Burgin Parkway Bus Garage Traffic Engineering

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), to reduce their carbon footprint, is planning to replace their existing fleet of buses with electric buses by 2040. To achieve this long-term goal, the MBTA must update their bus maintenance facilities to accommodate electric buses.

As part of this effort, Fuss & O’Neill provided traffic engineering support for upgrades to a bus maintenance facility in Quincy, MA. The facility design included a new signalized intersection on Burgin Parkway to serve as a secondary site access point.

Fuss & O’Neill performed traffic analysis for an approximately 0.5-mile corridor comprised of three coordinated signalized intersections and a fourth, uncoordinated signalized intersection. Our traffic engineers assessed if the addition of a signalized access point to the network would require coordination among all five signalized intersections.

We utilized Synchro traffic analysis software to develop new signal timings and coordination plans at the existing intersections to ensure optimized corridor operations. Additionally, we designed the signal equipment layout, timings, and phasing at the new signalized access point.

This project included a unique challenge regarding a right-of-way constraint on the south side of Burgin Parkway. To address this problem, our team proposed a 70-foot mast arm, which is 20 feet longer than the longest MassDOT standard mast arm. The idea was accepted, and the mast arm required a special foundation design.

Utilizing Fuss & O’Neill’s multidisciplinary services, our structural engineering group designed the foundation for the 70-foot mast arm. Additionally, as a result of the new signalized intersection, an existing overhead sign must be relocated. Our structural team also designed the foundation for the relocated sign.