Agenda - 06-28-1994-X-B - Laserfiche WebLink

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3. DRAFT JUN 94 DRAFT JUN 94 DRAFT JUN 94 DRAFT JUN 94 DRAFT JUN 94 ISSUE PAPER BICYCLE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION IN ORANGE COUNTY I. BACKGROUND AND INTENT OF TAC In its deliberations on the proposed Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro (DCHC) Thoroughfare Plan, the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) identified the need for regional coordination on bicycle planning as a necessary adjunct to the coordination on thoroughfare planning already in progress. The TAC discussed this with representatives from the NCDOT Bicycle Program. A problem arose in that Bike Program funds were very limited and could not be used for planning purposes. The TAC elected to employ a consultant to prepare a regional plan. Under the TAC's direction, a request-for- proposals (RFP) was drafted. It identified three basic areas on which the plan would focus: 1) Increasing public education and awareness of bicycling; 2) developing appropriate enforcement guidelines; and 3) bicycle route planning to develop a regional system. The plan was to be financed on a proportional basis by Chapel Hill, Carrboro, the City of Durham, Durham County, and Orange County. Because of an initial focus on education and enforcement issues, Orange County was reluctant to participate. However, after assurances that there would be greater emphasis on the planning of bicycle routes, the County elected to participate in October of 1991. Timing on preparation of the Regional Bicycle Plan was fortuitous in that it coincided with passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) in December of 1991. As per ISTEA, for a project (bicycle or otherwise) to be funded by the state and federal governments, that project must be in the regionally adopted transportation plan (DCHC Comprehensive Transportation Plan) . If a project is in the regionally adopted transportation plan then it is eligible to be included into the Local (regional) Transportation Improvement Program (LTIP) . After the LTIP is developed the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) is developed in cooperation with the MPO and in consideration of the LTIP. Therefore, in order for Orange County bicycling projects to be eligible for federal and state funding, these projects should be in the DCHC Regional Bicycle Plan which is intended (as of the date of this paper) to be a component of the DCHC Comprehensive Transportation Plan. It also means that these projects must adhere to the TIP programming cycles and must be included in the LTIP if they are to be built. 1