street and Tukwila International Boulevard. Between S 142nd Street and S 144th Street
there is a 7- Eleven convenience store and a Bartell Drugs store. The Abu Bakr Islamic Center is located
on the corner of S 141St Street and Tukwila International Boulevard. It is the one of the largest centers for
the Islamic faith in the State of Washington.
In the greater vicinity of the study area, there are several schools that serve students and families in the
surrounding neighborhoods. An elementary, middle, and high school are all located within three - quarters
of a mile from the location of the crossing evaluation. From field visits and conversations with City staff, it
was found that there are several vulnerable user groups that rely on crossing Tukwila International
Boulevard for various activities during the day.
Traffic Volumes
Pedestrian Volumes
Pedestrian volumes were collected on Friday, August 14, 2015 during mid -day data collection period of
12:00 to 2:30 p.m. and Tuesday, August 25, 2015 during the evening data collection period between 4:30
and 6:00 p.m. From talks with the Director of the Abu Bakr Islamic Center, Friday is considered a busy day
for the Islamic Center and the mid -day prayer service generates the most pedestrian traffic. Data was
collected on August 251h in order to get a sample set for a PM peak hour time period. In addition, there is a
daily evening prayer service at the Abu Bakr Islamic Center at 5:30 p.m. which falls into the data collected
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during the PM peak hour time. Weather during data collection on Friday, August 14, 2015 was raining quite
heavily and the weather on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 was mainly sunny with warm temperature. It should
be noted that pedestrian crossings were counted for both pedestrians utilizing marked crosswalks and
pedestrians jay - walking across Tukwila International Boulevard. Pedestrian volumes for the evening peak
hour collection period remained fairly constant but the pedestrian volumes for the mid -day collection period
fluctuated in conjunction with the prayer service at the Islamic Center. Pedestrian counts for the data
collection period of 12:00 to 2:30 p.m. are summarized in Table 1 and the pedestrian counts for the data
collection period of 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. are summarized in Table 2. A graphical representation showing the
numbers and routes of observed pedestrians is shown in Appendix B.
Table 1. Existing (2015) Pedestrian Crossing Volumes on Tukwila Int. Blvd. (12:00 to 2:30 p.m.)
Time Period
S 140TH Street
S 141st St S 141st St
West of East of
Tukwila Int. Tukwila Int.
Blvd Blvd
S 142nd St
S 142nd St to S 144th S 144TH St Totals
St1
EB WB
EB WB EB WB EB WB EB WB EB WB
Mid- All
Blockz
12:00- 12:15p.m. 0 0
12:15 — 12:30 p.m. 0 3
12:30 — 12:45 p.m. 0 0
12:45 — 1:00 p.m. 0 0
1:00 — 1:15 p.m. 1 2
1:15 — 1:30 p.m. 0 4
1:30 — 1:45 p.m. 1 0
1:45 — 2:00 p.m. 0 0
2:00 — 2:15 p.m. 0 0
1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 6 (1) 13
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 5 (1) 14
1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 (1) 5
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 4 0 (4) 11
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 2 (3) 13
0 12 3 37 0 0 0 3 2 1 (13) 75
0 19 0 18 0 0 1 1 1 1 (6) 48
0 7 5 30 0 0 0 1 4 1 (23) 71
1 2 0 5 0 0 0 1 3 0 (3) 15
2:15 — 2:30 p.m. 0 0
0 2 31 4 0 0
2 1 1 4 (101) 146
Total 2 9 (3) (42) (39) (95) (0) (0)
13 25 20 (156) 411
1 — Mid -block crossings with pedestrian activated overhead beacon between S 142nd St and S 144th St.
2 - Mid -block (jay walking) crossings between S 140th Street & S 141St Street, S 141St Street & S 142nd Street, and S
142nd Street & S 144th Street.
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Table 2. Existing (2015) Pedestrian Crossing Volumes on Tukwila Int. Blvd. (4:00 to 6:00 p.m.)
Time Period
S 141st St
S 140TH Street West of
Tukwila Int.
Blvd
S 141st St
East of
Tukwila Int.
Blvd
EB WB EB WB EB WB
S 142nd St
S 142nd St to S 144th S 144TH St Totals
St'
EB WB
EB WB EB WB
Mid-
All
Block2
4:00 — 4:15 p.m. 0 0
4:15 -4:30 p.m. 2 0
4:30 — 4:45 p.m. 1 1
4:45 — 5:00 p.m.
5:00 — 5:15 p.m.
5:15 — 5:30 p.m.
5:30 — 5:45 p.m.
5:45 — 6:00 p.m.
Total
1 1
6 3
3 2
0 0 1 0 0 1
0 0 0 3 0 1
0 0 1 4 0 1
0 0 1 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0
2 0
0 0 0 0 0 0
3 2
0 6 5 4 (1) 18
1 4 7 8 (1) 27
3 3 13 2 (1) 30
3 2 7 7 (2) 24
2 2 3 16 (0) 33
1 1 6 9 (1) 23
2 2 4 12 (1) 23
6 2 11 2 (3) 40
18 9 (4) (2) (8) (7) (0) (4) 18 22 56 60 (10) 218
1 — Mid -block crossings with pedestrian activated overhead beacon between S 142nd St and S 144th St.
2 — Mid -block (jay walking) crossings between S 140th Street & S 141st Street, S 141st Street & S 142nd Street, and S
142nd Street & S 144th Street.
As shown in Table 1, the majority of pedestrians crossing Tukwila International Boulevard outside of marked
crosswalks at the signalized intersections involved pedestrians crossing at S 141st Street next to the Abu
Bakr Islamic Center. There were 45 (3 eastbound, 42 westbound) pedestrians recorded at S 141st Street
to the west of Tukwila International Boulevard and there were 134 (39 eastbound, 95 westbound)
pedestrians recorded at S 141st Street to the east of Tukwila International Boulevard. The majority were
heading to /from the Abu Bakr Islamic Center for the 1:30 p.m. prayer service.
As shown in Table 2, the majority of pedestrians crossing Tukwila International Boulevard outside of the
marked crosswalk at the signalized intersection involved pedestrians crossing at the mid -block crossing
between S 142nd Street and S 144th Street which has an overhead pedestrian beacon and refuge island.
Although there was a prayer service at the Islamic Center at 5:30 p.m., there was not a large amount of
pedestrians that crossed at S 141st Street as compared to the 1:30 p.m. prayer service. Most of the other
mid -block crossings were concentrated between S 142nd Street and S 144th Street at the marked crosswalk.
Vehicle Volumes and Speeds
Vehicle volume and speed data collected in March of 2012 was obtained from the City as part of a study
done for the City by KPG Interdisciplinary Design. In addition to the March 2012 vehicle volumes and speed
data, more recent vehicle volumes and speed data were provided by the City for March 2015. Average
Daily Traffic (ADT) volumes along Tukwila International Boulevard collected just south of S 144th St were
18,054 as seen in Table 1 from the KPG speed study. Median vehicle speeds were reported at around 30
mph, with 85th percentile speeds reported between 34 mph and 40 mph south of S 144th Street, and 45
mph to 50 mph north of S 139th Street. See the attached data from the KPG study from 2013 for the vehicle
volumes and speeds as well as the attached data from Traffic Data Gathering on the most recent vehicle
volumes and speeds.
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Crossing Evaluation
An analysis of mid -block crossings was conducted as part of the evaluation of the non - motorized facilities.
The analysis was performed based on the national research and best practices including NCHRP Report
562: Improving Pedestrian Safety at Unsignalized Intersections. The report evaluated multiple crossing
treatments in regards to pedestrian safety and includes a standard analysis methodology to determine the
appropriate treatment for a pedestrian crossing. The analysis methodology defines minimum pedestrian
volumes recommended for crossing treatments, checks pedestrian signal warrants, and evaluates
pedestrian delay. The analysis results in a recommended crossing treatment and can vary from simple
signing and pavement markings to full traffic signals.
Pedestrian Volumes
NCHRP 562 recommends a minimum of 14 pedestrians per hour for a peak -hour evaluation for the
installation of a marked crosswalk for speeds that exceed 35 miles per hour, and 20 pedestrians per hour
for roadways with speeds of 35 miles per hour or less. As seen in Figure 2 in Appendix B, the maximum
number of pedestrians recorded crossing Tukwila International Boulevard near S 141st Street was 238
during the 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. peak hour. However, as seen in Figure 3 in Appendix B, the maximum
number of pedestrians recorded crossing Tukwila International Boulevard at S 141st Street was 12 during
the 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. peak hour. It is possible that other time periods during the day may have higher
recorded instances of jaywalking, including the afternoon peak period when schools in the area are out of
session. In addition, it is expected that the construction of a midblock crossing would attract additional
pedestrians who currently choose not to walk and cross Tukwila International Boulevard due to the lack of
facilities or a safe crossing.
Pedestrian Volume Signal Warrant
Pedestrian volumes were evaluated for the Tukwila International Boulevard / S 141st Street intersection
based on the signal warrants described in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD,
2009). The pedestrian volume warrant includes traffic volumes on the major street (Tukwila International
Boulevard) and the total of all pedestrian crossings. In order to meet the minimum threshold for
pedestrian signal warrants, there must be 75 pedestrians per hour (pph) for a four -hour data collection
period or 93 pph for a single peak hour. Based on a review of the pedestrian volumes collected during the
mid -day peak hour, the maximum number of pedestrians recorded crossing Tukwila International
Boulevard near the S 141st Street intersection was 238. The total traffic volume was 890 from the recent
March 2015 speed study done by Traffic Data Gathering given by the City divided into
northbound /southbound directions and curb /median lanes at S 139th Street. Figure 1 below shows Figure
4C -8 from the MUTCD with the pedestrian and vehicle volumes experienced near the S 141st
Intersection plotted relative to the threshold for Warrant 4, Pedestrian Peak Hour.
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TOTAL OF ALL
PEDESTRIANS
CROSSING
MAJOR STREET
PEDESTRIANS
PER HOUR (PPH)
Figure 4C-8. Warrant 4,
500
300
rian Peak Hour (70% Factor)
MAJOR STREET — TOTAL. OF BOTH APPROACHES—
VEHICLES PER HOUR (VPH)
pph applies as me lower threiSheed volume.
1100 1200
Figure 1. Warrant 4 for Pedestrian Volume of Tukwila International Boulevard & S 141st Street
Based on Figure 1, the signal warrant is met as the total pedestrian volume is above the minimum
pedestrian volume of 93 pph for the pedestrian peak hour.
Pedestrian Delay
With both the signal warrant and the minimum pedestrian volume met, NCHRP Report 562 can be used to
find the appropriate treatment. NCHRP Report 562 categorizes the treatment options into three categories:
Enhanced, Active, and Red.
The crosswalk category of treatments would include standard signs and pavement markings per the
MUTCD. No other treatments would be recommended under this category.
Enhanced treatments include strategies to increase the visibility of the crossing location and pedestrians
waiting to cross. Warning signs, markings, or beacons in this category are present and active at the
crossing at all times.
Active treatments include devices that are activated only when pedestrians are present or crossing the
street. Devices in this category would include activated lights such as Rectangular Rapid Flashing
Beacons, in- pavement lights, etc. A good local example of active treatments is at the crosswalk between
S 142' Street and S 144th Street, approximately 700 feet to the south of the study intersection. This
crossing includes edge -lit LED pedestrian signs and in- pavement lights that are activated by the pedestrian.
The Red category of treatments includes those devices that provide a Red indication to motorists when a
pedestrian is present and in the crosswalk. Currently, the only treatment in this category approved for use
in the MUTCD is a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon, or HAWK signal.
The NCHRP Report 562 analysis methodology relies on total pedestrian delay and expected driver
compliance to determine what category of treatment should be recommended. The methodology for
evaluating pedestrian delay is provided in Chapter 19 of the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM, 2010). HCM
provides a methodology for evaluating average pedestrian delay utilizing a level -of- service (LOS) letter
grade based on traffic volumes, crossing distance, and the likely yielding behavior of drivers. Note that this
piece of the evaluation does not consider the number of pedestrians crossing or desiring to cross at this
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location. However, it provides an average delay a pedestrian wanting to cross Tukwila International
Boulevard would be anticipated to wait. Appendix B shows the calculation for the average pedestrian delay
and the pedestrian Level of Service (LOS) based on the Highway Capacity Manual. The average pedestrian
delay in seconds for the study area is 18.8 seconds and the pedestrian LOS is C.
Applying the average delay to the total number of pedestrians wanting to cross Tukwila International
Boulevard near the S 141st Street intersection results in a total delay of 1.24 hours. It should be noted that
based on field observations, pedestrians use the TWLT lane as a refuge — looking for an acceptable gap in
one direction of traffic at a time, allowing them to cross to the TWLT lane and wait for an acceptable gap in
the opposing direction. Observations of pedestrians utilizing the TWLT lane as a refuge and the long
distance between the mid -block marked crossing at S 144th Street and the marked crossing a mile away at
S 132 "d Street suggests that there is a need for a median refuge island under existing conditions.
With a total delay of 1.24 hours and an expected driver compliance of low to high, the NCHRP 562 suggests
an Active treatment for the study intersection. Improvements under this scenario include in- roadway
warning lights, pedestrian crossing flags, and overhead flashing amber beacons.
Delay calculations for the 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. peak hour were not performed since there was only 12
pedestrians crossing Tukwila International Boulevard during this period. In this situation, the NCHRP 562
recommends considering median refuge islands, curb extensions, traffic calming, etc. as feasible.
Obstacles and Opportunities
In considering the installation of a pedestrian crossing across Tukwila International Boulevard, several
factors were evaluated. These include the following:
Maximizing pedestrian use through appropriate choice of location
The location of a proposed crossing is essential to insure it meets the routing needs of the pedestrian. If
not properly located, pedestrians will continue to choose to cross in locations that are more convenient to
their routing choice and avoid out -of- direction travel. The majority of pedestrians crossing Tukwila
International Boulevard outside of marked crosswalks at the signalized intersections involved pedestrians
crossing from /to the Abu Bakr Islamic Center. Most of the crossings were concentrated near the intersection
of Tukwila International Boulevard and S 141st Street. If a crossing is installed, it should be installed as
close as possible to this intersection between the opposing bus stops. There is a curb bulb in place at the
corner of S 141St Street that can be considered as a spot for the proposed crossing.
Proximity of proposed crossing to other marked crossings
The signalized intersection of Tukwila International Boulevard with S 144th Street is approximately 1,100
feet from S 141st Street and the mid -block crossing between S 142 "d Street and S 144th Street is
approximately 700 feet apart from S 141st Street as stated earlier. The next marked crosswalk to the north
of the study area is approximately 3,200 feet or 0.6 miles away. In general, WSDOT's Pedestrian Facilities
Guidebook recommends that mid -block pedestrian crossings not be installed within 600 feet of an existing
crossing except in cases where there is a well- defined need. The Guidebook also recommends that mid -
block crossings not be installed within 300 feet of a signalized intersection. Due to the origin- destination
relationship of the land uses on opposite sides of Tukwila International Boulevard, and based on field
observations and pedestrian counts, there seems to be a demonstrated need for a crossing. The existing
pedestrian behavior is partly due to the out -of- direction travel required to use the existing crosswalks at the
signalized intersections of Tukwila International Boulevard and S 144th Street. The proposed placement of
the crossing at the S 141St Street intersection would meet the requirements set forth in the Pedestrian
Facilities Guidebook.
Proximity and impact to nearby driveways and roadways
There are several driveways and roadway approaches along Tukwila International Boulevard, particularly
between S 141St Street to the west of Tukwila International Boulevard and S 141St Street to the east. The
25
installation of a pedestrian refuge island may restrict left turn access onto S 141st Street heading in the
northbound direction. Depending on the size of the pedestrian refuge island, this may have an effect on
the left turns onto S 141St Street in the southbound direction. In addition, left turns from S 141st Street to
Tukwila International Boulevard northbound may pose as a conflict zone. In field observations during the
mid -day peak hour, it was observed there were a few vehicles that used the TWLT lane to turn left onto S
141st Street. Development of the pedestrian refuge island needs to further study the effects it may have on
access to residents and drivers on S 141st Street. It should be noted that there is an existing landscaped
island just to the north of the S 141st Street intersection. Reconstruction of this median to allow for
pedestrian refuge is an option.
Other Considerations
If a pedestrian crossing is installed, other considerations should be evaluated during design. This would
include lighting of the crossing. Tukwila International Boulevard currently has continuous street lighting
along the roadway. However, lighting should be provided specifically for the pedestrian crossing that meets
City standards as well as the ANSI /IESNA RP -8 -00 Roadway Lighting standard. Consideration should also
be given to strategies to further delineate the pedestrian crossing and guide pedestrians to its location.
Also, many pedestrians were observed walking from the Bartell Drugs parking lot to the south, and walking
on the west side of Tukwila International Boulevard to the Abu Bakr Islamic Center. It is also noted that on
S 141St Street on the same side as Abu Bakr Islamic Center, residents have posted no parking signs outside
of their residence.
Proper signing should be implemented at the proposed crossing including the use of R5 -1 "YIELD HERE
TO PEDS" sign and YIELD lines approximately 50 feet from the crosswalk. The purpose of this signing
and marking is to minimize the "multiple threats" scenario of one vehicle in one lane yielding to a pedestrian
while a vehicle in the other lane does not.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Based on field observations and a study of pedestrian and vehicle volumes, vehicle speeds, land use, and
geometric conditions, it is concluded that a demonstrated need exists for a pedestrian crossing across
Tukwila International Boulevard in the vicinity of the S 141st Street intersection. This conclusion is based
on the following:
1. High pedestrian activity along the corridor, including 238 pedestrians crossing outside of marked
crosswalks in a one hour period during the mid -day collection period.
2. High origin- destination relationship of land uses and availability of parking on opposing sides of
Tukwila International Boulevard, combined with the high out -of- direction travel required to use
existing crosswalks. Most of the observed pedestrian crossings outside of marked crosswalks
occurred near the S 141St Street intersection.
3. High pedestrian delay and lack of adequate gaps to make a safe crossing. This results in
pedestrians utilizing the TWLT lane for two -stage crossing.
Based on the analysis and conclusions detailed in this memorandum, it is recommended that a pedestrian
crossing be installed across Tukwila International Boulevard in the vicinity of the S 141st Street intersection.
This crossing should include a pedestrian refuge island and pedestrian actuated devices to warn motorists
of the presence of a pedestrian. Examples would include RRFB's, in- pavement flashing lights, etc.
26
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