Agenda - 02-07-2012 - 8c - Laserfiche WebLink

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1. The end points of the corridor 2. The approximate alignment within the study corridor 3. The technology of the fixed guideway meaning light rapid transit (LRT) or bus rapid transit (BRT high or low) and/or in some cases commuter rail (e.g. between Durham and Wake) Staff comments are as follows regarding the 3 aspects which are linked by number to the aspects: 1. End points The suggested corridor is known as Durham-Orange Alternate 4 (D-O A4) which is a 17.4 mile length between UNC Hospitals and Alston Avenue which is east of Duke and Durham downtown. The approximate cost is $1.4 billion or over $80 million a mile. The other alternates are shown in Attachment B, all with mobility, socio-economic, land use and financial rankings. Staff believes these end points of D-O A4 are appropriate because of the strong employment anchor UNC hospital and university at the southern terminus within Orange County. Durham-Orange Alternate 6 is another corridor segment that ranked well. This corridor is 10 miles from Gateway (east of Blue Cross-Blue Shield) to Alston Avenue estimated at $750 million dollars (9/24/10). However, this alternate does not enter Orange County. 2. Alignment a. Orange County staff agrees that the alignment near the southern terminus of the corridor near UNC should be UNC(D) station. The alignment would allow for future LRT or BRT expansion to the west into Carrboro. Other alignments closer to UNC hospital created more dead-end scenarios, (Attachment C) b. Orange County staff notes that two alignment options near and east of the Friday Center known as C-1 (through Meadowmont) and C-2 (along the south side of NC 54 past future Hillmont) are both challenging alignments from environmental, cost and traffic standpoints. C-1 has invoked strong community concerns, as well as DENR, in regards to the traversing of Jordan Lake federal environmental lands. C-2 would be preferable to move forward since it parallels NC 54 right-of-way. (Attachment D) NC 54 is scheduled to be widened within this transit program planning horizon and fixed guideway corridors or lanes should be part of design and highway investment. The farther this NC 54 alignment can continue further to the east towards I-40 and Durham County based redevelopment opportunities at Falconbridge Shopping Center, the greater potential to reduce traffic on NC 54 by creating a travel mode shift from car to LRT, if the corresponding park and ride (P&R) lots can be created. If the appropriately sized P&R lots cannot be found in this corridor, then BRT is a better alternative to pick up passengers in the I-40/751/Southpoint and/or NC 54/Woodcroft park and ride areas with direct transport to UNC area via the protected and reserved BRT fixed guideway or mixed where necessary corridor.