AGENDA #8
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Information for Discussion of South Columbia Street Improvement Project
DATE: May 13, 2002
The following information is provided as reference material for the Council’s discussion(s) of the proposed South Columbia Street Improvement Project between Fordham Boulevard (US 15-501) and Manning Drive.
In response to a request from UNC Chancellor James Moeser to reopen discussion of the limited improvement project currently approved for South Columbia Street, the Council directed the Manager to prepare this report intended to update the current Council on the status of the South Columbia Street project. The Council has also scheduled a public forum during its May 29, 2002 regular meeting to receive questions and comments from interested citizens.
BACKGROUND
The improvement of South Columbia Street between Fordham Boulevard and Manning Drive has been under consideration by the Town and State since the mid-eighties. The segment of South Columbia under consideration for improvement is approximately eight tenths of a mile in length. US 15-501 extends south from this project corridor, and is currently being widened to a four-lane median divided cross section. To the north of the project corridor, South Columbia Street extends to the downtown area via a one-way segment through campus and eventually turns into Airport Road (NC 86) toward I-40.
State project development in the 1980’s included study of alternative designs involving two travel lanes in each direction with and without a center median and/or continuous center turn lane. In early 1990, the Town Council decided not to proceed with any improvement project on South Columbia Street because of community objections regarding the extent of the proposed widening and associated impacts on the project corridor. Project funding for South Columbia Street was subsequently removed from the State Transportation Improvement Program.
In the mid-1990’s, the Town Council again began discussing possible improvements to South Columbia Street and a public forum was held in late 1994 to discuss and receive comment regarding improving South Columbia Street. There was consensus among those who spoke at the forum that bike lanes and sidewalks should be constructed as soon as possible and that construction of a four-lane roadway is excessive and unacceptable on this section of South Columbia Street. The Town Council subsequently requested that the State study South Columbia Street for an improvement project involving construction of striped bike lanes and sidewalks along both sides of the road, transit accommodations as necessary, and road widening at intersections to provide for turning traffic. The State did not schedule such a study and no further project design development occurred at the time.
In late 1997, the Town Council adopted a local Transportation Project Priority List for submittal to the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the State that listed the improvement of South Columbia Street as a number two priority. During 1998, Town and University officials began discussing their mutual interest in having the State construct limited improvements on South Columbia Street.
In mid-1998, with concurrence of the University Chancellor, the Town Council adopted a resolution requesting that the State design and construct certain limited improvements on South Columbia Street to accommodate a four-foot wide striped bike lane and a continuous sidewalk on the east side of the road, curb-and-gutter along both sides of the road, and associated drainage and intersection improvements with minimal disruption of adjacent properties. The following chronology outlines the current project history:
APRIL 6, 1998 – The Town Council adopted a resolution requesting that the State design and construct a limited improvement project on South Columbia Street between Fordham Boulevard and Manning Drive to include curb-and-gutter along both sides of the road, a four-foot wide striped bike lane along the east side of the road, a five-foot wide sidewalk at the back-of-curb along the east side of the road, and associated drainage and intersection improvements as can be reasonably accommodated within the existing right-of-way and with minimal disruption of adjacent properties.
MAY 18, 1998 – The University Executive Vice Chancellor (Elson Floyd) sent a letter to the State Transportation Secretary (Norris Tolson) stating the University’s support for the limited project proposed by the Town and described in the Council’s resolution.
JULY 2, 1998 – The Mayor received a letter from the State Highway Administrator (Len Sanderson) acknowledging the Town’s request for a limited project, noting that the State had abandoned its original plans to construct a five-lane road, and proposing a preliminary roadway cross-section reflecting the Council’s wishes to the extent practicable.
OCTOBER 12, 1998 – The Council adopted a resolution endorsing the State’s proposed cross-section for limited improvements on South Columbia Street to include two twelve-foot wide travel lanes, four-foot wide striped bike lanes along both sides of the roadway, curb-and-gutter along both sides of the roadway, a five-foot wide sidewalk along the east side of the roadway, and associated drainage and intersection improvements as can reasonably be accommodated with minimal disruption of adjacent properties.
OCTOBER 23, 1998 – The University Chancellor (Michael Hooker) sent a letter to the State Transportation Secretary (Norris Tolson) endorsing the limited improvement project on South Columbia Street as agreed upon by the Town and State.
NOVEMBER 16, 1998 – The Mayor received a letter from the State Transportation Secretary (Norris Tolson) acknowledging the Council’s endorsement of the proposed limited improvement project on South Columbia Street and advising that the project was formally included in the State Transportation Improvement Program.
JUNE 21, 1999 – The State held a project scoping meeting attended by State and Town staff where project development steps were outlined and a preliminary schedule and cost estimate was discussed.
NOVEMBER 9, 1999 – The Town and State hosted a joint Citizens Informational Workshop to present information and to receive comments and questions about the proposed project.
MARCH 27, 2001 – The University Chancellor (James Moeser) sent a letter to the State Transportation Secretary (Lyndo Tippett) stating that University wanted to reopen discussion of the limited improvements proposed for South Columbia Street and the adequacy of those improvements to serve the University and Hospitals.
APRIL 3, 2001 – The Mayor sent a letter to the State Transportation Secretary (Lyndo Tippett) stating that the Town and University had already agreed to the limited improvement project currently funded in the State Transportation Improvement Program.
APRIL 27, 2001 – The Mayor and the University Chancellor received letters from the State Transportation Secretary (Lyndo Tippett) requesting that officials of the Town, the University, and the Metropolitan Planning Organization discuss the matter and present the State with a joint recommendation for improving South Columbia Street between Fordham Boulevard and Manning Drive.
FEBRUARY 2002 – The Town Council scheduled discussion of this matter at its May 13, 2002 regular meeting, and scheduled a Public Forum on May 29, 2002, to receive comments from citizens and University officials regarding South Columbia Street.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In the draft 2002-2008 State
Transportation Improvement Program, the currently approved limited improvement
project is scheduled for right-of-way acquisition to start in FY2003 and
construction to start in FY2005. However, State project development for the
South Columbia Street Improvement Project has been on hold for the past year, until
a joint recommendation from the Town, the University, and our MPO is prepared
as requested by the Transportation Secretary in his April 27, 2001 letter
(Attachment #4)..
Because project development has been delayed by the State, it is unlikely that the current schedule noted above will be met. Before right-of-way acquisitions can begin, an Environmental Assessment must be completed, a Public Hearing must be held, and a Finding of No Significant Impact must be determined. All of these items associated with project development cannot proceed until decisions are made on whether or not the currently approved project will be modified.
For reference, Attachment #3 provides information on current and projected traffic volumes and levels-of-service for South Columbia Street in the proposed project area.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Maps of Proposed Project Corridor (p. 5)
2. Currently Endorsed Typical Cross-Section for South Columbia Street (p. 7).
3. Traffic Volumes and levels-of-service for South Columbia Street (p. 8).
4. April 27, 2001 letter from State Transportation Secretary to Mayor requesting joint recommendation (p. 12).
7. November 9, 1999 Citizens Information Workshop Handout (p. 16).
8. June 21, 1999 Project Scoping Meeting Agenda (p. 23).
9. November 16, 1998 Letter from State Transportation Secretary to Mayor Acknowledging Proposed Project (p. 33).
11. October 12, 1998 Council Agenda Item with Resolution Endorsing Limited Improvements on South Columbia Street (p. 35).
