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160 <br />161 Bret Martin: Answered general questions about the proposed BGMPO projects. He explained how the <br />162 proposed Mattress Factory Road interchange is related to the planned improvements for Mebane Oaks Road to <br />163 the west in Mebane. He explained that the focus of all the projects was economic development. <br />164 <br />165 MOTION made) by Alex Castro to approve the recommended BGMPO list to the BOCC to submit to the MPOs <br />166 and RPOs for consideration of inclusion in the 2018 -2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program <br />167 (STIP). Seconded by Art Menius. <br />168 Vote: Unanimous <br />169 <br />170 TARPO List <br />171 <br />172 Bret Martin: Reviewed list of priority transportation projects. <br />173 <br />174 Bonnie Hauser: Asked whether consideration has been given to improving the connection of Efland -Cedar <br />175 Grove Road to US 70 and the interstate, which would improve economic development in Efland. <br />176 <br />177 Heidi Perry: Asked about making adjustments to the scoring methodology to improve prioritization of bike and <br />178 pedestrian projects. <br />179 <br />180 Bret Martin: Explained that for SPOT 3.0 it had been allowed that Divisions and Regions come up with their own <br />181 highway scoring criteria, which improved the scoring of some widening projects and allowed for bike lanes. This <br />182 was done in the eastern portion of the state, but here we have to get 6 different MPOs and RPOs to approve <br />183 this. It is possible but strategically complex. <br />184 <br />185 Heidi Perry: I don't think I can support the NC 54 widening or alternative operational improvements project <br />186 unless you take out the word' widening' and use `alternative operational improvements' because I feel like a four - <br />187 lane divided highway is excessive. <br />188 <br />189 Alex Castro: I agree. The simple answer for improvements on NC 54 in Carrboro is signals. <br />190 <br />191 Bret Martin: The Town of Carrboro is support of that. That is the direction we are looking to see if we can <br />192 address the problem with signals first. DOT is looking at the problem for a long term solution. If you add storage <br />193 for left and right lanes, you have pretty much added a lane so that is an issue as well. <br />194 <br />195 Paul Guthrie: One of the problems is the conflict between having this process where you put things on a list a <br />196 long time in advance so they will be done, and the fact that in a very high growth area, that is not good enough. <br />197 That road is in a high growth area. This process we have here hurts the ability to do long range planning in the <br />198 sense you have to force this thing and you usually build the wrong thing as a temporary fix. The idea of traffic <br />199 lights will work. <br />200 <br />201 Art Menius: I'm not as confident that the growth is going to continue due to the land locked nature of Chapel Hill <br />202 and Carrboro, considering the rural buffer. More importantly I am doubtful given the tenor of the state university <br />203 that the university or hospital will be adding jobs at the rate they have in the last 20 years. <br />204 <br />205 MOTION made by Alex Castro to approve recommendation with changes to 1 and 2 with no `widening' and only <br />206 alternative operational improvements' on the NC 54 projects. Seconded by Art Menius. <br />207 Vote: 1 opposed (David Laudicina). <br />208 <br />209 MOTION made by Heidi Perry to validate the discussion about scoring with regard to highway projects in order <br />210 to improve the scoring for bike /ped projects. Seconded by Amy Cole. <br />211 Vote: Unanimous. <br />212 <br />