The Pennfield School, a private school for 180 students, is located on a busy 4-lane roadway in the Town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island. The school provides education from nursery school to eighth grade. The Pennfield School conducted planning for relocation to a nearby site presently known as Little Slocum Farm on Sandy Point Road, a less heavily traveled area of the town. Northeast Engineers & Consultants, Inc. (NE&C) conducted a traffic impact study and produced a report to determine the impact of the move on the school, adjoining streets and the adjacent intersection.

An extensive analysis of the existing and proposed locations was completed to determine if the move would be advantageous to both the school and the town residents. NE&C conducted average daily traffic counts and peak hour volume counts at the existing location, the proposed road and the intersection affected by the move. NE&C also conducted investigations of roadway geometrics and conditions. Parking requirements were examined for daily usage and overflow situations.

NE&C’s comprehensive traffic analysis for The Pennfield School included:

• Investigation of roadway geometrics and conditions
• Parking required by the school for daily and overflow conditions
• Changes in traffic distribution as a result of the relocation.
• Impact of the new location on students, family and faculty

NE&C also assessed the impact of the school relocation to the nearby roads and intersection. The analysis encompassed:

• Speed limit changes
• Analysis of existing signalized intersection capacity
• Level of service determination for the existing signalized intersection
• Signal timing improvements