AGENDA #6

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan

 

DATE:             September 27, 2004

 

The attached Resolution A would provide comments and recommendations to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee concerning the 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan (Attachment 1).  Resolution B would recommend that the Transportation Advisory Committee review the organization and resources of the Durham Chapel Hill-Carrboro lead planning agency.

 

BACKGROUND

 

On September 13, 2004, the Council held a Public Forum on the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan  (Attachment 2).

 

 


PROCESS

 

The 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan must be developed and adopted by the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Urban Area to meet federal transportation and air quality regulations.  The 2030 Transportation Plan includes roadway, transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects to be completed over the next 25 years and will include a financial plan designed to fund these improvements. The adopted Plan must meet federal air quality standards.  Future State and Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Programs will use the adopted 2030 Plan as a guide to select projects for funding.

 

The current Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee schedule proposes that a final draft Plan be adopted by the Transportation Advisory Committee on September 29, 2004.  Once a draft Plan is approved, it will be analyzed by State and federal agencies for compliance with federal clean air standards. The federal air quality conformity regulations require that the Urban Area must adopt a final Plan in April, 2005. Failure to adopt a Plan by that time will result in the determination that the Urban Area’s air quality conformity has lapsed. During any period of declared lapse, federal Transportation agencies cannot approve new grant funding for highway or public transit projects within the Urban Area.  It is anticipated that the Transportation Advisory Committee will adopt a final Plan in March or April, 2005.

 

 

 

The draft 2030 Plan has been under revision since the release of the June, 2004 draft. Elements of the Plan that have been revised include the projection of future travel demand, anticipated roadway congestion and the financial plan. Attachment 1 is the revised September 22, 2004 Plan which includes this new information.

 

KEY ISSUES

 

Council Members and citizens raised a number of issues (Attachment 3) during the September 13, 2004, Public Forum in addition to those offered by staff (Attachment 2).  We have addressed the key issues below.

 

Citizen Comments

 

1.  Weaver Dairy Road Extension

 

A citizen requested that the section of the Weaver Dairy Road Extension that is north of Homestead Road be kept as a two lane facility.

 

Comment: The Weaver Dairy Road Extension, between N.C. 86 and Homestead Road, is shown in the adopted 2025 Plan as a four lane divided facility. Much of the Weaver Dairy Road Extension has been built to the four lane cross section, with the exception of the section through the Vineyard Square development. In the Vineyard Square development a two lane cross section was required to be built in a manner that would allow two additional lanes to be built in the future.

 

The 2025 Plan also includes the continuation of Weaver Dairy, as a four lane facility, into the Carolina North development.

 

We have reviewed the 2030 projections of future traffic volumes along the Weaver Dairy Extension corridor. We believe the analysis suggests that a two lane roadway could accommodate the future traffic, although the levels of congestion would rise from uncongested (green) to moderate congestion (orange).  As part of the effort to reduce overall costs of the 2030 Plan to match anticipated revenues regional staff reduced the cross section of the portion of the Weaver Dairy Road Extension serving the Horace Williams property from four to two lanes. We anticipate that congestion along this portion of the Weaver Dairy Extension would increase to moderate (orange).

 

At the September 22, 2004, Transportation Advisory Committee meeting the Committee discussed the elimination of the Weaver Dairy Road Extension between Homestead Road and the Horace Williams property. The Committee directed staff to evaluate the impact of removing that portion of the Weaver Dairy Extension from the 2030 Plan.

 

We recommend that the Plan identify the Weaver Dairy Extension, between Homestead Road and N.C. 86, as a two lane roadway. The additional right-of-way that has been reserved for the Weaver Dairy Extension could be reserved for future uses either as a roadway or as a public transit corridor.  We have included this recommendation in Resolution A.

 

2.   Lack of Public Discussion

 

A citizen raised concern about the lack of discussion about the proposed fixed guideway elements of the 2030 Plan.

 

Comment:  When the development of the 2030 Plan was initiated the Transportation Advisory Committee reviewed options for incorporating public comment. Because the 2030 Plan was intended to largely be an update to the adopted 2025 Plan the Committee believed that the creation of a Citizens Advisory Committee was unnecessary. The Committee did insist on providing local jurisdictions and the public with opportunities to review the draft plans and make comment. Chapel Hill citizens were afforded the following opportunities for comment on the draft 2030 Plan on several occasions:

 

 

3.   Flexibility of Bus Transit Compared to Fixed Guideway

 

A citizen suggested that bus systems are more flexible than fixed guideway transit systems.

 

Comment: Fixed route bus service operating on local streets is more flexible than fixed guideway systems and appropriate for small systems with relatively low ridership. As specific travel corridors become established through the development of transit supportive land use patterns, the need for flexibility is replaced by the need for maintaining adequate travel times and operating efficiency. Chapel Hill Transit, with the highest daily ridership in North Carolina after the Charlotte transit system, already has well established transit corridors. These include:

 

·        Fordham Boulevard: N.C. 54 West to South Columbia Street

·        US 15-501/Franklin Street: I-40 to Columbia Street

·        N.C. 86/Airport Road: I-40 to Manning Drive

·        NC 54/South Road: Meadowmont Lane to the University main campus

 

As transit demand continues to grow in these corridors increased demands are placed on existing bus service, requiring additional equipment and operating expense. Many of these corridors will also experience increased automobile traffic, which will reduce the effective speeds of buses operating in mixed traffic and result in more expense and deteriorating service. We also anticipate the development of additional transit demand between the University main campus and the proposed Carolina North area.

 

We believe that the nature of Chapel Hill’s existing and proposed land use patterns will require the implementation of fixed guideway transit service in order to continue to provide transit service that is cost effective and meet anticipated increases in transit ridership. Bus rapid transit has been suggested as a possible technology for implementation within fixed guideway corridors. Bus rapid transit includes a broad range of bus transit options, ranging from signal preemption, (which would allow buses to avoid delays at intersections), to busways (which require construction). Chapel Hill Transit has already implemented lower levels of bus rapid transit service, through the use of express service and buses that operate specifically to relieve overloading at limited stops in the system.

 

Fixed guideway transit, utilizing larger vehicles, reduces operating expense and can maintain or improve travel times for transit riders in congested corridors. Fixed guideway corridors also have proven to contribute to the development of transit oriented land uses within the corridors.

 

4.   Removal of Cameron Avenue as Fixed Guideway Corridor

 

A citizen suggested that the Council had removed the designation of Cameron Avenue as a fixed guideway corridor. This citizen cited a July 7, 1999 Council resolution.  

 

Comment: During the Council consideration of the draft 2025 Long Range Transportation Plan there was discussion about the impact of using Cameron Avenue for the fixed guideway corridor. On December 12, 2002, the Council adopted a resolution providing the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee with  recommendations on the draft 2025 Plan. (Attachment 4) Included in that resolution was the following:

 

“The proposed high capacity transit corridor between the University of North Carolina campus and the Horace Williams property use Franklin Street from Columbia Street to Main Street in Carrboro and Cameron Avenue as long as the Historic District Commission retains the authority to approve the congruity of the system”

 

The proposed fixed guideway corridor is shown using both Franklin Street and Cameron Avenue in the detailed maps provided on page 63 of Attachment 2. The Council could recommend that the fixed guideway connection shown in the Plan be along Franklin Street rather than Cameron Avenue.

 

The Council resolution of July 7, 1999, discussed the scope of work for Phase II of the U.S. 15-501 Major Investment Study. At that time the Council did not support the extension of the Major Investment Study analysis beyond the previously established project limit of Manning Drive. The adopted 2025 Long Range Transportation Plan supports the designation of a fixed guideway corridor between the University main campus and the Horace Williams property, using the existing railroad alignment.

 

5.   Use of Manning Drive for the Fixed Guideway Corridor

 

A citizen questioned whether the Council had designated Manning Drive as the appropriate route of the fixed guideway corridor between Fordham Boulevard and the University Hospital area.

 

Comment: The U.S. 15-501 Major Investment Study reviewed the use of both the corridor designated by the University’s Master Plan and Manning Drive for providing a fixed guideway connection between Fordham Boulevard and the University Hospital area.  Both corridors were found to have benefits and limitations. The final Major Investment Study Report did not recommend either corridor but suggested that a final determination should be made during the federally mandated environmental review of the project.

 

6.   Use of Airport Road for a Bus Only Connection to the Horace Williams Property.

 

A citizen suggested that the Council had proposed a bus only connection between the University main campus and the Horace Williams property using Airport Road.

 

Comment: While the Council has discussed various options for providing transit connections between the University main campus and the Horace Williams area, it has taken no actions restricting the connection to Airport Road or narrowing the transit technology to buses. The 2025 Long Range Transportation Plan and the draft 2030 Plan assume either bus or rail technology could serve this corridor and a final decision would be made as part of the federal environmental process.

 

Staff Comments

 

Differences in the Capacity/Deficiency Maps

 

Staff identified differences between the June and September capacity/deficiency maps.

 

Comment: Metropolitan Planning Organization staff have provided explanations for the differences in the maps. After the publication of the June, 2004 Draft 2030 Plan, staff undertook a detailed review of the roadway and transit networks. Errors were found in the coding of roadway capacities and the connectivity of the transit networks. In addition, both Chapel Hill and Durham made revisions to the proposed transit networks. Errors also were found in Capital Area Metropolitan Area socio-economic data, which resulted in a large overproduction of trips. The correct of these errors has resulted in changes to the projected traffic volumes and associated capacity/deficiency analysis. These changes have been reflected in the capacity/deficiency maps and levels of effectiveness.

 

2030 Financial Plan Element

 

Information available for the September 13, 2004, Public Forum indicated that the projected shortfall of revenue to implement the 2030 Plan had increased from $437,046,000 to $961,511,000.

 

Comment: After the release of preliminary information for the September 13, 2004, Chapel Hill Public Forum, Urban Area staff reviewed the elements of the 2030 Plan and made several adjustments.  These included revisions to projected transit services to remove duplicate service, reduced service frequency on some routes and delay of implementation dates for other transit services. Several roadway projects were either delayed or removed from the Plan. In Orange County the widening of I-40, between N.C. 86 and I-85, was postponed beyond 2030. Other than revising the Weaver Dairy Extension, south of Homestead Road, from four lanes to two lanes, there were no changes in the Chapel Hill transportation network.

 

The majority of the revisions to the 2030 Plan included refinements to the Durham public transit and roadway network. Some transit routes and roadway projects were delayed until post 2030. Durham also revised their projected transit service levels for routes to be implemented as part of the Plan

 

Adjustments were also made to the financial projections to more accurately reflect anticipated revenues. The net impact of these changes resulted in a reduction of the projected revenue shortfall from $961,511,000 to approximately $130,000,000. This figure represents approximately 2% of the total projected expenses for the period, estimated at over $6 billion dollars and is acceptable to federal review agencies.

 

Status of the 2030 Report

 

Staff described delays in revising the draft 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan.

 

Comment: The delays associated with the release of the June, 2004 draft 2030 Plan and the subsequent September revisions to the Plan were the result of problems with the Regional Transportation Model. The lead planning Agency for the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Urban Area is the Durham Transportation Department.

 

The development of the 2030 Regional Transportation Plans for the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Capital Area Metropolitan Area have been undertaken using the computer model developed in the mid 1990’s for the development of the adopted 2025 Plans.

 

It was the intention of both Urban Areas to develop an improved modeling platform, which would improve overall reliability and accuracy of the models. To facilitate the development of the new modeling platform the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Urban Area committed to allocate $100,000 annually, along with the Capital Area Urban Area, Triangle Transit Authority and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, to fund a modeling service bureau. This service bureau was expected to develop the new modeling platform and provide modeling services to the sponsoring agencies.

 

The new modeling platform was not developed in time to be used for the development and analysis of the 2030 Plan. Delays in staffing the service bureau were the main cause of the delay. As a result the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Urban Area has been utilizing the older modeling platform and transportation networks. Continuing problems with the operation of the platform and the discovery and correction of errors in the model networks has been the primary reason for delays in completing the September, 2004 update to the Draft 2030 Plan and the inability to prepare a preliminary air quality assessment.

 

We believe that the problems experienced in the current process to develop the 2030 Plan suggest that changes may be warranted in the organization and resources of the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Urban Area lead planning agency. Options that could be considered include:

 

  1. Determine whether the present service bureau arrangement could be made more responsive through changes in the ability of the lead planning agency to develop and maintain the regional transportation model.  

 

The current responsibility for providing staff support to the metropolitan planning organization is the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Urban Area lead planning agency, located within the Durham Transportation Department.

 

  1. Transfer responsibility for providing lead planning agency staff to the Triangle J Council of Governments.

 

This option could be pursued in conjunction with the transfer of similar lead planning responsibilities from the Capital Area Urban Area to the Triangle J Council of Governments.

 

Resolution B recommends that the Transportation Advisory Committee consider these options.

 

ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS

 

Planning Board:  The Planning Board voted 6-1 to recommend the Council adopt the Draft 2030 Regional Transportation Plan, with the following comments (Attachment 5):

 

  1. The Board endorses the idea of spending as much funding on transit as possible.
  2. The Board recommends the Town do everything possible to educate the public and to emphasize the need for public transportation within both the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Raleigh Metropolitan Planning Organization areas.
  3. The Board recommends the 2030 Plan map show a direct fixed guideway connection from Chapel Hill to the Research Triangle Park.

 

Transportation Board:  The Transportation Board voted 6-0 to recommend the Council endorse the draft 2030 Plan (Attachment 6).

 

Horace Williams Committee:  Horace Williams Citizens Committee members made the following comments in their review of the draft 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan (Attachment 7):

 

  1. Refer the Council to the Transportation and Land Use Principles section in the Principles, Goals and Strategies for the Horace Williams Property report accepted by the Town Council on March 22, 2004 (attached).
  2. Consider the impacts of Carolina North on traffic planning.
  3. Use transportation modeling software to examine traffic impacts related to the development plans for Carolina North.

 

MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION

 

Manager’s Recommendation: That the Council adopt Resolution A, which provides the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee with the following recommendations:

 

  1. Implement transit improvements, including improvements to local transit service and development of fixed guideway systems prior to pursuing roadway expansions, especially in the US 15-501 and Fordham Boulevard corridors.
  2. Reduce the number of travel lanes for the Weaver Dairy Road Extension, N.C. 86 to Homestead Road, from four to two lanes.

 

Resolution B requests that the Transportation Advisory Committee review changes to the current organization of the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Urban Area lead planning agency. These changes could include:

 

1.      Revise the organization and resources available to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro lead planning agency to develop and maintain the regional transportation model.

2.      Transfer responsibility as lead planning agency to the Triangle J Council of Governments.

 

NEXT STEPS

 

The Transportation Advisory Committee is scheduled to review the revised 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan on September 22, 2004.  The Committee has scheduled a meeting on September 29, 2004, to approve the Plan.  After approval of the Plan by the Transportation Advisory Committee federal and State agencies will evaluate the Plan’s conformity with air quality regulations and provide the Urban Area with an assessment in March, 2005.  It is expected that the final air quality analysis will be completed in February, 2005. The Transportation Advisory Committee will release the final air quality analysis for public comment in February, 2005. The Transportation Advisory Committee is expected to approve the final 2030 Plan in March or April, 2005.

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

  1. September 22, 2004, 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan (begin new page 1). (Part 1) (Part 2)
  2.  September 13, 2004 Council Memorandum (p. 72).
  3. Citizen Comments (p. 79).
  4. December 12, 2002 Town Council Resolution (p. 91).
  5. Planning Board Recommendation (p. 92).
  6. Transportation Board Recommendation (p. 96).
  7. Horace Williams Committee Recommendation (p. 97).

 

Additional Information from Council Members

 

 

 

RESOLUTION A

 

A RESOLUTION PROVIDING THE DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE WITH A RECOMMENDATION ON THE DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO 2030 LONG RANGE TRANS-PORTATION PLAN (2004-09-27/R-15a) 

 

WHEREAS, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee has developed a draft 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan; and

 

WHEREAS, the Transportation Advisory Committee has requested public comments on the draft 2030 Plan; and

 

WHEREAS, the Town Council has reviewed the draft 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan;

 

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council recommends that the Transportation Advisory Committee approve the 2030 Plan with the following comments:

 

  1. Implement transit improvements, including improvements to local transit service and development of fixed guideway systems prior to pursuing roadway expansions, especially in the U.S. 15-501 and Fordham Boulevard corridors.

 

  1. Reduce the number of travel lanes for the Weaver Dairy Road Extension, N.C. 86 to Homestead Road, from four to two lanes.

 

This the 27th day of September, 2004.

 

RESOLUTION B

 

A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE REVIEW THE STATUS OF THE LEAD PLANNING AGENCY AND CONSIDER CHANGES THAT WOULD PROVIDE GREATER EFFICIENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION MODEL AND PREPARING THE DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLANS (2004-09-27/R-15b)

 

WHEREAS, the process for developing the draft 2030 Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Long Range Transportation Plan resulted in delays in preparing the information necessary for participation by local jurisdictions and the public; and

 

WHEREAS, the Transportation Advisory Committee is responsible for overseeing the development of the Long Range Plan; and

 

WHEREAS, the problems experienced in the development of the 2030 Long Range Plan suggest the need for changes to the Urban Area Lead Planning Agency;

 

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council recommends that the Transportation Advisory Committee review the current organization of the lead planning agency and consider changes designed to improve overall efficiency and accountability for the development of the Regional Transportation Model and Long Range Plan.

 

BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED that the Council recommends that possible changes to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro lead planning agency include:

 

1.      Revise the organization and resources available to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro lead planning agency to develop and maintain the regional transportation model.

 

2.      Transfer responsibility as lead planning agency to the Triangle J Council of Governments.

 

This the 27th day of September, 2004.