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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-05-2017-12-5 - Orange County Process to Submit STIP Projects to MPOs RPOs INFORMATION ITEM PLANNING & INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT Craig N. Benedict, AICP, Director Administration 131 W. Margaret Lane (919) 245-2575 " Suite 201 (919) 644-3002 (FAX) ORAN En P. O. Box 8181 www.orangecountync.gov NORT1 t (.::AROI lea Hillsborough, NC 27278 MEMORANDUM TO: Craig Benedict, Orange County Planning Director FROM: Max Bushell, Orange County Transportation Planner Tom Altieri, Comprehensive Planning Supervisor DATE: June 26, 2017 (Updated August 24, 2017) SUBJECT: Orange County Process to Submit STIP Projects to MPOs/RPOs This memorandum is in response to some questions from Town of Carrboro and Orange County elected officials regarding a concept for a roundabout project at the intersection of Old NC 86 and Homestead Road/Dairyland Road (aka Calvander). This memorandum will provide greater detail about the process for generating project lists and explain the genesis of this particular project. Each Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organization (MPO/RPO) works in conjunction with its member jurisdictions (staff and elected officials) to create a project list to submit to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Strategic Transportation Prioritization (SPOT) process. The SPOT process occurs every two-years. In Orange County, the Durham Chapel Hill Carrboro MPO (DCHC MPO), the Burlington-Graham MPO (B-G MPO), and the Triangle Area RPO (TARPO) each issue a call for projects from member jurisdictions. Through the MPO/RPO process, the lists from each jurisdiction are refined to create an MPO/RPO-wide list of projects to submit to the SPOT process. Each jurisdiction is required to submit projects within the bounds of the schedule determined by each MPO/RPO as well as by NCDOT. Orange County follows a process to generate project lists for submission to the DCHC MPO for possible inclusion in the final MPO-wide list of projects submitted to NCDOT for consideration in the scoring (SPOT) process. Later, with the benefit of scores, additional coordination among the MPO and member jurisdictions, takes place to revisit priorities and assign local input points. Overall, the primary goal of this process is to ensure that the MPO submits competitive and viable projects, consistent with local priorities and with consideration to geographic equity. This process, which is repeated every two-years, includes a series of key elements, outlined below. • Staff reviews previous project submissions and prepares a draft list of projects for consideration through the process. Since the process is repeated every two years, the lists submitted to each MPO/RPO will often be similar to lists from previous years. • This preliminary project list is presented to the Orange Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard) for consideration and approval. • The OUTBoard forwards a project list for all MPOs and RPOs in Orange County to the Board of County Commissioners for approval. The Board of County Commissioners approves the list as the preliminary list for further consideration and coordination at the MPO and RPO level. The OUTBoard added the concept of a Calvander roundabout project to its recommended list of proposed projects at its meeting on April 19, 2017. The Board of County Commissioners approved the list at its meeting on May 2, 2017. A summary of the OUTBoard recommendation, including identification of the Calvander project addition, was included in the abstract. The DCHC MPO deadline, initially on April 17, 2017, was extended to allow Orange County to submit its project list on May 3, 2017. It is a fairly common practice to submit draft projects along jurisdictional boundaries to the MPO in a preliminary project list. The MPO provides the forum to discuss possible projects at a staff level and allows for discussion, reconciling in cases of project duplication, and other coordination. If possible, advance staff coordination is considered between jurisdictions. However, the timing of project submissions is determined by the MPOs/RPOs, as well as NCDOT, and in the case of the Calvander roundabout concept the coordination did not come in advance of the scheduled MPO subcommittee meetings. A few notes about the roundabout project in Calvander are included below for informational purposes. • The OUTBoard suggested this project as a means to improve bicycle safety by eliminating left turns at this intersection and approved the inclusion of this project on the preliminary project list unanimously. The OUTBoard is comprised of representatives from each township (including municipalities) and at-large members with diverse interests. • The southeast, northeast, and northwest quadrants of the Old NC 86 and Homestead Road/Dairyland Road intersection are included in the Carrboro Transition Area, while the southwest quadrant is designated as Rural Buffer. Update from August 23, 2017 DCHC MPO Technical (Coordinating) Committee Meeting — The Technical Committee is recommending to the MPO Board that rather than submittal of an independent roundabout project at Calvander for SPOT scoring, the MPO should combine any Calvander interchange improvements with a larger project on the Old NC 86 corridor, one that has been previously discussed, for scoring. Following is the new recommended project description for Old NC 86 between Homestead Road and Old Fayetteville Road: "Upgrade roadway corridor and intersection to improve safety of all users. Construct two- lane improvements on Old NC 86 with left turn lanes at appropriate locations, such as John's Woods Road, and on-road bicycle facilities--paved shoulders and bicycle lane markings; design of roadway and facilities may vary along the corridor. Improve intersection at Calvander (Old NC 86/Homestead/Dairyland (SR 1004/1113/1777) for all modes: increase capacity for vehicles and provide bicycle and pedestrian facilities to improve safety." The MPO Board will consider its comprehensive list of projects for SPOT scoring at its September 13 meeting. 2