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VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> d. NC 54/I-40 Corridor Studv <br /> The Board provided comments to Durham—Chapel Hill —Carrboro Metropolitan <br /> Planning Organization on the NC54/I-40 Corridor Study. <br /> Planning Director Craig Benedict gave an overview of this item. He said that tonighYs <br /> goal is to send comments to the DCHC- MPO. <br /> BACKGROUND: The BOCC heard a presentation on the NC 54/I-40 Corridor Study at its <br /> February 21, 2012 meeting. <br /> What is the purpose of the studv? <br /> The purpose of the study is to analyze short-term and long-term land use issues and multi- <br /> modal transportation problems, evaluate opportunities and challenges, and recommend short <br /> and long-range land use and transportation solutions and strategies along the corridor. <br /> Whv is this studv important? <br /> The NC 54 corridor serves as one of the major gateways between Chapel Hill and southwest <br /> Durham, and its interchange with I-40 has consistently ranked as one of the top congested <br /> locations in the region. Development pressures within the corridor coupled with mobility and <br /> capacity issues have illuminated the concern that the existing and planned transportation <br /> infrastructure in this area is insufficient to accommodate growth and to address land use and <br /> transportation problems. Short and long-range solutions are needed to preserve this important <br /> corridor. <br /> What are the studv obiectives? <br /> The vision of the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC <br /> MPO) is to develop and implement transportation plans that are multimodal and that fully <br /> integrate land use and transportation issues. To achieve this vision this study will: <br /> - Clearly define a realistic "blueprinY' for an integrated growth and mobility strategy for <br /> the corridor <br /> - Establish a development framework that strengthens multimodal travel options and <br /> reduces vehicle miles of travel <br /> - Improve operations, safety, and travel time <br /> - Categorize strategies into near, mid-term, and long-term phases <br /> How much will the studv cost and who is pavina for it? <br /> The total cost for the study is $349,977, with 80% of the funding coming from Federal <br /> transportation planning funds and the remaining 20% funded jointly by the City of Durham, <br /> Durham County, and the Town of Chapel Hill. <br /> The Table of Contents (Attachment 1) and Executive Summary�Attachment 2)from the <br /> Corridor Study are provided. The complete NC 54/I-40 Corridor Study is 169 pages and can be <br /> reviewed online: http://www.nc54-i40corridorstudy.com/DraftReport.html <br /> IMPLICATIONS: <br /> This study creates a short and long-term transportation framework for the corridor where a <br /> segment of light rail (LRT) is being proposed, future roadway widening, and mention of <br /> premium Bus Rapid Transit (BRT-H). Since these are all major transit investments, decisions <br /> should consider the complementary and/or supplementary nature of these transportation <br />