AGENDA #4t

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT:      Project Ordinance for a 2006-07 Transportation Planning Grant (Federal Highway Administration Section 104(f))

DATE:            June 26, 2006

The attached ordinance would establish a project budget for a transportation planning grant for 2006-2007.

BACKGROUND

The Town has requested transportation planning funds that are Federal Highway Administration funds passed through the North Carolina Department of Transportation and administered by the City of Durham, the urbanized area’s lead planning agency.  These funds, known as Section 104 (f) funds are apportioned to the State through a population-based formula approved by the North Carolina Board of Transportation in June 2005.  Recipients of these funds are required to provide a 20 percent local match.

DISCUSSION

Section 104(f) planning funds have been allocated to Chapel Hill in the amount of $82,495 and will be used for general program support and technical assistance of the Town’s Transportation Planning staff.  Tasks to be performed include:

• to participate in the revision to the Triangle Regional Model and further refinement of the mode split procedures and transit element,
• to collect data on travel behavior of transit riders for use in the regional model,
• to revise the 2030 highway, bicycle, pedestrian and transit networks as part of the development of the 2035 Long Range Plan,
• to prepare projections of 2035 housing and employment for use in the 2035 Long Range Transit Plan,
• to administer the development of the Chapel Hill Long Range Transit Plan,
• to develop and monitor the annual planning work program,
• to prepare the 2007-2013 TIP, and
• to prepare analysis of feasibility of projects for inclusion in the TIP.

The City of Durham will reimburse the Town 80 percent of $82,495 ($65,996) in Section 104(f) planning project funds.  The Town will provide the local match of 20 percent ($16,499) for this project, from funds budgeted for this purpose in the Town’s General Fund.

RECOMMENDATION

That the Council enact the attached budget ordinance.