1 Middlefield Road Traffic Study
City Council Meeting | 06.17.26
2 Study Area
Middlefield Road Traffic Study
Two intersections:
§ @ Watkins Avenue
§ @ Fair Oaks Lane / Palmer Lane
Warrants Analysis for:
§ Traffic Signals
§ High Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK)
§ Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB)
Data Collection
§ Tuesday, March 10, 2026
§ Seven approaches total
§ Watkins (3 approaches)
§ Fair Oaks Lane/Palmer Avenue (4 Approaches)
§ 24-hour vehicular counts
§ 7-hour turning movement counts including bikes
and pedestrians
5 Watkins
WATKINS AVENUE
Traffic Signal Warrants Summary
Warrant 1 - 8-hour vehicle volume – any one of the following would satisfy this warrant:
A. The Minimum Vehicular Volume, Condition A, is intended for application at locations where a large volume of intersecting traffic is the principal reason to consider installing a traffic control signal. This is compared hourly and 8 hours must be satisfied. (one-lane each way [urban] main roadway/approach roadway = 500 / 150). This is compared at both 100% and at 80% of the threshold.
B. The Interruption of Continuous Traffic, Condition B, is intended for application at locations where Condition A is not satisfied and where the traffic volume on a major street is so heavy that traffic on a minor intersecting street suffers excessive delay or conflict in entering or crossing the major street. This is compared hourly and 8 hours must be satisfied.
Warrant 2 - 4-hour vehicle volume
The Four-Hour Vehicular Volume signal warrant conditions are intended to be applied where the volume of intersecting traffic is the principal reason to consider installing a traffic control signal. Hourly vehicle volumes are plotted against a curve measuring the hourly vehicular volume of the major street (total of both approaches) and the corresponding vehicles per hour on the more critical minor-street approach (one direction only) and 4 hours need to plot above the curve.
Traffic Signal Warrants Summary
Warrant 3 – Peak Hour:
The Peak Hour signal warrant is intended for use at a location where traffic conditions are such that for a minimum of 1 hour of an average day, the minor-street traffic suffers undue delay when entering or crossing the major street.
Warrant 4 - Pedestrian Volume
Intended for application where the traffic volume on a major street is so heavy that pedestrians experience excessive delay in crossing the major street.
Warrant 5 – School Crossing:
intended for application where the fact that schoolchildren cross the major street is the principal reason to consider installing a traffic control signal.
Warrant 6 – Coordinated Signal System:
Progressive movement in a coordinated signal system sometimes necessitates installing traffic control signals at intersections where they would not otherwise be needed in order to maintain proper platooning of vehicles.
Traffic Signal Warrants Summary
Warrant 7 – Crash Experience:
The Crash Experience signal warrant conditions are intended for application where the severity and frequency of crashes are the principal reasons to consider installing a traffic control signal.
Warrant 8 – Roadway Network:
Installing a traffic control signal at some intersections might be justified to encourage concentration and organization of traffic flow on a roadway network.
Warrant 9 – Intersection near Grade Crossing:
The Intersection Near a Grade Crossing signal warrant is intended for use at a location where none of the conditions described in the other eight traffic signal warrants are met, but the proximity of a grade crossing on an approach controlled by a STOP or YIELD sign at a highwayhighway intersection is the principal reason to consider. 9 Middlefield Road at Watkins Avenue
10 Hourly Vehicular Volume (page 101)
11 Peak-hour Turning
Movement Counts (page 42)
12 Warrant 1 – Eight-Hour Vehicular Volume (page 115)
U = Urban
R= Rural
Major Street = Middlefield Rd
Minor Street = Watkins Ave
Middlefield
Watkins
Middlefield
Watkins
13 Warrant 2 – Four-Hour Vehicular Volume (page 104) Watkins Avenue Middlefield Road
14 Warrant 3 – Peak Hour Vehicular Volume (page
107) Watkins Avenue
Middlefield Road
15 Fair Oaks / Palmer
FAIR OAKS/PALMER
16 Middlefield Road at Fair Oaks / Palmer
17 Hourly Vehicular Volume (page 102)
18 Warrant 1 – Eight-Hour Vehicular Volume (page 119)
U = Urban
R= Rural
Major Street = Middlefield Rd
Minor Street = Fair Oaks Ave/Palmer Ln
19 Peak-hour Turning
Movement Counts (page 47)
20 Warrant 2 – Four-Hour Vehicular Volume (page 105)
21 Warrant 3 – Peak Hour Vehicular Volume (page 108)
22 High Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK)
23 High Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK)
24 Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB)
25 Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB)
26 Next Steps
§ TBPSC recommended moving forward with the next step in the evaluation process and suggested that the evaluation include current as well as out year volume projections and that the analysis show current operations, the impacts of installing the Watkins Signal, followed by the signal at Fair Oaks Lane/Palmer Avenue
§ City Council to provide feedback and direction to staff Discussion/Questions 27