Nashua Regional Planning Commission

Nashua Regional Planning Commission Congestion Management Program Corridor Overview NH 111 is a major east-west arterial roadway that passes through 3 municipalities in the Nashua region. It enters the region in the southeast corner of Hollis, passes through downtown Nashua, over the Merrimack River into Hudson, and exits the region into Windham. It is a major transportation corridor providing commuters with east/west access, and also provides retail & commercial services. It has an urban component as it passes through downtown Nashua. The segment that was analyzed extends from the F. E. Everett Turnpike to the Hudson/Windham town line. Corridor Facts Total Miles (12.3) Total Miles Analyzed (7.5) Alternate Names (Runnells Bridge Rd, Kinsley St., E. Hollis St, W. Hollis St, Ferry St, Central St.) Number of Signalized Intersections in study area(31) EB = 15, WB = 16 State Highway Classification: (Class II/Secondary State Route; Class IV/ Urban Compact; Class V/Local) Number of Lanes: (Varies) Produced By: Table of Contents CORRIDOR OVERVIEW.... P1 METHODOLOGY...P2 TRAVEL TIME RESULTS...P3-6 ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CONGESTION.....P6 CONTINUED MONITORING.....P7 Route 111 Corridor Nashua Regional Planning Commission 9 Executive Park Dr. Suite 201 Merrimack, NH 03054 Phone: (603) 424-2240 Fax: (603) 424-2230 www.nashuarpc.org July, 2012

CORRIDOR OVERVIEW Route 111 is an east-west arterial roadway that traverses through the communities of Hollis, Nashua and Hudson in this region. It extends from the southeastern corner of Hollis, through downtown Nashua, over the Merrimack River and into Hudson before exiting the region at the Hudson-Windham town line. This study analyzed the segment of the route between the Frederick E. Everett Turnpike in Nashua and the Hudson-Windham town line. Route 111 is a major transportation corridor, providing east-west commuters with access to the Frederick E. Everett Turnpike and Main Street in Nashua. The corridor also accommodates a number of retail and commercial services along various portions of its route. The State Highway Classification System designation for this roadway varies depending on the segment; it is classified as Class II (secondary state roadway), Class IV (urban compact), or Class V (local road). The route s number of lanes also varies depending on the segment. Between the Frederick E. Everett Turnpike and Main Street in Nashua, for a distance of approximately 1.7 miles, the eastbound and westbound directions of Route 111 diverge and run down two distinct corridors separated by one city block. Through this corridor, Kinsley Street (Class IV) provides 2 lanes in the eastbound direction while West Hollis Street (Class IV) accommodates 2 lanes in the westbound direction. The separated segments merge together just east of Main Street in Nashua, becoming one lane in each direction with occasional pockets of turning lanes. This segment is known as East Hollis Street (Class IV). The roadway crosses over the Merrimack River into the Town of Hudson via Taylor Falls Bridge where it intersects with NH3A and NH102. This segment represents a major regional traffic choke point as it is the only river crossing in several miles in either direction. NH111 continues through Hudson along Ferry and Burnham Streets (Class V) before merging with Central Street (Class V) on the east side of town. The roadway then exits the region into the Town of Windham. There are 31 signalized intersections along the corridor, 15 in the eastbound direction and 16 in the westbound direction. Traffic volume along the corridor is significant. NRPC maintains a database of traffic count locations and volumes. Table 1 provides a sampling of locations and associated volumes. Table 1; NH 111 - AADT Town Location Year Volume (AADT) Nashua Kinsley St. West of Ritter St (near cemetery) 2011 13,585 Nashua W. Hollis St. East of New Dunstable Rd. 2011 14,781 Nashua E. Hollis St. West of Allds St. 2011 10,065 Nashua-Hudson @ Nashua-Hudson t/l on Taylor Falls Bridge 2011 39,875 Hudson Central St. West of Kimball Hill Rd 2011 21,361 Hudson Central ST. @ Windham T/L 2009 14,442 1 P a g e

METHODOLOGY NH111 CORRIDOR TRAVEL TIME RESULTS AND ANALYSIS GPS based travel time data was collected during peak travel periods (7:00am 9:00am and 4:00pm 6:00pm) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays along the corridor between the Frederick E. Everett Turnpike (Interchange 5) in Nashua and the Hudson-Windham town line. The corridor was divided into 4 segments (in each direction) chosen to represent logical places where travelers would diverge from the corridor. time was then calculated for each road segment, travel time ratios were developed, and the results were analyzed. The results of the morning and afternoon peak period observations can be seen in the maps and tables below. Map1 and Table 2 show conditions during the morning peak period of travel in the eastbound and westbound directions. Map 2 and Table 3 show conditions during the afternoon peak period of travel in the eastbound and westbound directions. The value of time lost because of congested traffic and the value of fuel wasted because of congested traffic are discussed later in this report. MAP 1: Route 111 MORNING Peak Period 2 P a g e

Table 2; 7:00am-9:00am MORNING peak period Name Distance (miles) Description - EASTBOUND Actual Expected Additional Ratio >1.5 = congestion A 1.8 NH111 (Kinsley St.) from F. E. E. Trpke to Main St. 04:59 03:36 01:23 1.38 B 1.2 NH111 (E. Hollis) from Main St. (Nashua) to Derry St. (Hudson) 05:09 02:26 02:42 2.11 C 1.4 NH111 (Ferry St. / Burnham Rd.) from Derry St. to Central St. 03:22 02:50 00:31 1.18 D 3.1 NH111 (Central St.) from Burnham Rd. to Windham T/L 04:52 04:29 00:23 1.09 EASTBOUND TOTALS 18:21 13:22 04:59 1.37 E 3.1 F 1.4 G 1.3 H 1.7 Description WESTBOUND NH111 (Central St.) from Windham T/L to Burnham Rd. 08:21 04:29 03:52 1.86 NH111 (Burnham Rd. & Ferry St.) from Central St. to Derry St. 03:22 02:50 00:32 1.19 NH111 (E. Hollis) from Derry St. (Hudson) to Main St. (Nashua) 07:13 02:30 04:43 2.89 NH111 (W. Hollis St.) from Main St. to F. E. E. Trpke 04:05 03:24 00:41 1.20 WESTBOUND TOTALS 23:01 13:14 09:47 1.74 Text in bold indicates a congested segment of roadway Morning Peak Period EASTBOUND between the Frederick E. Everett Turnpike and Main Street along Kinsley Street in Nashua ( A) approaches congested conditions ( Ratio =1.38) during the morning commute. This segment is one-way in the eastbound direction through the urban core of Nashua and consists of 2 lanes with numerous traffic signals. There is a large volume of traffic, likely consisting of many commuters travelling to downtown businesses, workplaces, schools and civic centers, as well as commuters travelling east towards Hudson. along B (East Hollis St.) is one lane in each direction with turn pockets at various signalized intersections. This segment also passes through the urban core of Nashua and then over the Merrimack River into Hudson via the Taylor Falls Bridge. in the eastbound direction is congested during the morning commute as indicated by the Ratio of 2.11. The Ratios for C (Ferry St/Burnham Rd.) and D (Central St.) suggest minimal congestion. The likely explanation for this is that the majority of eastbound morning commuters do not travel beyond the Downtown Nashua area towards the east side of Hudson. Overall, travel in the eastbound direction during the morning commute along the entire corridor takes an additional 5 minutes to travel as compared to free- flow conditions. The travel time ratio of 1.37 indicates conditions that are approaching congestion. Morning Peak Period Westbound The TTR of 1.86 for E (Central St. to Burnham Rd. in Hudson) indicates congested conditions. This is likely the result of westbound commuters who travel toward downtown Nashua or who are attempting to access Route 3A South towards Massachusetts. The TTR (1.19) for F (Burnham Rd. & Ferry St.) indicates minimal congestion. Traffic on the previous segment ( E) splits at the intersection of Central Street and Burnham Road, and congestion in this corridor is likely minimal because a significant level of traffic is diverted on to Central Street from which travelers can better access Route 3A South (Lowell Rd) towards Massachusetts. 3 P a g e

G (Derry Street in Hudson to Main Street in Nashua) is congested as indicated by the TTR of 2.89. The segment begins at the intersection of Ferry Street and Derry Street (NH102) in Hudson just east of Taylor Falls Bridge at the Merrimack River. This is a major regional traffic choke point because it is one of only 2 river crossings in the region. There is a large volume of traffic which enters the corridor from the north side of Hudson on Derry Street (NH102) and combines with westbound traffic on Route 111. This heavily travelled intersection (Route 111 and Route 102) results in congestion that continues over the bridge into Downtown Nashua. H (West Hollis St.) is a 2-lane, one-way segment that passes through the urban core of the west side of Nashua. There is minimal congestion along this segment because during the morning commute most traffic disperses at Main Street. Overall, travel in the westbound direction during the morning peak period along the entire corridor takes an additional 9 minutes and 47 seconds as compared to free-flow conditions. The travel time ratio of 1.74 indicates congested travel conditions. MAP 2: Route 111 AFTERNOON Peak Period 4 P a g e

Table 3; 4:00pm-6:00pm AFTERNOON peak period Name Distance (miles) Description - EASTBOUND Actual Expected Additional Ratio >1.5 = congestion A 1.8 NH111 (Kinsley St.) from F. E. E. Trpke to Main St. 05:11 03:36 01:34 1.44 B 1.2 NH111 (E. Hollis) from Main St. (Nashua) to Derry St. (Hudson) 09:46 02:26 07:20 4.01 C 1.4 NH111 (Ferry St. / Burnham Rd.) from Derry St. to Central St. 03:35 02:50 00:44 1.26 D 3.1 NH111 (Central St.) from Burnham Rd. to Windham T/L 05:25 04:29 00:56 1.21 EASTBOUND TOTALS 23:56 13:22 10:35 1.79 Description - WESTBOUND E 3.1 NH111 (Central St.) from Windham T/L to Burnham Rd. 04:58 04:29 00:29 1.11 F 1.4 NH111 (Burnham Rd. & Ferry St.) from Central St. to Derry St. 04:08 02:50 01:18 1.46 G 1.3 NH111 (E. Hollis) from Derry St. (Hudson) to Main St. (Nashua) 06:26 02:30 03:56 2.57 H 1.7 NH111 (W. Hollis St.) from Main St. to F. E. E. Trpke 05:51 03:24 02:27 1.72 WESTBOUND TOTALS 21:22 13:14 08:09 1.62 Text in bold indicates a congested segment of roadway Afternoon Peak Period EASTBOUND along Kinsley Street between the F. E. E. Turnpike and Main Street in Nashua ( A) approaches congested conditions ( Ratio =1.44) during the afternoon commute which is greater than the TTR during the morning peak period. As noted earlier in this report, this segment is one-way in the eastbound direction through the urban core of Nashua and consists of 2 lanes with numerous traffic signals. Whereas during the morning commute there is a large volume of traffic that consists of commuters travelling to downtown businesses, schools, city government, courthouses, the afternoon commute includes people travelling to retail businesses as well as commuters travelling eastward. The TTR along B (East Hollis St.) during the afternoon commute is 4.01 (as compared to 2.11 during morning peak period) which is an indication of significant congestion. This is most likely the result of commuters returning home to Hudson and to communities to the north and east of the region. There are also additional vehicles on various errands and retail trips along the corridor. The fact that there is only one lane in the eastbound direction, several signalized intersections, rail road tracks and a dense urban core also contributes to the level of congestion. The Ratio for segment C (Ferry Street/Burnham Road) is 1.26 which indicates conditions that approach congestion. The TTR for segment D (Central Street) suggests minimal congestion. Both of these travel time ratios are greater than during the morning commute which makes sense because there is a significant commuter population to the east of Hudson. Overall, travel in the eastbound direction during the afternoon peak-period along the entire corridor takes an additional 10 minutes and 35 seconds to travel as compared to free- flow conditions. The travel time ratio of 1.79 indicates congested conditions. 5 P a g e

Afternoon Peak Period WESTBOUND The TTR of 1.11 for segment E (Central Street to Burnham Rd) indicates minimally congested conditions. This makes sense because most traffic during the afternoon peak period travels in the eastbound direction as commuters return home to communities east of Hudson. The TTR (1.46) for segment F (Burnham Rd, & Ferry St) indicates conditions that approach congestion. Congestion is therefore greater during the afternoon peak period than in the morning and this is most likely the result of individuals doing errands at various retail businesses along the corridor. G (Derry St. to Main St. in Nashua) is congested as indicated by the TTR of 2.57. As noted in the description of morning conditions, this segment begins at the intersection of Ferry Street and Derry Street (NH102) in Hudson just east of Taylor Falls Bridge at the Merrimack River. This is a major regional traffic choke point because it is one of only 2 river crossings in the region. There is a large volume of traffic that enters the intersection from the north side of Hudson on Derry Street (NH102) which combines with westbound traffic from Route111 resulting in congestion that begins at this intersection and continues over the bridge into Nashua. The roadway then continues westbound along East Hollis Street through the urban core of Nashua to Main Street. H (West Hollis St.) is congested (TTR= 1.72) during the afternoon peak period because commuters return home along to the corridor to the west side of Nashua and beyond. Overall, travel in the westbound direction during the afternoon peak period along the entire corridor takes an additional 8 minutes and 9 seconds as compared to free-flow conditions. The travel time ratio of 1.62 indicates congested travel conditions. ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CONGESTION ALONG NH111 CORRIDOR Lost Productivity spent in congestion bears costs related to lost productivity. To quantify lost productivity, NRPC used national values calculated by the Texas Transportation Institute. Under this analysis, the average value of time is assumed to be $16.30 per hour and an annual estimate is calculated by multiplying that figure by the average number of hours travelers spend idling in congestion on NH 111 each year. A complete methodology for lost productivity calculations is in included in the NRPC Congestion Management Plan. FEET to Hudson/ Windham T/L Hudson/Windham T/L to FEET Table 4; Value of Lost Resulting From Congestion: EASTBOUND Actual /day Expected /day Delay/ person/ Day Delay/ person/ year (hours) Congestion Cost/person /year Peak AM 18:21 13:22 4:59 20.79 $338.80 PM 23:56 13:22 10:35 44.07 $718.28 Table 5: Value of Lost Resulting From Congestion: WESTBOUND Delay/ person/ Day Delay/ person/ year Peak Actual /day Expected /day (hours) Congestion Cost/person /year AM 23:01 13:14 9:47 40.78 $664.69 PM 21:23 13:14 8:09 33.96 $553.47 6 P a g e

Value of Wasted Fuel Congestion also bears costs related to fuel expended while vehicles idle in traffic. To calculate the cost of fuel directly attributable to congestion on NH 111 the average speed and fuel economy of vehicles driving the length of the corridor was estimated. Specific methodology for this analysis is included in the NRPC Congestion Management Plan. Fuel price averages were derived from information obtained by GasBuddy.com for New Hampshire in 2012 and the cost of fuel per year is estimated based on an average of 250 work days per year. Fuel costs in free flow conditions are then subtracted for those in peak periods to estimate an additional cost of fuel per year attributable to congestion on the corridor. FEET to Hudson/ Windham t/l Table 6: Additional Cost of Fuel Resulting From Congestion: EASTBOUND Condition Length (miles) Average speed MPG (from Table 7) Fuel used (distance/ MPG) Cost of Fuel used/day (fuel used x cost/gallon) Cost of fuel used /year (cost per day x 250) Additional cost of fuel per year FREE FLOW 7.6 35 31.20 0.2429 $0.91 $227.16 n/a AM Peak 7.6 28 31.15 0.2433 $0.91 $227.52 $0.36 PM Peak 7.6 25 30.53 0.2483 $0.93 $232.14 $4.99 Hudson/ Windham t/l to FEET Table 7: Additional Cost of Fuel Resulting From Congestion: WESTBOUND Condition CONTINUED MONITORING Length (miles) Average speed MPG (from Table 7) Fuel used (distance/ MPG) Cost of Fuel used/day (fuel used x cost/gallon) Cost of fuel used /year (cost per day x 250) Additiona l cost of fuel per year FREE FLOW 7.5 35 31.20 0.241 $0.90 $225.06 n/a AM Peak 7.6 22 28.90 0.263 $0.98 $245.88 $21.00 PM Peak 7.5 26 30.75 0.244 $0.91 $228.05 $3.00 Because NRPC has very limited travel time data to draw from, it would be premature to offer recommendations to improve traffic congestion along the NH111 corridor at this time. While potential congestion alleviation measures will likely draw from a toolbox of mitigation strategies, continued monitoring of travel times is necessary to gain a richer and more comprehensive understanding of traffic conditions on the corridor before moving forward with recommendations for mitigation strategies. 7 P a g e