AGENDA #10a
BUDGET WORKING PAPER
TO: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
FROM: Roger Waldon, Planning Director
SUBJECT: Park and Ride Lot along U.S. 15-501 Boulevard
DATE: April 27, 2005
The budget working paper responds to a request by the Transportation Board to review the status of efforts to develop a park and ride lot in the U.S. 15-501 Boulevard corridor.
BACKGROUND
The Chapel Hill 2000 Comprehensive Plan includes an objective “to increase per capita ridership with provision of increased service to an expanded park and ride lot system that complements regional transit”.
The Town of Chapel Hill has developed park and ride lots along all the major transportation corridors into the Chapel Hill/Carrboro service area, with the exception of the U.S. 15-501 Boulevard. In addition to the Town efforts, the University of North Carolina has also constructed park and ride lots along several transportation corridors into Chapel Hill. The attached map shows the location of Town and University park and ride facilities.
The need for a park and ride facility in the U.S. 15-501 Boulevard has been identified in several local and regional planning studies. The University recently released their 2004 Transportation Management Plan, which includes information on the home location and travel behavior of employees and commuting students. From this data the University estimated that the U.S. 15-501 Boulevard corridor provided access to Chapel Hill for approximately 26% of University employees and commuting students. The need for park and ride facilities within the U.S. 15-501 corridor has also been highlighted in the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan and the U.S. 15-501 Fixed Guideway Major Investment Study.
DISCUSSION
The Town has pursued the identification of a location for a park and ride facility along U.S. 15-501, between I-40 and Franklin Street since the early 1990’s. Land within the corridor is limited and expensive.
In February, 2005 the Council included a new item in its list of 2005 goals, requesting the development of a park ride facility in the U.S. 15-501 Boulevard corridor. The Council also suggested consideration of the use of the Chapel Hill Bible Church as location.
We have previously discussed the possible use of existing parking facilities at Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Chapel Hill Bible Church without success. We understand that the University of North Carolina has also been in discussions with the owners of several existing facilities with underutilized parking lots, including the Bible Church. While the University may be successful in acquiring the use of an existing parking facility the use of that park and ride lot would be limited to University employees and students.
The Town has requested funding through the Transportation Improvement Program to purchase land and construct a 400 space park and ride facility in the U.S. 15-501 corridor. We estimate the cost to purchase land and design the facility at approximately $2.0 million and construction to cost. It is uncertain whether the Town will be awarded funding for this facility.
CONCLUSION
We believe that with the projected growth in transportation demand within the U.S. 15-501 corridor the development of a public park and ride lot should continue to be a high priority. We will continue to explore options for developing a park and ride lot along U.S. 15-501 as soon as possible.
ATTACHMENTS