NY Route 78 Transit Road Reconstruction

The full-depth reconstruction of Transit Road (NY 78), located east of Buffalo, provided capacity and safety improvements for a major arterial carrying over 50,000 vehicles per day.  The reconstruction extended along 3.1 mi of a commercial corridor adjacent to residential areas. The highway features six travel lanes (three in each direction), a raised center median, dedicated turn lanes at signalized intersections, a system of access control roadways, and associated infrastructure improvements

As prime consultant on the project, HMM provided preliminary and final design services as well as construction management for the reconstruction of Transit Road, including:

• Corridor traffic assessment
• Implementation of an access management plan for consolidating commercial driveways
• Relocating intersecting side streets and adding a roundabout intersection to improve safety
• Holding specialized meetings with residents and businesses to realize access improvements
• Design of grading, a new drainage system, concrete pavement, and utility improvements
• Design of overhead signing, a coordinated signal system, and truck access
• Providing an Environmental Assessment necessary to get the project permitted
• Design of stormwater treatment facilities to meet SPDES/NPDES regulations
• Design of new wetland areas to mitigate project impact
• Design of a three-year, six-stage temporary traffic control plan
• Assessing contractor staging options and value engineering proposals

HMM used SYNCHRO and SIMTRAFFIC software to confirm the feasibility of the proposed six-lane urban arterial with coordinated signals and support access management initiatives.    The traffic models utilized traffic volume, speed, turning movement, and origin/destination data collected by HMM for the 3.1 mi corridor.  SYNCHRO was also used to evaluate traffic operations during construction and to assess impacts on local roads during short-term detours. As a result, HMM developed a six-stage Traffic Control Plan to maintain existing capacity while providing an adequate work zone.  In addition, HMM employed video detection cameras to provide traffic signal actuation during construction.

Project Highlights:

• HMM identified opportunities to improve the surrounding community through thoughtfully planned roadway improvements
• HMM recommended the conversion of abandoned railroad corridors into green zones, providing the opportunity to clean up a brownfield and construct the stormwater management pond wetlands utilizing lower quality wetland areas
• HMM used SYNCHRO and SIMTRAFFIC to analyze traffic patterns and develop an effective Traffic Control Plan
• HMM evaluated various stormwater drainage options and chose a pond wetland development that was the most economical choice that fully met the regulatory requirements for water quality volume, total suspended solids removal, and total phosphorous removal
• HMM was awarded high consultant evaluation scores by the client

Sustainability:

Sustainable Practices implemented in the project included:

• Implementation of an access management plan for consolidating commercial driveways
• Relocating intersecting roads to improve community accessibility
• Restoring brownfield area
• Beneficial reuse of contaminated rail cinders
• Reducing the carbon footprint through corridor signal synchronization
• Does not preclude a recreational trail along rail right-of-way