ATTACHMENT 3

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            Jed Dube (Chair) Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board

SUBJECT:       Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan, Submission to Town Council.

DATE:             June 22, 2004

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board has the pleasure of transmitting a Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan to the Town Council. We request that you call a public hearing to provide an opportunity for public comment and refer this draft to advisory boards for comment.

BACKGROUND

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board formed a work group with liaisons from the Transportation Board, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Board and the Greenway Commission. The group held a kick-off open house in October, 2003. More than 60 citizens attended the event to share their experiences and their ideas for improvements to bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the town. Since October, 2003, the group has held a plan work session once a month and also held a second open house in January. The follow-up open house was attended by between 60 and 80 citizens. It received feedback on the bicycle and pedestrian facilities work maps that had been produced from suggestions received at the kick-off open house.

Since January the group has methodically worked through citizen suggestions and reviewed existing plans and policies which might affect or influence the actions to be included in an action plan.

The group has kept to its schedule of completing a draft plan by the end of June, 2004. The group is therefore submitting the draft plan for consideration by the Town Council and review by advisory boards. We are also eager to receive additional comments and suggestions from the public.

SUMMARY OF DRAFT PLAN

The draft plan consists of a plan document, a proposed bicycle map, and a proposed pedestrian facilities map. (Please see Attachment 1)

The Draft Plan is divided into 4 chapters:

• Chapter 1 sets out the purpose and objectives of the plan.
• Chapter 2 sets out the background to the plan.
• Chapter 3 describes an overall facilities plan identified on a pedestrian facilities map and a bicycle facilities map which accompany the plan document. The main focus here is to provide connectivity. The proposed facilities consist of: 

• Sidewalks,
• Off Road Paths (surfaced, shared facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists),
• Crossing Improvements,
• Signed Advisory Routes for pedestrians and bicyclists and.
• Bicycle Facilities.

• Chapter 4 sets out a series of recommendations for engineering improvement actions and for education actions and also for encouragement actions aimed at increasing bicycle and pedestrian use. The chapter recommends a general approach for the implementation of those actions and a recommended package of improvements.

Recommendations of Interest to other Advisory Boards

The draft plan includes recommended actions which may be of interest to other town advisory board and commissions. These include:

• The creation of a historic district/ downtown way marked walk, including opportunities for locating public art.
• The provision of a hard surfaced trail and advisory bicycle route on the Battle Branch Greenway Trail.
• A recommended greenway for use by bicyclists and pedestrians to connect Southern Village to the New High School off Smith Level Road.
• The provision of a bicycle and pedestrian bridge at Ashe Place connecting the Laurel Hills neighborhood across Morgan Creek.
• The provision of a trail spur from the Tanbark trail connecting to Broad Street, Carrboro.
• The provision of a crossing at the Estes Drive entrance to Library Drive.
• The implementation of a package of access improvements for the Northside Neighborhood.
• The requirement to provide the facilities shown on the plan maps as part of new development and redevelopment.

We are pleased to forward this draft for consideration by the Council, the public and advisory boards.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan. (A Bicycle Facilities Map and a Pedestrian Facilities Map will be available on line at www.townofchapelhill.org/planning )