AGENDA #4m

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Authorization to Contract for Preparation of the 2003 Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card

 

DATE:             August 25, 2003

 

 

Adoption of the attached resolution would authorize the Manager to execute a contract with L.S.A. Associates to prepare an update to the Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card.

 

BACKGROUND

 

In 2001 LSA Associates completed the Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card. The Mobility Report Card provided data on various elements of the Town’s transportation system, including traffic volumes, transit ridership, bicycle and pedestrian counts.  The Report also included information on the Town’s sidewalk network. The data was used to evaluate intersection level of service, changes in transit use and established a database on pedestrian and bicycle activity. Funding for the 2001 Mobility Report Card was provided by the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization, using Surface Transportation Program Direct Allocation funding. The cost of the 2001 study was $71,000.

 

PROPOSED SCOPE OF SERVICES

 

The proposed scope of services for the 2003 Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card includes the following tasks:

 

• 24 hour traffic counts
• Peak hour (AM, Noon, PM) intersection analysis
• Travel time and delay
• Sidewalk inventory
• Bicycle and pedestrian counts
• Summary of transit ridership
• Parking Analysis

 

The proposal from LSA Associates, Inc. is attached. The proposed 2003 Mobility Report would collect data at the same locations as the 2001 Report Card and identify any significant changes. The 2003 Report will also expand the number of intersection analyzed to include additional traffic signal locations and add 25 additional locations for pedestrian and bicycle counts.  We have proposed to prepare this update to the 2001 Mobility Report Card in conjunction with the scheduled update of transportation data for the University of North Carolina Campus Development Plan.  

 

The estimated budget for the 2003 Mobility Report Card is approximately $72,545.  Funding for the Report has been provided by the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization. This funding requires a 20% local match. The Town’s share would be $14,509. We propose the local match be provided from $30,000 included in the Town’s adopted FY 2003-2004 budget for an emissions inventory.  The Metropolitan Planning Organization has made funds available to prepare an emissions inventory for Orange County, including Chapel Hill. We estimate that the Town’s share of this project will be $5-10,000. Therefore funds are available to also fund the Mobility Report Card from this budget item.

 

We note that the Metropolitan Planning Organization has provided funding to update the Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card and gather similar data for Carrboro. The combination of data from Chapel Hill and Carrboro would fulfill federal requirements to prepare a congestion management report.  We are currently discussing a scope of work and budget with the Town of Carrboro to prepare a Carrboro Mobility Report Card. We anticipate amending this contract with LSA to include the Carrboro portion of the Mobility Report Card. Carrboro would provide the 20% local match for their portion of the project.

 

We also note that the 2003 Chapel Hill Mobility Report will also be coordinated with the Town’s Parking Study, which will also be completed by LSA Associates, Inc.

 

Date collection for the 2003 Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card is expected to be completed in September and October, 2003. A final report will be completed by January, 2004.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing execution of a contract with LSA Associates, Inc. to perform these services.

 

ATTACHMENT

 

1.      Scope of Service from LSA Associates, Inc. (p. 4).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A CONTRACT FOR PREPARING THE 2003 CHAPEL HILL MOBILITY REPORT CARD (2003-08-25/R-14)

 

WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill prepared a 2001 Mobility Report Card; and

 

WHEREAS, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization has identified the Mobility Report Card as part of the Region’s congestion management plan; and

 

WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill Town Council wishes to update the 2001 Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to contract with LSA Associates, Inc. for services to prepare the 2003 Mobility Report Card.

 

This the 25^th day of August, 2003.