Possible conversion to one-way operations on Windsor Street

This memo is in response to Order Number 5 from the February 6th, 2017 City Council Meeting (Awaiting Report 17-14) to review the two-way traffic operations on Windsor Street between Cambridge Street and the City Line regarding the width of the roadway, reports of increased sideswipe-type crashes, and the potential for conversion to one-way operations.

Crash Data Staff from the Department’s Engineering Unit reviewed crash report data from January 2014 through March 2017 along Windsor Street from the City Line to the intersection of Cambridge Street. As part of that review, we looked for sideswipe crashes and head-on crashes not located at an intersection, which are the two types of crashes that would most commonly be related to insufficient roadway width on a two- way street.

During this period, there were a total of 23 crashes, including 15 collisions occurring at the intersection with Cambridge Street and 8 collisions midblock on Windsor Street. Of the 8 crashes along Windsor Street, 5 were sideswipes, 2 of which were the result of impaired driving: one motorist was cited for a DUI and the other fell asleep at the wheel. There were 3 recorded sideswipe crashes in three years which could have been related to the two-way operation of Windsor Street, all of which involved a driver striking a parked vehicle and none of which resulted in injuries. No head-on crashes were reported during the period analyzed.

Recommendation Given that the low frequency of sideswipe crashes, lack of head-on crashes, and the importance of maintaining a two-way facility to provide for circulation within the local neighborhood network, it is our conclusion that no changes should be made to the existing traffic operations on Windsor Street.