to: Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager
from: J.B. Culpepper, Planning Director
David Bonk, Long Range and Transportation Manager
subject: Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan
date: September 22, 2008
This memorandum reviews the issues discussed at the September 8, 2008 public forum on the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan Alternatives Analysis (previously distributed). The memorandum also includes recommendations for the Council’s consideration from staff and Town advisory boards.
Adoption of the attached resolution would provide the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee with a recommendation for the development of 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan preferred alternatives
The Chapel Hill Town Council held a public forum on the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan Alternatives Analysis on September 8, 2008.
The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) is expected to approve one or more preferred alternatives to be analyzed at their October 8, 2008 meeting. The preferred alternatives will incorporate elements of some or all of the alternatives currently being evaluated. The results of the Preferred Alternatives analysis will be provided to the Transportation Advisory Committee on December 10, 2008. At that time the Committee will be asked to approve a final 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan.
The following issues were raised by the Council or members of the public at the September 8, 2008 public forum.
1) Roadway Improvements: Several Council members requested additional information as to which proposed roadway improvements were included in the various transportation network alternatives.
Comment: We have provided below a table that identifies which roadway improvements in the Chapel Hill area have been included in the various transportation networks.
Comparison of Proposed Roadway Improvements and 2035 Network Alternatives
|
|
Highway Intensive |
Fixed Guideway |
Bus Intensive |
Modified Mult-modal |
|
I-40: NC 86 to US 15-501 - widen to 6 lanes |
X |
|
X |
|
|
High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes: I-40- NC86 to RTP |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
NC 54: Barbee Chapel Rd to I-40-widen to 6 lanes |
X |
|
|
X |
|
Fordham Blvd: NC54 to US 15-501 South-widen to 6 lanes |
X |
|
|
|
|
Barbee Chapel Rd: NC54 to Farrington Rd.- widen to 4 lanes |
X |
|
|
|
|
I-40: New Interchange at Farrington Rd. |
X |
|
|
|
The table clarifies information provided to the Council at their September 8, 2008 public forum. The implementation of high occupancy vehicle lanes along I-40 has been included in the analysis of all but the Modified Multi-Modal alternative. The proposal to develop a new interchange along I-40 at Farrington Road is only included in the Highway Intensive alternative.
2) Cost of I-40 Improvements: Council members asked whether the cost of noise walls and other noise abatement strategies be included in the proposal to widen I-40 between NC86 and US 15-501. Council members asked that the cost of using asphalt rather than concrete also be considered.
Comment: We believe the Council should include a request that the cost of noise abatement and alternative roadway surfaces be included in the cost estimates for widening I-40 from US 15-501 to NC54.
3) Impact of Through Traffic: The Council discussed the impact of automobile traffic traveling though the Chapel Hill area from Chatham County to destinations in Durham County and Wake County.
Comment: Given the anticipated growth of population in northern Chatham County and employment growth in Durham County and Wake County we believe a significant amount of traffic using US 15-501, Fordham Boulevard and NC54 is traveling through the Chapel Hill area. We will request that staff from the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization provide additional information from the regional model on the amount of through traffic using these corridors in Chapel Hill.
4) Development of Socio-Economic Projections: The Council asked whether the socioeconomic projections for 2035, which included increases in population and employment, could be modified.
Comment: The 2035 projections for Chapel Hill, approved by the Council in 2006, cannot be modified as part of the development of the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan. Upon adoption of the 2035 Plan, anticipated in December, 2009, the Metropolitan Planning Organization will begin the development of the 2040 Transportation Plan. At that time the Town will be asked to review and revise the population and employment projections.
5) Roadway Widening and Pedestrian Safety: A member of the public suggested that some roadway widening will be necessary to accommodate anticipated growth and the development of small, fuel efficient vehicles. Concerns were also raised about the impact on pedestrian safety of widened roads.
Comment: The Town has pursued land use and transportation policies intended to promote expanded transit, bicycling and pedestrian activity. The Town has rejected proposals to widen existing roadways in order to encourage greater use of alternative modes of transportation and maintain pedestrian safety. We believe the Town should continue to support policies to broaden opportunities for expansion of public transit and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. These policies should include providing pedestrian safety improvements along existing roadways.
Planning Board: That the Council recommend that the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization use the Fixed Guideway Alternative as the basis for developing the preferred alternative. (Attachment 1)
Transportation Board: That the Council recommend that the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization use the Fixed Guideway Alternative as the basis for developing the preferred alternative. Roadway improvements in northern Chatham County should be included to reduce through traffic in Chapel Hill. (Attachment 2)
Manager’s Recommendation: We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution recommending that the Transportation Advisory Committee utilize the Fixed Guideway Alternative as the basis for developing one or more Preferred Alternatives. We believe the Fixed Guideway alternative provides the most acceptable approach to developing a 2035 transportation system.
The Fixed Guideway alternative includes a robust expansion of local and regional transit services, including fixed guideway service between Chapel Hill and Durham. We suggest that the provision of commuter rail service between Carrboro and Hillsborough using the existing railroad corridor not be included in the Preferred Alternative. We believe the development of a high intensity transit corridor along Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. as reflected in the draft Chapel Hill Long Range Transit Plan, could provide future transit access within the community and could support expanded transit services between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough.
It is anticipated that the Transportation Advisory Committee will release one or more preferred alternatives on October 8, 2008 for public comment. The Transportation Advisory Committee is expected to receive the analysis of the preferred alternatives on December 10, 2008 and approve a final 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan at that time.