AGENDA #7
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Review of Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro 2025 Transportation Plan Alternatives
DATE: September 9, 2002
This memorandum reviews the analysis of five alternative transportation scenarios for the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Urban Area 2025 Transportation Plan. Adoption of the attached resolution would provide the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee with comments and recommendations on the development of a draft preferred alternative.
PROCESS
The 2025 Regional Transportation Plan must be developed and adopted by the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Urban Area to meet federal transportation and air quality regulations. The 2025 Transportation Plan will include roadway, transit, bicycle and pedestrian projects to be completed over the next 25 years and will include a financial plan designed to fund these improvements. The adopted Plan must meet federal air quality standards. Future State and Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Programs will use the adopted 2025 Plan as a guide to select projects for funding. Development of the Plan was been underway since early 2000.
The current Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee schedule proposes that a final draft Plan be adopted by the Transportation Advisory Committee in December 2002. Once a draft Plan is approved, it will be analyzed by State and federal agencies for compliance with federal clean air standards. The federal air quality conformity regulations require that the Urban Area must adopt a final Plan by February 28, 2003. Failure to adopt a Plan by that time may result in a cut off of all federal transportation funding to the Urban Area. It is anticipated that the Transportation Advisory Committee will adopt a final Plan in March or April 2003.
The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee has identified five Tier 3 transportation alternatives as part of the Plan development (Attachment 1). It is anticipated that the Transportation Advisory Committee will review the results of the Tier 3 analysis and recommend a draft preferred alternative on September 18, 2002. The Committee will also open a public comment period on the draft preferred alternative at that time. The Committee will consider adopting a final, fiscally constrained preferred alternative on October, 23, 2002, and opening a 45 public comment period at that time.
The five alternatives currently under consideration are referred to as Tier 3 alternatives. The Tier 3 alternatives were developed from an evaluation of 13 Tier 2 alternatives, which in turn were the result of the Tier 1 evaluation of 60 different alternatives.
We have attached several items for your information.
Below we offer key findings affecting Chapel Hill from our review of the five alternatives:
-US 15-501 Boulevard, Franklin Street to I-40
-NC 54, Fordham Boulevard to I-40
-Fordham Boulevard between Manning Drive and NC 54
-Estes Drive, North Greensboro Street to Franklin Street.
-Ephesus Church Road, Fordham Boulevard to Durham County Line
The five alternatives evaluated in the Tier 3 analysis were developed from the analysis of the 14 Tier 2 alternatives. On March 3, 2002, the Council reviewed and commented on the Tier 2 alternatives. The Council’s final recommendation is included as Attachment 2. The Council recommended alternatives that included both fixed guideway transit corridors and high occupancy vehicle lanes along I-40. The Council’s recommendation also included additional high capacity transit corridors in Chapel Hill.
All alternatives were evaluated using the Triangle Regional Transportation Model. The Triangle Regional Model projected future travel demand for the region using land use projections for 2025. All alternatives used the same projections of 2025 housing and employment patterns. The Regional Model transportation network also includes land use and transportation data for Wake County.
A list of the specific elements of each alternative is included in Attachment 1.
Each alternative includes an assumption that an intensive bicycle and sidewalk network will be developed within the in the region. This assumes bike lanes are implemented along principal transportation corridors and that an extensive system of sidewalks is also developed. Each alternative was also evaluated with the assumption that the region had implemented a transportation demand management program that included the following elements:
· Carpool and vanpool programs
· Alternative work hour programs including compressed work weeks, staggered work hours and flextime programs.
· Employee parking fees in selected areas.
Many of the alternatives have similar roadway and transit assumptions. They all include completion of projects that are currently programmed in the Transportation Improvement program. Those projects include:
*Note: The adopted 2002-2008 Transportation Improvement Program, June 2001, includes widening Weaver Dairy Road to five lanes, with right of way acquisition beginning in 2003, and construction in 2005. The Draft 2004-2010 Transportation Improvement Program also includes widening Weaver Dairy Road to five lanes, with right of way acquisition beginning in 2004, and construction in 2006.
All of the alternatives also include the following elements:
I-40, NC 86 to NC 147 is assumed to be 6 lanes with high occupancy vehicle lanes in Alternatives A, C, D and E, while in Alternative B it is assumed to have 8 general travel lanes.
Alternative C includes the proposed roadway on the University campus, linking Manning Drive and Fordham Boulevard. Alternative D includes 6 lanes along Fordham Boulevard, Manning Drive to US 15-501 South.
The moderate local transit network is assumed in Alternatives A and D and the intensive local transit network is included in Alternatives B, C and E.
Fixed guideway transit systems along US 15-501 Boulevard, Chapel Hill to Durham and NC 54, Chapel Hill to Research Triangle Park are included in Alternatives B and C. In Alternative C additional high capacity transit service is included along NC86/Columbia Street, from I-40 to the Southern Village, between the Gateway Station and the Horace Williams property and along US 15-501 Boulevard/Franklin Street, I-40 to Carrboro. Alternative C also includes a fixed guideway connection between the University campus and the Horace Williams property.
A complete listing of roadway and transit assumptions for Chapel Hill is included in Attachment 3.
We provide below a description of each of the five alternative scenarios.
Alternative A includes moderate highway improvements and moderate local transit improvements coupled with the implementation of high occupancy vehicle lanes on I-40 from NC 86 to the Johnson/Wake County line. This Alternative also assumes completion of the Phase I rail system between Raleigh and Durham.
Comment: This alternative includes a full range of highway improvements, including the implementation of high occupancy vehicle lanes along I-40 from NC 86 to the Johnson/Wake County line. Alternative A produced the highest number of regional vehicle miles traveled, 20.83 million, and regional transit ridership of 138,607. This alternative produced ridership on Chapel Hill Transit of 39,052 per day.
Alternative B includes moderate highway improvements and intensive local transit improvements. This Alternative also assumes completion of the Phase I rail system between Raleigh and Durham and the construction of fixed guideway systems along US 15-501 between Chapel Hill and Durham and along NC 54 between Chapel Hill and the Research Triangle Park. A fixed guideway connection to the RDU Airport is also included.
Comment: Alternative B implements extensive local transit improvements and fixed guideway systems along US 15-501 and NC 54, while minimizing highway improvements. No high occupancy vehicle lanes are included along I-40, although it is widened to 8 lanes between NC 147 and US 15-501. This alternative generated the lowest vehicle miles traveled, 20.59 million, and the highest regional transit ridership, 165,997. Chapel Hill Transit ridership was projected to be 49,550 per day.
Alternative C
Alternative C includes moderate highway improvements and intensive local transit improvements. High occupancy vehicle lanes are assumed along I-40 from NC 86 to the Johnson County/Wake County line. This Alternative also assumes completion of the Phase I rail system between Raleigh and Durham and the construction of fixed guideway systems along US 15-501 between Chapel Hill and Durham and along NC 54 between Chapel Hill and the Research Triangle Park. The fixed guideway system is assumed to be extended from the UNC campus to the Horace Williams property.
High capacity transit is assumed to be implemented along US 15-501/Franklin Street from I-40 to the Carrboro Town limits and along NC 86/Columbia between I-40 and the Southern Village. A high capacity transit connection is also assumed between the Gateway Station and the Horace Williams property. A fixed guideway connection to the RDU Airport is also included. A complete listing of roadway and transit assumptions for Chapel Hill is included in Attachment 3.
Comment: Alternative C represents the most extensive transit investment of all Tier 3 alternatives. In addition to the implementation of the intensive local bus network and fixed guideway corridors along US 15-501 and NC 54, this alternative includes additional transit services in Chapel Hill. Regional vehicles miles traveled was projected to be 20.65 million miles. This Alternative generated 165,774 daily regional transit riders, slightly less than Alternative B, but Chapel Hill Transit ridership was projected to rise to 50,093 per day, the highest of any alternative.
Alternative D includes moderate highway improvements and moderate local transit improvements coupled with the implementation of high occupancy vehicle lanes on I-40 from NC 86 to the Johnson/Wake County line. This Alternative also assumes completion of the Phase I rail system between Raleigh and Durham. Fordham Boulevard is assumed to be 6 lanes from Manning Drive to US 15-501 South.
Comment: Alternative D included only moderate local and regional transit improvements. Fordham Boulevard is widened to 6 lanes between Manning Drive and US 15-501 South, resulting in improvements to the overall level of service. We note that widening in this section of Fordham Boulevard could be problematic for the Botanical Gardens, possibly requiring additional right-of-way and increasing noise along the corridor. Total regional vehicles miles traveled totaled 20.78 million, while this Alternative produced the lowest regional transit riders, 137,999. Chapel Hill Transit ridership was projected to be 39,771 per day.
Alternative E includes moderate highway improvements and intensive local transit improvements coupled with the implementation of high occupancy vehicle lanes on I-40 from NC 86 to the Johnson County/Wake County line. This Alternative also assumes completion of the Phase I rail system between Raleigh and Durham.
Comment: Alternative E includes most of the assumptions included in Alternative D, but with the intensive rather than moderate local transit network, which resulted in a small increase in regional transit ridership to 142,285 and Chapel Hill Transit ridership, 38,253 per day. Projected regional vehicle miles traveled totaled 20.81 million.
We recommend that Alternative C be used as the basis of the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro preferred alternative. The overall impact of Alternative C on regional vehicle miles traveled and on regional and local transit ridership supports the efforts of the Town to improve air quality and encourage greater use of alternative modes of transportation. Alternative C also supports the Town’s Transportation Goal from the 2000 Comprehensive Plan:
“Develop a balanced, multi-modal transportation system that will enhance mobility for all citizens, reduce automobile dependence, and preserve the character of Chapel Hill.”
Although the implementation of high occupancy vehicle lanes along I-40 did not seem to provide improvements to daily congestion, the lanes are projected to provide congestion relief during the AM and PM peak periods rather than over a daily period. Also, the development of high occupancy vehicle lanes along I-40 will provide additional alternatives for regional transit services, allowing express buses to travel more efficiently between Chapel Hill and the Research Triangle Park.
We note that this alternative includes the widening of Fordham Boulevard, between NC 54 and Manning Drive and the US 15-501 Boulevard to 6 lanes. We believe that improvements to the transit modeling network, particularly for the US 15-501 and NC 54 fixed guideway systems, would result in an increase in projected transit ridership and further reduction of projected congestion along both corridors and parallel facilities. While we recommend that the widening of US 15-501 and Fordham Boulevard be included in the 2025 Plan, we also recommend that transit related improvements, both fixed guideway and local transit, be implemented prior to any widening of these roadways. If transit improvements are found to be adequate in reducing congestion, then roadway improvements would not be necessary.
We noted earlier that there are errors in the local transit and fixed guideway networks used in the model. The impact of these errors is to under-assess the regional and local impacts of expanding transit services. We recommend that corrections to the local and fixed guideway transit networks completed as part of the analysis of the preferred alternative. These corrections would provide a more accurate assessment of the impact of transit improvements.
It is anticipated that the Transportation Advisory Committee will approve a draft preferred alternative on September 18, 2002, and open a public comment period, ending on October 23, 2002. On October 23, 2002, it is expected that the Committee will approve a final draft preferred alternative and open a 45 day public comment period. Approval of the final preferred alternative is anticipated in early December, 2002. Federal and State review of the preferred alternative is expected to be completed in March 2003 and the Transportation Advisory Committee is expected to approve the final Plan in April 2003.
We expect to bring the preferred alternative to the Council for review and comment in October, 2002.
Manager’s Recommendation: That the Council adopt Resolution A, providing the Transportation Advisory Committee with the following recommendations for the development of a 2025 Regional Transportation Plan preferred alternative:
1. Alternative C should be used as the base for developing the preferred alternative.
2. Transit improvements, including improvements to local transit service and the implementation of fixed guideway systems, should be implemented prior to pursuing roadway expansions, especially the US 15-501 and Fordham Boulevard corridors.
3. Corrections should be made to the transit model network to more accurately reflect local and fixed guideway transit impacts in the preferred alternative.
Transportation Board: The Transportation Board reviewed the five Tier 3 alternatives on August 20, 2002 and September 3, 2002. A copy of their recommendations will be distributed at the September 9, 2002 Town Council meeting.
Planning Board: The Planning Board reviewed the five Tier 3 alternatives on August 20, 2002, and elected not to make comments at this time. The Board indicated that it would provide comments on the preferred alternative.
A RESOLUTION PROVIDING THE DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE WITH A RECOMMENDATION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO 2025 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE (2002-09-09/ R-9)
WHEREAS, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee is preparing a 2025 Transportation Plan; and
WHEREAS, as part of the development of the 2025 Plan the Transportation Advisory Committee is analyzing alternative transportation scenarios; and
WHEREAS, five alternative transportation scenarios have been identified and analyzed and;
WHEREAS, the Town Council has reviewed the analysis of the five alternatives;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council submits the following recommendations to the Transportation Advisory Committee for the development of the 2025 Regional Transportation Plan preferred alternative.
1. Alternative C should be used as the base for developing the preferred alternative.
2. Transit improvements, including improvements to local transit service and the implementation of fixed guideway systems, should be implemented prior to pursuing roadway expansions, especially the US 15-501 and Fordham Boulevard corridors.
3. Corrections should be made to the transit model network to more accurately reflect local and fixed guideway transit impacts in the preferred alternative.
4. It is the sense on the Council that the fixed transit line running between UNC and Horace Williams should serve the Chapel Hill Downtown Business Community.
This the 9th day of September, 2002.
Amended 9-11-02.