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Home My WebLink About1.08 Level 2 traffic asssessment..r FELSBURG C� FfULT & liLLEV1G engbiecring paths to tramsportutimi solutions August 14, 2007 Mr. Thomas A. Zancanella Zancanella & Associates, Inc. 1011 Grand Avenue Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 RE: level Two Traffic Assessment RTZ Industrial Gravel Pit FHU Project No. 07 -097 Dear Mr. Zancanella: At your request, Felsburg Holt & Ullevig has prepared the following Level Two Traffic Assessment for the proposed RTZ Industrial Gravel Pit. This gravel pit will be located between Parachute and DeBeque on the west side of Garfield County Road (CR) 300 between State Highway (SH) 6 and the Colorado River (see Figure 1). The property is currently undeveloped. SH 6 is under the jurisdiction of the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) which has adopted the State Highway Access Code (SHAG). CDDT Region 3 allows three different types of traffic impact analyses based on the amount of traffic generated by a proposed site. For development proposals that generate moderate volumes of traffic, a level Two Traffic Assessment that analyzes potential trip generation and auxiliary lanes is required. The proposed RTZ Industrial Gravel Pit will encompass 78 acres with an anticipated capacity of 600,000 yards of gravel. The proposed mining and extraction operations will produce approximately 150,000 tons per year over ten years. TRIP GENERATION Site generated traffic comprises only those trips originating or terminating within the proposed gravel pit. The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Trip Gene_ ration Manual, Sixth Edition, 1997 does not contain trip generation rates for a gravel pit land use. Therefore, trip generation was estimated based on operational information provided by the applicant. For this analysis, it was estimated that trucks would carry an average of 20 tons per load, based on anticipated mix of tractor /trailers (5 -axle) and dump trucks (single -unit, 3- axle). This translates into 7,500 total truck loads per year or 15,000 total truck trips (in and out) per year. There would be an average of approximately 26 loads per day on a 286 -day work year. The plant would have three full time employees throughout the year, with one additional employee working during the peak seasons. There would be an average of two service /maintenance vehicles coming on site each day. This would increase by one vehicle during the peak season. Table 1 summarizes the average annual and average daily loads and visits per year from the site at full production for gravel trucks, full -time employees, and service - maintenance vehicles. t�300 South rcl us, ��',i�, S«ite 600 Ccn €cnmal, C,0 80111 t.I 301.721.1440 fllix 303.771.0ti32 IIEVII(,.00111 inf(10.+.? fl) U e I)!'' -00111 August 14, 2007 Mr. Thomas A. Zancanella Page 2 Table 1. Average Annual and Daily Trip Generation Trl T e Percent of Annual Average Daily Traffe Trucks in unloa ded and out loaded Fnn 52 Em la ees da s 3 full time — em to ee da s 70 6 Service Vehicles 2 er da -- visits Trucks 4 Total 17,860 fit The operating year is generally broken into quarters reflecting weather conditions and related construction activities. Anticipated production by quarter is shown in Table 2, along with the corresponding number of daily vehicle trips for each period. The State Highway Access Code requires that trucks over 40 feet in length be accounted for as the equivalent of three (3) passenger cars. The total traffic column showing equivalent passenger cars in Table 2 reflects this equivalency. Peak production would occur from May through July, with 35 percent of the annual output. To present a conservative analysis, it was assumed that one additional employee would be needed for crushing, screening and reclaim operations during the peak summer season. Based on these assumptions, on a typical day during the peak season, the site would generate approximately 90 vehicle trips. Thus, average conditions are approximately 69 percent of the peak season. Table 2. Annual Production and Daily Trip Generation by Quarter Time of Year Percent of Annual Working Da Xs Average Daily Vehicles Total Daily Volume (equivalent passenger cars Nov - Dec - Jan 15% 70 Trucks 32 96 Employees 3 full timel 6 6 Service /Maintenance Vehicles 2 per day 4 4 Seasonal Total 44 106 Feb - Mar - Apr 20% 71 Trucks 44 132 Employees 3 full time 6 6 ServicelMaintenance Vehicles 2 per day) 4 4 Seasonal Total 54 142 May - Jun - Jul 35% 73 Trucks 76 228 Employees 4 full time 8 8 Service /Maintenance Vehicles Q per day)! 6 6 Seasonal Total 90 242 Aug - Se — Oct 30% 72 Trucks 64 192 Employees 4 full time)_ 8 8 Service /Maintenance Vehicles 3 per tie 6 6 Seasonal Total 78 206 August 14, 2007 Mr. Thomas A. Zancanella Page 3 Table 3 shows the distribution of the vehicle trips and equivalent passenger car movements throughout the day, The hourly distribution is based on conversations with the plant manager at a concrete and gravel plant west of the City of Longmont. Approximately nine vehicle trips (25 equivalent passenger cars) would occur during the AM peak hour of adjacent road traffic (CR 300), and approximately seven vehicle trips (19 equivalent car movements) would occur during the PM peak hour. Table 3. Hourly Trip Distribution Hourly Distribution Trucks vehicles In Out Employees /Service vehicles In Out vehicles/ Total Traffic uivalent ass. cars In Out Total 5:90 - 5:59 AM 0% 2 2/2 212 6:00 - &59 AM 11% 4 3 1 5113 319 8122 7:00 - 7:59 AM 11% 4 4 1 5/13 4112 9125 8:00 - 8.59 AM 8% 3 4 319 4112 7121 9 :00 - 9:59 AM 8% 4 3 1 5/13 319 8122 10:00 -10:59 AM 9% 4 4 1 4112 5/13 9/25 11:00 - 11;59 AM 9% 4 4 4112 4/12 8/24 12:00 - 12:59 PM 8% 2 3 2/6 319 5/15 1:00 - 1:59 PM 9% 3 3 1 4110 319 7119 2:00 - 2:59 PM 8% 3 3 1 319 4/10 7119 3:00 - 3:59 PM 9% 3 3 1 4/30 3/9 7119 4:00 - 4:59 PM 8% 3 3 1 3/9 4190 7/19 5:00 - 5:59 PM 3% 1 1 -2 113 3/5 418 5:00 - 6:59 PM 0% 2 2/2 212 7:00 - 7:59 PM 0% Total 100% 38 38 7 7 451121 451121 90/242 This analysis illustrates that anticipated gravel pit operations will generate approximately 25 trips during the design (warning) peak hour. This is between the limits of 10 to 99 vehicles per hour established by CDCT Region 3 for a Level Two Traffic Assessment. TRIP DISTRIBUTION It is estimated that the directional distribution of all traffic will be: • 55% to and from the east on SH 6 which is the direction of Parachute, ■ 35% to and from the west on SH 6 which is the direction of DeBeque, and ■ 10% to and from the south on CR 300 crossing the Una bridge over the Colorado River. This pattern is shown on Figure 2 along with the morning and evening peak hour volumes that would be generated by the proposed development and would use SH 6. Figure 7 shows modest traffic volumes for proposed RTZ Industrial Gravel Pit operations. The maximum westbound left - turn volume from SH S onto CR 30 to access the site is 7 equivalent passenger cars per hour for anticipated operations. August 14, 2007 Mr. Thomas A. Zancanella Page 4 BACKGROUND TRAFFIC GROWTH Current daily traffic volumes on SH 6 and CR 300 (see Figure 3) were obtained from the CDOT website, 2006 State Highway Traffic Statistics and the Garfield County website, respectively. The current volumes are relatively modest at 1,300 vehicles per day (vpd) on SH 6 and 250 vpd on CR 300. According to 2006 State Highway Traffic Statistics, the peak hour represents 9% of the dally volume, and a nearby section shows approximately 55% of the peak hour travels in the heavier direction. Thus, more traffic is directed toward the east (Parachute) in the AM peak hour. For the PM peak hour, the traffic is heavier in the westbound direction (to DeBeque). It was assumed that the rate of growth in background (unrelated to the site) traffic volumes on SH 6 over the next 20 years would be a factor of 1.98, which was also obtained from the CDOT website. Future background traffic volumes that are likely to occur in 2027 are also shown on Figure 3. TOTAL TRAFFIC Figure 4 was prepared to show the current and future design peak hour traffic volumes that were forecasted at the access point of the site and at the intersection of the adjacent roadway. This is the sum of background and site - generated traffic. Trucks related to the gravel pit have been converted to equivalent passenger cars (as calculated in Table 3). The traffic forecasts show that westbound left turns from SH 6 to CR 300 would increase from 13 equivalent passenger cars per hour (epcph) to 19 epcph in 2 02 7. The corresponding number of right - turning vehicles from eastbound SH 6 to CR 300 would increase from 9 epcph to 13 epcph. SH 6 has a FR (frontage road) category access according to the State Highway Access Category Assignment Schedule. Comparisons with the guidelines for the FR category show that a westbound left turn lane will be needed on SH 6 at CR 300 for the site to access the highway. The westbound left turn criterion for a deceleration lane is more than 10 vehicles per hour (vph). Based on the assumption that SH 6 has a 65 mph speed limit through this section, the deceleration lane should have a length of 800 feet (which includes a transition taper at a ratio of 25:1). No storage is required. Assuming that the left turn lane would be centered on the existing highway, the redirect taper (65:1 ratio) would be 520 feet to create the additional 16 feet in the median. A second redirect taper will be necessary on the west leg of the intersection. Eastbound right turn deceleration lane criterion for category FR requires more than 25 vehicles per hour (vph). Since the right turn volume is 13 epcph in the future, this type of auxiliary lane is not required. Similarly, the criterion for an eastbound right turn acceleration lane (50 vph) would not be met. The forecasted right - turning volume is 20 vph. NEARBY ACCESS ON SH 6 & 24 CBOT Region 3's guidance for a Level Two Traffic Assessment requests information about nearby existing access points within 1000 feet. A review of recent aerial photography reveals that the only access within 1,000 feet of the SH 6/CR 300 intersection is the north leg of the intersection which appears to be a driveway to an unrelated business August 14, 2007 Mr. Thomas A. Zancanella Page 5 Please call if you have questions or need additional information. Sincerely, FELSBURG HOLT & ULLEVIG David E. Hattan, P.E., PTOE Associate 1 FE?LSBURG HULT & C� 80 i i 1 Figure 1 Vicinity Map North RTZ indus'rial Gravai Pit UPaatn, 07 -097, 8113107 I 1 i i 1 Figure 1 Vicinity Map North RTZ indus'rial Gravai Pit UPaatn, 07 -097, 8113107 C FELSBURG & 1 -fULT U 1, 1, E V 10 LEGEND XXX(7 XX) = AM(PM) Equivalent Passenger Cars Per Hour xx % = Site Trip Distribution Figure 2 Site- Generated Traffic Distribution and Volumes North R7L Ind�sl nai Grave! Pa, 07.097, 4/24107 1 FELSBURG 110 L'I S ULLEVIG 9$2N �7 r g�� 0 LEGEND _ Sao XXX(XXX) = AM(PM) Equivalent Passenger CH ,300 Gars Per Hour XXXX = daily Traffic Volumes xx% = Site Trip Distribution 2 Current (2007) �4�1�a1 Z6�� Future (2027) 1 Figure 3 Background Traffic North H3 t indUSUial Gravel M. 07.497, 41241!17 HOLTRG I-1 C7 I. T & ULLEV lG g�C:a�l mr o r ar) —R oD T C o r r .rte. CI.! r CR 3 p 9 LO C ,.-.rn cv o r N f 1 {S�� '� • CR 0 LEGEND] XXX(XXX) = AM(PM) Equivalent Passenger Cars Per Hour Current (2007) Future (2027) [ Figure 4 Total Traffic North RTZ InCH slrial Graval P.i, 07.087, d,` ?6(67