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4 <br />COMMUTER PATTERNS/CORRIDORS <br />1. Due to the shape of Orange County and the proposal for light rail alignments in <br />its extreme southeast corner, many county residents with destinations in Durham <br />will continue to drive directly. Although a majority of the County's residents <br />reside in the Chapel Hill and Carrboro area, approximately 45% live elsewhere <br />(See Map). <br />2. The AA reflects a strong bi-directional commuter pattern between Chapel Hill and <br />Durham. However, there are additional commutes between Chapel Hill and <br />Research Triangle Park area that are not served via the regional transit plan. <br />Should there be two fixed routes to serve this unique condition? <br />3. Will the increases in park and ride spaces at Gateway and Patterson Place be <br />sufficient for commuters traveling from south Durham and western Wake County <br />-along I-40 and will it be difficult for commuters to drive 3 miles past their <br />destination route of NC 54 to UNC to back track with LRT along the same I-40 <br />route? <br />4. The corridors could be (and not in order of importance): <br />a. Martin Luther King, as suggested in the existing OCTP but needs further <br />cost refinement and timed to address the north-south needs of Chapel Hill <br />Township and Carolina North with potential interlined use of the <br />Hillsborough 420 route. <br />b. 15-501 corridor which would service the needs of Chapel Hill and <br />Carrboro residents to businesses in the Orange County corridor as well as <br />employment connections further northeast to Durham. The AA supports <br />the benefits of this corridor because it is within the broader `study area' <br />although it was not studied for a specific route or ridership potential. <br />c. NC 54 corridor which would service the high commuter traffic pattern into <br />UNC from south Durham and western Wake. NC 54 is being studied for <br />expansion in the timeframe of the OCTP. New lanes should be dedicated <br />for dedicated bus ways. The BRT corridor would extend to I-40 and/or <br />NC751 which would correct overcapacity traffic conditions that LRT would <br />not correct or service. <br />Page 2 of 5 <br />