Agenda - 05-13-2010 - 3 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Attachment 2 14 Orange Unified Transportation Board April 21St Meeting Notes Related to CTP Recommendation The transportation board, at its meeting on April 21, made the following conclusions: • Traffic is increasing on NC 86. • NC 86 meets criteria to be designated as a Strategic Highway Corridor. • Traffic coming from the Danville Virginia area and Caswell County to access the many attractions in the Chapel Hill/Durham area use NC 86 and will continue to use NC 86 in the future, regardless of whether the road is improved or not. • The strategic corridor plan provides along-term vision that prescribes an ultimate design to accommodate projected future traffic • Improvements will be made as traffic on NC 86 warrants improvements • The traffic is not approaching the need for the ultimate design • There is insufficient right-of-way to construct the ultimate design • There are no available funds to construct the ultimate design in the foreseeable future • The Comprehensive Transportation Plan can be updated and amended • If the County does not adopt a Comprehensive Transportation Plan, the County will be forgoing planning for transit and bicycle and pedestrian needs. • There is a legitimate concern that overbuilding NC 86 is not in the interest of maintaining the rural character of the northern Orange County and the Colonial Heritage Scenic Byway. • North Carolina Department of Transportation Planning Division has contacted Division 7 regarding a phased construction plan for NC 86 to implement the strategic highway corridor's ultimate expressway design and Division 7 is unwilling to support a phased plan for an unscheduled construction project. • Orange County has two options: 1. Develop and adopt a Comprehensive Transportation Plan with NC 86 designated as a strategic highway corridor with ultimate 4-lane divided highway design; or 2. Interrupt development of the transportation plan while the County requests a revision of facility type for the NC 86 strategic highway corridor, from expressway (4-lanes with median) to boulevard (2-lanes with median). The transportation board voted unanimously to recommend the Board of Commissioners explicitly: • Endorse the principle of strategic highway corridors; • Proceed with development of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan to include NC 86 as a strategic highway corridor; and • Make a statement to the North Carolina Department of Transportation stressing the Board is troubled by the Department's use/requirement of a particular design for all highways designated a strategic highway corridors, as every area is different and a "cookie cutter" design may not the best way in every instance to achieve mobility to meet traffic needs; and The Board is also concerned the Department dictates a design for the corridor without local input and prior to any contextual and planning studies for the corridor improvements.