PIONEER TRAIL INTERCHANGE STUDY RESULTS

Eric v. K. Hill, Ph.D., Chief ConsultantAura Vector Consulting3041 Turnbull Bay Road

New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168(386) 341-6382; ericvkhill@auravector.com

www.auravector.com

Mosquito Lagoon Bike Club at the Florida East Coast railroad crossing on Turnbull Bay Road during their 2013 Sunday morning 47.2 mile ride

• 2005 FINAL PIONEER TRAIL INTERCHANGE FEASIBILITY STUDY

• 2008 SOUTHEAST VOLUSIA REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION STUDY (SVRTS)

• 2009 SR-421/I-95 INTERCHANGE ANALYSIS

OVERVIEW

Problem: Determine whether a Pioneer Trail interchange would (1) relieve the congestion at the Dunlawton interchange in Port Orange

and (2) provide economic development for Volusia County without (3) adversely impacting New Smyrna Beach.

2005 PIONEER TRAIL INTERCHANGE FEASIBILITY STUDY –roadway/interchange effects 2030 – Pioneer Trail interchange

• Net decrease in traffic volumes:• Dunlawton – 30 vehicles/hour (1 vehicle/2 minutes)• Tomoka Farms Road (S of SR-421) and Glencoe Road –

2,600 vehicles/day (less than 2 vehicles/minute)

• Reduced Williamson/Taylor Road intersection delay times: 5:03 to 3:50 (2:15 current measured) – queuing failure

Volusia County Council Pioneer Trail interchange resolution: 6-1 vote to put Pioneer Trail interchange back on 2035 LRTP

3/21/2013

RESULTS

• Increased traffic volumes: • Tomoka Farms Road (N of SR-421) – doubles – fails • Turnbull Bay Road – almost quadruples – fails

RESULTS

2008 SOUTHEAST VOLUSIA REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION STUDY (SVRTS) DRAFT – roadway effects (only) 2015, 2025

and 2030 – interchanges at Madeline Avenue, Pioneer Trail and Park Avenue

“A wish list that no one could agree on.” Melissa K. Winsett, TCC Meeting, Volusia TPO, 8/20/2013

A. Shawn Collins, AICP, PTPChad T. Lingenfelter, AICP, PTP

• A Pioneer Trail interchange would cause I-95 and Turnbull Bay Road to fail

• Dunlawton fails with or without Pioneer Trail interchange• Scenario B-2 – optimum solution – included interchanges

at Madeline and Park Avenues but “No” Pioneer Trail interchange

2009 SR-421/I-95 INTERCHANGE ANALYSIS – roadway/interchange effects 2025 – interchange at Pioneer

Trail – overpass at Madeline Avenue

• Madeline Avenue overpass provides no real relief

• Pioneer Trail interchange provides:

• Net reductions in traffic volumes at Dunlawton /I-95 interchange and intersections – 233 vehicles/hour ≈ 4 vehicles/minute

• Reduced Williamson/Taylor Road intersection delay times – 2:30 to 2:07 vs. 2:15 current actual measured delay time

RESULTS

CONCLUSIONS

• A Pioneer Trail interchange is not a “viable alternative to the already congested Dunlawton … interchange”

• Reductions in traffic volumes almost negligible @ a cost of $1.0-2.4 M/vehicle/hour ($30-72.5 M interchange)

• Side effects – failure of Turnbull Bay Road and I-95 – plus Tomoka Farms Road (N of SR-421) – not worth it

• Queuing failures imminent at critical Williamson/Taylor Road intersection – backups on I-95

• Need additional capacity – an alternate route

Based on the results from the

2005 Feasibility Study, the 2008 SVRTS and the 2009 SR-421/I-95 Interchange Analysis:

• Vote “NO” on the Pioneer Trail interchange because it is the technically correct thing to do

• Consider a Madeline Avenue (or Martin’s Dairy Road) interchange to relieve congestion at Dunlawton – backfit onto the 2035 LRTP

RECOMMEDATIONS