Orange County NC Website
Section1ͲIntroduction <br />PURPOSEANDBACKGROUND <br />Theprimarypurposeofthistechnicalreportistodeveloparoadwaynetworktosupportinvestmentin <br />theEflandͲBuckhornͲMebaneStudyArea,basedonanexaminationofexistingplans,futurelanduse, <br />environmentalconstraints,culturalandhistoricresources,keytransportationconsiderations,andfuture <br />developmentpotential.Thedatapresentedinthistechnicalreportwillprovidethebasisandjustification <br />forrequiringthededicationofrightsͲofͲwayintheEflandͲBuckhornͲMebaneStudyAreaandmayserve <br />asanappendixtotheupdatedEflandͲBuckhornͲMebaneStudyAreaAccessManagementPlan. <br />Accessmanagementoftheroadnetworkinthestudyareawillfacilitateaccesstolandfordevelopment, <br />whilemaintainingthesafetyandefficiencyoftheState’stransportationsystem.Thegoalsofanaccess <br />managementplanincludecreatingaccesstonewdevelopmentsandensuringthatexistingfacilities <br />remainoperatingatafunctionallevel.WithinOrangeCounty,theEflandͲBuckhornͲMebaneStudyArea <br />wasselectedasalocationtoencouragefutureeconomicdevelopmentactivities,basedonitsstrategic <br />locationalongmajortransportationcorridors.TheEflandͲBuckhornͲMebaneStudyArearunsalongthe <br />northsideofIͲ40betweenBuckhornRoadandIͲ85/US70ConnectorandalongthesouthsideofIͲ40 <br />fromBenWilsonRoadandMt.WillingRoad.RecentgrowthalongtheIͲ85/40corridorhasresultedinan <br />averageincreaseoftrafficof3%eachyear;withtheexpectedgrowthofresidentialactivityandoffice, <br />service,research,commercialandindustrialdevelopmentinthestudyarea,thefuturetrafficis <br />anticipatedtoalsointensify.AmapoftheprojectstudyareaisshowninFigure1. <br />ACCESSMANAGEMENT <br />Accessmanagementisthesystematiccontrolofthelocation,spacing,designandoperationofdriveways, <br />medianopenings,interchangesandstreetconnectionstoaroadway1.TheFederalHighway <br />Administration’s(FHWA)officialdefinitionofaccessmanagementis“theprocessthatprovidesaccessto <br />landdevelopmentwhilesimultaneouslypreservingtheflowoftrafficonthesurroundingsysteminterms <br />ofsafety,capacity,andspeed.”Bycontrollingtheseaccesspoints,alocalorstategovernmentcan: <br />Maintaintheoverallsafetyofthetransportationsystem; <br />Minimizecongestion; <br />Provideforefficienttrafficflowandpedestriansafety; <br />Minimizecrashrates;ĂŶĚ <br />Provideappropriateaccesstoadjacentbusinessproperties. <br />Ultimately,OrangeCountyseekstodevelopanaccessmanagementplaninordertomaintainthe <br />functionalityofthetransportationnetworkastheEflandͲBuckhornͲMebaneStudyAreadevelops. <br />1AccessManagementManual,TransportationResearchBoard,WashingtonD.C.2003 <br />3 <br />62