AGENDA #11
(6-20-01; 4:10 PM)
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Response from the North Carolina Department of Transportation Regarding Proposed Improvements to Weaver Dairy Road Between N.C. 86 and Erwin Road
DATE: June 25, 2001
The following information regards the North Carolina Department of Transportation response to the Council’s endorsement of a three-lane improvement project for Weaver Dairy Road between NC-86 and Erwin Road.
The attached Resolution A would affirm the Council’s previous request for a three-lane project for Weaver Dairy Road.
The attached Resolution B would accept the State recommended four-lane median divided project for Weaver Dairy Road.
Improvements to Weaver Dairy Road have ranked high on the Town’s list of projects to be included in the State 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. Four alternatives were presented at the workshop, two with five-lane cross sections and two with four-lane raised median cross sections. Following the workshop presentation, the Council requested that the State also study alternatives involving four-lane and three-lane cross sections without medians.
On November 14, 2000, the Council sponsored a Citizens’ Informational 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.
On November 20, 2000, the Council held a Public Forum to discuss proposed improvement alternatives and to receive citizens’ comments about the project.
On January 22, 2001, the Council received a staff report on the proposed Weaver Dairy Road Improvement Project alternatives, which included staff responses to Council and citizen questions and comments expressed at the November 20, 2000 Public Forum. Town and State staff recommended that the Council adopt a resolution endorsing a conceptual design for Weaver Dairy Road between NC-86 and Erwin Road, to include a four-lane median divided cross section consisting of two travel lanes in each direction, wide outside lanes to accommodate bicycle use, a narrow raised center median with exclusive turn lanes and refuge for pedestrians, curb-and-gutter and sidewalks along both sides of the road, and bus pull-offs as necessary. Please see attachment #2.
At the January 22, 2001 meeting, the Council adopted a resolution endorsing a conceptual design for Weaver Dairy Road to include a three-lane cross section (without a raised center median) consisting of one fourteen foot wide travel lane in each direction, a continuous center turn lane, curb-and-gutter and sidewalks along both sides of the road, and bus pull-offs as necessary.
The three-lane design endorsed by the Council was subsequently evaluated by the Roadway Design Section and Traffic Engineering Unit of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. In February 2001, the Town was notified that the State would not recommend the three-lane design for funding and construction. Please see Attachment #3.
At its March 5, 2001 regular meeting, the Council discussed the State response and agreed that three Council Members, along with the Manager and key Town staff, should meet with State Transportation Secretary and other representatives of the North Carolina Department of Transportation to request that they reconsider the three-lane cross section endorsed by the Council and agree to proceed with that design for the Weaver Dairy Road Improvement Project. A meeting was arranged in Raleigh on April 4, 2001 at which the designated Council Members presented the Town’s case to Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett, our Transportation Board Member Doug Galyon, and senior NCDOT staff.
The project design was again evaluated by the State, and we were informed in a letter dated May 21, 2001 from Secretary Tippett that the State had determined that it would not be prudent to make the large expenditures required for the three-lane design endorsed by the Council. Mr.Tippett reiterated the NCDOT’s position that the four-lane median divided cross section was the section recommended by the State for construction. Attachment #1 is a copy of Mr. Tippett’s letter.
A detailed comparison of the alternatives considered by the Council and the State is included in Attachment #2.
If the Council wishes to accept the State recommended four-lane median divided project, we believe that the Department of Transportation would schedule a public hearing and would proceed with design and right-of-way acquisitions. Construction could begin in 2005.
We believe that it is likely that the Weaver Dairy Road Improvement Project would be dropped from the State Transportation Improvements Program and the associated funding would be reassigned to other statewide transportation needs, if the Council does not wish to accept the four-lane median divided design.
We originally recommended that the Weaver Dairy Road Improvement Project between NC-86 and Erwin Road include a four-lane median divided cross section consisting of two travel lanes in each direction, wide outside lanes to accommodate bicycle use, a narrowed and raised center median with exclusive turn lanes and refuge for pedestrians, curb-and-gutter and sidewalks along both sides, and bus pull-offs as necessary. We continue to believe that these improvements would be reasonable.
Adoption of Resolution A would affirm the Council’s previous request for a three-lane project for Weaver Dairy Road.
Adoption of Resolution B would accept the State recommended four-lane median divided project for Weaver Dairy Road.
1. Letter from State Transportation Secretary dated May 21, 2001 (begin new page 1).
2. Agenda Item #8 dated January 22, 2001 (p. 3).
3. Letter from NCDOT/Derrick Weaver dated February 15, 2001 (p. 29).
RESOLUTION A
A RESOLUTION ENDORSING A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO WEAVER DAIRY ROAD BETWEEN N.C. 86 AND ERWIN ROAD TO INCLUDE A THREE-LANE CROSS SECTION CONSISTING OF ONE FOURTEEN FOOT WIDE TRAVEL LANE IN EACH DIRECTION, A CONTINUOUS TWELVE FOOT WIDE CENTER TURN LANE, AND CURB-AND-GUTTER AND SIDEWALK ALONG BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD (2001-06-25/R-20a)
WHEREAS, it is the Town’s desire to improve Weaver Dairy Road to the extent that it can safely and effectively accommodate existing and future pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic; and
WHEREAS, necessary improvements should be designated and constructed so as to minimize disturbance of adjacent properties; and
WHEREAS, representatives of the Town and the State, and interested citizens, have met and discussed the proposed Weaver Dairy Road Improvement Project needs, scope, costs, and impacts; and
WHEREAS, project information and input has been evaluated and considered in conjunction with preliminary studies of several alternative project designs; and
WHEREAS, the Council reaffirms its opinion that a three-lane project best meets the Council’s stated objectives for Weaver Dairy Road.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council endorses a conceptual Weaver Dairy Road Improvement Project between N.C. 86 and Erwin Road to include a three-lane cross-section consisting of a fourteen foot wide travel lane in each direction to accommodate bicycle use, a continuous twelve foot center turn lane, curb-and-gutter and sidewalks along both sides of the road, and right turn lanes and bus pull-offs as necessary.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council requests that the State design incorporate transitions between the new and existing sections in order to preserve all of the existing improvements and that the existing roadway, curb-and-gutter, storm drainage, sidewalks, grass strips, landscaping, and buffer walls adjacent to Chesley and Silver Creek neighborhoods not be disturbed, other than by re-striping of the existing pavement if necessary.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council requests that the State concur with the three-lane project improvements endorsed by the Town and proceed with preparations for a Public Hearing on the proposed Weaver Dairy Road Improvement Project.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council requests the Town be involved to the extent possible in all stages of the project development.
This the 25th day of June, 2001.
A RESOLUTION ENDORSING A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO WEAVER DAIRY ROAD BETWEEN N.C. 86 AND ERWIN ROAD TO INCLUDE A FOUR-LANE MEDIAN DIVIDED CROSS-SECTION CONSISTING OF TWO TRAVEL LANES IN EACH DIRECTION, WIDE OUTSIDE LANES TO ACCOMMODATE BICYCLE USE, NARROWED RAISED CENTER MEDIAN WITH EXCLUSIVE TURN LANES AND REFUGE FOR PEDESTRIANS, CURB-AND-GUTTER AND SIDEWALKS ALONG BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD, AND BUS PULL-OFFS AS NECESSARY (2001-06-25/R-20b)
WHEREAS, it is the Town’s desire to improve Weaver Dairy Road to the extent that it can safely and effectively accommodate existing and future pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic; and
WHEREAS, necessary improvements should be designated and constructed so as to minimize disturbance of adjacent properties; and
WHEREAS, representatives of the Town and the State, and interested citizens, have met and discussed the proposed Weaver Dairy Road Improvement Project needs, scope, costs, and impacts; and
WHEREAS, project information and input has been evaluated and considered in conjunction with preliminary studies of several alternative project designs; and
WHEREAS, the Council has reconsidered its previous request for a three-lane project design.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council endorses a conceptual Weaver Dairy Road Improvement Project between N.C. 86 and Erwin Road to include a four-lane median divided cross-section consisting of two travel lanes in each direction, wide outside lanes to accommodate bicycle use, raised center median with exclusive turn lanes and refuge for pedestrians, curb-and-gutter and sidewalks along both sides of the road, and bus pull-offs as necessary.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council requests that the State design incorporate transitions between the new and existing sections in order to preserve all of the existing improvements and that the existing roadway, curb-and-gutter, storm drainage, sidewalks, grass strips, landscaping, and buffer walls adjacent to Chesley and Silver Creek neighborhoods not be disturbed, other than by re-striping of the existing pavement if necessary.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council requests that the State proceed with preparations for a Public Hearing on the proposed four-lane median divided Weaver Dairy Road Improvement Project.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council requests the Town be involved to the extent possible in all stages of the project development.
This the 25th day of June, 2001.