The Phase 1 survey regarding potential transportation safety, operations, access, and bicycle/pedestrian improvements on Route 11 (Main St.) between Route 19 (Porterfield Hwy.) and Hillman Hwy. in the Town of Abingdon is complete.

Dates	Number of Participants (unique individuals)
June 19-July 3, 2023	307

 

The following needs have been identified for this study. Do you agree with this initial assessment?
Congestion Mitigation	84%
Pedestrian Access	68%
Safety Improvement	68%
Bicycle Access	56%
Transit Access	40%
Transportation Demand Management	36%
Transit Access for Equity Emphasis Areas	26%

 

What mode(s) of travel do you use when traveling along the study area?
Personal Vehicle	99%
Walking	46%
Cycling	23%
Truck or commercial vehicle	4%
Carpool / Vanpool	1%
Regional Transit	1%
Other	1%
Taxi / Uber / Lyft	0%

Study Purpose, Goals & Objectives

The purpose of the study is to analyze the operational and safety issues identified along Route 11 (Main Street). The goals and objectives are to identify cost-effective preferred improvement alternatives that address deficient conditions and prioritize safety for vulnerable users.

Issues in the Study Area

• Rear-end crash trend related to friction between various road uses in the downtown corridor (e.g., driving vehicles, parking vehicles, pedestrians, delivery trucks, etc.).
• Multiple access points create driver confusion and contribute to many crashes along the corridor. Off-street parking lots blend with travel lanes creating friction between parking vehicles and driving vehicles.
• Route 11 is a parallel corridor to I-81 and serves as a detour for drivers when there is an incident or heavy congestion on I-81.
• Heavy peak night-time pedestrian activity at Barter Theater. Two pedestrian crashes have occurred, 1 of which was a fatality.
• The intersection of Route 11 and Cummings Street experiences the highest delay along the corridor and the most queueing.

Needs Identification Summary

Safety Needs
Road safety was identified as a Very High priority need. There were 228 crashes between 2018 and 2022, 40% of which involved senior drivers. There were two fatalities – one pedestrian at Barter Theater and one involving a train.

The primary crash pattern includes rear-end and angle crashes related to friction between various road uses in the downtown corridor (e.g., driving vehicles, parking vehicles, pedestrians, delivery trucks, etc.). Approximately 20-25% of all crashes were estimated to be friction crashes; 17 of the crashes directly involved parked vehicles and 12 involved utility poles. Many of the rear-end crashes noted stopping for activities in front of the vehicles involved (e.g., pedestrians crossing, vehicles parking, etc.).

Study Area Crashes

• Rear-End: 44%
• Angle: 29%
• Sideswipe: 10%
• Fixed Object: 7%
• Deer: 2%
• Pedestrian: 1%
• Other: 7%

Multimodal Access Needs
Transit access for equity emphasis areas, bicycle access to activity centers, and transportation demand management (TDM) were identified as Very High priority needs.  Transit and pedestrian access to activity centers were identified as Medium priority needs.

Many pedestrian crossings are provided through the downtown corridor; however, survey respondents noted that drivers do not always stop for pedestrians. Many crashes involved vehicles stopping for pedestrians. Virginia Creeper Trail begins in Abingdon just south of the study corridor; however, no bicycle facilities are provided in the study area. Highest density of access points on west end and east end of study area.

Operations Needs
Congestion was identified as a Very High priority need. Most intersections perform at an acceptable level of service (LOS). The intersection of Route 11 and Cummings Street experiences the most delay of the signalized intersections along the corridor. Numerous access points, on-street curb activity (parking and loading), and pedestrian activity contribute to average speeds lower than the posted speed limit.

No.	Proposed Alternatives for Evaluation	VTrans Needs Addressed
1	Traffic calming, multimodal accommodations (e.g., curb bump outs, angled parking, curb management strategies, etc.), and gateway treatments	Road Safety, Congestion
2	Corridor-wide access management strategies	Road Safety, Congestion
3	Quadrant intersection at Cummings Street	Congestion
4	Turn lane reconfiguration at Cummings Street	Congestion
5	Corridor-wide pedestrian improvements	Transportation Demand Management
6	Low-cost safety treatments	Road Safety
7	Alternative connection to Baugh Lane	Road Safety, Congestion
8	Transit enhancements (stop amenities, microtransit viability)	Transportation Demand Management

The Phase 2 survey regarding study alternatives to improve safety, traffic congestion, and multimodal accessibility and connectivity within the Town of Abingdon is complete.

Dates	Number of Participants (unique individuals)
February 12-25, 2024	523

 

Intersection Improvements

Main Street / Cummings Street Intersection

• Restripe both Main Street and Cummings Street within the existing roadway footprint to modify the number and alignment of lanes on each approach
• Modify the traffic signal
• Restrict the left turn from Remsburg Drive onto Cummings Street
• Provide dedicated left turn lanes along Cummings Street
• Improve the thru lane alignment on Main Street

	1. Strongly oppose	2. Somewhat oppose	3. Neutral	4. Somewhat support	5. Strongly support
Please rate this proposed concept recommendation on a scale of 1 to 5	8%	6%	10%	33%	44%

 

Main Street / Court Street Intersection – Improvement Option 1 

• Permanently convert Court Street to one-way northbound traffic between Main Street and Plumb Alley

	1. Strongly oppose	2. Somewhat oppose	3. Neutral	4. Somewhat support	5. Strongly support
Please rate this proposed concept recommendation on a scale of 1 to 5	12%	9%	11%	26%	42%

 

Main Street / Court Street Intersection – Improvement Option 2

• Maintain Court Street for two-way traffic
• Implement a series of safety improvements, including:
  • A curb extension to improve sight lines towards oncoming traffic
  • The removal of on-street parking that currently obstructs sight lines
  • An overhead intersection warning flasher to alert drivers of turning traffic

	1. Strongly oppose	2. Somewhat oppose	3. Neutral	4. Somewhat support	5. Strongly support
Curb Extension to Improve Sight Lines	21%	16%	19%	19%	25%
Removal of On-Street Parking to Improve Sight Lines	28%	17%	15%	19%	21%
Overhead Intersection Flasher to Alert Drivers	23%	11%	25%	17%	24%

 

Referring to the two different concepts for the Main Street / Court Street intersection that were shown above, which concept improvement option do you prefer for this location?

Option	Result
Option 1: One-Way Court Street with On-Street Parking	67%
Option 2: Two-Way Court Street with Additional Safety Improvements	31%
I like both options	11%
I do not like either option	7%

 

Downtown Enhancements 

Segment of Main Street between Russell Road and Cummings Street

• Improve thru lane alignment on Main Street
• Shorten pedestrian crossings with curb extensions and a refuge island
• Modify left turn lanes to meet vehicular demand

	1. Strongly oppose	2. Somewhat oppose	3. Neutral	4. Somewhat support	5. Strongly support
Please rate this proposed concept recommendation on a scale of 1 to 5.	17%	12%	20%	28%	23%

 

Segment of Main Street between Russell Road and Cummings Street

• Construct a new roadway segment between Russell Road and Depot Square SW
• Remove the existing traffic signal at Wall Street
• Convert part of Wall Street to new parking

	1. Strongly oppose	2. Somewhat oppose	3. Neutral	4. Somewhat support	5. Strongly support
Please rate this proposed concept recommendation on a scale of 1 to 5	16%	9%	13%	28%	34%

 

In the previously shown concept that extends Russell Road to Depot Square SW, how would you like to see the existing Wall Street pavement space utilized?

Option	Result
Two-way traffic between Main Street and Depot Square SW	60%
Wall Street repurposed as additional parking	49%
One-way traffic between Main Street and Depot Square SW	39%

 

Referring to the two different concepts for the Main Street / Wall Street intersection that were shown above, which concept improvement option do you prefer for this location?

Option	Result
Turn lane and pedestrian crossing improvements on Main Street	38%
Russell Road extension to Depot Square SW and removal of existing traffic signal at Wall Street	45%
I do not like either option	22%
I like both options	24%

 

 Segment of Main Street between College Street and Pecan Street

• Shorten pedestrian crossings with curb extensions
• Remove the unneeded left turn lane on Main Street at Church Street to better align the through lane

	1. Strongly oppose	2. Somewhat oppose	3. Neutral	4. Somewhat support	5. Strongly support
Curb Extensions to Shorten Pedestrian Crossings	14%	6%	21%	18%	41%
Removal of Left Turn Lane on Main Street at Church Street	20%	9%	20%	17%	34%

 

Downtown Gateway Treatments

Main Street Segment between Holston Street and Patton Street

• Replace the existing two-way left turn lane with a landscaped median and dedicated left turn lanes

	1. Strongly oppose	2. Somewhat oppose	3. Neutral	4. Somewhat support	5. Strongly support
Please rate this proposed concept recommendation on a scale of 1 to 5	24%	12%	15%	22%	28%

 

Main Street Segment west of Thompson Drive

• Replace the existing two-way left turn lane with a landscaped median and dedicated left turn lanes

	1. Strongly oppose	2. Somewhat oppose	3. Neutral	4. Somewhat support	5. Strongly support
Please rate this proposed concept recommendation on a scale of 1 to 5	23%	9%	11%	22%	35%