Technical Memorandum

DATE:   May 6, 2021

TO:         Michelle Romero and Yem Lip, City of Malden

FROM:   Casey Claude, MPO Staff

RE:         Locations with High Bicycle and Pedestrian Crash Rates in the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Area: Main Street and Centre Street in Malden

This memorandum summarizes the analyses and improvement strategies for the intersection of Main Street and Centre Street in Malden.

This memorandum contains the following sections:

1. Study Background
2. Existing Conditions
3. Issues and Concerns
4. Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel
5. Crash Data Analysis
6. Improvement Recommendations
7. Conclusions and Next Steps

The memorandum also includes technical appendices that contain data and methods applied in the study.

1          Study Background

The location in Malden was selected because the intersection at Centre Street and Main Street is located within a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) eligible pedestrian crash cluster.1 Although it is the one intersection chosen for this study that isn’t located within an HSIP bicycle crash cluster, the intersection is located within a transportation analysis zone (TAZ) that exceeds the regional thresholds for minority and low-income populations, making it a high priority location for safe and comfortable walking and bicycling.2

MPO staff discussed safety and operations issues at the intersection and the scope of work for the study with the City of Malden, which expressed interest and willingness to participate in the study. The intersection is a heavily used connection in downtown Malden and is at the center of a Complete Streets project that Malden planned to put out to bid in the fall of 2020. The purpose of this study is to provide recommendations that the city can incorporate into its Complete Streets design and pending improvements. It is important to note, however, that Centre Street is also state Route 60 and may be subject to state jurisdictional regulations.

Safe bicycle and pedestrian facilities at the intersection are particularly important because of the location’s proximity to the Northern Strand Community Path, which meets Main Street less than one-tenth of a mile south of the study intersection. To the north of the intersection are restaurants, shops, and other businesses that are easily accessible by foot or bike. There are many destinations south of the intersection, including a Stop & Shop one block to the west of the location. Several bus routes pass through Centre Street and Main Street; less than one-half of a mile to the west of the intersection is Malden Center Station, which serves the Haverhill Commuter Rail Line, the Orange Line, and 13 bus lines. The City of Malden recognizes the need to improve the intersection to ensure safe and comfortable travel for all users. Figure 1 shows the location of the intersection and the surrounding roadways.

Figure 1
Main Street and Centre Street Intersection

Existing Conditions

The intersection of Centre Street and Main Street is a four-legged, signalized intersection. Main Street is a north- and southbound roadway while Centre Street travels east and west. All four approaches to the intersection include three lanes, with two through lanes and one exclusive left turn lane. Centre Street is striped for three approaching lanes and two departure lanes on both sides of the intersection, with the directions of travel separated by landscaped medians. Main Street is striped for three approaching lanes and one departure lane, with a concrete median separating the lanes of travel south of the intersection.

On the southeast corner of the intersection is a building that includes an AT&T store, a Subway shop, a dry cleaners, a US Army Career Center, and Mimi’s Roast Beef and Seafood (Figure 2). The businesses open directly to the sidewalk, with a parking lot to the east of the structure that adjoins the parking lots for Sacred Hearts Parish to the south and the Centre Plaza businesses to the east.

Figure 2
Southeast Corner of Intersection

On the northeast corner of the intersection is a Verizon store with a parking lot to its east (Figure 3). The northwest corner of the intersection is anchored by Commerce Place, which includes Cambridge Health Alliance corporate offices, a Bank of America, a Spaulding Outpatient Center, a Massachusetts Department of Education Food Distribution Center, and other businesses (Figure 4). The southwest corner of the intersection has a small area of landscaping that separates the sidewalk from a large parking lot in front of a Walgreens Pharmacy (Figure 5). In the northwest corner of the parking lot is a small, standalone building where Jay’s Pizza and Ice Cream is located.

Figure 3
Verizon Store on Northeast Corner of Intersection

Figure 4
Commerce Place on Northwest Corner of Intersection

Figure 5
Walgreens on Southwest Corner of Intersection

There are many curb cuts for parking lots within the vicinity of the study intersection, but the majority of the curb cuts only extend for the width required to accommodate one entering and one exiting vehicle. Sidewalk height remains relatively constant through the driveways, as opposed to dipping to meet roadway level, which helps to communicate that the area is a pedestrian zone, increasing driver awareness and pedestrian safety (Figure 6).

Figure 6

Driveways to the Walgreens parking lot maintain a constant sidewalk height, communicating the area is a pedestrian zone. The narrow driveway widths and the tight turning radii encourage greater driver attention and slow vehicle travel speeds.

Source: Google Street View

Sidewalks run along both sides of every approach to the intersection, all exceeding the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) minimum width of five feet. Fading ladder-style crosswalks mark each crossing with solid white lines between two parallel solid white lines (Figure 7). Apex curb ramps are located at each of the intersection’s four corners. There are no bicycle facilities along either roadway.

The pedestrian signal push buttons at each corner are Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS), meaning they include tactile and audible components to communicate to hearing- or vision-impaired users when it is safe to cross the intersection.

The intersection’s concurrent pedestrian phases are push-button actuated. There are two, one-section pedestrian signal heads at each corner that feature a 12-inch LED symbols display and include countdown displays for the pedestrian Flashing Don’t Walk phase.

FIGURE 7

All four curb ramps are apex, as pictured here looking north along the intersection’s west leg from the southwest corner.

There is a bus stop for routes 99, 104, 105, and 106 outbound at the intersection, and all four inbound routes pass through the location as well. The outbound bus stop is located on the northbound lane of Main Street, just south of the Centre Street intersection. Centre Street does not include on-street parking. Main Street, however, features on-street parking south of the intersection and one block north of the study location.

3          Issues and Concerns

The biggest concern at the Centre Street and Main Street intersection is that it is located within an HSIP-eligible pedestrian crash cluster. While there are pedestrian accommodations such as sidewalks and pedestrian signals at the intersection, there are several elements in need of improvement.

Sidewalks meeting minimum width requirements are present throughout the area and they are generally in a good state of repair. In some locations, however, the sidewalks are cracked or feature vegetation growing up between the slabs of concrete, suggesting the presence of gaps that could impede travel for people with mobility impairments (Figure 8).

FIGURE 8

Vegetation grows between the concrete sidewalk slabs outside of the Verizon store on the northeast corner of the intersection.

Although there are curb ramps with truncated dome detectable warnings at all four corners of the Centre Street and Main Street intersection, they are all apex ramps, which direct users to travel into the middle of the intersection instead of directly along a crosswalk (Figure 9).

The pedestrian signal push buttons are difficult to actuate. This may be a product of the button design or a result of use.

FIGURE 9

Apex curb ramp on the southwest corner of the intersection directing pedestrians into the middle of traffic instead of along the path of either crosswalk.

During peak travel hours, staff observed traffic backing up on Main Street north of the intersection. This appears to be influenced by the traffic signal one block north of Centre Street, where Main Street meets Exchange Street/Irving Street (Figure 10). This can make it difficult for bicyclists and pedestrians to cross the north and east legs of the intersection.

FIGURE 10

Traffic backed up on Main Street north of the intersection.

Staff observed fading along the crosswalks for all four legs of the intersection, although the crosswalk markings across the west leg of the intersection are more faded than the others (Figure 11).

Current intersection geometry at all four corners create wide turning radii, which allow vehicles to take quick turns and make it more difficult to see pedestrians waiting to cross the intersection.

FIGURE 11

Fading crosswalk markings across the west leg of the intersection.

The lack of bicycle facilities in the area leads pedestrians and bicyclists to share sidewalk space. This is particularly troublesome given the pedestrian volumes during peak travel hours (Figure 12).

Staff did not observe bicycle racks within the vicinity of the Centre Street and Main Street intersection.

FIGURE 12

A bicyclist and pedestrian begin to cross the intersection after sharing sidewalk space while waiting for the pedestrian signal.

4          Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel

On August 6, 2020, during one hour of peak PM travel, MPO staff counted 92 pedestrians and 21 bicyclists. Staff observed the greatest number of pedestrians traveling southward on the western side of the intersection, toward the direction of Walgreens from the northwest corner where Commerce Place is located. Many bicyclists observed at the intersection were traveling along the sidewalks.

MPO staff graded the intersection of Main Street and Centre Street in Malden using the Boston Region MPO’s Pedestrian Report Card Assessment (PRCA) and Bicycle Report Card tools to assess the safety and comfort of the area for people walking and bicycling. 3 The grading categories reflect the MPO’s Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) goals and assess the quality of four different aspects of the environment: Capacity Management and Mobility, Economic Vitality, Safety, and System Preservation. The report cards also prioritize locations based on Transportation Equity factors, incorporating another Boston region LRTP goal.

Figure 13
Signalized Intersection PRCA for Main Street and Centre Street in Malden

The intersection scored well for pedestrians in the subjects of Capacity Management and Mobility and Economic Vitality. This is due to plentiful, wide sidewalks at the intersection, the presence of marked crosswalks across every leg, and the fact that many pedestrians travel through the location. The current pedestrian delay, which is the amount of time a pedestrian waits in the signal cycle for the pedestrian crossing phase, of approximately 28 seconds is decent but could be improved. The curb ramps with truncated domes at each corner of the intersection are a good start, but all four are apex ramps.

The intersection’s score sharply drops for Safety because of (1) its location in an HSIP-eligible crash cluster and (2) the fact that the pedestrian crossing phase is concurrent with vehicle traffic without including a Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) or No Right Turn on Red signage to minimize conflicts between motorists and pedestrians. The amount of time provided for pedestrians to cross the intersection receives a “Fair” grade because it allows pedestrians to travel at a speed of 3.32 feet per second across the intersection’s longest leg, which is approximately 95 percent of the Federal Highway Administration maximum crossing speed of 3.5 feet per second. This guidance aims to provide sufficient time for all users to complete an intersection crossing. Vehicle travel speed is considered good at the intersection of Centre Street and Main Street because the average does not exceed 25 miles per hour.

Sidewalk condition is fair at the location because, although segments of concrete are in need of repair, the sidewalks themselves are of sufficient width and located on both sides of all four intersection legs. Finally, the intersection is considered a High Priority area for pedestrian transportation equity because the proportions of all four populations (low-income, minority, elderly, and zero-vehicle households) at the location exceed their regional averages and the intersection is located within a quarter mile of a school.

Figure 14
Bicycle Report Card for Main Street and Centre Street in Malden

The intersection of Main Street and Centre Street received a failing score for all four Bicycle Report Card grading categories. The lack of bicycle facilities played a large factor in the ratings. In Capacity Management and Mobility, this absence outweighed the fact that there is a bus stop at the intersection to satisfy the half mile Proximity to Transit metric and, at less than one-tenth of a mile north of the Northern Strand Community Path, the intersection is within one-quarter mile of bicycle facilities.

In the Economic Vitality category, the absence of bicycle racks effectively negates the value of the diverse land uses at the location, which create many origins and destinations for bicyclists within the study area.

All four legs approaching the Centre Street and Main Street intersection feature three lanes of traffic, with three of the legs separated by a median from motorists traveling in the opposite direction. This earned the location a failing grade of 50 for the Number of Travel Lanes performance metric. There was one bicycle crash from 2013–17 at the intersection, resulting in the location’s failing score of 70 for “Absence of Bicycle Crashes.” The lack of bicycle facilities at the intersection and the associated absence of bicyclist operating space along both roadways additionally contribute to the location’s failing Safety score.

Without bicycle facilities at the location, it was impossible for either roadway to earn points for bicycle System Preservation, which led to another failing grade. Finally, the intersection is considered a High Priority area for pedestrian transportation equity because the proportions of all four populations (low-income, minority, youth, and zero-vehicle households) at the location exceed their regional averages and the intersection is located within one-quarter mile of a school.

5          Crash Data Analysis

5.1      Collision Trends

Forty-nine crashes were recorded over the five-year period between 2013 and 2017. Table 1 breaks these crashes down by type of collision, severity, and factors that may have influenced the crash. One crash involved bicyclists and seven crashes involved pedestrians. All eight crashes with nonmotorists were single vehicle collisions that occurred in dry conditions. Two pedestrian-involved crashes happened during peak evening travel times, but the remaining collisions involving nonmotorists all occurred during off-peak travel hours.

Table 1
2013–17 Crash Summary

* Peak periods are defined as 6:00–9:00 AM and 3:00–6:00 PM

Some highlights of the data include:

• 17 crashes (35 percent) were angle collisions
• 16 crashes (33 percent) were rear-end collisions
• 21 crashes (43 percent) occurred under dark conditions on lighted roadway, including two of the pedestrian-involved crashes

5.2      Collision Diagram

MPO staff also prepared a collision diagram for the study intersection to examine crash patterns. Police reports were obtained for the years 2013–17. Figure 15 shows the collision diagram. The index numbers in the collision diagram may be used to cross-reference the crash records in Appendix B. The index numbers with circles around them refer to injury or fatal crashes, depending on the thickness of the circle line.

Figure 15
Collision Diagram: MassDOT Crash Data 2013–17
Main Street and Centre Street Intersection in Malden

Safety Analysis

After analyzing the collision data, MPO staff concluded that crashes within the study area primarily appear to be caused by confusion and lack of visibility. Every pedestrian-involved crash for which police provided information about the nonmotorists at the time of the collision stated that the pedestrians were either entering or crossing a specified location or in a marked crosswalk at the intersection. The danger to pedestrians at this intersection may be attributed to two key factors:

• Vehicle stop lines near the intersection make it more difficult to see pedestrians crossing the intersection than if vehicles stopped at a distance set farther back from the intersection.
• The wide turning radius of the intersection corners reduce pedestrian visibility and allow drivers to take turns quickly, which may lead drivers to search for openings in vehicle traffic without noticing crossing pedestrians.

6          Improvement Recommendations

One improvement that would help all users at the intersection is the proper trimming of vegetation for purposes of visibility. In particular, overgrown tree branches outside Commerce Place may obscure the view of traffic signals.

Pedestrian Improvements

• Replace apex curb ramps with paired curb ramps, which are a separate curb ramp and landing for each direction of crosswalk.
• “Paired curb ramps on a corner allow better alignment for people using mobility aids and for pedestrians with vision impairments and make it easier to separate the APS.
• Paired curb ramps allow pedestrians with disabilities to be aligned with the crossing direction while waiting to cross the street.
• Paired curb ramps help meet the separation requirements for APS.” 6
• Add pedestrian detectable warnings with truncated domes to each new curb ramp. The detectable warnings are ADA requirements to help users with disabilities distinguish between the safety of the sidewalk and the danger of the roadway.
• Fix or replace the existing pedestrian signal push buttons to make them easier for pedestrians to actuate.
• Study signal retiming to determine whether pedestrian delay at the intersection can be minimized, pedestrian crossing time increased, and LPIs can be added to the signal cycle without causing unreasonable impacts to traffic flow in the area.
• If LPIs cannot be added to the signal cycle, add No Turn on Red signage.
• Modify medians between approach and departure lanes on Centre Street and Main Street south of the intersection to create ADA-accessible pedestrian refuge spaces wide enough to accommodate a waiting pedestrian in a wheelchair or with a stroller. If pedestrian crossing time cannot be increased, the accommodations for waiting pedestrians will ensure that users can safely cross the intersection at any speed, even if they need to break their crossing into two separate stages of pedestrian phases in the signal cycle.
• Move vehicle stop lines back from the intersection on all four approaches to increase pedestrian visibility.
• Repaint fading crosswalk markings.
• Fix the existing sidewalks where there are cracks in the concrete.
• Fix intersection geometry by extending (bumping out) sidewalks at each corner to decrease the turning radius, which will slow turning vehicles and increase pedestrian visibility.

Bicycle Improvements

• Add bicycle racks to the intersection and nearby locations. Refer to the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals bike parking guidebook for recommendations and rationale. 5
• Add minimum five-foot wide paved bike lanes on both sides of Main Street south of the intersection. Maintain minimum five-foot wide sidewalks by extending the curb and narrowing traffic lanes where necessary. Separate bicyclists and pedestrians by using different materials for each mode, such as concrete and pavement, and by adding vegetation, street furniture, or a third surface material to distinguish between the designated areas. This will safely and comfortably connect bicyclists and pedestrians to the Northern Strand Community Path.
• Test separated bicycle facilities along Centre Street.
• Both Centre Street approaching roadways measure more than 37 feet wide and feature three lanes of travel. This could be tightened to three 10-foot wide vehicle travel lanes, a five-foot wide bicycle lane, and a buffer approximately two feet wide.
• The Centre Street intersection departing roadways measure more than 26 feet wide and feature two travel lanes. This could be tightened to two 10-foot wide vehicle travel lanes, a five-foot wide bicycle lane, and a buffer at least one foot wide.
• Use green paint to draw driver awareness to bicycle route crossing Main Street intersection with Centre Street.
• Add bicycle detection to signals for all intersection approaches.

Figure 16
Proposed Improvements Conceptual Plan
Main Street and Center Street

Conclusions and Next Steps

7.1      Conclusions

The above evaluations and recommendations support the need for improvements that would enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety and comfort at the intersection of Main Street and Centre Street in Malden. All of the suggestions address concerns related to crashes involving people walking or bicycling. Although MPO staff were not able to analyze traffic volumes and assess travel patterns because of variations in travel behavior resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, this memorandum presents several approaches that the City of Malden could take to improve the quality of the pedestrian and bicyclist environment at this intersection without significantly affecting other modes of travel.

7.2      Next Steps

As traffic patterns return to their previous levels over the coming months and years, Malden should consider documenting the motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and other users who regularly travel through the intersection of Main Street and Centre Street. A better understanding of travel volumes by mode and turning movements would be helpful for completing applications for regional, state, and federal funding to support infrastructure improvements. If future assessments of the intersection determine that the location would benefit from geometric reconfiguration or the installation of new infrastructure for bicycle and pedestrian safety, Malden may consider applying for Transportation Improvement Program funding through the Boston Region MPO.