MEMORANDUM
To: Mayor and Town Council
From: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
Subject: Proposed Date for Public Forum regarding Sidewalk and Bicycle Facilities
Construction Plan for FY 2000-01
Date: September 11, 2000
Attached is a report from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board with its recommendations on a proposed spending plan for FY 2000-2001 for sidewalks and bicycle facilities.
The attached resolution would receive this report and refer it to the Manager for preparation of a recommended Sidewalk and Bicycle Facility Construction Plan and would set a Public Forum for Monday, October 23, 2000 to hear citizen comments on the plan.
ATTACHMENT
1. Report: Recommendations for Sidewalk and Bicycle Facilities Construction Plan for 2000-2001.
A RESOLUTION CALLING A PUBLIC FORUM TO HEAR CITIZEN COMMENTS AND INPUT REGARDING A SIDEWALK AND BICYCLE FACILITIES CONSTRUCTION PLAN FOR FY 2000-2001 (2000-09-11/R-6)
WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill Town Council has received a report from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board regarding recommendations for the Sidewalk and Bicycle Facilities Construction Plan for FY 2000-2001;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council refers the report to the Town Manager for preparation of a recommended Sidewalk and Bicycle Facilities Construction Plan for FY 2000-2001 and hereby sets a Public Forum for Monday, October 23, 2000, to consider the proposed Plan.
This the 11th day of September, 2000.
ATTACHMENT 1
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board
SUBJECT: Report: Recommendations for Sidewalk and Bicycle Facilities Construction Plan for 2000-2001
DATE: September 11, 2000
This report responds to the Council referral regarding a sidewalk and bicycle facilities construction plan for 2000-01.
INTRODUCTION
On June 12, 2000, the Council adopted a resolution creating a process to formulate a sidewalk and bicycle facilities construction plan for fiscal year 2000-2001. At that time, the Council referred this item to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board to return with recommendations at the Council's August 28, 2000 meeting. A public forum is to be scheduled in October 2000 to receive public input on these recommendations.
BACKGROUND
The Town Council asked the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board to:
Potentially, there is $200,000 available in funds for sidewalk and bikeway projects for the 2000-2001 fiscal year beginning July 1. (Please see Attachment 1 for chart summarizing available funding.) The Council could also choose to direct Unallocated Federal Direct Allocation funds plus the local match in the amount of $87,733 to sidewalk and bikeway projects for the 2000-2001 fiscal year.*
The next scheduled opportunity to add funding to the sidewalk/bikeway program will be as part of the 2001-02 Capital Improvements Program.
BICYCLE FACILITIES RECOMMENDATIONS
Provide funds to install bicycle racks on all Chapel Hill Transit buses, on all routes. Any remaining funds should be used to install sidewalks according to the priorities outlined below.
SIDEWALK FACILITIES RECOMMENDATIONS
The board worked with the staff to review the existing sidewalk priority system and suggested various revisions to gauge the effect those revisions would have on the rankings. In the final revision, the board proposed revisions to the ranking criteria to change the "Speed Limits" criteria in order to emphasize the need for sidewalks along roads where the speed limit is 35 mph or higher, and to emphasize the need for sidewalks where there are no existing facilities at all.
Projects chosen received points based on factors included in the priority ranking system:
Ø Presence of existing facilities;
Ø Whether a project would provide a missing link;
Ø Project length (with focus here on filling smaller gaps);
Ø Emphasis on placing sidewalks along streets with higher speed limits;
Ø Proximity to schools (elementary or secondary);
Ø Proximity to pedestrian generators;
Ø Right-of-way availability;
Ø Citizen requests; and
Ø Construction feasibility.
In addition to the projects listed below, the board also feels that upgrading intersections to improve safety for pedestrians is a high priority and will return to the Council later in the year with suggestions.
The board feels that the ranking system, while providing a good starting point for discussion of sidewalk priorities, is still a flawed tool. Using the spreadsheets as a starting point, each board member voted for their top choices from that list. We recommend the following sidewalk priorities, which are grouped by priority order:
First Tier Recommendations:
· Ransom Street, Cameron Street to McCauley Street (800 feet).
Second Tier Recommendations:
· Fordham Boulevard, Willow Drive to Elliott Road (800 feet). Fordham Boulevard, Ephesus Church Road to Willow Drive (1890 feet). [To include sidewalk on both sides of Fordham.]
Third Tier Recommendations:
Sidewalk Gap Group*:
· Airport Road, from Timber Hollow Court to Homestead Road (1900 feet).
· Curtis Road, from Clayton Road to Elliot Road (450 feet).
· Emily Street, between Partin Street and Kingston Drive (550 feet).
· Legion Road, from Yarnell Hoffer Building Supply store location to Ephesus Church road (approx. 1,000 feet).
· Partin Street, between Piney Mountain Road and Emily Street (300 feet).
· Weaver Dairy Road, from Shops to Sunrise Lane (75 feet).
Fourth Tier Recommendations:
· Finley Golf Course Road, NC 54 to Old Mason Farm Road (3450 feet).
· Legion Road, Clover Road to Ephesus Church Road (600).
· Legion Road, Scarlette Road to ML King Jr Street (800).
· Rosemary Street, Merritt Mill Road to Henderson Street (1305 feet).
· Seawell School Road, Homestead Road to High School Road (1300 feet).
· Seawell School Road, Smith Middle School to Hanover Place, (4,400 feet).
Fifth Tier Recommendations:
· Ephesus Church Road, Colony Woods Drive to Pope Road (1575 feet).
· Ephesus Church Road, Eden Drive to 15-501 Bypass (3000 feet).
· Mason Farm Road, Road, Purefoy road to Oteys Road (1400 feet).
· Pope Road, Ephesus Church Road to Old Durham Road (5400 feet).
· Rosemary Street, Columbia Street to Church Street (250 feet).
· Rosemary Street, Henderson Street to Pickard Street (700 feet).
Other sidewalk priorities which received consideration were:
· Culbreth Road, City limits to Culbreth Park Drive (2050 feet).
· Estes Drive, Airport Road to Estes Elementary (4,000 feet).
· Estes Drive, Franklin Street to US 15-501 (2,900 feet).
· Estes Drive, Seawell School Road to Airport Road (4,100 feet).
· Fordham Boulevard, Manning Drive to Carmichael (1,300 feet).
· Graham Street, Cameron Avenue to Franklin Street (940 feet).
· Kenan Street, Cameron Avenue to Franklin Street (730 feet).
· Longview Street, N. Columbia to Clark Road (880 feet).
· Mallette Street, Cameron Avenue to Franklin Street (950 feet).
· McCauley Street, Brookside Drive to Pittsboro Street (1667 feet).
· Rosemary Street, Pickard Street to Boundary Street (800 feet).
· South Road, existing walk to Country Club Road (1100 feet).
· Vance Street, Ransom Street to Pittsboro Street (700 feet).
CONCLUSION
This report summarizes our recommendations for sidewalk and bicycle facilities to be constructed during fiscal year 2000-01. We appreciate the opportunity to provide input.
* Assuming the Transportation Advisory Committee will reallocate these funds to the Town of Chapel Hill's choice of project.
* These are drawn from the February 9, 2000 report to the Council "Bicycle and Pedestrian Priorities for the 2000 Budget Cycle."