AGENDA #7

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT:       2003 Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card

DATE:             January 24, 2005

Adoption of the attached resolution would endorse the 2003 Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card, approve modifications to the structure of the Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card and request funding from the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee for funding to complete the 2005 Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card.

BACKGROUND

The Chapel Hill 2000 Comprehensive Plan included a recommendation that a community-wide mobility report card be completed on a periodic basis to assess various elements of the Town’s transportation system and monitor changes in travel behavior.

On November 22, 2004, the Council held a public forum to receive comments on the 2003 Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card.

In 2001, L.S.A. Associates completed the first 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 levels of service, changes in transit use and to establish 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.

In August 2003, the Council authorized L.S.A. to undertake the preparation of a 2003 Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card. L.S.A. presented the 2003 Mobility Report Card to the Council on October 11, 2004.  Funding for the 2003 Report Card was provided by the Transportation Advisory Committee using Direct Allocation funds.

KEY ISSUES

The following issues were raised during the public forum:

1. Segregation of bicycles and automobile traffic

A citizen suggested that bicycle and automobile traffic should not be segregated through the use of bicycle lanes.

Comment: The use of bicycle lanes and paths is consistent with the Town’s goal to expand the use of bicycles. While we understand there is some difference of opinion on the utility of bicycle lanes among experienced bicyclists, we believe that the overall impact of bicycle lanes is to encourage less experienced bicyclists to ride. National surveys of inexperienced or non bicyclists show strong support for formal bicycle facilities such as bicycle lanes. The public has requested the provision of bicycle lanes along several corridors within Town.  In 2003, the Town Council adopted a policy for bicycle facilities that requires a case by case determination of the most appropriate bicycle facility (Attachment 1).  We believe this policy will allow the Town to provide bicycle facilities that will encourage greater bicycle use and are safe for users.

2. Accident and Safety Data

A Council member asked that safety data be included in the Report.

Comment: The accident data included in the NC 86/Airport Road Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Study has been useful in identifying possible improvements within the corridor. The inclusion of similar information in the Mobility Report Card would provide a more comprehensive analysis. We will include this information in the 2005 update.

3. Speed of Town Vehicles

A member of the public suggested that Town vehicles should be restricted to 35 miles an hour.

Comment: It is Town policy that all employees should observe the posted speed limits. Any violation of this policy should be reported to the Town and appropriate corrective actions will be taken. We believe Town vehicles can operate safely at the posted speed.

NEXT STEPS

The attached resolution requests funding from the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee to complete the 2005 Mobility Report Card. We anticipate that we would prepare this update in conjunction with the preparation of similar data for Carrboro as was done in 2003. We estimate the combined Chapel Hill-Carrboro report will cost approximately $120,000. We believe the Chapel Hill portion of the project represents approximately 75% of total costs or $90,000. A 20% local match is required for projects of this type, representing $18,000 in local funds.  We will request funding for the local share as part of the Manager’s recommended 2005-06 budget.

ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS

Planning Board Recommendation: (Attachment 2) The Planning Board recommends the Council adopt the 2003 Mobility Report Card with the following comments:

• The Board commends the consultant for a useful and helpful report.
• The Board believes the graphics should be offered in gray tones for better resolution when copied.
• The Board would like to see safety factored into the report by adding maps showing the location of accidents and injuries.

Comment: We agree that safety and accident information should be included in the 2005 update and we will pursue the development of a version of the Report that will allow for non-color reproduction.

Transportation Board Recommendation: The Transportation Board endorsed the Report by consensus and recommended the Council continue to update the Report on a regular basis.

Active Living By Design Advisory Committee: (Attachment 3) The Committee reviewed the 2003 Mobility Report Card and voted 12-0 to endorse of the Report.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board: (Attachment 4) The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board made the following comments:

· Future reports should only claim added bicycle facilities as a success if it can be demonstrated that there has been a consequent increase in bicycle activity. For example 45% of the increased bicycle facilities between 2001 and 2003 were wide outside lanes on Estes Drive, Franklin Street, South Road and Manning Drive. However, there was a 20% decrease in bicycle activity.

• The Board endorses the provision of bicycle facilities that can be recognized by citizens as bicycle facilities. Providing wide outside lanes is not increasing bicycle activity.

• The Board members present consider that identifying wide outside lanes as "bicycle facilities" at all, let alone identifying them as "successful", was questionable.

Comment: We agree that corridor-specific increases in bicycle use should be considered in the context of the Town-wide bicycle usage figures. We also agree that recognizable bicycle facilities can have the result of increasing bicycle use. We recognize that due to limitations of right-of- way or other environmental considerations; wide outside lanes may be the most feasible type of bicycle facility in a specific corridor.  The Town’s Bicycle Policy is written to provide flexibility to accommodate both situations. We propose to delineate wide outside lanes separately from other bicycle facilities in the 2005 Report.

Greenways Commission: (Attachment 5) 

The Commission voted 6-0 to thank the Council for forwarding the 2003 Mobility Report Card. The Commission noted that the document is very useful for both project and long range, system wide-planning.

MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION

Manager’s Recommendation: That the Council adopt Resolution A, supporting the need to secure funding from the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization to prepare the 2005 Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card. Resolution A would also incorporate the following items in the 2005 Report:

• Safety and accident data
• Separation of wide outside lanes from other bicycle facilities
• A non color version of the Report 

ATTACHMENTS

1. Chapel Hill Bicycle Construction Policy (p. 6).
2. Planning Board Recommendation (p. 7).
3. Active Living By Design Advisory Board Recommendation (p. 8).
4. Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Recommendation (p. 9).
5. Greenways Commission Recommendation (p. 10).

A RESOLUTION ENDORSING THE FINDINGS OF THE 2003 CHAPEL HILL MOBILITY REPORT CARD AND REQUESTING FUNDING FROM THE DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION FOR THE 2005 MOBILITY REPORT CARD (2005-01-24/R-9)

WHEREAS, the Mobility Report Card is an important element of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan; and

WHEREAS, the 2003 Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card presented information on the Chapel Hill transportation network; and

WHEREAS, the 2003 Report Card provided the community with important information on the changes in travel behavior within Chapel Hill; and

WHEREAS, the Town Council has reviewed the findings of the 2003 Mobility Report Card;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council endorses the findings of the 2003 Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council directs that the 2005 Report include the following elements:

• Safety and accident data
• Separation of wide outside lanes from other bicycle facilities
• A non color version of the Report 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council requests funding from the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization to complete the 2005 Chapel Hill Mobility Report Card.

This the 24^th day of January, 2005.