Kingston Traffic Signal Evaluation

In cooperation with the City of Kingston, working under the guidance of Creighton Manning Engineering (CME), UCTC will conduct a systematic evaluation of traffic conditions associated with 12 signalized intersections throughout the City.

The City of Kingston has identified a number of signalized intersections that may no longer meet the minimum traffic and safety warrants to justify their continued operation.  Aging signal infrastructure, difficulty and expense associated with maintenance, changing traffic conditions, and driver frustration due to perceived unnecessary delay have been cited as justification for engaging in this effort.  Several signals have been removed in the recent past with generally favorable results.

The primary objective of the study is to evaluate traffic conditions at selected locations and strategize appropriate measures for optimizing operations and safety for pedestrians, cyclists and the driving public at each location.  Removing unnecessary signals and substituting them with more appropriate regulatory and safety features (such as stop signs, warning lights, improved cross walks and lighting, curb bump-outs, and other engineering improvements) will be considered.

A detailed field assessment, crash history analysis, and existing traffic, pedestrian and cyclist volumes will be conducted at each location.  The peak hour volumes will be used to determine worst-case traffic operations.  Signal warrants 1 through 8 as described in the Manual of Traffic Control Devices (“MUTCD”) will be reviewed at each site to determine if the appropriate traffic control is in place.

Regardless of whether a signal is determined to be justified or not, recommendations for improving the safety and function of selected intersections will be developed, including any alterations in settings of required yellow change and red clearance times, minimum required pedestrian crossing times, and overall time of day coordination plans.

A public information meeting was held on November 19th where project staff presented draft findings. You can view the presentation, flyer, and press release below.

Deadline for public comments December 13, 2019.  

For more information, contact Brian Slack, Principal Transportation Planner, 334-5590 bsla@co.ulster.ny.us