The “Traffic Study of Street Closures and Campus Expansion,” contracted to Burgess & Niple (B&N) by SSU, analyzed morning and afternoon peak hours of travel for three scenarios:
• Existing street network with estimated fall/winter semester student enrollment rates;
• Third Street closed to vehicular traffic (between Gay and Waller streets) with estimated fall/winter semester student enrollment rates;
• University Master Plan build-out street network (includes an estimated 40 percent increase in student enrollment).
The analysis shows that the changes in traffic patterns and volumes that result from scenarios 2 and 3 do not result in any severe detrimental impacts to traffic operations.
“The only potential traffic capacity and operational deficiency identified is the operation of the Fourth Street and Gay Street intersection for both scenarios,” the report said. “It was determined that westbound Fourth Street traffic may experience unacceptable delays while entering or crossing Gay Street. An apparent effective solution to this potential problem is to install a traffic signal at this intersection. All or part of the signal at Third Street and the existing SSU main entrance could be relocated to the Gay Street/Fourth Street intersection, since that section of Third Street would be closed to vehicular traffic.”
The only other potential concern, cited by the report, is an offset — or jog in the road — for north-south traffic at the intersection of Waller and Fourth streets in combination with increased traffic. The report said that could potentially cause some operational problems.
The Campus Master Plan realigns northbound Waller Street at that intersection to rectify the potential problem.
“However, if problems occur in the interim condition, dashed pavement markings can be placed through the intersection to help guide north-south traffic through the intersection, or signal phasing modifications could be considered that would provide separate signal phases for northbound and southbound traffic movements,” the report stated.
The Portsmouth Daily Times asked the university how the Master Plan could “realign” northbound Waller Street at the intersection with Fourth Street.
“I think it’s on our side,” SSU Communications Director Elizabeth Blevins said. “I think that there is a little jog there where we’ve got our entrance that we can move over.”
The report concludes that Fourth Street has the capacity to handle the closure of Third Street, with the two potential problems considered easy to fix.
Frank Lewis may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232, or flewis@heartlandpublications.com.
You know where the highway study said to buy the drive-in there to remove the hill? Traffic is backed up the whole block and back onto WB 52 cause the lights are deactivated. Will Crusader Malone hire back the cheese whiz Murphy?
It seems that that condition of "unacceptable delays" at 4th. St. exists now and not only at peak hours of the day AM and PM, and one assumigly at the lunch hour, etc. But all day when a "squad" of vehicles go by. Likewise, at Waller and 4th. St. Now, not just with 3rd. St. calmed down or closed, etc.
Unanswered on the Waller and 4th. St. "offset" question, that the PDT's is getting "media'ish" about, It would take realignment with "property takes" and "S" curves like is needed on the Route 23 Northbound at 3rd. St. to be up to Federal, state and local standards, etc. (Hah Hah).
Gay St. is "One-way" Northbound, assumingly having the high peak time either at lunch time but they eat on campus at the student center, or in the PM peak, or when the traffic would come in groupings from Boney Fiddle or across the river at whatever time?
So it seems that a traffic light at 4th. and Gay is over reacting premature until there are the traffic count warrants to require one, like the recent ODOT (07) study for all the signals along Route 52, etc. Which by the way is outdated and erroneous with the closing of 3rd. St. That is, the traffic counts that the study is based on will be changed with the closing of 3rd. St.
Such a thoughtful and informing article? Just say no problem, mon and go on playing our steel drums. Ptown is a hoot. What will we do when SSU's budgets are gutted in a year of so like the rest of the town has been done to? Social Security here, H & R Block there, etc. What great municipal planing and zoning, etc. Oh, and watch the bouncing "Progressive" ball?