TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Public Forum on 2007-2013 Chapel Hill Transportation Priority List
DATE: March 21, 2005
The Council is holding this Public Forum to hear citizen comments on developing a 2007-2013 Chapel Hill Transportation Priority List. The Priority List is traditionally updated every two years. The Council last adopted a priority list in October 2003, for the 2006-2012 Transportation Improvement Program (Attachment 1). We suggest that the Council use the 2006-2012 Priority List as the basis for developing the 2007-2013 List.
Chapel Hill’s Transportation Priority List is used to develop Metropolitan and State Transportation Improvement Programs every two years. This year the State is proposing to change the cycle from even numbered years to odd numbered years.
In this memorandum we review:
After the Council receives citizen comments tonight, we will prepare a draft Priority List for Council consideration on April 5, 2005.
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 2).
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.
The Chapel Hill Priority List will be submitted to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee for use in preparing a Regional Priority List. Although all Chapel Hill projects will be reviewed and ranked, the final Regional Priority List may not include projects with relatively lower rankings. The Committee is expected to release a draft Regional Priority List in May 2005, for public comment and adopt the final Regional List in July or August 2005.
The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee has initiated the process for developing the 2007-2013 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has also begun the process to develop the 2007-2013 State Transportation Improvement Program. We discuss below the status of the adopted 2004-2010 Transportation Improvement Program, the draft 2006-2012 Program and efforts to develop the 2007-2013 Program.
2004-2010 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
The North Carolina Board of Transportation and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee approved the 2004-2010 Transportation Improvement Program in September 2003. Attachment 3 provides a summary of the status of the projects included in the 2004-2010 Chapel Hill Priority List and the adopted Transportation Improvement Program.
2006-2012 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Chapel Hill approved a 2006-2012 Transportation Project Priority List in October 2003 (Attachment 1). This list was submitted to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee for use in preparing the Regional Priority List. The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Urban Area is divided between three funding divisions. Durham County is included in Division 5, which also includes Wake County and Chatham County is located in Division 8. Orange County is included in Division 7 and must compete for funding with projects in the Burlington-Alamance and Greensboro Urban Areas. Attachment 4 is the Division 7 Priority List, developed by the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization from local priority lists.
The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Project Priority List was submitted to the North Carolina Department of Transportation and Board of Transportation for use in preparing the draft State Transportation Improvement Program. The draft State 2006-2012 Program is expected to be released in April 2005. It is expected that the Transportation Advisory Committee will release the draft State Program for public comment and the Council will be able to provide comments in May 2005. It is expected that the Transportation Advisory Committee will approve a final Transportation Improvement Program by June 2005.
Because of the delay in approving the draft State Transportation Improvement Program we will not know the status of possible funding for projects included in the 2006-2012 Priority List until the release of the 2006-2012 Program in April 2005. From informal discussions with Department of Transportation staff we understand that the right of way phase of the Weaver Dairy Road project has been delayed until FY 2007 and construction delayed until FY 2009. We also understand that the South Columbia project has been delayed one year, with right of way purchase to begin in FY 2006 and construction in FY 2008. We have also been meeting with Department of Transportation staff to discuss ways to include funding for improvements to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro traffic signal system in the 2006-2012 Program.
2007-2013 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Although the State had been following a two-year schedule for preparing the Transportation Improvement Program, based on even years, the Board of Transportation has taken action to modify that schedule to put the process on a two-year, odd numbered schedule, beginning with 2007. As part of the development of the 2007-2013 Program the Board has requested regional priority lists be submitted in July or August 2005
The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee has asked that local jurisdictions prepare local transportation project priority lists. These local lists will be used by the Urban Area to develop the 2007-2013 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 draft State Program.
We will use the comments received at this public forum to prepare a draft 2007-2013 Chapel Hill Transportation Priority List for Council consideration on April 5, 2005. The adopted Chapel Hill Priority List will be submitted to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee for its use in the development of the Regional Priority List. We anticipate that the Council will be able to review and comment on the draft Regional Priority List in May 2005. The final Regional Priority List is expected to be adopted in July or August 2005, by the Transportation Advisory Committee.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Planning Board Recommendation: The Planning Board reviewed the 2006-2012 Chapel Hill Priority List on March 15, 2005 (Attachment 5).
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board: The Board reviewed the 2006-2012 Chapel Hill Priority List and adopted recommendations for the Council (Attachment 6).
Transportation Board Recommendation: The Transportation Board will review the 2006-2012 Priority List on March 22, 2005. We will include the Board’s recommendation in the April 5, 2005 Council memorandum.
Greenways Commission: The Commission is scheduled to comment on the 2007-2013 Chapel Hill Priority List on March 23, 2005.