ATTACHMENT 8

Summary of Planning Board Action

Subject:            2025 Regional Transportation Plan

Meeting Date:   November 19, 2002

Recommendation and Comments: 

The Planning Board believes that the 2025 Regional Transportation Plan is headed in the right general direction with respect to transit and roadway elements and recommends it support of the Plan with the following considerations:

1. That greater emphasis should be placed on transit facilities and improvements in the Plan rather than roadway improvements; especially the emphasis on implementation. 

2. The balance of investment between transit and roadway activity should, therefore, fall in favor of transit rather than roadways as shown in the Plan.

3. Regarding revenue sources (Page 8 of the Plan), the Planning Board supports:

a. increasing the gasoline fuel tax as a revenue source,

b. increasing the vehicle personal property tax as shown in the plan, and

c. increasing the current cap on automobile sales tax with the additional revenue dedicated to transit and roadway improvements.

The Board notes that the vehicle registration fee is the most regressive form of tax/fee and recommends that revenue from the three sources listed above is preferable to revenue increases from the vehicle registration fee.  

4. That the improvement of the unpaved western portion of Pickett Road be considered for inclusion in the Plan.

5. That the fixed guideway and/or high capacity transit plan include a stop focused on serving the Franklin/Columbia intersection – or at least the Franklin Street corridor downtown;

6. The Board notes that the description of Weaver Dairy Road in the Plan is 5 lanes and is different from the current direction of the Council and community to seek a 3 lane plan

7. There should be less road widening as a general principal. Old NC 86 is an example of one listed in the Plan that might not be called for.

Vote:  10-0

            Ayes:  Scott Radway, Sally Greene, Julie Coleman, Coleman Day, Tim Dempsey,

            Gay Eddy, Thatcher Freund, Nancy Gabriel, Suzanne Haff, Ruby Sinreich

Prepared by:     Scott Radway, Planning Board Chair

                        Chris Berndt, Long Range Planning Coordinator