PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) today released findings of a recent traffic study conducted in the vicinity of the planned Arcadia Natural Resources & Visitors Center on Arcadia Road in the Arcadia Management Area. The study, performed by the engineering firm Gordon R. Archibald (GRA), found that the potential traffic generated by the new facility is not likely to diminish roadway safety or result in chronic traffic congestion in the surrounding area.
Among the factors evaluated in the study were:
Traffic counts: Automated traffic counts were collected on Arcadia Road from July 15, 2016, to July 18, 2016, as part of a broader traffic study commissioned by RIDOT in connection with the replacement of the Browning Mill Bridge. The data showed very low traffic volumes, with less than 60 vehicles per hour traveling in either direction.
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Location of the proposed driveways for the site: The projected trips by employees and visitors were used to evaluate the impact on the site driveways on the west side of Arcadia Road, immediately south of Tefft Hill Trail. The study found that there is such little activity predicted at these driveways that those trips are expected to have a negligible impact on traffic operations on Arcadia Road. Re-grading the embankments adjacent to the road to ensure sufficient sight distances was recommended and will be done. Once construction begins, speed limit and supplemental signage along Arcadia Road is also recommended and will be installed. ---
DEM continues to promote and build on the outdoor recreational opportunities available throughout Rhode Island. Over the last year, as part of Rhode Island's Outdoor Recreational Council, DEM worked to advance an actionable vision for investing in our state's wealth of historic parks, beaches, management areas, and other recreational spaces. With over 14,000 acres, Arcadia Management Area is the state's largest conservation and recreational area.
Information on recreational opportunities – from hunting and fishing to kayaking and birdwatching – at Arcadia will be available at the new Arcadia Natural Resources & Visitors Center. Comfort facilities and community space will also be available. The Center will also house wildlife and fisheries biologists and foresters, allowing them to better coordinate and be proximate to the resources managed by DEM. The facility's location is within ten miles of the majority of DEM's 51,000 acres of management lands, making it an ideal base of operation for staff working on environmental conservation. The Center has been carefully designed to complement its surrounding rural setting.
For more information on the planned Arcadia Natural Resources & Visitors Center, visit http://www.dem.ri.gov/visitorcenter. Follow DEM on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM or on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) for timely updates on this and other initiatives across the state.
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