AGENDA #6
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Recommended Sidewalk and Bicycle Facilities Construction Plan for 2004-2005
DATE: December 6, 2004
REISSUED: January 24, 2005
The attached Resolution A would authorize a sidewalk and bicycle facilities construction plan for fiscal year 2004-2005.
The attached Resolution B would authorize the Manager to submit an application for Direct Allocation funds to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO).
CHANGES RECOMMENDED TO PRELIMINARY CONSTRUCTION PLAN
After considering comments from the Public Forum on November 8, 2004, we recommend the following changes to the preliminary construction plan:
· Use Town Bond funds for sidewalk projects on both Town-maintained and State-maintained streets for 2004-2005 as funds allow. (Please see Attachment 1).
· Add sidewalk project # 10 (Town-Maintained Streets), West Rosemary Street, north side, and east of the intersection with Mitchell Lane, which had been inadvertently omitted.
· Add sidewalk project # 8 (State-Maintained Streets), Culbreth Road, south side, between Cobble Ridge Drive and Rossburn Way. Construction of this missing link would connect the existing sidewalk on the south side of Culbreth Road to a sidewalk that is scheduled to be constructed in 2006 on Smith Level Road. This will improve pedestrian connectivity to the planned high school off Rock Haven Road. This project was on the previously authorized list but was unfunded.
SUMMARY
This memorandum proposes an annual sidewalk and bicycle facilities construction plan for 2004-2005. The 2004 Bond sale includes $730,000 for new sidewalk and bicycle facilities projects in 2004-05. Up to $200,000 in Direct Allocation funds is available for sidewalks and bicycle facilities for the region beginning in October 2004. If the Town were able to obtain a portion of the Direct Allocation funds, the grant would require a 20 percent local match. Community Development Program funds may also be used for sidewalk construction for locations in the Northside neighborhood.
We believe that it is not likely that all of the sidewalk projects can be constructed this fiscal year. Council approval of the full list would give us needed flexibility to maximize efficiency and resources. In the fall of 2005 we will make a status report on the project list and the Town Council will be able to reassess construction priorities for 2005-2006.
DISCUSSION
The Council held a public forum on November 8, 2004 which included the Town Manager’s preliminary recommendations for a construction plan (see Attachment 2). Display advertisements were placed in the local newspaper and a mailing list of interested citizens were given notice of the Council’s pending action. The Town Manager’s preliminary recommendations were referred to the Active Living by Design Committee, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, the Historic District Commission and the Transportation Board for consideration. (Please see Attachments 6-8).
The following recommendations are broken into categories taken from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan which was adopted by the Town Council on October 27, 2004.
Sidewalks
We recommend the Town Council approve the following projects for funding this fiscal year, using $600,000 allocated for sidewalk construction, in the 2004 Bond Sale. We also recommend that Direct Allocation funds be applied for and used where possible, and that Community Development program funds be used where possible (see map which is keyed to the following list):
Town-Maintained Streets
State-Maintained Streets
Crossing Improvements
We recommend that the following pedestrian crossing improvements be funded from the $100,000 allocated for pedestrian amenities in the 2004 Bond sale:
Please see Attachment 3 for a full list of potential crossing improvement locations from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan.
We recommend that the Council request the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) undertake feasibility studies for crossing improvements at the State-maintained crossing locations identified in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan. Direct Allocation funds could also be applied for and used where possible to make improvements at State-maintained crossing locations. Please see Attachment 3 for a full list of crossing improvements.
Off-Road Paths
Off-road paths are surfaced facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists. They share many of the characteristics of greenways except the primary function is for transportation rather than recreation. Please see Attachment 4 for a full list of off-road paths from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan. We recommend that in 2004-2005 the Town Council request the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and the University of North Carolina to begin investigating the feasibility of the proposed off-road paths identified in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan.
Bicycle Routes
Signed bicycle routes are routes for cyclists that connect parts of the town via local and collector streets as alternatives to more heavily trafficked arterial streets. Please see Attachment 5 for a full list of bicycle routes from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan. We recommend that in 2004-2005 the Town Engineer investigate and then install signs on the following bicycle routes as pilot projects:
We also recommend that the Town Council set aside $30,000 from the neighborhood traffic calming and pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements allocation of the 2004 Bond Sale for these items.
Bicycle Facilities
We will continue to seek grant funding to pay for development of standards for assessing the functional capacity of streets to provide the safe transit of pedestrians and bicyclists.
Small Area Studies
We recommend that during 2004-2005 the Town Council request the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to undertake studies to identify improved facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians at the following intersections identified in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan:
KEY ISSUES
1. Spending Bond Funds on State-Maintained Streets
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board recommends that the use of Town funds not be limited to the construction of sidewalks on Town-maintained streets.
Comment: We have included the twenty three sidewalk projects identified on Town-maintained Street and eight sidewalk projects identified on State-maintained streets into one list for construction. (Please see Attachment 1). We believe that the eight sidewalk projects identified on State maintained streets are short, visible and strategically valuable projects which might not receive State priority.
2. Direct Allocation Funds
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board recommends that Town funds and Direct Allocation funds be used for construction of less expensive sidewalks identified on State-maintained streets such as sections of Airport Road, Estes Drive, Homestead Road, and Culbreth Road.
Comment: We propose that the Council seek Direct Allocation funds for projects on State-maintained streets, the estimated cost of which is about $400,000. Applications for Direct Allocation funds in 2004-2005 were due to the Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) on December 1, 2004. We sent the following list of eight projects on these State-maintained streets to the Metropolitan Planning Organization for consideration. We also added references to pedestrian crossings.
The total allocation for the region is $200,000 per year. We believe it would be reasonable to ask for half of this amount. We recommend that the Council request a Direct Allocation grant in support of Airport Road improvements and Culbreth Road improvements. The full list of items is shown. We recommend items 1, Airport Road, and 8, Culbreth Road.
3. Projects Located in a Historic District
The Historic District Commission recommends that all development applications that include sidewalks or bicycle facilities in historic districts apply for Certificates of Appropriateness and that the Commission review and make recommendations on a case by case basis.
Comment: All development applications in the Historic District are reviewed by the Historic District Commission. We propose to submit sidewalk construction plans for projects located in Historic Districts to the Commission for courtesy to determine whether sidewalks should be paved and for review of detailed construction plans for Certificates of Appropriateness.
4. Sidewalk on Curtis Road, west side, from Clayton Road to Elliott Road (#6)
The Transportation Board commented that if possible the proposed sidewalk on Curtis Road be changed from the west to the east side of the street.
Comment: We have inspected the location and confirm that a sidewalk could be built on either side of the street. However, we recommend no change as we believe that the west side of the street is the best location for the following reasons:
4. Other Additions
We have added project # 10 (Town-maintained streets) to the project list under the category of Town-maintained streets. This is a short length of sidewalk on West Rosemary Street, approximately 100 feet long, which was inadvertently not identified in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan.
We have also added project # 8 (State-maintained streets) to the project list on Culbreth Road, south side, between Cobble Ridge Drive and Rossburn Way. This project was included in the 2002-2003 and the 2003-2004 Construction Plan. Although there are topographic constraints to overcome, the construction of this missing link would connect the existing sidewalk on the south side of Culbreth Road to a sidewalk to be constructed on Smith Level Road. This connection would improve pedestrian connectivity to the planned high school off Rock Haven Road.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Active Living by Design Committee Recommendation: On November 11, 2004, the Committee received the Town Manager’s memorandum of November 8, 2004. The Committee made no recommendation and members were invited to send individual comments to the Planning Department for inclusion with this memorandum.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Recommendation: On November 16, 2004, the Board voted 6-1 to recommend that the list of sidewalks proposed for construction not be limited to sidewalks located on Town-maintained streets. In addition to using Town funds to leverage the limited funds that may be available through the State Transportation Direct Allocation Program (STPDA), the Town Council should also consider funding some of the high priority but less expensive improvements that have been identified for State-maintained streets. (Please see Attachment 6)
Historic District Commission Recommendation: On November 11, 2004, the Commission voted 8-0 to recommend that all development applications that include sidewalks or bicycle facilities in historic districts apply for Certificates of Appropriateness and that the Commission review and make recommendations on a case by case basis. (Please see Attachment 7)
Transportation Board Recommendation: On November 16, 2004, the Board voted 6-0 to endorse the Town Manager’s preliminary recommendations with the following comments: If possible, switch the sidewalk proposed on Curtis Road from the west to the east side and pursue all available federal transportation funding programs. (Please see Attachment 8)
Manager’s Recommendation: That the Council adopt the 2004-2005 Sidewalks and Bicycle Facilities Construction Plan as shown in the attached Resolution A. We also recommend the Council adopt Resolution B authorizing an application for Direct Allocation funds.
We believe that it is not likely that all of the sidewalk projects can be constructed this fiscal year, but Council approval of the full list would give us needed flexibility to maximize efficiency and resources. In the fall of 2005 we will make a status report on the project list and the Town Council will be able to reassess the list construction priorities for 2005-2006.
MAP
1. 2004-2005 Sidewalks Construction List Town and State Maintained Streets (p. 12).
ATTACHMENTS
1. Sidewalks Projects List for 2004-2005 (p. 13).
2. November 8, 2004 memorandum to Council (p. 19).
3. List of Crossing Improvements Identified in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan (p. 32).
4. List of Off-Road Paths Identified in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan (p. 35).
5. List of Advisory Bicycle Routes Identified in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan (p. 36).
6. Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Recommendation (p. 37).
7. Historic District Commission Recommendation (p. 38).
8. Transportation Board Recommendation (p 39).
A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE 2004-2005 SIDEWALK AND BICYCLE FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION PLAN (2005-01-24/R-8a)
WHEREAS, the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill has available approximately $730,000 in Bond funds, and an estimated $20,000 in Community Development program funds, for sidewalk and bicycle facility projects in the 2004-2005 fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, the Council may pursue other sources of funding for sidewalk projects, including Direct Allocation funds from the State of North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, the Council has reviewed projects for possible use of these funds;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that 2004-2005 Bond funds and Community Development program funds be used to construct the following sidewalk projects, crossing improvements and bicycle advisory routes as indicated:
Sidewalks:
Town-Maintained Streets
State-Maintained Streets
Crossing Improvements:
Bicycle Advisory Routes:
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Town Council request the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to undertake feasibility studies to identify improved facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians at:
Ø the crossing locations identified in Attachment 3 of the Manager’s Memorandum to Council December 6, 2004.
Ø the following proposed off-road paths:
§ 15- 501 S. Fordham Boulevard from Manning Dr to Kings Mill Rd.
§ 15- 501 S. Fordham Boulevard by-pass from Old Mason Farm Rd to Prestwick Rd.
§ Fordham Blvd (north) from rear of Binkley Baptist Church to Estes Dr.
§ Christopher Rd, extend a path from the northern end or road to S. Estes Dr.
§ US 15-501 S. Fordham Boulevard from Meadow Lane to Morgan Creek Greenway.
§ NC54 Finley Golf Course Rd to Hamilton Rd (south side).
Ø the following intersections:
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Town Council requests the University of North Carolina to work with Town staff to investigate the feasibility of the providing shared bicycle and pedestrian off-road paths at:
§ 15- 501 S Fordham Boulevard by-pass from Old Mason Farm Rd to Prestwick Rd
§ Merritt Mill Rd to west end of McCauley Street.
This the 24th day of January, 2005.
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO APPLY FOR DIRECT ALLOCATION FUNDS TO THE DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (2005-01-24/R-8b)
WHEREAS, the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill has available approximately $730,000 in Bond funds, and an estimated $20,000 in Community Development program funds, for sidewalk and bicycle facility projects in the 2004-2005 fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, the Council desires to pursue other sources of funding for sidewalk projects, including Direct Allocation funds from the Metropolitan Planning Organization; and
WHEREAS, the Council has reviewed projects for possible use of these funds;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that Town Manager is directed to apply for Direct Allocation funds with a local match of not more than $50,000 for the following projects:
This the 10th day of January, 2005.