AGENDA #1
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Public Forum on Proposed Weaver Dairy Road Improvement Alternatives (NC 86 to Erwin Road)
DATE: November 20, 2000
The purpose of this forum is to receive public comment on roadway improvement alternatives being considered by the Town Council for Weaver Dairy Road between NC 86 and Erwin Road.
Improvements to Weaver Dairy Road have ranked high on the Town’s Transportation Improvements Program since the early 1990’s.
In April 1999, the Town and the State hosted a Citizens Informational Workshop to present information on proposed Weaver Dairy Road improvements. Two alternatives were presented at the workshop:
Alternative 1. Five-lane cross section with curb-and-gutter including a 12-foot center turn lane, four 12-foot travel lanes (two in each direction), two 5-foot bike lanes (one in each direction), and 5-foot sidewalk along both sides of the roadway.
Alternative 2. Four-lane divided section with curb-and-gutter including a 16-foot raised center median, four 12-foot travel lanes (two in each direction), two 5-foot bike lanes (one in each direction), and 5-foot sidewalk along both sides of the roadway.
Following the workshop presentation, the Council requested that the State study other alternatives for Weaver Dairy Road, in addition to those described above. The State agreed to study the following additional project alternatives:
Alternative 3. Four-lane cross section with curb-and-gutter including four 12-foot travel lanes (two in each direction), two 5-foot bike lanes (one in each direction), 5-foot sidewalk along both sides of the roadway, and additional widening as needed for turn-lanes at intersections.
Alternative 4. Three-lane cross section with curb-and-gutter including a 12-foot center turn lane, two 12-foot travel lanes (one in each direction), two 5-foot bike lanes (one in each direction), and 5-foot sidewalk along both sides of the roadway.
Sketches of these alternative cross sections are attached for reference.
On November 14, 2000 the Council sponsored a Citizens’ Information Workshop to provide an opportunity for interested citizens to review drawings and information about the proposed improvement alternatives and to discuss this information with Town and State staff. The workshop was publicized via direct mail and newspaper display ads in the Chapel Hill News, Chapel Hill Herald, and the News and Observer. We also had public service announcements on radio station WCHL. Approximately fifty people attended the workshop over the three-hour period from 3:30 pm to 6:30 p.m.
The State has completed a preliminary evaluation of the alternatives, including differentiation between 5-foot wide striped bike lanes versus wide outer travel lanes (to accommodate bikes) for each alternative. The following Table One, which was prepared by NCDOT staff, summarizes key impacts, costs, advantages and disadvantages of each improvement alternative.
U-3306 WEAVER DAIRY ROAD WIDENING
Alternatives |
1 |
1A |
2 |
2A |
|
Description |
Five lane, Curb and Gutter |
Four lane, Median Divided |
||
|
Bike Accommodation |
Wide outside lanes |
5’ bike lanes |
Wide outside lanes |
5’ bike lanes |
|
Construction Cost |
$7,300,000 |
$7,850,000 |
$8,600,000 |
$8,775,000 |
|
Right of Way Cost |
$2,655,500 |
$2,655,500 |
$3,324,500 |
$3,324,500 |
|
Estimated Project Cost |
$9,955,500 |
$10,505,500 |
$11,924,500 |
$12,099,500 |
IMPACTS |
||||
|
Relocations |
5 Residences |
5 Residences |
6 Residences |
7 Residences |
|
Close Proximity |
3 Residences |
11 Residences |
9 Residences |
10 Residences |
|
Wetland Impacts |
None |
None |
||
|
Stream Impacts |
370 feet |
390 feet |
400 feet |
420 feet |
|
Historic Architecture |
None |
None |
||
|
Archeology |
None |
None |
||
|
UST’s* |
None expected |
None expected |
||
|
Park Land |
Avoided |
Avoided |
||
|
Country Road |
Removes road |
Removes road |
||
ADVANTAGES |
®Unlimited access to and from all properties |
®Median landscaping opportunities ®Substantial separation of directional travel lanes |
||
DISADVANTAGES |
®Limited landscaping opportunities ®Wide “runway” appearance |
®Limited access to some properties ®Most impacts/relocations ®Most cost |
||
*Underground Storage Tanks
U-3306 WEAVER DAIRY ROAD WIDENING
|
ALTERNATIVES |
3 |
3A |
4 |
4A |
5 |
|
Description |
Four lane, Curb and Gutter |
Three lane, Curb and Gutter |
No Build |
||
|
Bike Accommodation |
Wide outside lanes |
5’ bike lanes |
Wide outside lanes |
5’ bike lanes |
None |
|
Construction Cost |
$6,100,000 |
$6,900,000 |
$5,100,000 |
$5,965,000 |
None |
|
Right of Way Cost |
$2,189,500 |
$2,189,500 |
$1,704,500 |
$1,704,500 |
None |
|
Estimated Project Cost |
$8,289,500 |
$9,089,500 |
$6,804,500 |
$7,669,500 |
None |
IMPACTS |
None |
||||
|
Relocations |
3 Residences |
3 Residences |
3 Residences |
3 Residences |
None |
|
Close Proximity |
3 Residences |
5 Residences |
2 Residences |
2 Residences |
None |
|
Wetland Impacts |
None |
None |
None |
||
|
Stream Impacts |
315 feet |
335 feet |
275 feet |
305 feet |
None |
|
Historic Architecture |
None |
None |
None |
||
|
Archeology |
None |
None |
None |
||
|
UST’s* |
None expected |
None expected |
None |
||
|
Park Land |
Avoided |
Avoided |
None |
||
|
Country Road |
Removes road |
May save road/not trees |
None |
||
|
ADVANTAGES |
®Reduced cross section |
®Least impacts/relocations ®Least Cost |
|||
|
DISADVANTAGES |
®No center turn lane ®Statistically less safe than other alternatives ®Limited traffic capacity ®Requires extra turn lanes to maintain capacity |
®Limited traffic capacity ®Requires extra turn lanes to maintain capacity |
|||
*Underground Storage Tanks
The alternative with the highest cost and greatest impact on adjacent properties is the median divided 4-lane cross section with designated bike lanes. The estimated cost is $12.1 million. This cross section would be identical to the recently completed N.C.86 improvements north of Homestead Road.
Comparatively, the least expensive and disruptive alternative would be the 3-lane cross section with wide outside lanes for bicycles. The estimated cost for this alternative is $6.8 million. This cross section would be similar to Merritt Mill Road south of Cameron Avenue.
CAPACITY CONSIDERATIONS
Currently, the average daily traffic (ADT) volume on Weaver Dairy Road is between 10,000 and 13,000 vehicles per day. The projected ADT volumes for the year 2025 are between 17,000 and 20,000 vehicles per day.
We have attached information tables which show existing and projected traffic volumes on Weaver Dairy Road, and the traffic contributions we expect from new and existing developments such as VilCom, Timberlyne Shopping Center, Parkside, The Homestead, and the extension of Weaver Dairy Road to Homestead Road.
We think that all of the design alternatives could adequately handle current traffic volumes. However, we believe that widening for turning lanes at several locations would be necessary in the design of Alternative #3 (4-lane undivided) and Alternative #4 (3-lane) to adequately accommodate projected growth in traffic volumes on Weaver Dairy Road. Alternative #1 (5-lane) and Alternative #2 (4-lane divided) could handle expected future traffic volumes as proposed.
EXISTING IMPROVEMENTS
Several segments of Weaver Dairy Road have been widened to all or part of a 5-lane cross section as a result of Town requirements for adjacent private developments. Also, Weaver Dairy Road is planned to connect to Sage Road, which is an existing 5-lane roadway. The existing 5-lane improvements do not include designated bike lanes or wide outer lanes except across the Silvercreek development frontage.
If it is the Council’s desire to improve Weaver Dairy Road to other than a 5-lane cross section, careful design work would be necessary to create acceptable transitions between the new and existing cross sections in order to preserve as much as possible of the existing improvements.
The extension of Weaver Dairy Road west of NC 86 includes two different cross-sections. The segment associated with the Northwoods development includes a thirteen-foot wide raised center median, two eleven-foot wide travel lanes in each direction, and a five-foot wide sidewalk along one side only. The segment associated with the Parkside and Homestead developments is planned to include a sixteen-foot wide raised center median, two twelve-foot wide travel lanes in each direction, a four-foot wide striped bike lane in each direction, and a five-foot wide sidewalk along both sides. The developers will be building half of the ultimate roadway cross-section improvements as part of the Parkside and Homestead developments.
NEXT STEPS
The State is now awaiting the Council’s selection of its desired improvement alternative. Following tonight’s public forum we will compile the comments received and report back to the Council at its December 11 regular meeting with our evaluation and recommendations regarding the proposed alternatives, for the Council’s consideration in selecting a preferred alternative to forward to the State.
If the State concurs with the Town’s selected alternative, it would perform an environmental assessment of the proposed project and would hold a public hearing to solicit citizens’ comments before preparing final construction plans and specifications.
1. Map (p. 6).
2. Sketches of Alternative Cross Sections (p. 7).
3. Traffic Data Tables (p. 11).