AGENDA # 6
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Consideration of Comments on Draft 2002-2008 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program
DATE: January 8, 2001
The attached resolution would provide recommendations to the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee concerning the draft 2002-2008 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program.
BACKGROUND
The draft Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Urban Area
2002-2008 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program was presented to the
Council at the December 11, 2000 meeting to receive public comment and the
Council’s comments. Please see Attachment 1.
The Council’s recommendations and comments on the
draft 2002-2008 Metropolitan Transportation
Improvement Program will be submitted to the Transportation Advisory Committee
for use in approving a final Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program.
KEY ISSUES
The key issues have been divided into three sections: issues raised in the December 11, 2000 Council memo; comments made at the public forum; and Advisory Board comments.
We identified
several policy and project related issues in the draft 2002-2008
Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program and proposed preliminary
recommendations.
Project
Recommendations
1.
The
Public Transit Unfunded Capital program be revised to reflect the current
anticipated needs of Chapel Hill Transit.
2.
The
South Columbia project (U-624) description be revised to read, “Purefoy Road to
Manning Drive. Provide sidewalk and bikelanes and minor intersection
improvements.”
3.
The
State provide full funding for the construction of sidewalks as part of the
South Columbia project. The sidewalks should not be funded using the State
pedestrian policy which requires local financial participation.
4.
Construction
funds for the Estes Drive project (U-2909) be included in 2008.
5.
If
the Town Council approves the proposed “super street” design for improvements
to the Erwin Road/U.S. 15-501 intersection (U-4008), adequate funding be
allocated.
6.
Funding for a Major Investment Study along NC
54 from Fordham Boulevard to the Durham/Wake County line be included.
7.
Funding for the design of the Morgan Creek
Greenway be provided through the Surface Transportation Program Direct
Allocation program.
Comment: We continue to recommend these items for
consideration by the Council.
The following issue was raised during the public forum.
Bicycle Facilities Design
A comment was made proposing that wide outside lanes
rather than 4 foot bike lanes be provided as part of future road widening.
Comment: Bike lanes and wide outside lanes are both appropriate facilities for accommodating bicycle use. Implementation of either type of facility should be dependent upon the specific characteristics of the roadway. These factors include facility type, arterial, collector or local street, speed limit and traffic volumes. As requested by the Council we will prepare a review of the issues related to bicycle facility design for consideration in February. Any policies adopted by the Council could be incorporated into the projects listed in the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program at that time.
In addition to public comment at the December 11,
2000 forum, several Town advisory boards provided the Council with
recommendations. A copy of these recommendations is included in Attachment 1.
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board recommendation is included as
Attachment 2.
The Transportation Board requests that additional
Surface Transportation Program Direct Allocation funds be allocated to unfunded
projects. The Board also requests that the Bolin Creek Greenway project be
moved from priority #13 to #22 and the Merritt Mill Road sidewalk project be
moved from priority #22 to #13.
Comment: Based on current estimates of future annual allocations, the Surface Transportation Program Direct Allocation fund is fully programmed through FY2004. Beginning in FY2005 additional funding will be available for programming. Although the Direct Allocation fund is part of the larger Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program, unobligated Direct Allocation funds can be allocated to projects by the Transportation Advisory Committee at any time. Direct Allocation funding requires a 20% local match and that the local jurisdiction provide project management.
We propose to develop a plan for maximizing the
Town’s use of Direct Allocation funds and identifying sources for the required
local match in the Town’s Capital Improvements Program. This year the Town will
begin to develop a fifteen year Capital Improvements Program. As the Town
identifies sources of local match through the development of the 15-year
Capital Improvement Program additional Direct Allocation funding could be
requested from the Transportation Advisory Committee.
The identification of priority rankings has been
completed for the 2002-2008 Transportation Improvement Program. The Town
adopted a Project Priority List that was submitted to the Transportation
Advisory Committee for use in developing the Regional Priority List. The Town will have the opportunity to amend
its Transportation Priority List in 2002 as part of the development of the
2004-2010 Regional Priority List.
The Planning Board requests that additional Surface
Transportation Program Direct Allocation funds be allocated to unfunded
projects. The Board also requests that priority #10, Estes Drive sidewalk,
Curtis Road to Fordham Boulevard, be given a higher priority.
Comment: The identification of priority rankings has
been completed for the 2002-2008 Transportation Improvement Program. The Town
adopted a Project Priority List that was submitted to the Transportation
Advisory Committee for use in developing the Regional Priority List. The Town
will have the opportunity to amend its Transportation Priority List in 2002 as
part of the development of the 2004-2010 Regional Priority List.
The Greenways Commission recommends that the Council
request funding from the Surface Transportation Program Direct Allocation
Program for the design of the Morgan Creek Trail Greenway, from Culbreth Road
to Frank Porter Graham School. The
Commission also requested funding for the construction of the Morgan Creek
Greenway in the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program.
Comment: We have included funding for the design of
the Morgan Creek Greenway in the attached resolution. We have also included a
proposal to fund the construction of the Morgan Creek Greenway in FY 2005, with
the local match being provided through Greenways funds.
The Parks and Recreation Commission recommends that
the Council request funding from the Surface Transportation Program Direct
Allocation Program for the design of the Morgan Creek Trail Greenway, from
Culbreth Road to Frank Porter Graham School.
The Commission also requested funding for the construction of the Morgan
Creek Greenway in the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program and that
a high priority be placed on completing a bicycle/pedestrian path from the NC54
Town limits to the University.
Comment: We have included funding for the design of
the Morgan Creek Greenway in the attached resolution. We have also included a
proposal to fund the construction of the Morgan Creek Greenway in FY 2005 with
the local match being provided through Greenways funds.
With the completion of the Meadowmont
bicycle/pedestrian path along NC54 from Barbee Chapel Road to Pinehurst Drive
and construction of sidewalks along NC54 from
Country Club Road to Burning Tree Drive there will
be continuous sidewalks on both sides of NC54 from Country Club Road to Barbee
Chapel Road.
1. The
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board recommended that only high occupancy
vehicle lanes or transit improvements be added to roads that are currently 4 or
more lanes wide
Comment: There are no roadway improvements included in Chapel Hill that affect facilities that are currently four or more lanes wide. The Town has previously recommended that the Transportation Advisory Committee not support the widening of I-40, from US 15-501 to I-85, to six lanes for general purpose traffic. The Town has recommended that any future widening of I-40 incorporate high occupancy vehicle lanes.
2. The Board
recommended that any road improvements should include a minimum 15 foot wide
outside lane for bicycles
Comment: Staff will be preparing a discussion of
appropriate bicycle facility design for the Council’s consideration in
February, 2001.
3. The Board
recommended that high priority should be given to the following projects
·
Estes
Drive between NC86 and North Greensboro Street
·
Erwin
Road, between US 15-501 and NC751
·
Old
Durham-Chapel Hill Road between US 15-501 and Garrett Road
·
Pope
Road from Old Durham-Chapel Hill Road to Ephesus Church Road
·
NC
54 from Barbee Chapel Road through Durham County
Comment: We have recommended that construction funds
be allocated to the Estes Drive project in FY2008. The draft Surface
Transportation Program Direct Allocation program includes $1.2 million to
provide bicycle facilities along Old Durham-Chapel Hill Road in FY2003.
Regional staff has suggested that bicycle improvements to Pope Road and Ephesus
Church Road be included in this project.
We have also proposed that a Major Investment Study
be initiated to develop recommendations for transportation improvements along
NC54 from Fordham Boulevard to the Wake/Durham County line. This Study should
include an evaluation of bicycle improvements through this corridor.
Neither Chapel Hill, the City of Durham or Durham
County has requested improvements to Erwin Road. This project could be included
in a future Transportation Improvement Program.
4. The Board recommended that Seawell School Road between Homestead Road and Hanover Place be placed as a high priority in the Transportation Improvement Program and constructed with wide outside lanes and sidewalks.
Comment: The Town has included this project as its
#4 transportation priority. The project
has been ranked #23 in the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro regional priority
list. As we develop the 15 year Capital
Improvement Program and examine greater use of the Direct Allocation Program we
will consider funding for this project.
5. The Board
proposed that the widening of Weaver Dairy Road between NC86 and Erwin Road,
including Sage Road should be given a low priority.
Comment: Funding for this project has been allocated
in the Transportation Improvement Program. Construction is scheduled for
FY2004. The Council is currently
evaluating alternative designs for these improvements.
NEXT STEPS
The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee is expected to approve a draft Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program in January, 2001. This draft will be submitted to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for their review. It is anticipated that representatives from the Transportation Advisory Committee and the North Carolina Department of Transportation will meet in January, 2001 to resolve differences between the draft State and Metropolitan Programs.
MANAGER’S
RECOMMENDATION
We recommend that the Council adopt the attached
resolution recommending approval of the 2002-2008 Metropolitan Transportation
Improvement Program with the following changes:
Policy Recommendations
1.
December
11, 2000 Council Memorandum (Begin new p. 1).
2. Bicycle
and Pedestrian Advisory Board Recommendation (p. 160).
A
RESOLUTION PROVIDING THE DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY
COMMITTEE WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REVISING THE DRAFT 2002-2008 METROPOLITAN
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (2001-01-08/R-8)
WHEREAS, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee has released a draft 2002-2008 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program; and
WHEREAS, the Transportation Advisory Committee has
request public comment on the draft Metropolitan Transportation Improvement
Program; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council has reviewed the draft
Program and received public comment;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council recommends that the draft 2002-2008 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program be revised to include the following:
Policy Recommendations
This
the 8th day of January, 2001