HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.22.23 Minutes DRAFT
1 MINUTES
2 ORANGE COUNTY OUTBOARD
3 MAY 22,2023
4
Attendance
Member Position Present
1 Michael Hughes Alternate Yes
2 Amy Cole Alternate Yes
3 Randy Marshall Bingham Township Yes
4 Roy Schonberg Chapel Hill Township Yes
5 Jamie Carndell Eno Township Yes
6 Joshua Mayo Alternate No
7 Art Menius Little River Township Yes
8 Todd Jones Alternate No
9 Natalie Ziemba Cedar Grove Township Yes
10 Gregory Woloszczuk Hillsborough Township N/A
11 Erik Legg Cheeks Township N/A
12 Vacant Alternate N/A
13 Vacant Alternate N/A
14 Vacant Alternate N/A
A Nishith Trivedi Transportation Director Yes
B Vacant Transportation Planning Manager N/A
C Emmalea Ange Office Assistant Yes
D Jamael Wiley Transit Planning Manager No
E Eunice Allen-Robinson Business Officer Yes
F Katrina Wall Transit Operations Supervisor No
5
6 AGENDA ITEM 1: CALL TO ORDER
7 The meeting was called to order at 5:30pm
8
9 AGENDA ITEM 2: CONSIDERATION OF ADDITIONS TO AGENDA
10 No additions to the agenda
11
12 AGENDA ITEM 3: PUBLIC COMMENTS
13 No Public Comments received
14
15 AGENDA ITEM 4: APPROVAL OF FEBRUARY AND APRIL MINUTES
16
17 Motioned: Randy - post phoned to next month allowing for time to update the attendance.
18 Seconded: Art, approved unanimously
19
20 AGENDA ITEM 5: TRANSIT TRACKING DASHBOARD
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22 Nish provided brief presentation on upcoming transit performance dashboard used to automate and
23 track transit system performance and operations. A general schedule was discussed when OUTBoard
24 would test the dashboard and provide recommendations on it, tentatively scheduled for Fall 2023.
25
26 AGENDA ITEM 5: ORIENTATION MATERIAL
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28 Nish briefly mentioned that the OUTBoard's orientation material would be reviewed and improved upon
29 over the summer, any and all comments are welcomed. A brief presentation on transportation 101 like
30 presentation would be provided at June meeting, along with open discussion about the material and
31 OUTBoard Policies and Procedures.
32
33 AGENDA ITEM 5: NC 54 WEST MULTIMODAL CORRIDOR STUDY
34
35 Nish provided a detail presentation on the comprehensive study, including phase 2 and all the issues
36 associated with it. The reason this study is coming back before you is due to increasing development
37 pressures along the corridor and public's need to improve the corridor.
38
39 Randy Marshall: What about the US 70 Study? Why is this study coming back?
40
41 Nish: That study is currently going through the planning process and will be brought before you in the
42 Fall, for action when it is complete.
43
44 Recent developments include the Dollar General proposed at the intersection of White Cross Road and
45 NC 54 along with potential subdivision near Orange Grove Road and NC 54. Staff is presenting the full
46 study, including all the coordination and collaboration going into it and requesting you to recommend
47 the study go from being received to approval.
48
49 Michael Hughes: When was the study done? Why such long time to draft plan between workshops?
50 When was it completed?
51
52 Nish: Early 2018- Iate2019, there were two rounds of extensive public workshops. It took the consultant
53 time to gather all the input from the three meetings from each round of workshops: once collect all the
54 input, and draft the various alternatives and second to present the draft plan and get feedback.
55
56 Amy Cole: How well attended were the workshops?
57
58 Nish: Over 100 people for meeting, even people from Carrboro and Graham came to Orange County's
59 and attending those in the local jurisdictions.
60
61 Amy Cole: While the study recommended widening to 4 lanes, would that have resulted in 4 lane
62 roundabouts, or did they recommend some other roundabouts for the intersections?
63
64 Nish: They did not recommend 4 lane roundabouts in the study, they only recommended for different
65 alternatives at the intersections and preferred the 2 lane roundabouts.
66
67 Michael Hughes: What about superstreets?
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68 Nish: They are not safe for bicyclist and pedestrians due to the multiple crossings and potential conflict
69 points they would have to go through to get to where they were going.
70
71 Amy Cole: How would bike/ped be accommodated through the widening and what are the restrictions
72 to them?
73
74 Nish: STI law restricts NCDOT from financially investing in independent bike/ped projects. They are
75 funded locally and go through a very competitive process for federal funds. NCDOT's new complete
76 street policy allows them to fund them as part of highway projects. There are efforts in the NC General
77 Assembly to remove the restrictions on NCDOT.
78
79 Randy Marshal: Isn't the paved shoulder along NC 54 sufficient?
80
81 Nish: Parts of it is, some of it 2', 4' or 6' but it is not consistent through the whole corridor.
82
83 Randy Marshall: Part of NC 54 around Carrboro is already 4 lanes and sidewalks.
84
85 Nish: Yes, that's the NC 54 by-pass around Carrboro.
86
87 Michael Hughes: Was the Phase 2 a different study, or was there another study done on the corridor?
88
89 Nish: No, there was no new or different study. The study was received by Orange County, we are simply
90 trying to get it approved.
91
92 Randy Marshall: What was preventing it from being approved? Was Carrboro involved when it went
93 before the Board?
94
95 Nish: Carrboro, others had already approved it. Yes, Carrboro Mayor presented his points before the
96 County Commissioners when it went before them. Now that Commissioners have toured the corridor,
97 seen the development pressures, they want it brought back to them for consideration and possible
98 approval.
99
100 Randy Marshall: Would they approve it now or do they continue to consider Carrboro, what do they
101 desire now? What about NCDOT?
102
103 Nish: Yes, they have spoken to Carrboro. They are in favor of this study and want to move it forward, as
104 long as we continue coordinating with Carrboro. The state has promised to continue coordinating and
105 working with Carrboro.
106
107 Michael Hughes: Can you explain the rural impact again? Why rural roads increasing in some areas?
108
109 Nish: If NC 54 is not widened, all of southern Orange County rural roads would be red, each with
110 increasing traffic. By widening one road, there is reduction in majority of southern Orange County
111 Roads.
112
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113 Other roads like Buckhorn Road are also experiencing their own development pressures, especially in
114 the fringes of urban areas.
115
116 Art Minus: Traffic in Orange County is going to increase anyways.
117
118 Nish: Yes, that is why NCDOT has changed their process and working better to accommodate all modes,
119 including bike/ped, transit, and others, not just the car.
120
121 Randy Marshall: Did these other similar corridors include bike/Ped?
122
123 Nish: Yes
124
125 Nish concluded the presentation with staff requesting OUTBoard recommend BOCC approve the study
126 and continue coordination and collaborating with all its partners along the entire corridor. The TAS met
127 last Friday and recommended approval.
128
129 Art Minus: Would like the corridor to stay rural.
130
131 Amy Cole: Thank you for the detail presentation, it is good to see that bike/ped and transit were
132 included in the study.
133
134 Randy Marshall: yes, the area is going to grow and traffic will increase. We need to think of the bigger
135 picture and make sure everyone is safe getting to their destination.
136
137 Art Minus: I'm still opposed to the widening but do understand the need to address the problems along
138 the corridor. We should not always be accommodating cars.
139
140 Randy Marshall: Understand why we shouldn't widen roads but growth will continue.
141
142 Michael Hughes: I see why we should not widen roads but some areas, carefully studies like these, need
143 a comprehensive improvement this.
144
145 Motion: Randy Marshall Second: Michael Hughes
146 Dissent: Art Minus
147 Vote: 4-1 for Approval
148
149 Nish: When I present this to BOCC, I will present the full discussion including the dissent
150
151 AGENDA ITEM 6: STAFF REPORT/UPDATES
152 Nish provided the updates for NCDOT projects.
153
154 AGENDA ITEM 7:ADJOURNMENT
155 OUTBoard meeting was adjourned
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