Agenda - 09-05-2017-12-7 - Memorandum - Update on Mebane Traffic Separation Study (TSS)

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INFORMATION ITEM 1 PLANNING & INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT Craig N. Benedict, AICP, Director Administration 131 W. Margaret Lane (919) 245-2575 Suite 201 (919) 644-3002 (FAX) E OU N^^^^^^ P. O. Box 8181 www.orangecountync.gov NOR'.t, .. CA 1111',()16 INA Hillsborough, NC 27278 MEMORANDUM TO: Board of County Commissioners Bonnie B. Hammersley, County Manager FROM: Craig Benedict, Orange County Planning Director DATE: August 28, 2017 SUBJECT: Update on Mebane Traffic Separation Study (TSS) ATTACHMENTS: 1. Link to Final Draft Mebane, NC Traffic Separation Study (TSS) http://cityofmebane.com/cms/One.aspx9portalld=2307558, pagelld=9732254 2. Buckhorn Road TSS options 3. EDD area between Buckhorn Road and Mt. Willing Road 4. Orange County Future Land Use Map 5. Orange County Development Pod Map The City of Mebane Council will be holding a public hearing for the Final Draft of the Mebane, NC TSS at its September 11, 2017 meeting. A link to the TSS is provided as Attachment 1. The TSS is a joint cooperative effort with the City of Mebane, Norfolk Southern (NS), the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), and the North Carolina Railroad (NCRR). The TSS determines the need for improvements and/or elimination of public at-grade crossings to improve safety and mobility for motorists, pedestrians, rail passengers, and train crews. The process involved components relating to crash data, traffic data, capacity analysis, safety and mobility issues, and public involvement. With the projected increase in freight and passenger rail traffic, there is a need to focus attention to the safety of the Study corridor and the mobility of all forms of traffic. The TSS focuses on eight existing at-grade roadway-railroad crossings along five miles, two of which, Buckhorn Road and Mattress Factory Road, are within Orange County's Efland-Buckhorn-Mebane Economic Development District (EDD). In mid-June, Planning Department staff provided the following comments on the three Buckhorn Road rail-highway crossing options included in the earlier Draft TSS (Attachment 2). Those three options remain the same in the Final Draft TSS, and the preferred improvements are expected to be identified through the upcoming public hearing process. 1. Staff has a strong preference for the connections with Industrial Drive and S. Frazier Road depicted in Option 2. This alignment coordinates well with the County's future road alignment concepts through this area, which is the focus of many of the County's economic development efforts (see Attachment 3). An at- grade connection to the east economic development area will be needed. This is imperative since this area is isolated due to the rail line and the interstate.