AGENDA #4j
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Calling a Public Forum on Sidewalk and Bicycle Facilities Plan
DATE: October 10, 2005
Adoption of the attached Resolution would schedule a Public Forum regarding the development of a Sidewalk and Bicycle Facilities Construction Plan for 2005-06 on November 14, 2005.
In November 2003, Chapel Hill voters approved $29.36 million in bonds, including $5.6 million for sidewalks and streets. On April 14, 2004, the Council established a schedule for the issuance of General Obligation Bonds projected between 2003 and 2009.
On October 27, 2004, the Council adopted a Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan as a component of the Comprehensive Plan. The Action Plan is a long range plan including guidance and priorities for the implementation of construction projects.
On January 24, 2005, the Town Council adopted a sidewalk and bicycle facilities construction plan for 2004-05. The resolution approved a list of 23 sidewalk projects located on Town-maintained streets and eight sidewalk projects located on State-maintained streets for construction as funds allowed (please see Attachments 1 and 2).
Five of the sidewalk projects located on Town-maintained streets have now been completed and five are underway. Five of the projects on State-maintained streets should be put out to contract later this year.
There are 13 projects located on Town-maintained streets and three sidewalk projects located on State-maintained streets remaining to be constructed from the list of projects approved by the Town Council in January 2004-05. Attachment 3 provides the status of the projects.
The following section reviews the various sources of funding for sidewalk construction and provides the current status of funds committed or available from those sources:
Capital Improvement Program
On October 11, 2004, the Town Council authorized the Town Manager to use approximately $50,000 of residual funds in the Capital Improvement Program sidewalks account for construction of sidewalks on Legion Road. These projects are completed and the funds have been expended.
$50,000 of capital improvement program funds are being held as a local match requirement for State Transportation Direct Allocation Funds which were allocated to the Town in 2004 for the construction of sidewalks to NC 86 (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) between Estes Drive and Homestead Road.
General Obligation Bonds
During 2004, the Town issued $4 million in bonds as the first of four projected bond issues between 2004 and 2009. The first issue included $600,000 for sidewalk construction. To date $355,000 of the $600,000 allocated for sidewalks has been committed. Table 1 below sets out the current funding commitments for projects using General Obligation Bonds.
Table 1
Sidewalk Construction Projects Funded by General Obligation Bonds
(“T” denotes Town Road, “S” State Road)
|
2003 Bond Funded Projects |
|
|
|
|
Committed Projects |
Construction By |
Status |
Committed funds |
|
T6. Curtis Road west side from Clayton Road to Elliott Road |
Town Crews |
Completed 2005 |
$ 28,000 |
|
T11. Westminster Drive, north side each side of Banks Road |
Town Crews |
Underway |
$ 25,000 |
|
T12 Ransom Street, east side from McCauley to University Drive |
Contractor |
Underway |
$ 75,000 |
|
T 15 Vance Street, south side Ransom Street to Pittsboro Street |
Contractor |
Underway |
$ 39,500 |
|
T 16 Kenan Street, east side, Cameron Avenue to Franklin Street |
Contractor |
Underway |
$ 61,500 |
|
S.3 Estes Drive, south side from Franklin Street to Willow Drive ( no state funds available) |
Contractor |
Scheduled, Fall 2005 |
$ 44,000 |
|
S5 Culbreth Road both sides Channing Lane to US 15-501. Total cost estimate $87,000. $36,000 in STP DA funds will be refunded on completion |
Contractor |
Scheduled, Fall 2005 |
$ 51,000
|
|
S6 Fordham Boulevard, east side at northeast corner intersection with Estes Drive Total cost $15,000. $12,000 in STP DA funds will be refunded on completion |
Contractor |
Scheduled, Fall 2005 |
$ 3,000 |
|
S8 Culbreth Road, south side, between Cobble Ridge Road and Rossburn Way. Total cost estimate $113,000, $90,000 in STPDA funds will be refunded on completion funds |
Contractor |
Scheduled, Fall 2005 |
$ 23,000 |
|
Total Bond Fund Allocation |
|
|
$600,000 |
|
Total Funds Committed |
|
|
$355,000 |
|
Funds Available |
|
|
$245,000 |
The total funds committed to development from the 2003 bond sale are currently $355,000. That leaves $245,000 currently uncommitted. In the cases of projects where the Town is receiving State Transportation Direct Allocation Funds (STPDA) funds, the Town will initially need to fund the full project expense. Eighty percent of the project cost will be refunded on completion.
Community Development Block Grant
In 2004-2005 grant funds were used to build sidewalks on West Rosemary Street at Robeson Street and at South Graham Street. On May 9, 2005, the Town Council approved a community development program for 2005-2006 which does not include sidewalk construction. The next opportunity to seek funds for facilities improvements from the community development program will be in January 2006. Submissions could be included as part of the annual budget preparation process. If included, funds would be available after July 1, 2007.
Transportation Improvement Program
The Town of Chapel Hill currently has two major projects included in the 2006-2012 Transportation Improvement Program. These are Weaver Dairy Road and South Columbia Street, both scheduled for construction in 2009. Both projects will require Town participation for the construction of bicycle and pedestrian facilities. $180,000 from the 1996 bond funds have been designated as required for the local match for the Weaver Dairy Road project. We anticipate that approximately $26,000 will be required in 2009 as the local match for sidewalks along South Columbia Street. 2003 bond funds could be used for this purpose.
Surface Transportation Program Direct Allocation Funds
In 2004, 2005 and 2006 the Town has been allocated State Transportation Direct Allocation Funds for improvements to NC 86 (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard). The total allocation is now $260,000. The Town’s required 20 percent local match will be $62,500. To date the Town has set aside $50,000 for the required local match from Capital Improvement Program Funds. The Town will need to set aside another $12,500 for a total of $62,500. 2003 bond funds could be designated for this purpose.
In May 200, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization allocated Surface Transportation Program Direct Allocation Funds for fiscal years 2006-07 and 2007-08 for bicycle and pedestrian improvements. For fiscal year 2006-07 the Town was allocated $12,000 to add sidewalk on the east side of Fordham Boulevard at the existing pedestrian crossing on the northeast corner of the intersection of Fordham Boulevard and S. Estes Drive. The Town also received $8,000 for improvements to stormwater drainage grates along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. For fiscal year 2007-08 the Town was allocated $108,000 to construct sidewalks on Culbreth Road between US 15-501 and Channing Lane. The Town will be required to provide a 20 percent local match for these funds. The total cost for these projects are included in Table 1.
The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization also has allocated $1.5 million of Surface Transportation Program Direct Allocation funds for bicycle and pedestrian improvements along Old Durham Chapel Hill Road, from US 15-501 to Garrett Road. This project is partly in the Town of Chapel Hill and partly in the City of Durham. The $1.5 million includes a 20 percent local match ($300,000) to be split between the municipalities. In addition to the Direct Allocation funds, the North Carolina Bicycle and Pedestrian Program has provided $400,000 for this project. The current total funding for the project, including local matches, is $1.9 million.
We believe that the earliest start date for a project would be FY 2009. We believe the current proposed project design will require approximately $1.0 in additional funding. We estimate that approximately $220,000 would be required as the 20 percent local match for the Town of Chapel Hill. 2003 bond funds could be used for this purpose. Please see separate item on this agenda.
DISCUSSION
The Town has the following funds available and the following future commitments:
Funds available
· $245,000 from the 2003 bond sale (as yet unallocated)
Future Commitments
· NC 86/Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard: $12,500 (20percent local match requirement) construction 2006 at the earliest,
Future Bond Funds Year of Issuance
FY 2006 FY 2008 FY 2009
Sidewalks $900,000 $600,000 $500,000
PROCESS
We will provide preliminary recommendations for a construction program to the Council at the Public Forum. We anticipate recommending that the Town continue to work on the project list adopted in January 2005. The list of projects was designed to take account of the following:
· To reflect the priorities of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan
· To allow flexibility in scheduling the work that will be programmed by Public Works crews.
· To acknowledge that most projects will require more than one year to plan, design and acquire rights-of-way or easements.
· To acknowledge that projects involving work on State-maintained streets will require approvals and could be eligible for funding from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). NCDOT involvement would affect the schedule and complexity of those projects.
Adoption of the attached resolution would schedule a Public Forum on the sidewalk and bicycle facilities construction plan for November 14, 2005. We propose the following schedule:
October 10, 2005: Schedule Public Forum
November 14, 2005: Preliminary staff recommendations and Public Forum.
November 15, 2005: Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board review of preliminary staff recommendations and recommendation to the Council.
November 22: 2005 Transportation Board and Planning Board review of preliminary staff recommendations and recommendation to Council.
January 9, 2006: Council considers projects for funding.
We recommend adoption of the attached resolution to schedule a public forum for November 14, 2005.
