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Home My WebLink AboutOUTBoard minutes 021710 Approved 4.21.10 1 MINUTES 1 ORANGE UNIFIED TRANSPORTATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING 2 FEBRUARY 17, 2010 3 4 5 MEMBERS PRESENT: Sam Lasris, Cedar Grove Township; Alice Gordon, Board of County Commissioners liaison; 6 Leo Allison, Cheeks Township; Julian (Randy) Marshall, Bingham Township; Bryn Smith, CFE Representative; 7 Paul Guthrie, Chapel Hill Township; Jeff Charles, Bicycle Advocate; 8 9 10 MEMBERS ABSENT: Amy Cole, Transit Advocate; Nancy Cole Baker, Pedestrian Access Safety Advocate; 11 Mary Bobbitt-Cooke, Planning Board Liaison; Al Terry, Transportation Services Board Representative; Eric Tillman, 12 Hillsborough Township Representative; Little River Township-Vacant; Economic Development Commission-Vacant; 13 Eno Township Representative-Vacant; 14 15 16 STAFF PRESENT: Karen Lincoln, Transportation Planner; Tina Love, Administrative Assistant II 17 18 19 I. Call to order 20 21 22 II. Consideration of additions to the agenda 23 24 25 III. Board Comments/Updates 26 27 Paul Guthrie updated the Board on the Rail Station Task Force meeting on Monday, February 15, 2010, and gave 28 instruction for draft conclusion for a final report. Paul advised the report will recommend the station be built in the 29 northwest corner of the property and the only ball field that will be moved initially will be the tee ball field. He noted a t 30 some point in the future, those will move out and by then, other development may occur. He advised the notion is to 31 build the station and feeder streets including the underpass of the NCRR corridor to US 70A. Paul notified the Board 32 there will be a public meeting at the end of next month, probably March 31st. Paul also noted it does not look like 33 the stimulus money from DOT will be enough to include the station. The group is looking at looking for alternative 34 funding sources. Paul advised there will be a second cycle of stimulus funds and another option could be to sell a 35 portion of the 20 acres for private development and use the proceeds to pay for the station. 36 37 Karen Lincoln related the TAC meeting report on high speed rail shows stimulus funding will be used for projects to 38 increase speed and safety for a third and fourth frequency of the current Amtrak service in the corridor. The 39 Hillsborough stop and station are planned for a fifth daily frequency. 40 41 42 IV. Approval of Minutes 43 44 The OUTBoard approved the minutes from January 20, 2010 by affirmation. 45 46 47 V. Orange County Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) 48 49 Karen Lincoln noted that this item went to the Commissioners for the approval to continue studies because the Board 50 had expressed concerns to the NC 86 designation as an expressway. She advised that the Commissioners did 51 approve looking into option 3, as recommended by the OUTBoard but the Commissioners want more information. 52 She related that the Commissioners also requested information on the relationship of the Comprehensive 53 Transportation Plan (CTP) and the Land Use Plan and they want some options for routing the north/south traffic 54 around Hillsborough. Karen advised that staff is working on some maps and researching if corridors were considered 55 Approved 4.21.10 2 by NCDOT when they looked at the strategic highway corridors, The Commissioners also asked about the roles of 56 NCDOT and Orange County in the decision making process. Karen Lincoln noted she has related this information to 57 Scott Walston and Sarah Ezzell from NCDOT and they are working on getting information together. Karen went on 58 to advise that what the Commissions want is a study to be done by NCDOT and NCDOT doesn’t want to invest time, 59 manpower, and costs involved in undertaking the study until Orange County indicates it will include NC 86 as a future 60 four-lane divided highway. She noted NCDOT doesn’t want to do all the work and not have a plan at the end of the 61 process. Karen did note that Sarah and Scott would work on getting some basic information. 62 63 Sam Lasris questioned what it was exactly the Commissioners need. He offered that there is historical data from 64 other counties that could be looked into. 65 66 Karen Lincoln responded the Commissioners are concerned about getting around Hillsborough and they don’t want a 67 four lane divided highway in northern Orange County. Karen noted they will be gathering additional information to 68 take back to the Commissioners. 69 70 Paul Guthrie suggested putting together a recommendation of options and includes some of the ones that may 71 happen if one isn’t picked. He noted that one could be that the road from eastern Alamance County is upgraded and 72 bypasses Orange County. 73 74 Karen Lincoln reviewed some of the criteria for strategic highway corridors is to connect metropolitan areas, 75 connecting interstates, connecting freight, and the impetuous is to assist economic development. 76 77 Paul Guthrie suggested that an alternative may possibly be to classify NC 86 N as a rural byway and not an 78 expressway and put it in the plan that way and send it to the state. 79 80 Alice Gordon advised that staff had come up with a recommendation that was middle ground but it was still allowing 81 DOT staff to work with the County. Alice also suggested to Karen to come back to the BOCC with a map of the entire 82 region. The Commissioners made a motion they thought would let the planning go forward but without a commitment 83 and did not take off the strategic highway corridor. 84 85 Karen Lincoln elaborated that the recommendation was to endorse showing NC 86 as an expressway on the CTP 86 highway map with a phased implementation plan in the technical report. The motion was to do that with no explicit 87 endorsement by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). 88 89 Alice Gordon suggested that the thing for the OUTBoard to do going forward is get the wording of the motion and 90 present the next steps. She noted at that point the OUTBoard can see if there is anything they want to give as 91 advice to the Commissioners. Alice also noted the Commissioners were told there would be more input as it goes 92 along. At this point, she suggested, the OUTBoard should try to understand what the Board’s motion was, and what 93 actions the Commissioners should take as the next steps. Then the OUTBoard can decide if there is anything they 94 should or would like to recommend to the Commissioners. 95 96 Paul Guthrie requested that Karen get an opinion from DOT and/or other outside sources what would happen if the 97 plan was submitted through the Commissioners without handling the issue of NC 86, if it was ignored. 98 99 100 VI. Safe Routes to School 101 102 Karen Lincoln reported the steering committee met with the consultants, Greenways Incorporated, and there is 103 another lady who works with them who is an engineer. They require a survey to go the parents and then each 104 teacher does a composite survey by asking questions of the class so there are two surveys that have to be 105 completed. Karen continued that once that is done there will be a public input session for each school. Karen also 106 advised the members that the consultants are doing fieldwork around the schools to note conditions and they have 107 already done the GIS maps and aerial maps. 108 109 Approved 4.21.10 3 Jeff Charles asked if school children ride bikes to school in Orange County. 110 111 Karen Lincoln responded there is a lot of interest but due to the roads and safety concerns that is not currently 112 happening. She advised that some of the improvements could be as simple as safe crosswalks. 113 114 Paul Guthrie suggested a possibility is to have off road paths. He also noted that school start times impact the saf ety 115 of walking or bicycling due to darkness especially in the winter months. 116 117 Karen Lincoln noted that part of the impetuous behind the Safe Routes to School is physical fitness and health and 118 part of the plan will be educational. 119 120 121 VII. Orange County Unified Development Ordinance 122 123 Karen Lincoln updated the Board staff is trying to have something by March 1st. 124 125 Karen Lincoln referred the members to the handouts, one being an article from the New York Times about electric 126 cars and how they will impact cities. Karen also referred to the other handout, which is the NCDOT Guide to North 127 Carolina Bicycle and Pedestrian Laws. She asked the members to hang on to them for reference. 128 129 130 VIII. Adjournment 131 132 There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.133 ___________________________________ Sam Lasris, Chair