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11 <br />COMMENTS REGARDING THE <br />DRAFT 2002-2008 NORTH CAROLINA TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT <br />PROGRAM <br />FOR ORANGE COUNTY PROJECTS WITHIN <br />THE DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO METROPOLITAN PLANNING AREA <br />1. U-2$05: Homestead Road Widenin - Orange County requests the further <br />advancement of Homestead Road in the TIP schedule for the following reasons: a) <br />Tip Project U-2302 (Airport Road widening), which was completed this year, <br />approximately doubled the capacity of Airport Road providing increased access to <br />the land served by Homestead Road; and b) there will be a period of several years <br />between completion of improvements to Airport Road and construction of <br />improvements to Homestead Road, and during that time, accident exposure will be <br />increased because Homestead Road was not improved at the same time as Airport <br />Road. It is important that improvements to Homestead Road not be delayed from <br />the scheduled construction date in 2004. We were disappointed that the <br />construction date has previously slipped from mid-2001 to 2004, and now has <br />slipped again from 2004 to 2005. <br />2. NC 86. Construct bic cle lanes: from Chapel Hill (Whitfield Road) to Hillsborough <br />(US 70). Scheduled improvements tv Airport Road (NC86) in Chapel Hill will extend <br />bicycle facilities from UNC to Whitfield Road (SR 1731) in Orange County. NC 86 <br />from Chapel Hill to Hillsborough is experiencing increasing numbers of bicyclists <br />using this route and there are also two new schools along this route. This route is <br />listed as priority I of the primary bicycle routes proposed in the Orange County <br />Bicycle Transportation Plan adopted April 6, 1999. Orange County requests that <br />bicycle lanes be constructed. <br />This project is included In the Draft 2002-2008 STIP in the Bicycle and Pedestrian <br />Program as an incidental bicycle need. Orange County would also like it to be <br />considered as an independent bicycle project in the future. . <br />3. US 70 B ass Widenin :from the Durham County line to the US 7D -- I-85 <br />Connector, widen US 70 Bypass to a four-lane divided section with bike and <br />pedestrian improvements. This project should be phased to address safety issues, <br />trafFc counts and existing congestion. Even though this project did not score in the <br />top 25 priority projects requested by the MPO, it was the number 3 top priority for <br />both Hillsborough and Orange County. Orange County requests that this project be <br />identified as a need and included in the 2002-2008 STIP. <br />4. I-3306 Section A: widenin of I~0 to six lanes from I-85 in Oran a Coun to NC 147 <br />Buck Dean Freewa in Durham Coun -Orange County requests that I-3306 <br />Section A and I-3306 Section B be divided into two separate projects and <br />programmed separately in the TIP. <br />Project design for this facility is in progress- Orange County requests that the <br />development of the Major Investment Study and Environmental Impact Statement for <br />this project include insurance that the project will not have detrimental land use <br />