HomeMy WebLinkAboutSDP202000052 Correspondence 2020-06-23 (2)SHIMP ENGINEERING, P.C.
Design Focused Engineering
June 22, 2020
Adam Moore, PE
VDOT ARE -Land Use, Charlottesville Residency
And
County of Albemarle contact: Megan Nedostup
Department of Community Development
401 McIntire Road, North Wing
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
RE: Response Letter #1 for Regents School of Charlottesville Request for Increased Enrollment
Dear Mr. Moore,
Thank you for your review of the traffic information provided with the increased enrollment request for
the Regents School of Charlottesville site located on tax map parcels 07600-00-00-01700 and 07500-00-
00-06600 in Albemarle County. In coordination with Engineering and Planning Resources (EPR), we
have prepared responses to VDOT comments dated April 7, 2020.
With this response letter, we have included the traffic assessment dated October 12, 2018 completed by
EPR for your reference since this traffic assessment includes the baseline traffic data including trip
generation estimates that informed the numbers provided in the "Regents School Site Traffic Assessment
Supplement School Enrollment Threshold" dated December 19, 2019, last revised April 14, 2020. As
requested, we have provided synchro models for the assessment dated December 19, 2019 last revised
April 14, 2020. We have also included the conditions of approval for SP2018-11 for your reference; the
request for operational changes is prepared in accordance with condition of approval #3.
Please provide an explanation of the trip generation estimates and how they relate to previous
TIA submissions.
The trip generation estimates were calculated using the same methodology as in the prior Regents
School Site Traffic Assessment (10/12/2018). According to the 10/12/2018 Assessment, the trip
generation methodology was informed by the following:
"Two methods were utilized to examine likely trip generation. These include direct
calculation per the ITE Trip Generation Manual, and also a calculation based on actual
expected trip making potential per known historical bus operations, car pooling, and
consideration of employees with students. Trips were calculated for year 2028 with 230
students, and then also for year 2038 with 460 students.
Per the ITE Trip Generation Manual, the trip generation was calculated based on the
land use of private K-12 school and code of 536. Table I below summarizes the land use,
code, units, and trips.
Table 1 Trip Generation per the ITE Trip Generation Manual
Table 1 Trip Generation per the ITE Trip Generation Manual
Unit
AM
AM
AM
PM
PM
PM
Scenario
Land Use
Code
(Students)
Weekday
TOTAL
IN
OUT
TOTAL
IN
OUT
2028
Private K-
(230)
12
536
230
570
186
113
73
133
56
77
2038
Private K-
(460)
12
536
460
1141
373
227
146
267
112
155
Per the actual expected trip making potential, the trip generation was calculated based
on the historical bus operations, carpooling, and consideration of employees with
students. The information that the school provided shows that the current Regents School
has 160 students and 22 full-time and 6 part-time employees. These 160 students are
from 94 families, within which 24 families take the school bus, 49 families carpool, three
families have employees of the school, and 18 families drive individually.
Based on the above student information, the total current student trips are as in Table 2.
Table 2 Current Total Student Trips
Travel Type
Take Bus
Car Pool
Take Employee's
Vehicle
Drive Individually
Total
Families
24
49
3
18
94
Trips
1
25
0
18
44
The result as shown in Table 2 indicates that the current 160 students have in total 44 trips and
the rate is 0.275 trips/student. Applying this rate to years 2028 and 2038 results in 63 total
student trips in year 2028 and 127 total student trips in year 2038. It should be noted that student
trips will arrive, drop off, and leave the school in AM and arrive, pick up, and leave the school in
PM.
Based on the above employee information, this memo assumed a daily pattern that full-time
employees and half of the part-time employees will arrive the school in AM and leave the school
in the PM, which results in 25 trips total for the current employees.
This memo assumed that employee student ratio will be the same in years 2028 and 2038. Table 3
summaries the estimated employees and trips in years 2028 and 2038.
Table 3 Estimated Employees in the Years 2028 and 2038
Year
2018
2028
2038
Students
160
230
460
Full Time Employee
22
32
64
Part Time Employee
6
9
18
Trips
25
37
73
Per the above calculation, in year 2028, there will be 63 student trips arriving, dropping off, and
leaving the school in AM and arriving, picking up, and leaving the school in PM and 37
employees arriving the school in AM and leaving the school in PM; in year 2038, there will be
127 student trips arriving, dropping off, and leaving the school in AM and arriving, picking up,
and leaving the school in PM and 73 employees arriving the school in AM and leaving the school
in PM.
Considering school's arriving the leaving pattern, most of the trips will arrive within the school
AM peak hour, but fewer trips will leave within the school PM peak hour while others will have
after school activities. Examining the ITE trip generation pattern, this memo assumed all trips
912 E. High St. Charlottesville, VA 22902 1434.227.5140 1 shimp-engineering.com
will arrive within the school AM peak hour and about 71.5% of the trips will leave within the
school PM peak hour. Table 4 summarizes the estimated trip generation for years 2028 and 2038
per the actual expected trip making potential.
Table 4 Estimated Trip Generation for the Years 2028 and 2038 per the Actually Expected Trip Making Potential
Scenario
2028 AM
2028 PM
2038 AM
2038 PM
In/Out
Inbound
Outbound
Inbound
Outbound
Inbound
Outbound
Inbound
Outbound
Student
Trips
63
63
45
45
127
127
91
91
Employee
Trips
37
0
0
27
73
0
0
52
Total
Trips
100
63
45
72
200
127
91
143
Comparing the two methods, the one per the actual expected trip making potential is based on the
Regents School and can be considered as more accurate for this analysis. The ITE Trip
Generation is based on a wide variety of school types within varying land use contexts. Thus, the
analysis for Regents will use the trip generation method per the calculated (actual) expected trip
making potential for the following analysis. "
2. Site Trip Distribution Figures 3, 4 and 5 shows trips that do not match the values in Table 1 of the
Trip Generation. Is the trip distribution methodology different from the Trip Generation
Methodology?
This memo analyzed the traffic operation of a peak half an hour, and assumed all site trips would
be within this half an hour. To make this happen, the peak hour traffic volumes analyzed in
Synchro were doubled traffic volumes of the peak half an hour. Thus, the volumes in Figure 1
were doubled traffic volumes of 7:15-7:45am, the volumes in Figure 3 were doubled site trips for
330 students (doubled Table 1 trips), and the volumes in Figure 5 were doubled site trips for 328
students (doubled Table 3 trips). It should also be noted that 2% of the Table 1 trips and Table 3
trips were not included in Figure 3 and Figure 5, since they were assumed local site trips not
passing the study intersection.
Do the applicable proffers relate only to the AM peak or should the PM peak hour have been
included in the analysis.
An evaluation of the PM peak hour was included in the 10/12/18 traffic assessment, where EPR
found "the school traffic is very minimal in the regular PM peak hour (i.e. 4:30 — 6:00 p.m.)"
(page 5 10/12/18 traffic assessment). The conditions that were approved with the special use
permit request (SP2018-11) permitting the school on this property, allow for the 10/12/18 traffic
assessment and supplemental traffic assessments completed by EPR during the review of
SP2O18-11 to be used as the baseline traffic data for operational changes requests until August
2021. In the 10/12/18 traffic assessment, the distribution of site trips for 460 students were shown
for the PM (see page 5 10/12/18 assessment). The 10/12/18 study assumed 71.5% of the trips
will leave within the school PM peak hour which is approximately two hours before the regular
PM peak hour, which begins at 4:30 p.m. The remaining 28.5% of trips will leave the school as
after school activities like practice and tutoring conclude for the day. A condition of approval
with this project requires the school to start instruction not later than 7:45 a.m. With a 7:45 a.m.
or earlier start time, a typical 6-7 hour school day will conclude between 1:45 p.m. and 2:45 p.m,
well before the peak hour begins at 4:30 p.m.
912 E. High St. Charlottesville, VA 22902 1434.227.5140 1 shimp-engineering.com
4. The 2028 Build Synchro and Sim Traffic files were not submitted for review. Synchro and Sim
Traffic analysis need to take into the account the impact on the un-signalized intersection of the
NB US 29 ramp and signalized intersection at Fontaine Ave @ Ray C Hunt Dr.
We have included the build synchro models for the scenarios with 330 students and 328 students.
The 10/12/2018 traffic assessment analyzed the impact of 460 students on the US 29/Fontaine NB
intersection. The results of this study show that with an enrollment of 460 students, delays in the
regular AM peak hour will be minimal when compared to the no build scenario. Since this
operational request is for a maximum of 328 students and as a condition of approval the school is
prohibited from opening during the AM peak hour of traffic, the impacts on this intersection from
328 students will be far less than what was evaluated in the 10/12/2018 study.
8. AM Year 2038 build conditions (460 students)
Year 2038 Build AM
Movement/Approach
Fontaine EB
Fontaine WB
Rte 29 SB
Overall
EBT/R
WBL/T
SBL/R
1. Rte 29/Fontaine SB
Movement LOS/Delay
A/1.8
A/3.5
F/175.7
F
Approach LOS/Delay
A/1.8
A/3.5
F/175.7
69.7
Movement Queue
13
102
> 50D
Movement/Approach
Fontaine EB
Fontaine WB
Rte 29 NB
Overall
EBL
EBT
WBT
WBR
NBL
NBR
2. Rte 29/Fontaine NB
Movement LOS/Delay
A/3.6
A/0.9
A/0.8
A/4.8
C/17.6
13/13.0
A
Approach LOS/Delay
A/1.3
A/3.1
B/13.4
8.3
Movement Queue
42
0
6
200
110
0
The signalized intersection at Fontaine Ave/Ray C Hunt Drive was not required to be evaluated
when studying the traffic impacts from the school during the special use permit review. Per the
approved conditions, the traffic data that was reviewed with the special use permit request can
serve as the baseline traffic data until August 2021. The scope of any traffic analysis submitted
with any operational request change made after August 2021 will be redefined at that time.
5. 2028 Build, Table 2: add (FT) to the movement queue
(ft) has been added to Table 2 and Table 4. A revised memo is attached, thanks for noticing this
typographical error.
6. It is understood that the memo focused on the impact of the development on the SB 29 ramp;
however, NB 29 ramp is as important. Furthermore, 73% of the distributed traffic is passing by
NB 29 ramp. As a result, NB 29 ramp analysis is highly recommended to be included in the
memo. The memo should also determine the impact on the signalized intersection at Fontaine
Ave @ Ray C Hunt.
The conditions approved with SP2018-11 allow for the traffic studies completed during the
review of that special use permit request to serve as the baseline traffic data until August 2021.
The 10/12/18 memo evaluated the trip distribution from the school coupled with the existing
background traffic at the Route 29 N/Fontaine intersection and also provided delay analyses for
the Rte 29/Fontaine NB intersection in the year 2038 with an enrollment of 460 students. Traffic
analysis summary Table 8 in the 10/12/18 traffic assessment demonstrates that movements and
delays for the Route 29/Fontaine NB intersection are minimal and manageable for an enrollment
912 E. High St. Charlottesville, VA 22902 1434.227.5140 1 shimp-engineering.com
of 460 students and therefore, the delays at this intersection affiliated with an enrollment of 328
students will be even less (Table 8 is on page 9).
The Fontaine Avenue at Ray C Hunt Drive intersection was not required to be evaluated during
the review of SP2018-11. The conditions approved with SP2018-11 allow for the traffic
information provided during the review of this application to serve as the baseline data until
August 2021. If a request for operational changes is made after August 2021, Regents School will
work with the Director of Community Development's designee to determine the scope of any
such new TIA (conditions of approval 3(f)).
If you have any questions or concerns about these revisions, please feel free to contact me at
kelseykshimp-en ing eering com or by phone at 434-227-5140.
Regards,
Kelsey Schlein
Planner
Shimp Engineering, P.C.
912 E. High St. Charlottesville, VA 22902 1434.227.5140 1 shimp-engineering.com