TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM

DATE:  July 19, 2024

TO:       Towns of Hamilton and Ipswich

FROM: Shravanthi Gopalan Narayanan and Srilekha Murthy,

             Boston Region MPO Staff

RE:       FFY 2024 Community Transportation Technical Assistance Program: Traffic-calming in Hamilton and Ipswich

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) provides municipalities with technical assistance on local transportation issues through its Community Transportation Technical Assistance (CTTA) Program. This memorandum details the results of a transportation study on Goodhue Street in the Towns of Hamilton and Ipswich, Massachusetts, funded through this program.

Town staff from Hamilton and Ipswich reached out to MPO staff in November 2023 with a request to study Goodhue Street and adjacent intersections (at Highland Street and Waldingfield Road) owing to concerns raised by residents about the area being used as a cut-through by vehicles traveling at high speeds. Town staff requested that pedestrian access and speeding also be reviewed as part of this study.

In response to this request, MPO staff conducted a site visit and collected data on traffic volumes and vehicle travel speeds to understand whether and to what extent Goodhue Street is being used as a cut-through. Based on our analysis, we provide short-term and longer-term recommendations to enhance safety for all road users, lower speeds, and improve sight distance. We also analyze and discuss whether the possibility of making Goodhue Street a one-way roadway reduces the cut-through traffic.

As Goodhue Street and Waldingfield Road are scenic routes, any improvements on these roadways must be reviewed by the Planning Board before implementation.1

Our recommendations include (1) redesigning the intersection of Goodhue Street at Highland Street; (2) traffic-calming to improve safety at the intersections of Waldingfield Road at Goodhue Street and Highland Street at Waldingfield Road; and (3) installation of signage within the study area.

Figure 1 shows the three intersections of interest in the study area. In this study, MPO staff analyzed existing conditions and proposed recommendations for safer pedestrian crossings and traffic-calming measures at each intersection.

Figure 1
Study Area in Hamilton and Ipswich, Massachusetts

Source: Boston Region MPO Staff..

1         Study Area

The study area lies along the boundary of the towns of Hamilton and Ipswich, both of which are members of the North Shore Task Force subregion in the Boston metropolitan area. The Hamilton-Ipswich town line bisects Goodhue Street. Both Hamilton and Ipswich are home to many natural resources, including Appleton Farms in Hamilton and Crane Estate in Ipswich.

1.1      Roadways

Highland Street is a town-accepted, rural major collector road that carries local traffic through Hamilton, from the border of Hamilton and Wenham to the border of Hamilton and Ipswich.2 The section of Highland Street in the study area is a two-way road with one lane in each direction. It runs north-south and there is a posted speed limit sign of 40 miles per hour (mph) southbound. The paved roadway is about 24 feet wide, with two 11-foot travel lanes and a two-foot shoulder on either side of the road. There are no sidewalks or bike lanes on Highland Street. The land uses surrounding Highland Street are primarily residential and equestrian farms and stables.

Goodhue Street is a town-accepted, local road that carries primarily residential traffic from Highland Street to Waldingfield Road and crosses the border with Ipswich. It runs north-south and operates as a two-way road with one lane in each direction. The paved roadway is about 18 feet wide and has no lane markings. Goodhue Street lacks sidewalks, bike lanes, and speed limit signs. It has stone walls on either side of the street. The surrounding land uses are residential and conservation with equestrian farms and stables; Appleton Farms borders Goodhue Street to the east.

Waldingfield Road is a town-accepted, local road that runs east-west. It operates as a two-way road with one lane in each direction that carries traffic from Highland Street into Ipswich, and shares an intersection with Goodhue Street. The paved roadway is about 18 feet wide and has no lane markings. There are no sidewalks or bike lanes on Waldingfield Road, and the street has posted speed limit signs of 25 mph. The surrounding land uses are primarily residential with equestrian farms and stables, and one lot (outside the study area) recently slated for development as a corporate business retreat.

1.2      Intersections

Goodhue Street connects with Highland Street to the south and Waldingfield Road to the north. Goodhue Street could potentially be used as a cut-through by northbound drivers on Highland Street who are traveling to Waldingfield Road, which leads to Route 1A. This route would allow them to avoid the intersection at Highland Street and Waldingfield Road.

The study area contains three intersections:

Goodhue Street at Highland Street
The intersection of Goodhue Street and Highland Street (Figure 2) is an unsignalized, Y intersection with a stop sign and a stop bar for vehicles approaching the intersection southbound from Goodhue Street. A median with vegetation demarcates Goodhue Street from Highland Street. There is a National Grid-owned electric pole at this median.

Figure 2
Goodhue Street at Highland Street Intersection

Source: Google Street View (October 2019).

Goodhue Street at Waldingfield Road
The intersection of Goodhue Street at Waldingfield Road (Figure 3) is an unsignalized, T intersection with a stop sign and a stop bar for vehicles approaching the intersection northbound from Goodhue Street.

Figure 3
Goodhue Street at Waldingfield Road Intersection

Source: Google Street View (September 2023).

Highland Street at Waldingfield Road
The intersection of Highland Street at Waldingfield Road (Figure 4) is an unsignalized, T intersection with a stop sign and a stop bar for vehicles approaching the intersection westbound from Waldingfield Road.

Figure 4
Highland Street at Waldingfield Road Intersection

Source: Google Street View (October 2019).

2          Community Engagement

MPO staff met with the following staff from the Towns of Hamilton and Ipswich for an in-person site visit on Tuesday, January 23, 2024:

• John Domelowicz, Town Manager for the Town of Hamilton
• Tim Olson, Director of the Department of Public Works for the Town of Hamilton
• Stephen Crane, Town Manager for the Town of Ipswich
• Rick Clarke, Director of the Department of Public Works for the Town of Ipswich

We conducted a walk-through of Goodhue Street and adjacent intersections and took photographs and videos of existing conditions at each intersection. We also discussed issues and concerns in the study area with representatives from the Towns of Hamilton and Ipswich.

3          Issues and Concerns

Town staff discussed several safety and speeding issues with MPO staff. The primary concerns were that Goodhue Street is used as a cut-through for vehicles looking to bypass Route 1A, and that people driving these vehicles frequently speed through residential roads and intersections. Figure 5 shows the proximity of the study area to Route 1A.

Figure 5
Proximity of the Study Area to Route 1A

Source: Boston Region MPO Staff..

MPO staff observed that a portion of a stone retaining wall near Goodhue Street at Waldingfield Road intersection had been damaged due to a truck striking it during a storm. However, there was no other crash history from the MassDOT IMPACT Portal in the study area.3 Additional concerns identified by Town staff were poor sight distances at the intersection of Goodhue Street at Waldingfield Road, and at the intersection of Highland Street at Waldingfield Road.

A new corporate retreat facility has been proposed for development on Waldingfield Road, and residents have expressed concern about the potential additional traffic that might be added to these roadways. The traffic impact of this new facility must be taken into consideration when considering potential improvements to the site.

4          Analysis of Existing Conditions

MPO staff collected several types of data to understand and analyze the existing conditions during the week of January 29, 2024. These data comprise turning movement counts (TMCs) at all three intersections, average weekday traffic volumes, and speed data for the roadways within the study area.

4.1      Daily Traffic Volumes

The combined average weekday traffic volumes (Figure 6) in roadway sections near the intersections are described as follows:

• Goodhue Street: 530 vehicles with a split of 314 vehicles (59 percent) southbound towards Highland Street and 217 (41 percent) northbound towards Waldingfield Road
• Highland Street: 6,300 vehicles with a split of 3,093 vehicles (49 percent) southbound and 3,166 (51 percent) northbound
• Waldingfield Road: 1,700 vehicles with a split of 996 vehicles (58 percent) westbound and 721 (42 percent) eastbound

Figure 6
Average Weekday Traffic Volumes

Source: Boston Region MPO Staff.

4.2      Turning Movement Counts

MPO staff collected TMCs at all three intersections in the study area for the morning peak period (between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM) and the evening peak period (between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM). In addition to vehicles, TMCs also include pedestrians and bicyclists traveling through the intersection. We show the TMC data for the three intersections in Figure 7.

Figure 7
Turning Movement Counts for Intersections in the Study Area

Source: Boston Region MPO Staff.

The combined peak-hour traffic volume data collected indicates that Goodhue Street is used as a cut-through by drivers traveling to Waldingfield Road from Highland Street, who are avoiding the intersection of Highland Street and Waldingfield Road. Of 200 vehicles that traveled on Goodhue Street, only four vehicles continued westbound, while 106 vehicles traveled eastbound on Waldingfield Road towards Route 1A. This suggests that Goodhue Street is indeed being used as a cut-through by a significant number of people.

Only one pedestrian was observed using the intersection of Goodhue Street and Waldingfield Road when the counts were conducted. However, during the site visit, we noticed a few bicyclists traveling westbound on Waldingfield Road and pedestrians walking from Waldingfield Road onto Goodhue Street.

4.3      Vehicle Speeds, Signage, and Pavement Markings

Regulatory signage indicates the traffic regulations of a specific place to road users. Warning signage indicates unexpected roadway conditions on or adjacent to a road in advance to caution road users. An additional emphasis can be provided by placing object markers (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) Chapter 2C. Section 2C.70-73), delineators (MUTCD Chapter 3G), and/or pavement markings (MUTCD Chapter 3B) to improve safety.4

Goodhue Street does not have a posted speed limit. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), roads without a posted speed limit are automatically assigned a statutory speed limit of 55 miles per hour.5 Our data indicated that the average speed on Goodhue Street northbound and southbound traffic is 26 mph, much lower than the statutory speed limit. We typically expect that the speed limit should not exceed 25 mph for a local, residential street like Goodhue Street.

Highland Street has a posted speed limit of 40 mph for southbound traffic, while there are no posted speed signs northbound within the extent of the study area. The average speed on Highland Street northbound and southbound was found to be 36 mph, which is within the posted speed limit.

There are posted speed limit signs of 25 mph at Waldingfield Road for eastbound and westbound traffic, however, the posted speed sign for westbound traffic is right at the intersection of Goodhue Street at Waldingfield Road. We found the average speed on Waldingfield Road westbound to be 31 mph and eastbound to be 29 mph, which are both higher than the posted speed limit.

Other relevant signage in the study area includes the following:

• Stop sign and stop bar at all the three intersections
• “Stop ahead” sign on Goodhue Street southbound, warning vehicles approaching Goodhue Street at Highland Street intersection
• Signage to slow down on Goodhue Street southbound
• “Blind drive” sign Goodhue Street southbound
• “Equestrian Xing” and “Share the Road” signs on Goodhue Street northbound and Highland Street southbound (Figure 8)
• “Caution Blind person” sign on both directions of Waldingfield Road
• “Chicken at play sign” on Goodhue Street southbound and animal crossing signs on Highland Street southbound

Figure 8
Signage on Highland Street Southbound

Source: Google Street View (September 2023).

Table 1 summarizes the average speed on each roadway, the percentage of vehicles traveling within the posted speed limit, and the percentage of vehicles going over the speed limit.

Table 1
Summary of Speed Data

EB = eastbound. Mph = miles per hour. NB = northbound. SB = southbound. WB = westbound.

Source: Boston Region MPO staff.

Figure 9 shows the average speed, 85th percentile speed, 10 mph pace speed, and speed limit zones for the roadways in the study area.6

Figure 9
Speed Data

Source: Boston Region MPO Staff.

When analyzing existing pavement markings, we observed the presence of both stop bars and stop signs at all three intersections. Town staff mentioned that the pavement markings on Highland Street are refreshed every year. There are no other markings on Goodhue Street and Waldingfield Road; both lane markings and crosswalks are entirely absent.

5          Proposed Improvements

MPO staff evaluated the existing conditions to propose both short-term and long-term interventions to improve safety in the study area with input from Town staff. These recommendations are described for each intersection.

5.1      Goodhue Street at Highland Street

We recommend the following short-term interventions at the intersection of Goodhue Street and Highland Street:

• Since Goodhue Street is currently a non-posted, rural roadway, we recommend that speed limit signs (R2-1) be installed for both directions of Goodhue Street (Figure 10a).
• Replace the “Stop Ahead” sign (W3-1) on Goodhue Street southbound ahead of Highland Street with a new one (Figure 10b) and relocate the sign to appropriate distance from the new intersection (recommended distance is 750 feet, however, this distance is a guideline and may be adjusted based on engineering judgment.
• Add "Reduced Speed Limit Ahead” sign (W3-5) on Highland Street before the intersection of Goodhue Street at Highland Street as a short-term improvement. Redesign the geometry of the intersection in the long-term (Figure 10c).

Figure 10a
Recommended Speed Limit Sign (R2-1)

Source: MUTCD (edited by MPO staff).

Figure 10b
Recommended “Stop Ahead” Sign (W3-1)

Source: Google Street View (October 2019) (left); MUTCD (right).

Figure 10c
Recommended “Reduced Speed Limit Ahead” Sign (W3-5)

Source: MUTCD (edited by MPO staff).

In the long-term, we recommend redesigning the intersection of Goodhue Street at Highland Street. The proposed geometry is shown in Figure 11. This redesign would close the existing right turn onto Goodhue Street from Highland Street, and instead create a T intersection further north. This geometry would require vehicles to slow down before turning onto Goodhue Street. It is recommended that a sidewalk (depending on the available right-of-way) is installed at least on the eastern side of Highland Street, and a crosswalk and pedestrian refugee island at the intersection of Goodhue Street at Highland Street. In case a sidewalk, crosswalk or pedestrian refuge island cannot be installed, a center median at the intersection is recommended to slow down the turning vehicles.

Figure 11
Proposed Geometry for Redesign of Goodhue Street at Highland Street

Source: Boston Region MPO Staff.

Town staff requested that we assess the installation of a sidewalk along Goodhue Street for pedestrians. Even though the TMCs indicate low pedestrian traffic, we observed a few pedestrians walking along Goodhue Street during our site visit. We recommend conducting exclusive pedestrian and bicyclist counts before proposing a sidewalk on Goodhue Street.

The eastern edge of Goodhue Street seems to be the most suitable location for a sidewalk, if Town staff decide to install one, because there are minimal disruptions (such as electric poles, multiple property lines, and multiple driveways). However, there is a fire hydrant located on that side of the street that would need to be relocated.

The minimum width of a sidewalk is three feet, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).7 However, the preferred minimum sidewalk width is five feet8 .

5.2      Goodhue Street at Waldingfield Road

We propose the following short-term interventions at the intersection of Goodhue Street and Waldingfield Road:

• Repave Goodhue Street from the Hamilton-Ipswich town line towards Waldingfield Road and maintain it in good condition (Figure 12a).
• Indicate that Waldingfield Road is a shared roadway by installing a “Share the Road” shared-lane sign (W16-1P) (Figure 12b).
• Relocate the posted speed limit sign on Waldingfield Road westbound farther from the Goodhue Street intersection, placing it closer to the Highland Street intersection on Waldingfield Road eastbound to inform drivers from Goodhue Street and Highland Street about the change in the speed limit (Figure 12c).
• Align the stop sign (R1-1) to the stop bar where Goodhue Street meets Waldingfield Road (Figure 12d).

Figure 12a
Existing Pavement Condition on Goodhue Street

Source: Photograph by MPO staff.

Figure 12b
Recommended “Share the Road” Sign (W16-1P)

Source: Bicycle “Three Feet Clearance” Sign Guide.

Figure 12c
Posted Speed Limit Sign on Waldingfield Road

Note: Eastbound view (top). Westbound view (bottom).

Source: Google Street View (September 2023).

Table 12d
Sight Distance at the Intersection of Goodhue Street and Waldingfield Road

Source: Photograph by MPO staff.

We recommend the following long-term interventions for this intersection:

• Evaluate surface friction on Waldingfield Road east of the Goodhue Street intersection and perform any high friction surface treatments needed to improve the overall pavement skid resistance under wet or dry conditions.
• Install Chevron Alignment signs (W1-8) (Figure 13) and shoulder and/or centerline rumble strips (MUTCD Section 6M.06) along Waldingfield Road east of the Goodhue Street intersection to alert inattentive drivers through vibration and sound that their vehicle is leaving the travel lane, thereby preventing run-off-the-road crashes.

Figure 13
Chevron Alignment Sign (W1-8)

Source: MUTCD.

Figure 14 summarizes the proposed traffic-calming strategies at the intersection of Goodhue Street at Waldingfield Road. Traffic-calming strategies are included to tighten the intersection, thereby reducing excess pavement and improving sight distance for all road users. This redesign recommends that a sidewalk (depending on the available right-of-way) is installed at least on the southern side of Waldingfield Road. This redesign includes a crosswalk with a pedestrian refuge island, which would provide a safe crossing environment for pedestrians and a visual cue to remind drivers to slow down when approaching the intersection and/or making turns. If a sidewalk, crosswalk or pedestrian refuge island cannot be installed, a center median at the intersection is recommended to slow down the turning vehicles.

Figure 14
Proposed Traffic-calming Strategies at the Intersection of Goodhue Street at Waldingfield Road

Source: Boston Region MPO Staff.

5.3      Highland Street at Waldingfield Road

We recommend the following short-term interventions at the intersection of Waldingfield Road and Highland Street:

• Realign the stop sign (R1-1) and stop bar closer to the intersection based on the sight distance.
• Stripe a three- to four-foot-wide shoulder on Waldingfield Road and Goodhue Street, due to the presence of excess pavement (Figure 15).
• Install a speed limit sign (R2-1) on Highland Street northbound.

Figure 15
Recommended Shoulder

Source: Rumble Strip Implementation Guide.

We believe that the issues at Waldingfield Road and Highland Street can be addressed with short-term improvements; therefore, we are not proposing any long-term recommendations.

6         Reimagining Goodhue Street as a one-way street

In addition to proposing short-term and long-term interventions, Town staff had suggested we also evaluate the possibility of converting Goodhue Street to a one-way street southbound.

Instead of a one-way conversion of Goodhue Street, we propose redesigning the geometry of the intersection of Goodhue Street at Highland Street (see Figure 11), The design would close one of the entrances to Goodhue Street and create a T intersection at the other, forcing vehicles to slow down before turning onto Goodhue Street regardless of the direction from which they approach the intersection.

The primary reason for this proposed redesign would be to reduce the use of Goodhue Street as a cut through. Our traffic count data suggests that Goodhue Street is being used as a cut-through by a significant number of people driving to Route 1A and avoiding the intersection of Highland Street and Waldingfield Road.

A secondary reason for the proposed redesign is to narrow the intersection approaches and to reduce speeding along Goodhue Street. Currently, drivers traveling north on Highland Street towards Goodhue Street may not slow down adequately before continuing on Goodhue Street. To further improve safety, stop signs with flashing LEDs (Figure 16) can be installed at all three intersections for better visibility at nighttime.

Figure 16
Stop Sign with LED Border

Source: MUTCD Section 2A.11, page 48.

7         Conclusion

The Towns of Hamilton and Ipswich requested that the MPO staff examine Goodhue Street and adjacent intersections (at Highland Street and Waldingfield Road) and evaluate vehicle speeding and sight distances issues. They also asked us to study whether Goodhue Street is being used as a cut-through by drivers traveling to Route 1A and other safety concerns. We analyzed the traffic data and came up with inferences based on the results.

The recommendations discussed in this memo are both short-term and long-term solutions. Short-term recommendations include safety improvements that are easy to install and do not require significant time to implement, such as pavement markings and signage that inform and warn drivers of roadway conditions. The long-term recommendations include options for redesigning the intersections of Goodhue Street to address identified challenges. And finally, we discussed whether making Goodhue Street a one-way roadway helps to reduce challenges of the study area. The recommendations discussed in this memo are focused on enhancing safety for people walking, biking, and driving by improving roadway conditions.

Appendices

Appendix A
Automatic Traffic Recorder (ATR) and Turning Movement Count (TMC) Locations

Appendix B
ATR Data

Appendix C
TMCs Goodhue Street at Highland Street

Appendix D
TMCs Goodhue Street at Waldingfield Road

Appendix E
TMCs Highland Street at Waldingfield Road

Appendix F
Speed Data