AGENDA #4L
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Response To A Petition From Residents of Shady Lawn Road Requesting Rescheduling the Installation Of Sidewalks o an Earlier Date
DATE: May 24, 2004
This memorandum responds to a April 14, 2004, petition brought by residents of Shady Lawn Road to move to an earlier date the projected installation of sidewalks on Shady Lawn Road.
The Town Manager’s recommendation is to refer the petition to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board for consideration as it develops the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan and that the Council confirm its intent to pursue the future construction of sidewalks through an annual construction plan guided by the objectives and recommended actions of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan.
The petition requests that the Town Council advance the projected installation of sidewalks on Shady Lawn Road to an earlier date. The petition calls for a safe place for residents to walk. It describes traffic on the street as busy and states that motorists speed above the posted limit. It also states that the proximity of the proposed Carolina North campus might cause people to look for shortcuts using the street.
Attachment 1 is a copy of the petition.
On September 10, 2001, the Town Council endorsed a sidewalk ranking system recommended by both the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board and the Transportation Board. The ranking system is used to help decide which sidewalks projects to construct.
In October of each year the Town Council normally holds a public forum to receive citizen input about an annual sidewalk and bicycle facilities construction plan. A Public forum was held October 2002, and an annual plan adopted in November 2002.
On September 8, 2003, the Town Council approved a process and schedule for the preparation of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan.
On September 22, 2003, the Town Council adopted a sidewalk and bicycle facilities construction plan for 2003-2004 which reaffirmed the use of $50,000 in capital improvement funds to continue work on the top 10 listed sidewalks on the sidewalks priority list.
In November 2003, voters approved a measure for the Town to issue bonds including $5.6 million for Streets and Sidewalks.
Requests for Sidewalks
The Town’s current practice is to hold an annual public forum in the fall to receive citizen comments, including requests for new sidewalk and bicycle facilities. Requests for sidewalks are assessed using the Council’s adopted sidewalk ranking system. This is a two-step system. The first step involves quantitatively ranking the sidewalk project list based on a series of factors. This ranking system is intended to be used as a “general guide” for identifying potential sidewalk projects. The second step is to work from this list and consider other factors, such as existing or available right-of-way, construction feasibility, and immediacy of need, to determine a list of new sidewalk projects for each fiscal year. By considering these other factors, projects other than those at the top of the ranking list could be chosen for funding and construction.
Typically, the Council focuses on projects that generally appear as higher priority projects in the sidewalk ranking system. However, the Council also takes into account the following feasibility criteria to evaluate sidewalk projects:
· Significant safety issues;
· Recognition of fiscal restraints;
· Reasonableness of costs compared to benefit attained;
· Efficient coordination of resources when other construction projects are underway;
· Consideration of prior commitments;
· Contributions of funds from an outside source to help defray costs;
· Distribution of funding throughout the Town; and
· Most efficient balance of use of Town forces and outside contractors.
A sidewalk on Shady Lawn Road from Eastwood Road to Lakeshore Drive is currently ranked 50 out of 51 projects on the list as of September 2003 (please see Attachment 2).
Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan
A Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan is currently being prepared by the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board and Board liaisons from the Planning Board, Transportation Board, Greenways Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission.
The Plan is being prepared in pursuit of a key action as stated in Section 10A-2 of the Comprehensive Plan, which is to “Develop a comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle network”. The intent of the plan is to create and improve a network of facilities connecting homes to workplaces, schools and services.
A draft plan is scheduled to be submitted to the Council on June 30 for referral to advisory boards followed by a public hearing in the fall and adoption by December, 2004. It will provide a long range vision for the provision of bicycle and pedestrian facilities and will include a recommended implementation strategy based upon the objectives of the Plan. At this time it is envisioned that the sidewalks priority list will continue to be used as an assessment tool in conjunction with the overall vision set by the Action Plan.
The Plan will have more strategic importance in developing priorities for the expenditure of 2003 bond funds via an annual sidewalk and bicycle facilities construction plan.
Manager’s Recommendation: That the Council adopt the attached resolution referring the petition to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board for consideration as it develops the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan, and that the Council confirm its intent to pursue the future construction of sidewalks through an annual construction plan guided by the objectives and recommended actions of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Petition from residents of Shady Lawn Road (p. 5).
2. Sidewalk Priority List, September, 2003. (p. 7).
A RESOLUTION REGARDING A REQUEST FROM RESIDENTS OF SHADY LAWN ROAD TO MOVE FORWARD TO AN EARLIER DATE THE INSTALLATION OF SIDEWALKS ON SHADY LAWN ROAD (2004-05-24/R-8)
WHEREAS, the Town Council has established a vision for the development of a comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle network in Section 10 A-2 of its Comprehensive Plan adopted May, 2000; and
WHEREAS, on September 8, 2003, the Town Council adopted a sidewalk and bicycle facilities construction plan for 2003-2004;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council refers the petition to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory board for consideration as it develops the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan, and that the Council confirm its intent to pursue the future construction of sidewalks through an annual construction plan guided by the objectives and recommended actions of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan.
This the 24th day of May, 2004.