Agenda 12-02-19 Item 12-5 - Information Item - Memorandum-FY 19-20 Orange County Budget Appropriation for Sidewalk Study – Orange Grove Road Corridor and Pedestrian Safety

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1 PLANNING & INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT Craig N. Benedict, AICP, Director Administration 131 W. Margaret Lane (919) 245-2575 Suite 201 (919) 644-3002 (FAX) ORANGE COUNTY P. O. Box 8181 www.orangecountync.gov NORTH CAROLINA Hillsborough, NC 27278 MEMORANDUM TO: Board of County Commissioners FROM: Tom Ten Eyck, Transportation/Land Use Planner CC: Craig Benedict, Orange County Planning Director Tom Altieri, Comprehensive Planning Supervisor DATE: November 13, 2019 SUBJECT: FY 19-20 Orange County Budget Appropriation for Sidewalk Study— Orange Grove Road Corridor and Pedestrian Safety Attached for your information is an update recently provided to the Orange Unified Transportation Board regarding the FY 19-20 Orange County budget appropriation for a sidewalk study of Orange Grove Road from Patriots Point Drive to New Grady Brown School Road (Attachment 1). In addition to the information provided to the OUTBoard, this memo includes an update on a more recent staff meeting and an opportunity to more effectively utilize the previously budgeted monies of $50,000 for a feasibility study of the corridor. On Friday, October 26, 2019, Orange County Planning staff met with staff from NCDOT Division 7, the Town of Hillsborough Planning Department, DCHC MPO staff, an official from Orange County Schools and the Orange County Staff Engineer to discuss the scope of data collection and analysis for consulting services along Orange Grove Road. The meeting was a continuation of a dialogue with multiple stakeholders present following an accident where a student was struck by a vehicle. During the discussion, NCDOT Division 7 staff made mention of a separate study to be conducted by NCDOT's Transportation Mobility & Safety Division—Municipal and School Transportation Assistance (MSTA) in regard to this corridor to be provided within a sixty- day period from the time of agreement. As the discussion evolved, stakeholders recognized an opportunity to consider a shared study for both NCDOT and the County. As of November 13, NCDOT staff has followed up with Orange County staff to better understand the scope of NCDOT's consultant work to inform how the monies allocated in the County's FY 19-20 budget can best be utilized. At this point in time, it appears that NCDOT will likely start its study within ninety (90) days, which can take place only after data has been provided. MSTA studies are geographically bound to schools, but the MSTA official shared that the transportation area of influence is determined by the "transportation behaviors" of the area as well as final stakeholder input, meaning that the study area may still incorporate the traffic and pedestrian crossings on the bridge that crosses over 1-40. The remaining question is when the stakeholder meetings will take place and what format this meeting will take. NCDOT has indicated that Orange County and Orange County Schools are stakeholders and will be notified of meetings. Planning staff will keep the Board apprised throughout.