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4 NC 54/1-40 CORRIDOR STUDY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summary Overview A primary route connecting much of southern Orange, Durham and Wake Counties, as well as new growth occurring in Chatham County, with the academic and medical destinations at the University of North i Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and the Research Triangle Park,the NC 54/1-40 corridor is facing pressures unlike many others in the region. In addition to the regional access that NC 54 provides for UNC and its medical facilities for commuters, patients and visitors from across the state and region, the corridor is facing rising traffic levels that relate both to regional growth and substantial development activity within i the corridor. NC 54 is in transition as both institutional and private development activity lead to long-term changes in the corridor's character. These potential land use changes require careful planning with needed transportation improvements to serve the long-term vitality of the corridor and its surrounding neighborhoods. With environmental, physical and policy constraints limiting expansion of portions of the roadway and the development of parallel roadway connections, the corridor requires a multimodal solution to meet future demand while improving safety for all users and traffic operations. The corridor is also extremely important to the communities in both Durham and Chapel Hill,where it serves residential and commercial land uses, creating an eclectic mix of local and regional traffic competing for limited space. The corridor is fast becoming the most congested in the region, and has begun a transition from low-density suburban development with a semi-rural feel to a more urban pattern, with approved and pending development proposals expected to accelerate that transition as the economy rebounds. With more than 600 acres of vacant developable land surrounding it and likely development of UNC- owned properties along the corridor in the next several years to expand its health care-related facilities, NC 54 is poised for dramatic changes. As a result, the corridor is rising in statewide importance and regional prominence. However, rising congestion levels threaten property values and economic growth for both jurisdictions, as well as the ability for UNC to compete for jobs and patients.There are policies in place in Chapel Hill and on the University of North Carolina campus that restrict the amount of available parking, and encourage the use of transit in reaching destinations served by this corridor. Yet the heavy traffic, high speeds and lack of multimodal facilities along the corridor create barriers that limit the usefulness and safety of walking and bicycling for transportation.This also influences transit usage,where heavy demand exists due to the parking constraints, but better pedestrian access is needed to make transit more effective as a travel option. As a result of those existing and anticipated future demands, NC 54 is an extremely complex corridor, serving multiple travel markets and a diverse array of stakeholder and community interests focused on the success of different transportation modes, protection of neighborhoods and the economic viability of their land. Study objectives In that context, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) initiated the NC 54/1-40 Corridor Study to develop a land use -- transportation blueprint for this regionally significant corridor. With its development potential and the plan to construct a regional light rail system that would serve this corridor, the goal of the study is to define complementary land use and transportation strategies that will guide public and private actions, investments and capital project priorities to improve mobility, safety and access for all.modes. The dynamic nature of this critical corridor AUGUST 2010— DRAFT FINAL REPORT 1