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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOUTBoard minutes 011613Approved 2/20/13 1 MINUTES 2 ORANGE UNIFIED TRANSPORTATION BOARD 3 JANUARY 16, 2013 4 5 MEMBERS PRESENT: Paul Guthrie, Chapel Hill Township; Jeff Charles, Bicycle Advocate; Alex Castro, Bingham 6 Township; Sam Lasris, Cedar Grove Township; Susie Enoch, Cheeks Township; Ted Triebel, Little River Township; 7 Jeff Miles, Pedestrian Access & Safety Advocate; Annette Jurgelski, Eno Township 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 MEMBERS ABSENT: Alan Campbell, Planning Board Representative; Bryant Warren, Hillsborough Township; Amy Cole, Transit Advocate; Economic Development Commission - Vacant; CfE Representative- Vacant; STAFF PRESENT: Abigaile Pittman, Transportation /Land Use Planner; Tina Love, Administrative Assistant II OTHERS PRESENT: Matthew Day, TARPO AGENDA ITEM 1: CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Staff, new member introductions AGENDA ITEM II: APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR DECEMBER 19, 2012 The OUTBoard minutes were approved by concensus. AGENDA ITEM III: CONSIDERATIONS OF ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA Alex Castro: I would like to report transportation related issues related to the County Master Aging Plan when we get to item 6. Abigaile Pittman: That is on the agenda for next month, could we save it until then? AGENDA ITEM IV: REGULAR AGENDA January 24, 2013 Public hearing Draft of Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) http: / /www,ncdot,gov /doh /preconstruct/tpb /planning / orangecounty,html OUTBoard Action: The OUTBoard recommended the draft CTP maps to the BOCC at its September 21, 2011 meeting. This item is primarily a review in preparation for OUTBoard recommendation on the Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) at its February meeting. Abigaile Pittman: Reviewed the "Draft Orange County Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) ". Alex Castro: Under "Collected current traffic data August 2010 - October 2010 ", when is current traffic data not considered current anymore? Paul Guthrie: One thing about that section on methodology points out is that the baseline data was adjusted for the slowdown in the economy over a period of years before 2007 -2010 so they did additional statistical work to make sure it showed a realistic line of changes and notjust a current point in time data. Approved 2/20/13 Matthew Day: I would add that the analysis done in terms of figuring out the needs is based on that future projected traffic volume so to a certain extent it doesn't matter which base you use it matters what they are projected for in the 2040 plan. Ted Triebel: This is a non - issue, right? Paul Guthrie: I think they made the adjustments in the base because when you make a projection you are starting somewhere. Abigaile Pittman: Continued review of Attachment 2. One of the most controversial items in the plan was the project proposal regarding the NC 86 Expressway. Sam Lasris: Is it being left as an expressway or being changed? Abigaile Pittman: It is being left as expressway. To change that would be a long process. DOT was looking at the whole strategic highway program. Matt, please tell us what you know. Matthew Day: They will be looking at the whole plan over the next two years. One of the ideas being floated is to remove the whole issue of pre- existing designations. If they do that then the whole issue will go away. Abigaile Pittman: Matt, you also previously made the comment that the traffic count on Highway 86 would never be great enough to call that an expressway. Paul Guthrie: The word "expressway" takes on a meaning beyond what was going to happen to the road and it scares people. These bring different feelings to people. I think working away from these labels and talking more about what the facility is supposed to do would be very healthy. Abigaile Pittman: I wanted to show our progress to date on the CTP. We have a final draft of the CTP now and we are looking at adopting it. We will be reviewing two of the primary maps and related project proposals here tonight. If you will look at the Highway map on the back side, there are problem statements (descriptions) from the report. Matthew Day: Even though NCDOT doesn't adopt the Problem Statements, if a project gets funded, this is where they start. Sam Lasris: I am wondering why the recycling center on Walnut Grove Church Road is not identified as an area of problems. Abigaile Pittman: We are here to collect those comments and in February we will pass them on the BOCC for them to consider. (Reviewed major projects). Abigaile Pittman: The Problem Statement (description) for North Efland Cedar Grove Road from Highland Farm Road to Carr Store Road was read. Sam Lasris: Just one tenth of a mile beyond Carr Store where this ends is the Post Office which everyone stops to turn off to. We should go to the Post Office with the widening. Ted Triebel: When I read `straightening of the roadway as needed', who is the one to say what is needed? Sam Lasris: From Highland Farm Road to Carr is it all curves. The decision maker is NCDOT. Abigaile Pittman: Mebane Oaks Road from NC54 to Alamance County is currently a two -lane 22 foot cross section the CTP proposal is to provide a 24 -foot cross section with wide shoulders and turn lanes where needed. Jeff Charles: What is the definition of a wide shoulder? Approved 2/20/13 Matthew Day: The CTP report has standard cross sections in the appendix. Jeff Charles: We need to make sure the maps are coordinated with the descriptions and the appendix. Matthew Day: The cross section in the report is for 11 -foot travel lanes and four -foot paved shoulders and a 45 mph speed limit. Abigaile Pittman: For this project it is four -foot wide paved shoulders. Next, the Old NC 86 from Arthur Minis Road to Davis Road project. Why don't we make a recommendation that the project descriptions include the four -foot wide paved shoulders described in the appendix? There was general concurrence from the Board members. Abigaile Pittman: The next map is the Public Transportation and Rail map. There are currently no rail facilities in the TARPO area. Paul Guthrie: How far out is the map looking at? Abigaile Pittman: 2040. Paul Guthrie: All of the discussion from the last three years of potential rail and 15 -20 years has not been all covered in this map because one of the options was an Efland drop -off station. Abigaile Pittman: That location is in the MPO area. Paul Guthrie: My point is that at least the way this goes, there is no need to worry about rail in the rest of the county. Feeding a rail system that is 20 years out will need to have a series of serious discussions about feeder units to get people to the rail units. Abigaile Pittman: Bus routes are next. Paul Guthrie: Most of the secondary paved road systems in the county were put together between 1948 and 1955 and the only area I see significant attention to is the bridges. I saw nothing from any of the meetings about the long term maintenance and upgrade problems that will occur increasingly. Should that have been mentioned? Matthew Day: That is not something handled in the CTP. They don't get into bridges or maintenance. And bridge maintenance has a totally separate process which is formula driven. Abigaile Pittman: Matt, as the representative of TARPO, is there anything you would like to contribute? Matthew Day: My main goal tonight was to come hear your concerns. We are here to provide advice and to listen. AGENDA ITEM V: STAFF UPDATES a. Status of Burlington- Graham Metropolitan Planning Organization (BG MPO) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) including Orange County b. January 711 and January 1411 public meetings were held by NCDOT for the three proposed railroad private crossing closures in Orange County. Related documents: http: / /orangecountync.gov /planning /RRCrossingClosure.asp c. DCHC MPO CTP Next Steps and the 2040 MTP Next Steps d. DCHC MPO project status list e. NCDOT revised SPOT process, the funding for transportation projects, and the revised timeline f. Specifics on projects from TARPO list provided at December 191h meeting (to answer questions raised by Board members) BOCC's 2013 Boards and Commissions Work Approved 2/20/13 163 Session scheduled for January 29, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the Southern Haman Services 164 Center, 2401 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill 165 OUTBoard Action: Receive updates 166 167 168 Abigaile Pittman: Item 5a, we are still trying to finalize this. Mebane held up the process because they wanted more 169 weighted votes. This wasn't based on the 2010 Census and their population has increased. The boundaries cannot 170 be finalized until the MOU is signed. It was heard by the TCC yesterday and they recommended they change the 171 weighted votes based on the population of the 2010 census. It went to the TAC and they tabled it until March. 172 173 Abigaile Pittman: Item 5b, workshops were heavily attended. The first workshop was for Greenbrier and Gordon 174 Thomas, most people were generally accepting and at the second workshop in Byrdsville, they were screaming in 175 opposition. Multiple Commissioners were at each one and planning staff was there also. We had an original 176 comment letter from Orange County of an analysis of planning issues and transportation and now based on a 177 comment letter we received from NCDOT addressing our initial concerns and the additional public comments, we 178 have a second letter going out with further comments. Everything we have to date is on the transportation website if 179 you would like to review it. I have been unofficially advised that the State Legislature may be entering the discussion. 180 181 Annette Jurgelski: I read about this in the News of Orange. Are the railroad crossings on private land? 182 183 Abigaile Pittman: They are private rail crossings. 184 185 Annette Jurgelski: If they are private crossings, are they not on private land? 186 187 Paul Guthrie: Not at the right of way. 188 189 Annette Jurgelski: Why would one group endorse it and another oppose it? 190 191 Abigaile Pittman: The Byrdsville group ... there are multiple lakes up by the crossing with a grouping of nicer homes 192 and they have always been oriented to NC 10 and below them is the Byrdsville Mobile Home park which is a different 193 type of subdivision and they don't want to have to go through that to get out because they said their property values 194 would be destroyed if they were identified with the mobile home park. 195 196 Paul Guthrie: Did they offer a solution? 197 198 Abigaile Pittman: One solution was to go west of the lakes into the Joppa Oaks subdivision which they say is a much 199 better socio- economic solution for their property values, this route would take them out to NC 86. Another solution is 200 proposed because the NCDOT public road standards are proposed to end before they get into the mobile home park, 201 they are proposing to leave that as a big private lane that connects to the west where Duke Forest starts with public 202 road. So the opposing property owners are suggesting that they make a public road through the mobile home park, 203 which would make this a 60 foot wide right -of -way through the mobile home park. This would wipe out a number of 204 the mobile homes because the lots are so narrow and they thought this would be another way to address their 205 concerns, however, planning staff has noted that these mobile homes are not on permanent foundations and can be 206 moved back to allow for a new public road. 207 208 Paul Guthrie: What is the terrain like at the crossing? 209 210 Abigaile Pittman: It is a slight hill. 211 Approved 2/20/13 212 Paul Guthrie: And the track is up high and the road on either side is low. 213 214 Abigaile Pittman: The kids in the mobile home park catch the bus on NC10. The road as it would come north of 215 Duke Forest would create double frontage lots for the Joppa Oaks residents and wipe out their storage sheds and 216 fencing in the back so they these concerns. On Gordon Thomas on Pashall Drive there are two family groups on 217 either end of the proposed new route that do not entirely agree with one another. 218 219 Paul Guthrie: The reason I pushed this was because this will be a recurring event along that railroad line over the 220 next 20 years because all those surface crossings of those rails will be eliminated one way or another so we should 221 watch how this goes. Abigaile Pittman: In January, the TCC Sub - committee is reviewing and commenting on the MTP process and TRM (Triangle Regional Model). Abigaile Pittman: Item 5c, Reviewed handout. Jeff Charles: Is part of this list on page 7 of 8, third down "Bicycle protection at signalized intersections "? I was talking with Paul before the meeting about having Chuck Edwards come in to talk with us about this. I think that is a generic problem in Orange County where we need to start talking to the NCDOT engineers about getting a bicycle detection system. Abigaile Pittman: If you see a project and you would be interested in seeing the detailed plans, let me know. Paul Guthrie: In the past, we have had Chuck Edwards in to talk about some things so we may want to accumulate some issues. Jeff Charles: On page 7, "Installation of a roundabout on Erwin Road and Mt. Moriah Road ", it is really needed but I am thinking about the roundabout on 751 and Erwin takes up a lot of space and it is pretty small. How do you do that at that intersection? Abigaile Pittman: Would you like me to get the plans for you? Jeff Charles: I would be interested in seeing that. Sam Lasris: Do you consider any of these items to be controversial that may need backup? Abigaile Pittman: I have talked with Nancy Cole Baker about the Safe Routes to School Action Plan and the staff has some initial steps outlined. I can invite Nancy to come to the meeting when we start discussing the Plan. AGENDA ITEM VI: BOARD MEMBERS' DISCUSSION OF AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST OUTBoard Action: Development of a list of members' areas of special interest and assignments for monitoring other boards' websites and /or agendas for transportation related information and activities. Abigaile Pittman: I would like for you to write your name under the websites that need to be monitored for obvious information that is listed to be shared. Paul Guthrie: I looked at the two websites listed by my name and the items that are listed as current will probably not be something we want to get involved in. Sometimes it is a little hard to figure out what is going on. Jeff Charles: There are items that we want to be involved in. Approved 2/20/13 Alex Castro: We don't have to individually report but we can send the information to Abigaile for a combined report. Jeff Charles: I will put myself on the list for the Commission for the Environment. AGENDA ITEM VII: UPCOMING AGENDA ITEMS OF INTEREST ON OTHER REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION RELATED BOARD AGENDAS: OUTBoard Action: Receive information Abigaile Pittman: I made a list of all the upcoming meetings that are coming up. Alex Castro: The Department on Aging has submitted to the DOT a request for the grant of the creation of a Mobility Management position. There will be an individual within the department to handle transportation related issues. Paul Guthrie: We need to pay attention to is how that transportation resource is able to operate and will it have more constraints that it has now. AGENDA ITEM Vill: LISTING OF ITEMS FOR FEBRUARY 20, 2013 MEETING a. Review of CTP Bicycle Map b. Review of CTP Pedestrian Map c. Update on Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Plan adoption and implementation d. Update on the BOCC's 1 -29 Boards and Commissions Work Session e. Update on BG MPO activities f. Update on DCHC MPO activities g. Update on NCDOT Annual Statement for 2012 secondary road construction h. Update on OC Master Aging Plan 2012 -2017 transportation strategies i. Update on next steps for implementing the Bus and Rail Investment Plan OUTBoard Action: Receive information AGENDA ITEM IX: BOARD COMMENTS AGENDA ITEM X: ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned by consensus. Items for future meetings: • Sam Lasris asked if there a road planned to connect 57 and 86 to the school. • Send CTP next steps information out via email to board members. • "Installation of a roundabout on Erwin Road and Mt. Moriah Road" — Jeff Charles would like to see the plans. • Abigaile to send the OUTBoard group email addresses so the members can be in contact with the other members. Paul Guthrie, Chair