MassDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic
According to MassDOT's Transportation Data Management System, Providence Street (Route 122A) and South Main Street, like other many roads throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are experiencing an increase in Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT), representing the average daily traffic on these roadways throughout the year, measured in Vehicle Trips Per Day (VTPD). This is showcased as an extra piece of information within the broader picture.
Traffic has consistently risen each year, except for the period of the COVID-19 pandemic when remote work and staying at home led to a deviation from this upward trend.
| Roadway | Year | AADT |
|---|---|---|
| Providence St | 2022 | 5,800 |
| Providence St | 2021 | 5,806 |
| Providence St | 2020 | 5,184 |
| Providence St | 2019 | 6,284 |
| Providence St | 2018 | 6,309 |
| S Main St | 2022 | 858 |
| S Main St | 2021 | 859 |
| S Main St | 2020 | 767 |
| S Main St | 2019 | 930 |
| S Main St | 2018 | 934 |
| Route 146 | 2022 | 51,620 |
| Route 146 | 2021 | 49,459 |
| Route 146 | 2020 | 41,733 |
| Route 146 | 2019 | 52,685 |
| Route 146 | 2018 | 52,827 |
Solely for the sake of comparison, Providence Street (Route 122A, a state route) displays an AADT representing 11% of Route 146 in 2022, warranting its inclusion in the table above. Additionally, South Main Street is 15% of Providence Street's (Route 122A) AADT and less than 2% of Route 146's AADT in 2022.
The figures provided don't include proposed or under construction developments like the ongoing construction of the UN1F1ED2 complex in Sutton, just beyond the town line, and the proposed Chapter 40B Rice Pond Village projects. According to the developer’s own traffic consultant’s projections, the proposed Chapter 40B Rice Pond Village project is expected to generate 1,045 Vehicle Trips Per Day (VTPD) for their proposed 192-apartments alone. The traffic generation ratio matches that of 19 Canal Street Apartments, another of this developer’s projects in Millbury, which stands at 5.44 VTPD per dwelling unit. However, doubts about the accuracy of these estimates are widespread, prompting a reasonable skepticism due to various reasons, whether justified or not. It's essential to exercise “common sense” while assessing their updated traffic impact study, similar to how it was approached in the earlier version of the proposed Rice Pond Village project. The previous project iteration faced denial by the Millbury Planning Board due to substantial public safety concerns and the developer’s failure to adhere to local regulations. In this updated version, none of the initial concerns have been rectified despite a considerable increase in dwelling units—now 4.8 times larger.
Richard Gosselin and Francis DeSimone, members of the Millbury Planning Board, outlined several significant concerns in a memorandum submitted to the Millbury Board of Appeals.
For deeper insights into accidents in the vicinity of 17 Rice Road, it's advisable to consult MassDOT Crash Data (another data point), revealing aspects that were not emphasized by the developer's traffic consultant. There's a need to inquire about the oversight regarding nearly all, save for one, of these accidents. This MassDOT data is readily available to the public so it is quite curious why a traffic consultant did not include the accident data, the intersection of Rice Road with Aldrich Avenue, and the Providence & Worcester Railroad crossing with its obvious public safety issues and deficiencies.
Although the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) might not consider the rise in VTPD, they stressed the importance of the Millbury Board of Appeals giving precedence to public safety in evaluating any Chapter 40B project during public hearings, alongside environmental concerns. Those who have closely followed both the previously denied Rice Pond Village project and the current proposed Chapter 40B Rice Pond Village project have highlighted significant public safety concerns to town officials and employees. These include, but are not limited to, issues with Rice Road—below the minimum pavement width for a minor road at 20-22 feet—as well as sightline challenges, the Providence & Worcester Railroad crossing, and the intersections at both ends of Rice Road intersecting with Providence Street (Route 122A) and South Main Street. There are significant upgrades that would have to be made in order to bring Rice Road and the intersections on both ends up to current public safety design standards. The proposed number of dwelling units falls under the Millbury Subdivision Rules and Regulations, which mandate a 60-foot right-of-way, 32-feet pavement width, including a 3-foot grass strip and a 5-foot sidewalk complying with ADA standards. Rice Road currently only has a 40-foot right-of-way, and a private developer doesn't have the authority to use eminent domain statutes to widen it. Moreover, widening would impact three existing homes with garages beneath, featuring already steep driveways, making widening Rice Road impractical and resulting in the loss of garage access. None of our neighbors along Rice Road wants to loose their front yards so this or any developer can built an inappropriate development on a road that it is not suited for, that will, without a doubt, exacerbate public safety issues.
Certain town officials and employees hold the belief that drastically increasing the number of dwelling units on an existing roadway, and subsequently the traffic flow, doesn't necessitate upgrades to accommodate increased VTPD. Certain town employees and board members regularily advocate for ignoring our local regulations, established by the majority of registered voters. If this mindset were valid, our roads would remain as outdated cart paths from the town's inception. This perspective underscores a larger concern that demands attention from registered voters.
Millbury taxpayers shouldn't shoulder the responsibility for road improvements simply because a developer wishes to construct on a road that isn't suited for their project. A clear case illustrating this is McCracken Road, where the broader impacts of The Shoppes at Blackstone Valley mall weren't fully considered by the Millbury Planning Board and other decision-makers. Consequently, private property owners along McCracken Road have either lost some or all of their land due to eminent domain, while those remaining will have a high-volume road right at their doorstep, funded by Massachusetts and Millbury taxpayers, according to a town official, the costs were shared.
Steven Venincasa and James Venincasa have made it evident that they are uninterested in contributing to meaningful offsite improvements, particularly evident in their proposed development and the negotiated Chapter 40B Local Initiative Program (LIP) agreement approved by the Millbury Board of Selectmen. Unfortunately, this agreement offers little benefit to the town or the impacted neighborhood. The LIP agreement secured a sidewalk from Thomas Hill Road to South Main Street along Rice Road, complying with our local regulations, three stop signs, an intersection design plan for Providence Street and Rice Road, and a $100,000 allocation for Windle Field. While the Millbury Board of Selectmen indicated that the $100,000 would assist the affected neighborhood, the agreement specifies otherwise. The sidewalk, which was mutually agreed upon, isn't even depicted in the plan set submitted by the developer through Steven Venincasa's other limited liability corporation, Azimuth Land Design, LLC, the project engineer.
The responsibility now rests with the Millbury Board of Appeals to ensure that public safety and other important issues are thoroughly addressed and appropriately mitigated. It's also incumbent upon our neighborhood and community to champion public safety and push for the developers Steven Venincasa and James Venincasa, to contribute their fair share, rather than solely prioritizing their bottomline profits, emphasizing the importance of being a good neighbor.
Another point of comparison lies in the accident counts at the intersection of Millbury Avenue and Howe Avenue versus the intersection of Providence Street (Route 122A) and Rice Road over the past five years, according to MassDOT Vehicle Crash Data. Curiously, while town officials, employees, and residents on social media are vehemently advocating for immediate action regarding Millbury Avenue and Howe Avenue, there's a notable absence of public concern about the intersection of Providence Street (Route 122A) and Rice Road, despite its higher reported accident rate. Surprisingly, the Millbury DPW hasn't allocated any $20,000 consultations for that particular intersection. What might explain this apparent discrepancy? Perhaps the reason lies in the absence of residences at the intersection of Providence Street (Route 122A) and Rice Road. If the proposed Chapter 40B Rice Pond Village project gets approved without substantial alterations to the intersection of Providence Street (Route 122A) and Rice Road, there's a likelihood of an uptick in accidents at that junction, particularly considering the projected increase of over 1,000 VTPD in and out of the proposed Rice Pond Village project alone, and the poorly design intersection itself. In January 2023, the Millbury Board of Selectmen were directly questioned about their plans regarding the intersection of Providence Street (Route 122A) and Rice Road, the Providence & Worcester Railroad crossing, and related matters, since they entered the town into this Chapter 40B Local Initiative Program (LIP) agreement with Steven Venincasa and James Venincasa, Unfortunately, no answers were given, and no actionable steps were outlined.
The Millbury Board of Appeals ought to mandate a comprehensive and independent traffic impact assessment that includes current traffic data, turning patterns, and a thorough analysis of accidents, across a minimum of seven days, covering 24 hours each day. Utilizing advanced technology rather than relying solely on human traffic counters for a limited duration (the least accurate method) is pivotal to grasp and confirm the availability of precise information necessary for informed decision-making. Neglecting to undertake such a study would disadvantage Millbury, as informed and sound decisions rely heavily on accurate and comprehensive data. The age-old saying, "you get what you pay for," remains undeniably accurate. Depending solely on a peer review without comprehensive or accurate data would make it ineffective and fail to provide the necessary safeguards, as intended.
Our neighborhood and community's goals diverge from the developer's focus. While our aim is to prioritize public safety, the developer seems exclusively concerned with their profits. Emphasizing public safety is paramount; neglecting it could pose a liability for both the town and the state, and the road users.
The upcoming public hearing for the proposed Chapter 40B Rice Pond Village project is set for Wednesday, December 13, 2023, at 7:00 PM. As of now, it's anticipated to take place at the media center in the Millbury Memorial Junior/Senior High School on 12 Martin Street in Millbury, Massachusetts, but this location is subject to confirmation.