Agenda 11-07-19 Item 6-a - NC 54 West Corridor Study - Phase 2

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9 MPO Board 10/9/2019 Item 8 Ref: 38587.01 October 1, 2019 Page 3 variation. Furthermore, travelers do not always base their route choices on minimum travel times, even if they have accurate real-time information and reliable short-range predictions (which is not typically the case). Some drivers prefer to avoid freeways; others are less comfortable on rural two-lane roads that may require passing. If travel- time reliability is critical, routes with longer(but more consistent and predictable)travel times may be preferred to the risk of a long delay. Also,this analysis considers only three very specific—though important—locations. There are countless other potential locations that would generate different travelsheds. Streetlight Data To better understand the origin/destination patterns of traffic on NC 54 west of Carrboro, an analysis was performed using a Streetlight dataset provided by DCHC.This dataset is comprised of anonymized location information obtained from personal electronic devices during weekdays (Monday through Thursday) in April, May, September, and October of 2016-18.The results summarized here are based on a sample of approximately 8,000 devices, representing about 29,000 individual trips.The Streetlight Index sample represents about 23%of the averaged 2016-2018 AADT on NC 54, based on Index-to-AADT ratios. The available Streetlight dataset did not include the entire NC 54 West study area (see Figure 4); only the portion of the corridor east of Orange Grove Road could be analyzed. Figure 5 depicts the associated portion of the corridor in more detail. The goal of this analysis was to determine the major origins and destinations of traffic using this segment of NC 54. In particular, what portion of traffic is passing through the corridor, which intersecting roads contribute the most traffic, and what traffic is using the NC 54 Bypass versus West Main Street?This analysis can help quantify and evaluate potential markets for alternative travel options, as well as validating forecast assumptions and confirming the Triangle Regional Model's accuracy in representing traffic patterns. It must be emphasized that in the following analyses, percentage drops in traffic refer only to the distribution of trips passing the defined reference point (indicated by the "100%" label).This does not indicate a reduction in total traffic (AADT) on NC 54. The exercise traces the destinations of vehicles captured at the reference point as we move east or west along the corridor away from the reference point. It indicates where these vehicles leave NC 54 and what portion remain on NC 54 at the end of the analyzed segment.This is not an analysis of traffic passing through the entire length of the corridor, nor of AADTs. Eastward Trip Distribution Figure 6 depicts the eastward distribution of daily vehicle-trips on NC 54 to/from a point just east of Orange Grove Road. Note that the"100%" label in the figure represents only traffic passing that point on NC 54, in both directions. This analysis traces the destinations of these trips along the corridor. For simplicity and clarity,we will discuss eastbound trips; westbound trips are the mirror image of these. The diagram indicates that 83%of these trips are still on NC 54 just west of Old Fayetteville Road. This 17% drop in volume works out to nearly 2,000 veh/day out of the original 2017 AADT of 11,000 veh/day east of Orange Grove Road. Most of the trips that have Page 3 of 12