Traffic
Most of the Traffic Improvements to the area are dependent on MassDOT's work along the Route 114 Corridor which only addresses from Waverly Road to Mill Road and is NOT designed to benefit Royal Crest. MassDOT has NOT considered the additional traffic volumes in their design. Royal Crest in not making or financially helping MassDOT with the roadway or make these traffic improvements. The MassDOT redesign was supposed to IMPROVE traffic conditions in this area.
In the January 18, 2021 memo from VHB (Royal Crest designer) responded to the Town peer reviewer (VAI) in comment T5, VHB (Royal Crest designer) agreed that the new traffic will have a pronounced impact on traffic operations at multiple signals in the project site. The Royal Crest designer (VHB) agreed that the traffic at signals near Royal Crest will be over capacity and that the roadway needs more improvement than MassDOT is providing.
"A review of these diagrams indicates that vehicle queues at the following intersections will exceed the available storage capacity of auxiliary turn lanes or where vehicle queues in an adjacent lane block access to a turn lane:
− Route 114/Waverly Road: Waverly Road north and southbound approaches
− Route 114/Peters Street/Haverhill Street: Peters Street and Haverhill Street
− Route 114/Route 125/Elm Street: Route 125 southbound approach
− Route 114/Walsh Way/Project Site Driveway: Route 114 westbound approach"
As part of the response VHB (Royal Crest) summarized that
1) The addition of a right turn lane at Walsh Way (the new 4 way intersection into the site) would significantly improve the traffic. This is currently NOT included as part of the MassDOT project.
2) The intersection of 114 / Andover Street (aka Bertucci's) the approaches to the intersection should be widened but can’t because of ownership of land and how tight the area is.
3) A right turn lane should be added at the 114/125 intersection near 510 Turnpike Street – this is currently not included either.
TRAFFIC will be worse! MassDOT has not incorporated any of these identified needs in the current plans nor has the developer.
Royal Crest plans to put $1 million in escrow each for traffic and pedestrian mitigation to have the “Town implement” post construction mitigation. $1 million is a ridiculously small amount if additional right turn lanes need to be constructed AFTER THE FACT and BY THE TOWN. The town a token sum of money will likely only be enough to cover studies and design per the Town Manager.
Royal Crest will not be paying to fix the traffic problems after the fact, we will and have those costs been factored into the town's financial estimates? NO, they have not. In order to add right turn lanes at Walsh Way in the future, land would need to give up to the State and would be a lengthy process.
As long as the 4 way intersection at Walsh Way with crosswalks exists, the pedestrian bridge would not be used as it will be easier and shorter to use the signalized crosswalks. Again, the 1 million dollars is an embarrassing low amount to put in escrow and wouldn't come close to covering the studies, design and actual construction of improvements. Taxpayers will either foot the costs or live with the constant traffic.