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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3 ORANGE COUNTY ORANGE UNIFIED TRANSPORTATION BOARD ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 16, 2019 Action Agenda Item No. 5.a. SUBJECT: FY 19-20 Orange County Budget Appropriation for Sidewalk Study DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections ATTACHMENTS: INFORMATION CONTACT: 1. High School Principal Message Tom Altieri, Comprehensive Planning 2. Excerpt FY 2019-20 County Budget Supervisor, 919-245-2579 Nish Trivedi, Transportation Planner, 919-245-2582 PURPOSE: Receive information on available monies to complete a sidewalk study of Orange Grove and New Brady School Roads to help devise a strategy to mitigate pedestrian safety concerns and next steps. BACKGROUND: In 2003, the Town of Hillsborough and OC adopted an Orange Grove Access Management Plan that identified the need for pedestrian improvements on Orange Grove Road and New Grady Brown School Road. Pedestrian improvements were also identified in the County's Safe Routes to School Plan (2014), which was adopted by the OC School Board, Town, and County. The County has attempted implementation of a variety of projects through the State's prioritization processes (SPOT) for projects to be included in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) but has not been successful in obtaining funding. Although there are some grant sources for funding pedestrian projects, they have not been actively pursued due to prerequisite local match requirements, as well as uncertainty over sidewalk maintenance responsibilities. In addition to the regular discussions and updates provided to the OUTBoard during its annual goal setting and reporting of activities to the BOCC and biannual discussion of County transportation priorities, the OUTBoard has received meeting notes from the County's luncheons with NCDOT staff to keep the Board informed. Planning and its Engineering staff have continued its research and discussions with NCDOT and completed cost estimates for sidewalks (2,050 LF) along the north side of Orange Grove Road earlier this year. Including 20% contingency, construction costs are estimated at $823,901 with an additional $115,346 estimated for surveying and design. This estimate does not address the need for a pedestrian bridge or receiving sidewalks on the southwest side of 1-40 and sidewalks at the schools. In 2010/2011, a feasibility study included a cost estimate of approximately $400,000 for a pedestrian bridge. The County pursued funding through the SPOT/STIP process in 2013 but the project scored very poorly through the quantitative process and was not funded. The lack of receiving sidewalks for any pedestrian bridge has long been cited by NCDOT staff as an obstacle to funding.