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12 <br /> STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA <br /> DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <br /> JAMES B. HUNT JR. OFFICE OF BICYCLE& GARLAND B. GAR.RETT JR. <br /> GOVERNOR PEDESTRIAN TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY <br /> P.O.BOX 25201.RALEIGH.N-C. 27611-5201 <br /> April 16, 1996 <br /> Mr. Slade McCalip, AICP <br /> Orange County Planning Department <br /> 306F Revere Road <br /> Hillsborough,NC 27278 <br /> Dear Mr. McCalip: <br /> This letter is in response to your recent inquiry regarding the status of Orange County bicycle <br /> projects requested for the 1997-2003 STIP,as well as TIP Project E-2913 in Orange County. <br /> I am pleased to inform you that an Orange County bicycle route mapping and signing project will <br /> be recommended in the Draft 1997-2003 STIP for federal fiscal year 1998. The Board of <br /> Transportation will consider the Draft TIP for adoption in late spring or early summer. Our <br /> office will be following up with you sometime during 1997 to discuss project scope and process. <br /> Regarding the County's proposed bicycle-safe bridge railing project,it is unclear whether <br /> bridge railing is justified for all five locations as an Independent Bicycle project. Existing <br /> traffic volumes on several of the bridges are relatively low. There may also be some <br /> opportunity for including one or more of the locations as an incidental highway project. The <br /> NCDOT Bridge Maintenance Unit has also provided us with a revised cost estimate of <br /> approximately$75 per linear foot to retrofit a bridge, with the estimated cost of retrofitting <br /> each bridge ranging from$42,000 to$58,000. Additionally,a bridge retrofit project in Orange <br /> County may be the first such project undertaken by our office as an Independent Bicycle project. <br /> Prior to scheduling,we need to determine whether the particular bridges can actually be <br /> retrofitted with the railings available. <br /> Given the above factors,we are not recommending including Orange County's bridge railing <br /> retrofit project in the Independent Bicycle project schedule at this time. We would like to <br /> request that Orange County prioritize its proposed locations,as bicycle-safe bridge railing at <br /> one or two locations may be appropriate for a future TIP update. Any additional information <br /> _. . _ that you could share with us regardingyour assessment of the relative safety needs of bicyclists <br /> at each location-would also be appreciated. <br /> Regarding the portions of E-2913 in Orange County,Chapel Hill Transit has decided not to <br /> outfit its buses with bicycle racks,due to concerns over the possible impact on system efficiency. <br /> TTA will be outfitting its fleet with the racks. As you may know, there have been some project <br /> delays while the different agencies have made decisions about their participation in the <br /> project,but these issues have been resolved. For your information,I have enclosed recent <br /> correspondence regarding E-2913. <br /> PHONE (919)7")3-2304 FAX (919)715.4422 <br />