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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 02-03-2015-13 (4)1 Information Item ►V -,11•e tIgT M17, Date : January 14, 2015 To: Board of County Commissioners Bonnie B. Hammersley, County Manager From Abigaile Pittman, Transportation /Land Use Planner Tom Altieri, Comprehensive Planning Supervisor Craig Benedict, Planning Director Re: Road and Rail Traffic Separation Study for the Town of Hillsborough Report Attachments: 1. Traffic Separation Study Area Map 2. Concept 1 and Concept 2 Maps 3. Town of Hillsborough Resolution BACKGROUND: The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Town of Hillsborough, North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR), and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS), partnered to conduct a Traffic Separation Study (TSS) of rail crossings along the NCRR /NS corridor in Hillsborough. The consultant, ICA Engineering, Inc. was contracted to perform the study determining how to separate rail and highway traffic and enhance the safety and mobility at railroad crossings in Hillsborough. The following crossings were studied in detail: • West Hill Avenue South (SR 1161) • South Bellvue Avenue • Dimmocks Mill Road (SR 1144) (grade- separated) The Piedmont Drive /Faribault Lane (SR 1149) crossing was considered but was not proposed for improvement in the study. The Private Crossing at the Partin Property was previously evaluated during studies for the Hillsborough Rail Station and NCDOT's Private Crossing Safety Initiative (PCSI). See Attachment 1 for an image depicting the study area crossings. Safety and mobility issues were considered at each crossing based on roadway geometry, existing warning devices, and behavior of users across the tracks. The following conditions were observed: • West Hill Avenue South — This is a paved, humped crossing located between closely spaced intersections on each side of the tracks and has limited sight distance. The warning devices at the crossing include signs, flashing lights, and gates. • South Bellvue Avenue — This is a paved crossing located between closely spaced intersections on each side of the tracks. It is across from the truck entrance to a distribution center and also has limited sight distance. The warning devices at the crossing include signs, flashing lights, and gates. 2 Dimmocks Mill Road — The railroad bridge over the roadway has substandard horizontal and vertical clearance. Roadway curves and the close proximity to an intersection on each side of the bridge limit sight distances. A public involvement program was established as part of this study. Stakeholders who met to provide input during the course of the study included the Orange County Rural Fire Department, Orange County Emergency Services Department, and Orange County Planning Department. In the review of improvement concepts, Planning staff provided the following comment: The design of future improvements of the West Hill, Bellevue and Dimmocks Mill rail crossings are encouraged to include planning considerations of future needs for road connectivity along the western side of Hillsborough and into unincorporated areas of the County. We recognize that there are limitations with respect to topography, limited existing right -of -way widths, environmental constraints, and the historic integrity of the West Hillsborough neighborhood; however, we feel the regional connectivity possibilities of this project should be explored and weighed within the scope of these limitations. STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS The West Hill Avenue South and South Bellvue Avenue crossings were considered for potential closure or improvement. The Dimmocks Mill Road grade separation was considered for replacement. Two improvement concepts were considered (Attachment 2): • Concept 1 replaces the Dimmocks Mill Road grade separation, closes the South Bellvue Avenue crossing, and improves the West Hill Avenue South crossing. • Concept 2 replaces the Dimmocks Mill Road grade separation and closes both the South Bellvue Avenue and the West Hill Avenue South crossings. Mid -term (three to seven years) recommendations are to conduct environmental and design studies for replacing the Dimmocks Mill Road grade separation and minor resurfacing of West Hill Avenue South roadway approaches to flatten the roadway crossing surface. Long -term recommendations (more than seven years) include replacing the Dimmocks Mill Road grade separation, improving adjacent intersections, extending sidewalk and bicycle improvements between Nash Street and Gold Park, closing the South Bellvue Avenue crossing, and improving safety at the West Hill Avenue crossing. The Traffic Separation Study prepared by ICA Engineering, Inc. can be viewed in its entirety at the following link: http: / /www.co. orange. nc .us /planning /transportation. asp As described in a September 8, 2014 Resolution (Attachment 3), the Town of Hillsborough prefers Concept 1 but remains open to other options that may be developed upon further study. Concept 2 offers the highest level of railroad crossing safety and the highest benefit - cost ratio by closing both at -grade crossings. Conclusion Planning staff will continue to monitor the progress on this project and report back to the Manager and the Board of County Commissioners. AWP 1+A J�'4 � , i.� ... �' T ._. '�+ � _� * •~� +'+1 . LA-.I a ;1 cl ; F' +� .I. -n , , . ryrrJJ ' Yy- I +_ _ S i ) r L {x7"1. ' '. 3i --Sr F (FORMERLY TERREWS TFWLER f TO BE STUDIED WITH PUTUR ' HILLSBOROUGH RAIL STATIC 9115 i ' .4 + �r -r rat { •� # -� '- r�•�r `!!, KS MILL ` *_ `F— {I 81144) t rJ?.��j tP•I' SOUTH BELL1 AVE s ` ~ ', ! - - !ri ih # PIEDMONT OR s ,. h WW WT F�41~AV $O�lTIi - i FARIBAUL7 Lh} ' �}, �s R .� } 7{7 (SR 1181) (SR 1149) �r� y' �,N0 IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSEQ _ POTENTUIL SITE FOR HILLSBOROUGH RAIL i �' w • ., STATION - k � ` y :+}jj �. _ _ yl `I�' #Ire •!4 I_' .1 y 'r�� _.. "ip ;k - ` LEGEND k5 -. ,, `'v •k. - + #' AT -GRADE CROSS AV GRADE-SEPARATI OL �-# � ��. NC IhtPRDVEMEN r" Limbs HILLSBOROUGH TRAFFIC WMT HILL AVE 81. S. BELLWE AVE AND CeC}ADATlnrki 0711MV DIM MOCKS MILL RD r sax' ow I Concept 1 4 PROPOSED 7 r rfs: y e WEST HILL AVENUE -k :+ ► r lee y STING CONDUIONS _r WEST HILL AVENUE litrf ,,, ►'p ttachment 2 .` LEGEND 4 E f �.' ' '� PROPOSED DETOUR TRACK I I STUDIED ALTERNATIVE PROPOSED ALTERNATIVECORRIDOR PROPOSED STRUCTURE ' , F''. •] PROPOSED CROSSING CLOSURE to r• RA m 1 # •: n .fi a A r, -# ti ' • PROPOSED � `� • k , k OIMMOCKS MILL ROAD A �i M i i�. • j. 1 . 'w• j t �i '& HILLSBOROUGH TRAFFIC WEST HILL AVE S. S BELLVUE AVE AND FIGURE NO snm�wrr• R 1p1 COQ ]00' *•- SEPARATION STUDY DIMMOCKS MILL RD 2 Engineering �$r CROSSING IMPROVEMENT g S STUDY AREA CROSSINGS CONCEPT 1 Concept -2 r r •.ti w r. +i�.�.• Y LEGEND Vr- _ * _� ■i �- ,. >�, • _■ �. �! r +yh` . _ • •i5 �, lIR1F■1 PROPOSED DETOUR TRACK P � � r1j 7 # �,,,,,� �� ASS' mil■ ;r y, '¢;+ #.. 4e STU DIED ALTER NATTVE of #' PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE CORRIDOR M PROPOSED STRUCTURE *, �' j�T + a f! +.� . �'. ti4r�r • f �� PROPOSED CROSSING CLOSURE AT so ee pot ` r � r1 �� i ri a •M • .,�� •�rr, S .} . i ^ f* �T ' ! ��y ,fir � � � �rt � �� • � '� a � I -A.+►I � .re�a� .w _rt. �II■ 11 i � .. ♦•t- -� Iy; , _ ,r,� r ' y �.. F i X Fr �._. ..y NORTH CAROLINA RAILROAD ORFOLK SOUTH Wig r4 GOLD 4, PARK S 4. 4: r o„ At ' k � ' I]L @t �YON PROPQSED ;.• d0n rr, �1 ❑IMMdCKS MILL ROAD *# 1*149w, "" �r! ` • "��Fi 4' r I ^^JJ r yY •o HILLSBOROUGH TRAFFIC WEST HILL AVE S, S BELLVUE AVE AND FIGURE No SEPARATION STUDY DIMMOCKS MILL R❑ 3 CROSSING IMPROVEMENT Engkmedng STUDY AREA CROSSINGS CONCEPT 2 lAttachment Town of Vill 4) R Resolution #20140908-12.0 RESOLUTION RECEIVING THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S TRAFFIC SEPARATION STUDY FOR THE TOWN OF HILLSBOROUGH WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of 'Transportation, North Carolina Railroad, Norfolk Southern and the Town of Hillsborough, on the, entered into an agreement on the 20th day of July, 2011 for the performance of a railroad crossing analysis, to eliminate redundant or unsafe crossings within the city limits; WHEREAS, the parties supplemented this agreement to include traffic counts at key intersections in the study area; WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, North Carolina Railroad, Norfolk Southern, and the Town of Hillsborough have agreed to make a "best faith" effort to adhere to the finding of the analysis and implement the recommendations of the analysis; and WHEREAS, the analysis has been completed and the Town of Hillsborough received the recommendations in the North Carolina Department of transportation's "Traffic Separation Study for the Town of Hillsborough Concept I or 2", which includes the closure of the at-grade crossing at Bellevue Avenue (and Dimmocks Mill Road) along with significant improvement to the grade separation intersection trestle near Dimmocks Mill Road and South Nash Street. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Town Board of Commissioners of the Town of Hillsborough that it does hereby receive the recommendations in the North Carolina Department of transportation's "Traffic Separation Study for the Town of Hillsborough Concept I or 2", expresses a preference for Concept I as discussed in the study, but further expresses its desire and intent to remain open to other options which may be developed upon further study to support public safety and connectivity, and, further, that the Town Board of Commissioners of the Town of Hillsborough does hereby request that the North Carolina Department of Transportation develop the necessary agreements for execution to move forward with the implementation of projects related to these recommendations. This the 8t" day of September, 2014. Tom Steven Attest: ca: Katherine M. Cathey, Town Clerk 101 East Orange Street • P. 0. Box 429 - Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 919-732-1270 • Fax 919-644-2390