AGENDA #9
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Proposed Modifications to US 15-501 Fixed Guideway Corridor and Station Areas
DATE: October 7, 2002
The attached resolution would provide comments to the City of Durham, Durham County, and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee on proposed changes to the adopted US 15-501 Fixed Guideway corridor.
The US 15-501 Phase II, Major Investment Study was completed in 2001. The US 15-501 Major Investment Study was a cooperative effort between Chapel Hill, Durham, the Triangle Transit Authority, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Duke University. The Phase II Study evaluated several potential transit technologies and alignments. On October 22, 2001, the Council approved a resolution endorsing the recommended alignment (Attachment 1), requested that the Transportation Advisory Committee include the US 15-501 fixed guideway corridor in the 2025 Regional Transportation Plan, and begin federal environmental studies necessary to implement the project. The Council’s resolution called on local jurisdictions to protect the alignment for future use (Attachment 2).
Development proposals have been submitted to the City of Durham and Durham County for property within the US 15-501 fixed guideway corridor. In both cases, the developers have proposed modifying the fixed guideway alignments.
The City of Durham has received a proposal to redevelop the existing South Square Mall property. The existing Mall and adjacent outparcels represent approximately 625,000 square feet of development. The proposal to redevelop this property would demolish the existing Mall and replace it with 479,000 square feet of retail. The development plan proposes two large retail anchors at the southern end of the property, adjacent to University Drive, with 6 outparcels along the outer edge of the property. The development proposal does not include delineation of the fixed guideway corridor as shown on the adopted US 15-501 Corridor Plan.
The City of Durham has called a public hearing for October 21, 2002, (Attachment 3) to consider moving the fixed guideway corridor and related station from South Square to the east. This proposal recommends using Shannon Road as the fixed guideway corridor and moving the station to property on the east side of Shannon Road.
Comment
We believe the proposal to relocate both the fixed guideway corridor and the proposed South Square transit station is of concern for several reasons. Although Durham has initiated a public hearing on this change there has been no analysis of the impact of modifying the adopted corridor alignment or station location. It is unclear what operational or financial impacts of modifying the alignment along Shannon Drive and moving the proposed transit station to the east side of Shannon Drive. We believe it would be reasonable to conduct an analysis of the financial and operational feasibility of the proposed realignment prior to approval of this proposed project.
The proposed development plan for the South Square site also appears to be inconsistent with the projected land use pattern for a fixed guideway station in this area. A significant portion of the criteria for determining eligibility for federal transit new starts funding is based on ability to attract ridership. Land use patterns that are conducive to promoting transit ridership include the following criteria, as stated in the US 15-501 Phase I Report:
“Land development in the vicinity of a fixed guideway station should ideally follow these three principles, which are intended to build system ridership, leverage private investment and help build a sense of community. Each of them works to move from the currently predominant auto-oriented, low density single use land use pattern to one that is more compact and oriented to the transit user, pedestrian and bicyclist.”
“Mixed and Intensive Land Use: Within easy walking distance of the station, location an intense mixure of land uses that generate ridership during both peak and off peak hours, generate pedestrian activity and reduce dependence on the automobile.”
Supportive Access Paterns: Provide multiple and direct street connections to the transit station and its immediate vicinity for pedestrians, bicyclist, motorists and feeder buses.”
Enhanced Station Area Environment: Create a station environment that appears attractive, safe and orderly and creates an identifiable civic space for public activities.”
We believe that the proposed development plan for the South Square site does not address these principles and could result in lower ridership projections for the entire corridor than had been projected. The initial projections assumed the continuation of the existing amount of development at the South Square site with gradual redevelopment to conform to a transit oriented land use pattern. These lower ridership projections might affect the ability to obtain federal new start funds. We note that the development plan does not include pedestrian connections between the proposed uses or connections to the proposed relocated station.
Durham County, in cooperation with the Durham County Schools, has purchased a parcel of land along Ephesus Church Road and George King Road. The School District has proposed building an elementary school on the northwest portion of the site and the County has expressed an interest in selling the remainder of the site for private development. The development proposal for the elementary school proposes shifting the fixed guideway alignment and alignment for Southwest Durham Drive, to the east, as shown in Attachment 4.
The US 15-501 Major Investment Study included the fixed guideway alignment across the northwest corner of this property, as shown in Attachment 5. Note that Attachment 5 includes the adopted alignment and variations on the alignment that were analyzed and rejected. The Study also assumed a transit station on this site. As noted in the review of the South Square proposal, ridership from the station areas along the US 15-501 corridor is dependent upon the development of land use patterns around the stations that encourages transit use. We understand that in addition to the elementary school proposal, Durham County also has received a site plan for a residential development at the southwest corner of George King Road and Ephesus Church Road. It is unclear whether this development proposal is consistent with the anticipated development pattern for the Ephesus Church station area.
We note that, on the recommendation of the Chapel Hill-Durham Work Group, staff from Chapel Hill, Durham County and the City of Durham have initiated a courtesy review of projects in the area roughly between I-40 and Fordham Boulevard. Plans for both the proposed elementary school and nearby residential project have been submitted to Chapel Hill for comment.
Like the South Square proposal, we believe that any modification to the Ephesus Church transit alignment and station area should be evaluated for ridership and financial impacts. We believe that it would be valuable for all the partners to the US 15-501 Study to review and comment on the proposed changes. We also believe it would be valuable for the Durham Chapel-Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee to review and approve any changes.
As we understand it, the City of Durham has scheduled a public hearing on the proposed relocation of the South Square fixed guideway corridor and station for October 21, 2002. It is anticipated that the Durham City Council will consider approval of the proposed site plan in November or December 2002.
Durham City/County Planning Staff is reviewing the Ephesus Church Road Elementary School development plan and has not scheduled it for consideration by the Durham County Commissioners.
There is no established process to date for discussion of the realignment proposal, other than the Public Hearing on the South Square proposal. We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution providing comments to the City of Durham, Durham County and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee on proposed modifications to the US 15-501 fixed guideway corridor.
The US 15-501 Major Investment Study was a cooperative effort between Chapel Hill, Durham, the Triangle Transit Authority, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University. Any proposed change of alignment should ideally be considered by all parties. We note that the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee would need to approve any change to the adopted fixed guideway alignment and station relocation.
Regarding the school proposal, we believe that any modification to the Ephesus Church transit alignment and station area should be evaluated for ridership and financial impacts. We recommend that all the partners to the US 15-501 Study have the opportunity to review and comment on the changes and that the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee approve any changes.
We recommend that:
A RESOLUTION PROVIDING COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY OF DURHAM, DURHAM COUNTY AND DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS TO THE ADOPTED US 15-501 FIXED GUIDEWAY CORRIDOR AND STATION AREAS (2002-10-07/R-9)
WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill, City of Durham, Triangle Transit Authority, North Carolina Department of Transportation, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill participated cooperatively in the development of the US 15-501 Major Investment Study; and
WHEREAS, the US 15-501 Phase II Major Investment Study included a recommended fixed guideway corridor and station locations; and
WHEREAS, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee has adopted the recommendations of the US 15-501 Major Investment Study; and
WHEREAS, the implementation of a fixed guideway transit corridor between Durham and Chapel Hill is an important element in maintaining future mobility along the US 15-501 corridor; and
WHEREAS, development proposals have been submitted to the City of Durham and Durham County that require modification of the adopted fixed guideway corridor and station locations; and
WHEREAS, the impacts of these proposed modifications on the feasibility of implementing the US 15-501 fixed guideway corridor are unknown;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council respectfully requests and recommends to the City of Durham, Durham County and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee that:
This the 7th day of October, 2002.