PROPOSED PROJECT. Section PROJECT DESCRIPTION

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1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION This Environmental Assessment describes the proposed improvements to 2.05 miles of Baldwin Road from 0.15 miles south of Morgan Road to 0.27 miles north of Waldon Road, in Orion Township, located in Oakland County, Michigan (see Figure 1.1, page 1-2). Setting Orion Township is on the northern fringe of a major concentration of commercial development centered near the 1-75/M-59 interchange and is influenced by the growth of the Oakland County Automation Alley. The General Motors Orion Assembly Plant, located at Giddings and Silverbell, continues to be a major employer for the Township and surrounding areas providing jobs, tax base and as a magnet for other industrial expansion. Baldwin Road lies within the urban boundary limits of Oakland County and is classified as an urban minor arterial. This segment of Baldwin Road serves as a main north/south arterial roadway in this section of northern Oakland County. It provides a direct link to I-75 for Orion, Independence, Oxford and Brandon Townships as well as destinations further north in Lapeer County. Baldwin Road also provides an alternative route to M-24 in northern Oakland and southern Lapeer Counties. Baldwin Road in the study area is generally a two-lane undivided roadway with either gravel or paved shoulders. Over the years, several multi-lane improvements have been made at several high traffic volume intersections, such as Maybee Road and Waldon Road. Private development has added lanes at various locations throughout this portion of Baldwin Road to help facilitate turning movements into some commercial and residential developments. The portion of Baldwin Road under study is located 0.4 miles north of the I-75/Baldwin Road Interchange. It borders the Brown Road commercial area which is positioned between the north side of the freeway and Brown Road. Baldwin Road is a six-lane boulevard section from 0.64 miles south of the I-75 interchange up through Morgan Road. North of Morgan Road; Baldwin Road crests a sharp vertical curve and descends into the Gingellville area where it transitions to mainly a two-lane roadway. It widens to provide dedicated left-turn lanes and right-turn lanes at the signalized intersections of Gregory Road, Maybee Road and Waldon Road and at various business driveways with acceleration and deceleration tapers. The existing right-of-way (ROW) is predominantly 66 feet wide. ROW widths greater than 66 are found throughout the project area. There are 13 streets that intersect Baldwin Road within the study area and they are all twolane roads. September,

2 September,

3 Gingellville is an unincorporated area that stretches from Judah Road north to Maybee Road. Gingellville is comprised of several businesses, residences, community (churches, etc.) and municipal (fire station) facilities. The existing speed limit varies throughout the project limits. North of I-75 to Judah Road, the speed limit is 45 mph. It is 35 mph through Gingellville and increases back to 45 mph north of Maybee Road. Primary land use adjacent to the remainder of the Baldwin Road roadway is a combination of commercial, industrial, agricultural and residential (both multi-family and single-family). Study Background Increased development in Orion Township during the last two decades has been accompanied by increases in traffic congestion and crash frequency along Baldwin Road. Overall congestion and the potential hazard of making left turns into and out of residential driveways, subdivisions and businesses have been a primary concern voiced by residents to both Township and County officials for several years. RCOC s Master Plan ROW for this portion of Baldwin Road depicts a 150 width. Orion Township has a Master Land Use Plan as well as an Access Management Plan approved and in place. 1.2 PURPOSE FOR PROPOSED ACTION AND REGIONAL CONTEXT Purpose of the Project The purpose of this study is to evaluate proposed improvements to Baldwin Road between Morgan Road and Waldon Road and to enhance traffic safety while addressing mobility issues in the corridor by increasing capacity and improving access for the traveling public. Orion Township Officials have also expressed interest in multi-modal access, including pedestrian access, particularly in the Gingellville area. This will be accomplished by studying and evaluating road improvement alternatives that conform to current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) design criteria. The proposed project will seek to improve traffic flow, mobility and safety for the users of the system, as well as encourage the economic development of the local community by: Providing a facility that will move traffic through the corridor safely and with minimal delays. Providing a facility that will help spur economic growth for this corridor in Orion September,

4 Township through increased capacity, safety and access with improved aesthetics. Providing a facility through Gingellville that addresses the mobility needs of the community while considering pedestrians and other modes of transportation. Providing a facility that will take into account the planned vision of the community as evidenced in the Gingellville Overlay District of the Orion Township Master Plan. Providing roadway improvements that consider the potential for the future streetscaping of the corridor. Existing Transportation Facilities Baldwin Road is the main transportation facility within the study area. Sidewalks are present but not uniform throughout the study area. Local public bus transportation in Oakland County is provided by the Southeast Michigan Area Rapid Transit (SMART). Currently, there are no bus routes operating directly along this portion of Baldwin Road however, SMART has a route that borders the southerly terminus of this study. Should a ridership need arise due to some future land use development, SMART could extend service northerly into the project corridor with minimum additional operational costs. Regional Growth and Development Orion Township is a member of the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), the metropolitan planning organization for this part of Michigan. SEMCOG provides a long-range forecast and comprehensive view of future demographic and economic changes. It provides base data for updating the long-range transportation plan and other regional planning projects. The SEMCOG data used in this document is reflective of the recent economic downturn as evidenced in the 2035 Regional Development Forecast (RDF) for Southeast Michigan. The data has not yet been changed to reflect the effects of the recent 2010 Census. Member communities still use the data in planning for infrastructure and development needs. SEMCOG's 2035 RDF provides detail on population, households and jobs for communities in Southeast Michigan. The forecast numbers are provided in five-year intervals from 2010 through future year The population and employment projections are discussed below: Population and Employment Projections Orion Township has experienced and is poised to continue to experience extensive residential, industrial and commercial development. This is mirrored by a continuing rapid increase in both population and employment in the Township. Table 1.1 presents the future growth in population and employment for Orion Township as projected by SEMCOG in its 2035 RDF. September,

5 131 Table Orion Township Projected Growth Year % Change Total Population 32,129 32,265 32,490 33,095 34,151 35, % Total Employment 11,896 11,905 12,390 13,174 14,237 15, % SOURCE: SEMCOG, 2035 Regional Development Forecast for Southeast Michigan Based on the data given in Table 1.1, SEMCOG has projected an approximate 11% population increase in Orion Township between 2010 and Employment in the Township is projected to increase by approximately 29% between 2010 and 2035 due to existing and planned industrial and commercial projects in the Township. As a comparison, over the same time period Oakland County s population is projected to increase by approximately 9.0%, while its employment is projected to increase by 10.7%. (See Table 1.2) Table 1.2 Oakland County Projected Growth Year % Change Total Population 1,226,169 1,235,849 1,249,154 1,272,065 1,303,678 1,336, % Total Employment 871, , , , , , % SOURCE: SEMCOG, 2035 Regional Development Forecast for Southeast Michigan In summary, the SEMCOG 2035 Forecast for Orion Township shows a continued growth trend in population and employment. Such growth, compounded by the general trend toward increased number of daily trips per household, is challenging the ability of local transportation agencies to address travel demands and system deficiencies. September,

6 Compatibility with Land Use and Transportation Plans SEMCOG has included the Baldwin Rd corridor in its long range Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) for a number of iterations of the plan. The preparation of this Environmental Assessment and the Preliminary Engineering efforts were funded in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for FY The current TIP is showing the next phase, right-of-way acquisition, for FY-2013 based on widening the corridor from a two-lane road to a four-lane boulevard. The air conformity modeling done for the 2035 RTP assumes that this corridor will be widened to two travel lanes in each direction from north of I-75 to Waldon Rd. There are no other roadway improvements in the vicinity of Baldwin Rd assumed to be in place for the 2035 forecast. The Charter Township of Orion developed the latest version of their Township Master Plan in The existing land use within the Township and specifically the project corridor can be seen in Figure 1.2 on the next page. The Township has experienced significant changes in the land use characteristics of the community throughout the years. The following land use trends have been observed within the Township: As new roads were constructed or improved, housing development over the years has spread to the periphery of the Township. Since 1989, the Township has experienced a 41% increase in residential land use. Commercial uses, consisting primarily of local convenience businesses, service stations and restaurants, are scattered in individual locations throughout the study area. Office uses are primarily located along the main north/south arterials within the Township. Along Baldwin Road, small office nodes can be found at the intersections with Judah Road and Waldon Road. September,

Baldwin Road Study Corridor Waldon Maybee Baldwin Gregory Judah Morgan 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212

) As a growing community, future improvements in the Township will need to coordinate land use development and transportation

7 Baldwin Road Study Corridor Waldon Maybee Baldwin Gregory Judah Morgan Figure 1.2: Existing Land Use Plan Orion Township (courtesy of Carlisle-Wortman Assoc., Inc.) As a growing community, future improvements in the Township will need to coordinate land use development and transportation planning. The future land use for the area within the project study corridor, as set forth in the Township s Master Plan, can be seen in Figure 1.3. September,

Gingellville Village Center 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 Figure 1.3: Future Land Use Plan Orion Township (courtesy of Carlisle-Wortman Assoc., Inc.

8 Gingellville Village Center Figure 1.3: Future Land Use Plan Orion Township (courtesy of Carlisle-Wortman Assoc., Inc.) As depicted in the exhibit, the majority of the area around Gingellville is labeled as Village Center. The Township envisions a village center that, through future development, would provide the important residential services needed for local neighborhood areas. The future developments would be connected through a system of pedestrian walkways. The Township has adopted the 2005 Gingellville Village Design Plan and Guidelines to help foster the Village Center concept for Gingellville. This plan is shown in Figure 1.4 on the next page. The congestion problems within the area, the abundance of available land and the desired intent to preserve the historical hamlet of Gingellville are the key elements this development concept will address. The Township policies for this sub-area focus on clustered, mixed use village style rather than strip commercial development land use patterns. September,

237 238 Figure 1.4: 2005 Gingellville Village Design Plan Orion Township (Courtesy of Carlisle-Wortman Assoc., Inc.

9 Figure 1.4: 2005 Gingellville Village Design Plan Orion Township (Courtesy of Carlisle-Wortman Assoc., Inc.) Studies have found the number and location of driveways greatly influences how a roadway functions. Reducing the number of driveways, improving driveway spacing and providing other geometric improvements (e.g., exclusive turn lanes) improve traffic flow and reduce the number of crashes and pedestrian conflicts. Orion Township has prepared an Access Management Plan (AMP) and has included it as part of the Township s Master Plan. They recognize the benefits of a good AMP to improve traffic operations and safety along Baldwin Road. RCOC supports the Township s efforts to improve the safety and capacity of the Baldwin Road corridor by implementing facets of their AMP. The preferred alternative to be selected as a result of this study will need to be compatible with the ideals put forward with both the Gingellville Design Plan and Township Master Plan so the Township s vision for their community is realized. September,

10 NEED FOR PROPOSED ACTION The current roadway is inadequate to meet current and future transportation needs. Residential and commercial growth in and near the project area has caused increased traffic demands that require highway capacity to improve traffic flow and safety for the area residents. By the year 2035, traffic along Baldwin Road is projected to substantially increase. This increase will result in greater traffic congestion and lower levels of service on Baldwin Road and many of the adjacent cross streets. Factors directly affecting the need for this project include the following: Increased traffic congestion and travel delays in the corridor. Traffic flow is limited by both the nodes (intersections) and links (roadway width) found within the project area. Existing geometric deficiencies such as sub-standard sight distance. Inadequate roadway and shoulder width. Safety issues as evidenced by high crash rates within the project area. Crash types within the project area are consistent with those found in areas of high congestion. The existing pavement section does not have the structural capacity to handle the increased traffic loads and is the primary reason for the poor pavement condition. The entire pavement section needs to be reconstructed to handle the increase traffic demands. Lack of multimodal accommodations within the project area, specifically pedestrian facilities consistent with a walkable/bikeable community. Regional mobility constraints due to unimproved roadway segments, especially during peak hours and in consideration of future local events within the surrounding area. Desire of the local community to have a modern infrastructure to help support the community s vision for the corridor. System Capacity Traffic Growth Rates The Baldwin Road Environmental Assessment will account for the safety and capacity needs of the Baldwin Road corridor over the next 25 years, through the year As part of this analysis, current traffic volumes were collected and form the basis for the forecasting used to estimate future traffic volumes. The latest traffic growth data were obtained in November 2009 from SEMCOG. SEMCOG uses a travel demand model to analyze traffic patterns and congestion on a regional level. The data was further refined to be representative of traffic patterns at a community level as well as to account for local proposed developments in the September,

11 study area. For purposed of this report, the traffic growth rates shown are cumulative changes from 2010 to The refined SEMCOG growth rates are shown graphically and discussed thoroughly in Appendix A and are summarized in Table 1.3 below: Table 1.3 Traffic Growth Rates* Road Name Limits 2010 ADT 2035 ADT % Change** Baldwin Road North of Gregory 22,340 30,100 35% South of Gregory 24,680 31,160 25% Waldon Road West of Baldwin 3,840 4,320 15% East of Baldwin 8,150 8,640 5% Thornwood Road All 1,200 1,200 0% Maybee Road West of Baldwin 6,630 7,210 10% East of Baldwin 4,740 4,740 0% Hidden Timber All % Gregory Road All 1,940 1,940 0% Judah Road All % Morgan Road All 1,530 1,530 0% Brown Road*** North Side 15,570 28,040 80% * Growth Rate is the cumulative change between 2010 and 2035 ** Percent change focuses on anticipated peak volumes, not ADT *** Brown Road was included in the capacity analysis, although it is outside the project limits of the Environmental Assessment. Its inclusion is important because significant changes on Brown Road will have corresponding impacts to Baldwin Road in the study area. Brown Road is located just 0.2 miles south of Morgan, where several big-box stores (including Costco, Target and Meijer) and casual-dining are located on the south side of Brown Road within the City of Auburn Hills. Consequently, Brown carries significant traffic volumes at this time. The north side of Brown Road within Orion Township is currently undeveloped. As the properties along the north side of Brown are redeveloped, traffic volumes on Brown Road are expected to increase substantially with that could result in impacts to Baldwin Road within the study area. For this reason, a growth rate of 80% has been used for Brown Road. Traffic Volumes Baldwin Road carries a relatively large volume of traffic for a two-lane facility. As can be seen in the following two figures, the existing traffic volumes (Figure 1.5) are very high and they grow to larger levels in 2035 (Figure 1.6). The AM peak hour was identified as between 7:15 AM to 8: 15 AM and the PM peak was between 4:45 PM and 5:45 PM. There is a very distinct direction bias between the AM and PM peak hours. This is largely due to commuters traveling south in the morning to get to work and returning home in the northbound direction at night. September,

12 Figure 1.5: 2010 Peak Hour Volumes Baldwin Road September,

13 Section 1 Figure 1.6: 2035 Peak Hour Volumes Baldwin Road September,

14 According to the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 330, Effective Utilization of Street Width on Urban Arterials (August 1990), two-lane roadways can generally accommodate 5,000 to 7,000 vehicles per day (vpd) at acceptable levels of service. Facilities without closely spaced signals or commercial development (or both) may provide adequate service on streets with traffic volumes up to 15,000 vpd. However, more typically, two-lane facilities above the 5,000 to 7,000 vpd level experience peak hour congestion and/or increased accidents suggesting the need to upgrade the facility with a multi-lane design alternative. Current Baldwin Road traffic volumes vary between 13,000 and 21,000 vpd. Future volumes range from 30,100 to 31,160 vpd. Hence, as a two-lane roadway, Baldwin Road is currently over capacity. Capacity Analysis and Corridor Modeling The intersections within the study area were analyzed using Synchro/SimTraffic V7 software, which generally conforms to the methodologies published in the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), 2000 Edition. The newer 2010 Edition of the HCM became available after all the intersection analysis was completed for in this study. The analyses were used to determine the Level of Service (LOS) values for each intersection movement. LOS is based on factors such as number and types of lanes, intersection controls such as stop signs or traffic signals, traffic volumes, pedestrian volumes, etc. LOS is expressed as a letter grade, in a range from A through F. In this context, LOS A represents the best conditions, with very little or no average delay to vehicles. LOS F is the worst of conditions, equated with very large average delays and few gaps of acceptable length. Further explanation of LOS can be found in Appendix A. LOS C is considered by many traffic safety professionals to be the minimum acceptable condition in rural areas, and LOS D is the minimum for urban/suburban areas. Given the location of this site within the urbanized boundary, LOS D was utilized as the study's minimum goal. All stakeholders concur with this LOS goal. Capacity analyses were performed for each intersection during both the morning and afternoon peak periods. Existing conditions reflect the volumes observed during turning movement counts. Future conditions reflect the 2035 projected volumes and assumes Baldwin Road would remain a two-lane roadway with the same intersection lane configuration that exists today. For each scenario, using existing and future conditions, it was assumed all traffic signals within the study would be retimed and optimized. Table 1.4 shows both the existing and future LOS of the signalized intersections located within the project study limits. Table 1.5 shows the existing and future LOS for the primary unsignalized intersections. September,

15 Table Existing and Future LOS - Signalized Intersections (1) Intersection Baldwin Road and Waldon Road Baldwin Road and Maybee Road Baldwin Road and Gregory Road Existing (2010) Future (2035) PM AM LOS (DELAY 3 ) LOS (DELAY 3 ) AM LOS (DELAY 3 ) (1) Results from Synchro / SimTraffic, Version 7 software modeling. (3) Delay is measured in seconds/vehicle. (4) This movement is the critical movement for the intersection. PM LOS (DELAY 3 ) Overall C (24.0) C (24.6) D (45.0) E (55.3) NB (4) B (14.0) B (16.7) B (18.2) E (63.8) SB (4) C (21.4) B (16.7) D (47.6) C (20.6) Overall C (24.6) B (17.9) E (65.9) D (50.6) NB (4) A (6.7) B (10.9) A (5.9) E (65.5) SB (4) C (23.0) B (15.5) F (86.7) C (22.7) Overall C (23.4) B (14.1) F (124.4) E (66.3) NB (4) A (1.9) B (17.4) A (2.8) E (68.8) SB (4) C (26.0) A (3.3) F (148.7) D (43.7) Table Existing & Future LOS Primary Unsignalized Intersections (2) UNSIGNALIZED (HCM) Baldwin Road and Hidden Timber Drive Baldwin Road and Judah Road Baldwin Road and Morgan Road (2) Results from Highway Capacity Manual, 2000 edition modeling.. (3) Delay is measured in seconds/vehicle. (4) This movement is the critical movement for the intersection. Definitions: Err=delay per vehicle too large for software to calculate; lt = left Existing (2010) Future (2035) AM LOS (DELAY 3 ) PM LOS (DELAY 3 ) AM LOS (DELAY 3 ) PM LOS (DELAY 3 ) SB lt (4) A (7.9) D (29.5) B (8.1) F (495.3) WB (4) E (41.7) F (Err) F (137.8) F (Err) SB lt (4) A (0.1) A (0.5) A (0.0) A (2.7) WB (4) C (20.7) F (76.6) E (37.6) F (836.9) NB lt (4) B (13.6) A (9.6) C (17.3) B (10.6) EB (4) F (55.5) F (Err) F (183.9) F (Err) It should be noted that although an intersection may show an acceptable overall LOS, individual movements often fail at LOS D, E or F. The two tables show the intersections are currently operating with considerable delay. As can be expected, as traffic volumes on Baldwin Road grow, the delays shown for these intersections increase with a corresponding deterioration in LOS. Roadway Safety A safety review and crash analysis was performed for a 36-month period (January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2009) on Baldwin Road between Morgan Road and Waldon Road. Crash rates were computed for specific intersections within this area. The crash rates were then compared to region wide crash rates for similar types of intersections. The crash rates were measured as crashes per million entering vehicles (MEV). Table 1.6 presents the results of the crash analysis. September,

16 Table Intersection Crash Rates ( ) Baldwin Road Intersection Total # of Crashes Crash Rate (per MEV) Morgan/Jordan Judah Gregory Maybee Waldon Crash Type Breakdown 3 angle 4 rear-end 9 side-swipe 3 angle 10 rear-end 1 side-swipe 5 angle 9 rear-end 3 head-left 8 angle 34 rear-end 3 side-swipe 10 angle 5 head-left 1 head-on 19 rear-end 3 side-swipe The Oakland County average crash rate for a similar roadway facility during the same time period is 0.79 crashes per MEV. As can be seen in Table 1.5, there are several intersections with crash rates above the Oakland County average. From January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2009, there were a total of 244 crashes for the entire study area with 47 of them being injury crashes and no fatality crashes. Although some of the intersections have a higher than average crash rate, Baldwin Road in general has a relatively low crash rate when looked at from a regional perspective. This is illustrated in the most recent SEMCOG Safety Deficiency Analysis information shown in Figure 1.7 on the following page. September,

Baldwin Road Study Corridor 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 Figure 1.

17 Baldwin Road Study Corridor Figure 1.7: SEMCOG Safety Deficiency Analysis for Southeast Michigan To meet the growth needs of this corridor, one specific component of all the alternatives being considered involves adding another lane in each direction of travel. This will have a dramatic effect on the overall safety of the corridor. According to NCHRP Report 330, the advantages of a multi-lane roadway over a two-lane roadway are discussed as follows: Provides additional lanes to increase capacity for through traffic movement. Reduces delay to through vehicles caused by left-turning vehicles. Reduces frequency of rear-end and angle crashes associated with left-turn maneuvers. Provides spatial separation between opposing lanes to reduce head-on crashes. Increases operational flexibility. The improved operations and geometry inherent in a multi-lane versus a two-lane facility create a safer roadway. Studies have shown the implementation of multi-lane roadways have reduced crash rates by 19 to 35%. Each alternative will also feature modern roundabouts for the major intersections. Roundabouts have proven to reduce overall crashes by up to 39% and injury-related crashes by 79%, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) study done in That study evaluated 23 U.S. intersections that were converted from stop or signal controlled intersections to modern roundabouts. More recently, a NCHRP No (2006) has verified the collision reduction findings of the IIHS study, with a reduction for injury crashes of 75.8%. Looking at the conversion results of 90 U.S. locations, NCHRP 3-65 further separates the safety improvements by previous intersection control (two-way stop, all-way stop or signalized), study area (urban, suburban, rural) and number of entry lanes. September,

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