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2 <br />demand. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has concerns that Orange Countv <br />will not ado t a trans ortation Ian that shows NC 86 as a future four-lane divided facilit . <br />Before committina staff resources to continue work on Orange County's Transportation Plan <br />North Carolina Transportation planning staff has suggested the following four options for the <br />Countv to consider: <br />1. Pursue removal of NC 86 or any corridor through northern Orange County from the <br />North Carolina Strategic Highway Corridor Vision Plan; <br />2. Show the existing NC 86 corridor or a proposed alignment for NC 86 as an <br />expressway; <br />3. Show NC 86 as an expressway on Comprehensive Transportation Plan highway map <br />with a phased implementation strategy in the technical report; or <br />4. Pursue a downgrade of facility type for NC 86 (from an expressway to a boulevard). <br />Explanation of Options and Implications <br />Option1 -Pursue removal of NC 86 from Strategic Highway Corridor Vision Plan. The <br />Department of Transportation has a process to modify the Strategic Highway Corridors Vision <br />Plan. Revision requests may fall in one of the following categories: <br />• Addition of a new Strategic Highway Corridor (Corridor); <br />• Modification of an existing Corridor; <br />• Partial or full deletion of an existing Corridor; or <br />• Changes to a proposed facility type. <br />The process to revise the Strategic Highway Corridor Vision Plan takes over six months and <br />development of the County's Comprehensive Transportation Plan would not continue until the <br />request had been resolved. There is no guarantee that the North Carolina Board of <br />Transportation will approve the revision. <br />Option 2 -Show NC 86 as a future expressway. Work on Orange County's Comprehensive <br />Transportation Plan would continue but the County would have no dialogue concerning facility <br />type. <br />Option 3 -Show NC 86 as a future expressway with a phased improvement plan in the <br />technical report. Work on Orange County's Comprehensive Transportation Plan would <br />continue as planned. Survey question twelve offered seven options for designating anorth- <br />south corridor from Caswell County to US 70 Bypass as a four-lane divided expressway. <br />Respondents could select more than one option. Of the 387 survey responses, approximately <br />63% chose to use the existing NC 86 corridor (with a narrow margin preferring a new <br />western bypass of Hillsborough). Over twenty-one percent (21.4%) chose "Do not improve <br />NC 86 to an expressway". A change in facility type (Option 4), if desired, could be pursued <br />after adoption of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan. <br />Option 4 - Pursue a downgrade of facility type for NC 86. The Department of <br />Transportation has a process to modify the Strategic Highway Corridors Vision Plan to change a <br />proposed facility type. NC 86 is classified as an arterial road. The Strategic Highway Corridor <br />Facility Types also includes a Boulevard (minimum two-lane with median) design for an arterial <br />road. Work on Orange County's Comprehensive Transportation Plan would not continue until <br />the facility design for NC 86 had been resolved. The North Carolina Board of Transportation <br />must approve the request for a change of facility type. <br />