TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Public Forum on 2006-2012 Chapel Hill Transportation Priority List
DATE: October 8, 2003
The Council is holding this Public Forum to hear citizen comments on developing a 2006-2012 Chapel Hill Transportation Priority List.
The Priority List is updated every two years. This memorandum reviews the status of projects in the Chapel Hill Transportation Priority List and summarizes recommendations from Town Advisory Boards for the development of the 2006-2012 Priority List. After the Council receives citizen comments tonight, we will prepare a draft Priority List for Council consideration on October 27, 2003.
The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee has initiated the process for developing the 2006-2012 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has also begun the process to develop the 2006-2012 State Transportation Improvement Program.
The Transportation Advisory Committee has asked that local jurisdictions prepare transportation project priority lists. These local lists will be used by the Urban Area to develop a Regional Transportation Priority List. The Regional List will then be used to develop a draft Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program. The Regional List will also be submitted to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for their use in developing the State Program.
PROCESS
The development of local transportation project priority lists is the first step in the process for the development of the Metropolitan and State Transportation Improvement Programs. The attached diagram illustrates the process for developing the transportation improvement program (Attachment 1). The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee is scheduled to adopt a regional priority list in February, 2004.
Funding for transportation projects is provided from several sources, including:
· Federal Transportation funds: These funds are controlled by the State of North Carolina and are allocated through the transportation improvement program. There is no local match for these funds unless they include sidewalks, which require a cost sharing arrangement.
· Enhancement Program: The State has initiated a competitive process for allocating Enhancement Program funds. Eligible Enhancement projects include bicycle, pedestrian and scenic beautification. Enhancement projects require a 20% local match.
· Surface Transportation Program- Direct Allocation Program: (STP-DA) These federal funds are provided to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee for allocation. They require a 20% local match.
· Federal Transit Administration Capital Program: Funding from this program is provided directly to transit operators. The standard cost sharing is 80% federal, 10% State and 10% local.
Assessment of Projects
In November, 2001 the Town Council adopted a Chapel Hill Transportation Priority List as part of the development of the 2004-2010 Metropolitan and State Transportation Improvement Programs (Attachment 2).
We provide below an assessment of the status of each project on the 2004-2010 Town Priority List. We note the Council subsequently adopted a resolution identifying three projects as their highest priority: replacement of the Chapel Hill Transit maintenance facility, replacement of 13 buses and upgrade to the Town’s traffic signal system. We have modified the Priority List discussion below to reflect the Council’s action. The maintenance facility and bus replacement projects were already included in the more general #1 Transit Capital Projects. We have moved Signal System Upgrade to priority #2 and reordered all subsequent projects to reflect that change.
1. Transit Capital Projects (FY 2004-2008).
Status: Partial funding for transit capital has been provided through the Surface Transportation Program Direct Allocation fund ($2.7 million) for transit maintenance facility construction and bus rehabilitation. Funding for transit capital has also been provided by reallocation of funds from Homestead Road widening project ($6.9 million). Additional funding is necessary to complete both the transit maintenance facility and bus rehabilitation.
2. Upgrade Chapel Hill Signal System- Improve Chapel Hill signal system.
Status: Unfunded.
3. Estes Drive Extension - N.C. 86 to Greensboro Street (Carrboro), widen to three lanes with five foot bikelanes and sidewalks.
Status: Project included in Transportation Improvement Program for post 2010 funding.
4. Old Durham-Chapel Hill Road: U.S. 15-501 to I-40-Construct five-foot bikelanes and sidewalks.
Status: $1,200,000 has been allocated from the Surface Transportation Program Direct Allocation fund for FY2009.
5. Seawell School Road-Improvements from Homestead Road to Estes Drive Extension, including turn lanes, bicycle lanes, sidewalks and transit accommodations.
Status: The FY2004-2010 Transportation Improvement Program includes funding to complete a feasibility study for providing bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
6. Estes Drive-NC 86 to Curtis Road, widen existing roadway to include two 12-foot travel lanes, four-foot bikelanes and sidewalks.
Status: Unfunded.
7. Culbreth Road - construct five foot bikelanes and sidewalks.
Status: The Town has completed sidewalks on most of the road.
8. Morgan Creek Greenway-Construct a greenway from the Southern Village to Frank Porter Graham Elementary School.
Status: The STP-DA fund has allocated $80,000 for planning in FY2005 and $640,000 for construction in FY2007.
9. Franklin Street/Bolin Creek Greenway Pedestrian/Bicycle Access: Install pedestrian and bicycle access between Franklin Street and Bolin Creek Greenway. Status: Unfunded.
10. Estes Drive- Curtis Road to Franklin Street, construct sidewalk along entire length and provide pedestrian signal at intersection with Chapel Hill Library Drive.
Status: Unfunded.
11. Bolin Creek Greenway- Construct a greenway from Airport Road to Umstead Park.
Status: Unfunded.
12. Pope Road - Ephesus Church Road - construct five foot bikelanes.
Status: Unfunded.
13. Piney Mountain Road-Improvements from NC 86 to Riggsbee Road, including turn lanes, sidewalks, bicycle lanes and transit accommodations.
Status: Unfunded.
14. Mount Carmel Church Road: Improvements from U.S. 15-501 South to Chatham County line, to be limited to include bikelanes, sidewalks, transit and safety improvements.
Status: Unfunded.
15. Dry Creek Greenway-Construct a greenway from Perry Creek Drive to Erwin Road.
Status: The STP-DA fund has allocated $64,000 for planning in FY2006 and $560,000 for construction in FY2008.
16. Manning Drive-Construct a sidewalk on the east side from Bowles Drive to Fordham Boulevard.
Status: Unfunded.
17. Merritt Mill Road-Construct a sidewalk on the east side from Cameron Avenue to Edwards Place.
Status: Unfunded.
18. Upper Booker Creek Greenway-Construct a 10-foot bikeway from the Northern Community Park to Weaver Dairy Road Extension
Status: The STP-DA fund has allocated $64,000 for planning in FY2006 and $576,000 for construction in FY2008.
19. Country Club Road-Construct a sidewalk on the east side from South Road to Raleigh Street.
Status: The recent amendment to the UNC Development Plan included a stipulation that at such time as the Town determines that pedestrian volumes along this section of Country Club Road warrants a paved surface the Town and the University shall share the cost of improvements.
20. Fordham Boulevard- Construct a sidewalk along the north side, Manning Drive to Carmichael Street.
Status: Unfunded.
21. Bolin Creek/Little Creek Greenway-Construct a greenway from Chapel Hill Community Center to Pinehurst Drive.
Status: Unfunded.
22. Old Mason Farm/Finley Golf Course Road- Construct bikelanes and sidewalks
Status: Unfunded.
We will use the comments received at this public forum to prepare a draft 2006-2012 Chapel Hill Transportation Priority List for Council consideration on October 27, 2003. The adopted Chapel Hill Priority List will be submitted to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee for their use in the development of the Regional Priority List. We anticipate that the Regional Priority List will be adopted in January, 2004 by the Transportation Advisory Committee.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Manager’s Recommendation: That the Council refer comments from the Forum for preparation of a 2006-2012 Chapel Hill Regional Priority list for Council consideration on October 27, 2003.
Transportation Board Recommendation: The Transportation Board reviewed the 2004-2010 Priority List and recommended that the following projects be included in priority order (Attachment 3):
The Board also recommended that project #11, Bolin Creek Greenway, Airport Road to Umstead Park and #13, Piney Mountain Road improvements, be given lower priority.
Planning Board Recommendation: The Planning Board reviewed the 2004-2010
Chapel Hill Priority List and recommended that Project # 7, Morgan Creek Greenway be moved up to priority #5 and that a new project, Rosemary Street Sidewalks, be added
(Attachment 4).
Greenways Commission: The Commission reviewed the 2004-2010 Chapel Hill Priority List and recommended that the Rail Trail be added to the priority list between #11, Bolin Creek Greenway and #12, Ephesus Church Road bicycle lanes (Attachment 5).
Parks and Recreation Commission: The Commission reviewed the 2004-2010 Chapel Hill Priority List and recommended that the Rail Trail, providing access to future UNC development on the Horace Williams property be added to the list (Attachment 6).
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board: The Board members reviewed the 2004-2010 Chapel Hill Priority List and made the following comments (a quorum was not present) (Attachment 7):