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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-13-2010 - 3ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: May 13, 2010 Action Agenda Item No. SUBJECT: Orange County Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) Update DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): 1. Follow-up Report to 02/02/2010 BOCC Meeting (Including Attachments 1a through 1d) 2. Orange Unified Transportation Board Recommendation 3. Advantages and Disadvantages of Potential INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Lincoln, 245-2594 Craig Benedict, 245-2592 Actions PURPOSE: 1. To receive information requested at the February 2, 2010 BOCC meeting regarding development of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan; and 2. To explicitly endorse a course for proceeding with the Plan. BACKGROUND: The BOCC, on Comprehensive Transportation Plan explicit endorsement by the Board. provided in Attachment 1: • Process for approval • Regional options February 2, 2010, voted to continue development of the with a phased plan for improvements to NC 86 but with no The following additional information was requested and is • Assumptions underlying designation of the NC 86 as a strategic highway corridor • Relationship of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan to the Orange County Land Use Plan • What is being contemplated to include public comment before the approval of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan The Orange Unified Transportation (OUT) Board, at its meeting on April 21, received notification from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Planning Division 7 that it was unwilling to support the County's proposal for a phased construction plan for "unscheduled" improvements to NC 86. Orange Unified Transportation (OUT) Board Recommendation - In response to NCDOT's unwillingness to support the County's proposal, the OUT Board unanimously recommends the Board of Commissioners explicitly: • Endorse the principle of strategic highway corridors; • Proceed with development of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan to include NC 86 as a strategic highway corridor; and 2 Make a statement to the North Carolina Department of Transportation stressing the Board is 1) troubled by the Department's use/requirement of a particular design for all highways designated a strategic highway corridors, as every area is different and a "cookie cutter" design may not the best way in every instance to achieve mobility to meet traffic needs; and 2) concerned also that the Department dictates a design for the corridor without local input and prior to any contextual planning studies for the corridor improvements. Notes from the OUT Board's meeting are provided in Attachment 2 for additional context. Attachment 3 lists several advantages and disadvantages of the two options for proceeding with development of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan. The following are the key advantage and disadvantage taken from this attachment: Adopt a CTP showing NC 86 as a Future Ex resswa Delay CTP Development to Request Chan a of Facilit T e Major Advantage NCDOT recognized multi-modal If request is approved by the Board transportation plan will facilitate the of Transportation, the CTP will process for programming all modes better reflect the County's vision for of transportation projects requested northern Orange County b the Count Major Disadvantage There is no guarantee that the There is no guarantee that the Board of Transportation will, in the Board of Transportation will approve future, approve the change of facility the change of facility type for NC 86. type for NC 86. If the County, in coordination with NCDOT, develops a CTP and the County does not adopt the transportation plan, the County will not have a NCDOT-recognized CTP for planning and programming transportation projects. NCDOT may in the future require a mutually adopted CTP for federal-aid projects. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Comprehensive Transportation Plan will require planning staff resources, but can be completed with existing staff. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board: 1. Receive information requested at the February 2, 2010 BOCC meeting regarding development of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan; and 2. Explicitly endorse a course for proceeding with the Plan. Attachment 1 3 Follow-Up to BOCC February 2, 2010 Meeting The BOCC, on February 2, 2010, voted to continue development of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan with a phased plan for improvements to NC 86 with no explicit endorsement by the Board, and requested specific information regarding: • Process for approval • Regional options • Assumptions underlying designation of the NC 86 as a strategic highway corridor • Relationship of the comprehensive Transportation Plan to the Orange County Land Use Plan • What is being contemplated to include public comment before the approval of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan The following responses help clarify the Comprehensive Transportation Plan process including opportunities for public input, the Strategic Highway Corridors Vision Plan assumptions and relationship between the Land Use Plan and the Comprehensive Transportation Plan. Process for approval. Orange County must adopt the Comprehensive Transportation Plan before the North Carolina Board of Transportation will consider it for adoption. The BOCC must hold a public hearing prior to adopting the plan. Regional options. Attachment 1(a) is a map of Pittsylvlania County, Virginia, and Caswell, Person, Alamance and Orange Counties in North Carolina showing the major transportation routes. NC 86 is the most direct route, and the one that traffic will continue to use, from the metropolitan Danville area to the Chapel Hill/Durham metropolitan area. Transferring traffic through other existing corridors in northern Orange County would also negatively impact the rural character of the County. Assumptions underlying designation of NC 86 as a strategic highway corridor. Attachment 1(b) is a Strategic Highway Corridors Reference provided by North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) staff that worked on the project. The document makes specific reference to NC 86, and indicates how NC 86 characterizes primary criteria used to designate the strategic highway corridors. Those characteristics include: • Mobility -Serves long-distance and/or regional travel including long haul trucks (is a truck route), tourists, and other motorists passing through a region. • Connectivity - Provides a vital connection between activity centers Durham-Chapel Hill- Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (Durham/Chapel Hill area, Research Triangle Park, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Hospitals, North Carolina Central University, Duke University and Medical Center) and Danville, Virginia (Danville Metropolitan Planning Organization). • Interstate Connectivity -Provides an important connection between existing interstate (140/85 at Hillsborough) to Future I-785/US 29 in Danville, VA. Relationship of the comprehensive Transportation Plan to the Orange County Land Use Plan - The relationship between land use and transportation is noted in the relationship/links to the goals and objectives of the relative elements of the Orange County Comprehensive Plan. Attachment 1(c) is the full text of related goals/objectives from the Land Use Element and the Transportation Element of the Orange County Comprehensive Plan abbreviated below. Attachment 1 4 Comprehensive Plan Goals/Objectives Land Use Element Objective LU-1.1 Coordinate the location of higher intensity development with existing or planned adequate supporting infrastructure such as public transportation, streets (among others) Transportation Element Objective T-3.4: Direct development to higher density mixed- use districts along transit corridors and make necessary multi-modal transportation improvements to service lands that are slated for future intense development Land Use Goal 3: Coordinate land use patterns that limit sprawl that are supported by an efficient and balanced transportation system Objective LU-3.2: Coordinate land use patterns to facilitate the expanded use of non-auto modes of travel, the increased occupancy of automobiles and the use of an energy-efficient transportation system Transportation Goal 3: Integrated land use planning and transportation planning that serves existing development, supports future development Objective T-1.1: Increase the occupancy of automobiles through ridesharing and other means; and expand the use of public transit (including bus and rail), walking, and biking as primary modes of travel. Objective LU-3.10: Objective T-1.5: Identify viewsheds along major transportation Identify prime viewsheds along major corridors and amend land use regulations to transportation corridors and protect these protect them areas Objective LU-5-3 Objective T-2.3: Develop and coordinate an emergency Increase countywide access for emergency disaster plan (would involve evacuation routes vehicles, including ways to improve response appropriate for the need) times, both for existing and new developments What is being contemplated to include public comment before the approval of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan. Attachment 1(d) is the timeline for the transportation plan development approved by the Board in that includes opportunities for public involvement. A survey to obtain public comment on needs was completed in October 2009. Public workshops and comment periods will be held prior to development of alternatives to be analyzed, for the draft recommended plans for each mode, and a public hearing will be held for the recommended final Comprehensive Transportation Plan that goes to the Board for adoption. HIGHWAY ROUTES PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, VA TO CHAPEL HILL, NC - _. >a ,- ~a _ - _ _ -- - N ~ ~_---~ _ ~~. m _. ~~ ~ - ,:.~~ _~',~ - - t ~~ ° ~ ~~i~ __ - a .. a » ._ .. - _ _ _. 1 - - -- -- a u ~ / `-^ ~' 1 P d, Legend i0 +~ MULTI-LANE '° A ~ MAJOR ROUTE 9 STATE ROUTE US ROUTE f~i. '' fir.. . r^x~ FJ~'' p r_- ~-• o Z b ~ .~'- I r .. 1 2 1 0 3 1 8 8 f0 12 APEL HILL ,.; 4~ s BOW 14 D m w Attachment 1(b) 6 STRATEGIC HIGHWAY CORRIDORS REFERENCE NC 86 is designated a Strategic Highway Corridor by the North Carolina Board of Transportation (BOT). The BOT adopted the Strategic Highway Corridors (SHC) initiative on September 2, 2004 as a part of the Statewide Transportation Plan. The purpose of the SHC initiative is to provide a network of high-speed, safe, reliable highways throughout North Carolina for the efficient movement of people and goods. These Corridors are critical to statewide mobility and connectivity and promote a vision of modern transportation, supportive of economic opportunities, and environmental excellence. The initiative offers NCDOT and its stakeholders an opportunity to consider long-term vision when making land use decisions and design and operational decisions on the highway system. The creation of a long-term vision identifies the ultimate desired facility type (freeway, expressway, boulevard, or thoroughfare) for each corridor. Following adoption by the BOT, the Secretaries from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Commerce, along with the Governor, signed the Strategic Highway Corridors Policy Statement. This statement promotes a partnership between the three agencies to meet the goals of the SHC initiative as described above. Additional information on the SHC initiative is located at www.ncdot.org/~shc. The Strategic Highway Corridors were designated using adata-driven approach, supplemented by historical information and input from other agencies and the public, primarily through a series of regional forums. One or more of the following primary criteria characterizes the designation of the corridors: ^ Mobility. This criterion focuses on whether a corridor currently serves or has the potential to expeditiously move a high volume of traffic. These include facilities that are vital to the state's and/or region's interest and serves long-distance and/or regional travel, whose users may be long haul trucks, tourists, and/or motorists passing through a region. Connectivity. This criterion focuses on whether a corridor provides a vital connection between Activity Centers. Activity Centers are defined as destinations, encompassing statewide, regional, and places just outside of North Carolina's borders that serve the state's citizens. These centers are the starting and/or ending point for the movement of people and goods and include the following: • Urban Areas with a Population of 20,000 or greater • State Seaports • Major Airports • Major Intermodal Terminals • Major Military Bases • University of North Carolina System Campuses ;. Attachment 1(b) 7 Major Tourist Attractions Trauma Centers Interstate Connectivity. This criterion focuses on whether a corridor provides an important connection between existing and/or planned interstates. Interstates, as routes of national significance, primarily move people, goods, and military units between states and across the country. Interstate Reliever. This criterion focuses on whether a corridor currently serves or has the potential to serve as a reliever route to an existing interstate facility. A reliever route is considered to be an alternate facility (typically running parallel to the facility for along-distance) to the interstate(s). Facilities that relieve interstates for short distances or are used as alternates in the event of an incident or construction are not considered Interstate relievers. Additional elements were also taken into consideration to support the corridor selection process. These include the following: ^ Hurricane Evacuation Route. This criterion focuses on whether a corridor is considered a major route from the NC Emergency Management's Coastal Evacuation Route Map. ^ Cited in a Prominent Report. Certain reports list the need for improvements along major corridors in the state, mainly to improve economic conditions in a particular area. One such report is the Rural Prosperity Task Force Report, completed in 2000, which supports improvements for three prominent corridors in rural North Carolina. Part of a Major Highway System. This criterion focuses on whether a corridor is part of a national, statewide, economic, or military highway system. Major highway systems include the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, the National Highway System, the North Carolina Intrastate System, the Appalachian Development Highway System, and STRAHNET. STRAHNET is the Department of Defense's Strategic Highway Network for moving military personnel and equipment. NC 86 between Durham/Chapel Hill and Danville is designated as Strategic Highway Corridor # 38. The entire corridor is as follows: ^ NC 86 Truck between I-40/85 and NC 86 in Hillsborough (Orange County) ^ NC 86 between NC 86 Truck in Hillsborough (Orange County) to the North Carolina/Virginia state line, just south of Future I-785/US 29 in Danville, VA This corridor connects the Durham/Chapel Hill and Danville, VA areas, a length of approximately 42 miles. Attachment 1(b) 8 The Durham/Chapel Hill area is identified as an activity center as it is designated as the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO), and includes the Research Triangle Park and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU); the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC- CH) and North Carolina Central University (NCCU); major tourist destinations such as Duke University, the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science, and Durham Bulls Athletic Park; and the University of North Carolina Hospitals (Level I Trauma Center) and Duke University Medical Center (Level I Trauma Center) Danville, VA is identified as an activity center as the area is designated as the Danville Metropolitan Planning Organization. This corridor connects I-40/85 at Hillsborough to Future I-785/US 29 in Danville, VA. US 29 continues north to provide additional connections to the Lynchburg, VA and Charlottesville, VA MPOs. The NC 86 corridor is the primary route between the Triangle area and Danville, VA area. The NC 86 Corridor is envisioned as an Expressway, according to the SHC Vision Plan. The following characterizes an Expressway: ^ Functional Puraose: High Mobility, Low to Moderate Access ^ AASHTO Design Classification: Arterial ^ Posted Speed Limit: 45 mph to 60 mph ^ Control of Access: Limited or Partial ^ Traffic Signals: Not Allowed ^ Driveways: Limited Control of Access -Not Allowed Partial Control of Access -One Driveway Connection per Parcel; Consolidate and/or Share Driveways and Limit Access to Connecting Streets or Service Roads; Restrict to Right-in/Right-out ^ Cross-Section: Minimum 4 Lanes with a Median ^ Connections: Provided only at Interchanges for Major Cross Streets and At- Grade Intersections for Minor Cross Streets; Use of Acceleration and Deceleration Lanes for At-Grade Intersections ^ Median Crossovers: Allowed; Alternatives to All-Movement Crossovers Encouraged; Minimum Spacing between All-Movement Crossovers is 2000 feet (posted speed limit of greater than 45 mph) or 1200 feet (posted speed limit of 45 mph or less) Attachment 1(b) 9 Full Control of Access is defined as providing connections to a facility only via ramps at interchanges. All cross-streets are grade-separated and no private driveway connections allowed. A control of access fence is placed along the entire length of the facility and at a minimum of 1000 feet beyond the ramp intersections on the Y lines (minor facility) at interchanges (if possible). Limited Control of Access is defined as providing connections to a facility provided only via ramps at interchanges (major crossings) and at-grade intersections (minor crossings and service roads). No private driveway connections allowed. A control of access fence is placed along the entire length of the facility, except at intersections, and at a minimum of 1000 feet beyond the ramp intersections on the Y lines (minor facility) at interchanges (if possible). Partial Control of Access is defined as providing connections to a facility provided via ramps at interchanges, at-grade intersections, and private driveways. Private driveway connections are normally defined as a maximum of one connection per parcel. One connection is defined as one ingress and one egress point. The use of shared or consolidated connections is highly encouraged. Connections may be restricted or prohibited if alternate access is available through other adjacent public facilities. A control of access fence is placed along the entire length of the facility, except at intersections and driveways, and at a minimum of 1000 feet beyond the ramp terminals on the minor facility at interchanges (if possible). Attachment 1(c) 10 Chapter 5. Land Use Element Objective LU-1.1: Coordinate the location of higher intensity /high density residential and non-residential development with existing or planned locations of public transportation, commercial and community services, and adequate supporting infrastructure (i.e., water and sewer, high- speed Internet access, streets, and sidewalks), while avoiding areas with protected natural and cultural resources. This could be achieved by increasing allowable densities and creating new mixed-use zoning districts where adequate public services are available. (See also Economic Development Objectives ED-2.1, ED-2.3, ED-2.10, and Water and Wastewater Objective WW-2.) Land Use Goal 3: A variety of land uses that are coordinated within a program and pattern that limits sprawl, preserves community and rural character, minimizes land use conflicts, supported by an efficient and balanced transportation system. Objective LU-3.2: Coordinate land use patterns to facilitate the expanded use of nonauto modes of travel, the increased occupancy of automobiles, and the development and use of an energy-efficient transportation system. (See also Transportation Objective T-1.1, Economic Development Objective ED-2.3, and Air and Energy Resources Objective AE-8.) Objective LU-3.10: Identify prime viewsheds along major transportation corridors and other areas, and amend County land use ordinances to ensure longterm protection of viewsheds. (See also Natural Areas Objective NA- 16, Parks and Recreation Objective PR-5.4, and Transportation Objective T-1.5.) Objective LU-5-3: Develop and coordinate an emergency disaster plan and community education program to increase awareness of the dangers of natural and human-made emergency events and understand how best to prepare. Attachment 1(c) 11 Chapter 9 Transportation Element Objective T-1.1: Increase the occupancy of automobiles through ridesharing and other means; and expand the use of public transit (including bus and rail), walking, and biking as primary modes of travel. (See also Economic Development Objective ED-2.3.) Objective T-1.5: Identify prime view sheds along major transportation corridors and protect these areas for their scenic and natural resource values. (See also Parks and Recreation Objective PR-5.4.) Objective T-2.3: Increase countywide access for emergency vehicles, including ways to improve response times, both for existing and new developments. (See also Services and Community Facilities Objectives PST-2 and PST-5.) Transportation Goal 3: Integrated land use planning and transportation planning that serves existing development, supports future development, and is consistent with the County's land use plans, which include provisions for preserving the natural environment and community character. Objective T-3.4: Direct development to higher density mixed-use districts along transit corridors and make necessary multi-modal transportation improvements to service lands that are slated for future intense development, such as Economic Development Districts. Task Timeline O ortunities for ublic involvement in red 2009 2010 Development of Orange County Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) ~ w c. w 3 ~ ~ ~ Q ~ ~ m ~ ~ E d ~ ~. '~", ~ ~ . L Q ~ _ ~L ~ = w ~ Develop CTP Vision: (Adopted goals and objectives of the Transportation Element of Comprehensive Plan) Establish Community Vision Conduct Goals & Objectives Survey -Goals and objectives were established in the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan, a survey for citizen input regarding trans ortation needs has been com leted. Conduct needs assessment: Collect & project data b Data collected for 2035 LRTP ~ NCDOT to collect additional data for Orange County and refine model for Orange County Analyze deficiencies ~ NCDOT to produce deficiency analysis ~ NCDOT, DCHC MPO, TARPO presentation to BOCC ~ BOCC Endorses data & projections Develo alternatives Hi hwa ,Transit, Bic cle, Pedestrian ~a Public Workshop ~ Public input. b The OUTBoard will coordinate with pertinent advisory boards ~ CTP Committee develops alternative based on data, public comment from the public worksho and adviso board comment DCHC MPO • Develo Draft MPO CTP • Release Draft MPO CTP for ublic comment • Public in ut - ublic worksho sin Durham and Oran a Coun • Trans ortation Adviso Committee TAC holds ublic hearin • Pre are recommended MPO CTP • TAC ado is final MPO CTP includes onion of Oran a Coun within the MPO area Develop Recommended Orange County CTP ~ Hold' Public workshop b Present to Advisory Boards for comment ~ Present to BOCC for comment Develop final plan ~ CTP Committee develops final recommendation ~ BOCC holds public hearing D v n 3 m a N Attachment 2 14 Orange Unified Transportation Board April 21St Meeting Notes Related to CTP Recommendation The transportation board, at its meeting on April 21, made the following conclusions: • Traffic is increasing on NC 86. • NC 86 meets criteria to be designated as a Strategic Highway Corridor. • Traffic coming from the Danville Virginia area and Caswell County to access the many attractions in the Chapel Hill/Durham area use NC 86 and will continue to use NC 86 in the future, regardless of whether the road is improved or not. • The strategic corridor plan provides along-term vision that prescribes an ultimate design to accommodate projected future traffic • Improvements will be made as traffic on NC 86 warrants improvements • The traffic is not approaching the need for the ultimate design • There is insufficient right-of-way to construct the ultimate design • There are no available funds to construct the ultimate design in the foreseeable future • The Comprehensive Transportation Plan can be updated and amended • If the County does not adopt a Comprehensive Transportation Plan, the County will be forgoing planning for transit and bicycle and pedestrian needs. • There is a legitimate concern that overbuilding NC 86 is not in the interest of maintaining the rural character of the northern Orange County and the Colonial Heritage Scenic Byway. • North Carolina Department of Transportation Planning Division has contacted Division 7 regarding a phased construction plan for NC 86 to implement the strategic highway corridor's ultimate expressway design and Division 7 is unwilling to support a phased plan for an unscheduled construction project. • Orange County has two options: 1. Develop and adopt a Comprehensive Transportation Plan with NC 86 designated as a strategic highway corridor with ultimate 4-lane divided highway design; or 2. Interrupt development of the transportation plan while the County requests a revision of facility type for the NC 86 strategic highway corridor, from expressway (4-lanes with median) to boulevard (2-lanes with median). The transportation board voted unanimously to recommend the Board of Commissioners explicitly: • Endorse the principle of strategic highway corridors; • Proceed with development of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan to include NC 86 as a strategic highway corridor; and • Make a statement to the North Carolina Department of Transportation stressing the Board is troubled by the Department's use/requirement of a particular design for all highways designated a strategic highway corridors, as every area is different and a "cookie cutter" design may not the best way in every instance to achieve mobility to meet traffic needs; and The Board is also concerned the Department dictates a design for the corridor without local input and prior to any contextual and planning studies for the corridor improvements. Attachment 3 Advantages/Disadvantages of Endorsing NC 86 as a Future Expressway Versus Delaying CTP Process 15 Adopt a CTP showing NC 86 as a Future Expressway ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES Orange County moves forward with establishing a framework for planning multi-modal transportation improvements, fulfilling Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element objective 2 for Goal 3 (Integrated Land Use Planning and Transportation Planning) • Multi-modal TIP projects can be programmed from the CTP (NCDOT may require in the future) Changes in NCDOT organization strive for transparency in transportation decisions, increasing the County's case for a future review of the State's strategic highway corridors and proposed designs. • Traffic is increasing on NC 86 and is not going to use another route, it is better to plan for the future now • NC 86 is adopted by the County as a strategic highway corridor with a future expressway design Delay CTP Development to Request Change of Facility Type The six-month delay to request an amendment to the State Strategic Highway Corridors Vision Plan will not change NCDOT's priority for developing the Countys CTP but there is no guarantee of State Transportation Planning staff immediate availability to proceed afterward • Current 2035 traffic projections for NC 86 north of NC 57 do not warrant an expressway • The County may be successful in downgrading the future facility type for NC 86 and be more confident in adopting the CTP A request to first amend the State Strategic Highway Corridors Vision Plan will delay the CTP process for approximately six months; the County may have to wait until NCDOT Transportation Planning staff is available to resume the study. • There is no guarantee that the NC Board of Transportation will approve a future request to amend the Strategic Highway Corridors Vision Plan for NC 86 There is no guarantee that the NC Board of Transportation will approve a request to amend the Strategic Highway Corridors Vision Plan for NC 86 If the Board of Transportation does not approve the County's request for NC 86 design and the County does not adopt the CTP, the new CTP prioritization process would give Orange County a low priority for NCDOT coordination in developing a CTP (prioritization considers the last attempt of developing a CTP) 15