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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 12-12-2017 - 6-e - Consideration of Approval of Additional Station for the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project at Blackwell and Mangum Streets in Downtown Durham 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: December 12, 2017 Action Agenda Item No. 6-e SUBJECT: Consideration of Approval of Additional Station for the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project at Blackwell and Mangum Streets in Downtown Durham DEPARTMENT: Manager ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: GoTriangle Memorandum on Blackwell/Mangum Matthew Clark, GoTriangle Government Station Addition Affairs Manager, 919-270-7858 PURPOSE: To consider approving an additional station for the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project at Blackwell and Mangum Streets in downtown Durham. The Orange County Transit Plan requires the Board of Commissioners to approve the addition or elimination of any stations in the proposed system plan. This addition cannot increase the total cost of the project and must be accommodated within the current budget. BACKGROUND: At the Board's November 20, 2017 regular meeting, GoTriangle staff introduced two potential station changes to the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project. The first proposed change would shift the Gateway station to the west in order to promote more economic development opportunities, particularly in Orange County. The Orange County Transit Plan contemplated this change. A change in the location of a station requires consultation with the Board of Commissioners, but it does not require action. The second proposed station change was the addition of a station at Blackwell and Mangum Streets in downtown Durham. The Orange County Transit Plan requires that the addition or elimination of any station must be approved by the Orange County Board of Commissioners, Durham County Board of Commissioners, and DCHC MPO Policy Board, and the GoTriangle Board. The Durham County Board of Commissioners will consider the item on December 11th and both the MPO Policy Board and the GoTriangle Board will consider the addition on December 13th GoTriangle staff has supplied the attached memorandum to provide additional information on the proposed Blackwell/Mangum station. The station is intended to improve access to the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC), Durham Bulls Athletic Park, and other downtown Durham attractions. The Blackwell/Mangum station was not originally included in the project because it was not technically feasible given the three car platform length featured in the original design. As part of the engineering process, GoTriangle revisited the three car platform concept and has reduced the platform size to a two car platform. The shortened platform length represents a cost 2 savings, but it allows sufficient room for the system to navigate between historic buildings in the downtown Durham area, making the Blackwell/Mangum station technically feasible. The addition of the Blackwell/Mangum station is expected to yield a net gain of approximately 600 trips per day according to GoTriangle's regional ridership modeling. The new station is expected to cost approximately $2.5 million which is less than the estimated $8 million to shift the Gateway station to the west. The new station costs less because it does not require any changes to the rail alignment. The proposed Gateway update requires the addition of track and a shift in the rail alignment while the new Blackwell/Mangum station is positioned along the current rail alignment. GoTriangle staff report that the new station will add approximately $150,000 in annual operations and maintenance costs and add less than a minute to end to end travel time. If the Blackwell/Mangum station is approved, it will be submitted for reevaluation by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in January. If the FTA requires additional environmental analysis, GoTriangle will complete that process prior to an amended Record of Decision from the FTA, which is anticipated to be completed by the fall of 2019. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no additional cost associated with this consideration. The addition of the Blackwell/Mangum station to the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit project must be accommodated within the current project budget. SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goals are applicable to this agenda item: • GOAL: FOSTER A COMMUNITY CULTURE THAT REJECTS OPPRESSION AND INEQUITY The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race or color; religious or philosophical beliefs; sex, gender or sexual orientation; national origin or ethnic background; age; military service; disability; and familial, residential or economic status. • GOAL: ENSURE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY The creation and preservation of infrastructure, policies, programs and funding necessary for residents to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care for themselves and their dependents. Public Transportation provides opportunity for access to jobs and services to many individuals. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board consider approving the addition of a light rail station at Blackwell and Mangum streets in downtown Durham. Page 4 of 25 3 o '71717771101777(7 or„A7 77 MEMORANDUM TO: GoTriangle Planning & Legislative Committee FROM: Capital Development: D-O LRT Project Team DATE: November 1, 2017 SUBJECT: D-O LRT Project Request for Design Change Approval: Addition of a Blackwell/Mangum Street Station in Downtown Durham Strategic Objective or Initiative Supported This item supports Strategic Objective 1.1: Increase number of customers served with Sustainable Transportation Services. Action Requested Staff requests that the Committee recommend that the Board adopt the addition of a D-O LRT station between Blackwell and Mangum Streets along Pettigrew Street in downtown Durham. Background and Purpose At the July 26, 2017, meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the Design Change Approval Policy (Policy) for the D-O LRT Project. The Policy established three Categories of changes: • Category 1 includes changes which would require approval by each signatory board of the Transit Plans: the Durham Board of County Commissioners, the Orange Board of County Commissioners, the DCHC-MPO Policy Board, and the GoTriangle Board of Trustees. • Category 2, includes changes which would require approval by the GoTriangle Board of Trustees. For changes in this category, GoTriangle staff will provide the Durham and Orange Boards of County Commissioners and the DCHC-MPO Policy Board with the opportunity to review and provide input on the change prior to bringing the change to the GoTriangle Board of Trustees for final approval. • Category 3, generally includes all other proposed design changes and establishes that the D-O LRT Project Director has approval authority for design changes within this Category. However, the D-O LRT Project Director and/or Executive Oversight Team may choose to recommend that design changes in Category 3 should be elevated to the GoTriangle Board of Trustees for approval. This design change,which falls within Category 1 as it would add a station to the Project, requires approval by the Durham Board of County Commissioners, Orange Board of County Commissioners, DCHC-MPO Policy Board, and GoTriangle Board of Trustees. 10101 m1111111111111111111111111111111111111111 III " n /V f tTMi ( .01" 1I000111111111111111111111111111111111011111100 n ° Page 5 of 25 4 In their comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement(DEIS), both the City of Durham and the Durham County Board of Commissioners requested that GoTriangle carefully evaluate the feasibility of a City Center Station between Blackwell and Mangum Streets along Pettigrew Street during the project's Engineering Phase. In response to these comments, in the Combined FEIS/ROD, GoTriangle committed to continuing its work with Durham to evaluate the feasibility of a City Center Station during the Engineering Phase. With a reduction in platform length made possible by a move to two-car platforms, GoTriangle determined that a station platform could feasibly fit between Blackwell and Mangum Streets. As a result of reducing the platform length, the area between Blackwell and Mangum streets could accommodate a station platform without resulting in a potential impact on the Bull Durham building. The purpose of the proposed Blackwell/Mangum Street Station is to offer more direct access to the city center of downtown Durham and event-based destinations in and around the American Tobacco campus, including the Durham Performing Arts Center and Durham Bulls Athletic Park. If the four boards approve this refinement, GoTriangle staff will submit an environmental re- evaluation to the FTA to compare the environmental effects of the proposed refinement to the effects previously disclosed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and determine if the commitments outlined in the Amended Record of Decision mitigate the effects. FTA will then determine if additional environmental documentation is needed (e.g., NCCU Supplemental Environmental Assessment) or if the existing environmental documentation is sufficient. Financial Impact The cost estimate for the proposed change is approximately $2.5 million Year of Expenditure (YOE) more than the baseline design. As part of FTA-required cost management practices, changes to the base cost estimate (both savings and increases) associated with changes in the project design are tracked throughout Engineering and considered together. Although the overall project budget is set at entry into Engineering at $2.476 billion, it is typical to shift expenditures between FTA cost categories to meet the needs of the project. In other words, savings in one area can cover additional expenditures in another area.This allows the agency and the project team to use the final design process to better align spending with goals and values. Attachments • Map showing the proposed location for the Blackwell/Mangum Street Station. Staff Contact • Danny Rogers, 919-485-7579, e r; g !r` C° g; l;pia!r,igl! ; !rg, /rrr WW 114111111,1111I111111111111111111111I1d1111111111111111111111111111111I1111111111,11,11,111,1,11,111 , j , , .. IP I 1I '1/(+ m o a V 2 Z ;�; 0 •� • a a, cos Y(* i 11 II �# 1 C o 2 5 a I1. U w O■ volonor- W. ." •�I i N I.4. W ( o u l a(I III r ltr 1 �..'^" - i�." , rr. N i i� I ii 1• I . ( 4:: �I�rtfilllll d1 = c r A 6 it 1 , 11J,w!,- i,...,_ ra co 91, ,a r 1, r,, $r „T" t II i /d �[ 0 ' Pill? 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