Agenda - 10-19-2010 - 8a - Laserfiche WebLink

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NC 54 / 1-40 CORRIDOR STUDY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY requires a bold vision supported by practical, achievable strategies in the near term and set the right foundation for longer term improvements through the 2035 horizon year. Through a planning process that examined future land use-transportation scenarios, the NC 54/1-40 Corridor Study seeks to build upon various transportation and land use plans and engage corridor stakeholders and the public in finding solutions that are effective and find the right balance between mobility and accessibility for all users. Study recommendations in the draft final report offer a multimodal approach to meeting existing and future transportation needs. They address the functional design for specific geometric improvements at intersections along NC 54 and at the interchange with 1-40, the expansion and integration of various types of transit services to help more people reach their destinations as an alternative.to driving, an interconnected network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities to provide a more comfortable environment with safe access along the corridor for walking and cycling, and a phased implementation plan for capital projects and service improvements. These transportation recommendations support a land use strategy designed to create more opportunities for location-efficient housing and transportation in the corridor to improve livability and regional mobility. The corridor is becoming increasingly employment-oriented, and more proximate housing choices — particularly for a range of income levels —will create shorter trip distances and help make the use of non- auto travel options more viable. The report includes design guidelines to provide further support for implementing the recommended land use and transportation strategies. Study Partners and Process The DCHC MPG led the study, serving as the project manager in partnership with the consultant team hired for the project, Renaissance Planning Group, in association with ICF International and Michael Baker Corporation. The MPG coordinated the active involvement of a broad group of study partners that include the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDGT), Triangle Transit Authority (TTA), the City of Durham, Durham County, the Town of Chapel Hill, the University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill Transit and the Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA). The MPG, the City of Durham, Durham County, and the Town of Chapel Hill funded the study. The study partners formed a steering committee that met monthly to guide the process, provide input at key milestones, and review study work products. While the NC 54 corridor study limits are from 1-40 to US 15-501,the study did not just focus on the linear right-of-way along NC 54. It captured a regional context, including growth patterns, transportation plans and the planned regional light rail system anticipated to connect this corridor to other points in the Triangle Region. The study area boundaries encompass surrounding neighborhoods and the existing and planned street networks, including Ephesus Church Road, Barbee Chapel Road, Farrington Road, NC 751 and others providing parallel routes or interconnecting with NC 54. Public engagement is critically important to the study.A part of the corridor's complexity is the multitude of interested stakeholders with diverse expectations about the future of the NC 54 corridor. These include landowners, institutions, businesses, neighborhood residents, students and, of course, the commuting public. A vigorous public participation process was employed to guide the development of study recommendations. This entailed a series of in-depth focus group discussions with each of the key stakeholder groups (residents and non-residents alike) early in the project and again once initial recommendations were nearing completion. In addition, a series of three public workshops at key milestones defined priority issues and opportunities, provided the basis for creation and evaluation of scenarios, and enabled participants to react and suggest refinements to draft land use and transportation master plan recommendations. AUGUST 2010-- DRAFT FINAL REPORT 2