Planning Board - 081920 Agenda Packet

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D R A F T Matt Peach: Hello everybody, my name is Matt Peach with Stantec Consulting Services; I’m the engineer of record 1001 for the traffic impact analysis. Mr. Beeman, I did hear your question and I think your concern regarding the amount of 1002 traffic coming from Mebane and using I-40, that’s correct? We’re currently in the process of recommending and 1003 coordinating improvements with NCDOT. We know that the applicant has recommended improvements, particularly 1004 installing a traffic signal at the I-40 eastbound ramps there at Old NC 86. In addition to that, we’re trying to 1005 coordinate with NCDOT regarding two projects they have in the area along I-40 and to the north on Churton Street 1006 trying to make sure that our recommendations are in line with their future projects as well. That was the, part of the 1007 information that they had requested previously, that we supplied them today.1008 1009 Adam Beeman: So there’s no intention to add any extra lane, widen any lanes coming off the ramp or turning that 1010 corner towards your service road?1011 1012 Matt Peach: That’s what we’re coordinating with NCDOT right now. We would definitely try our best to work within 1013 the existing pavement to have turn lanes there at the service road. In terms of lanes at the ramps, we are not 1014 proposing any at this moment but that’s exactly what we’re coordinating with NCDOT.1015 1016 Adam Beeman: I come off of that ramp from Mebane, I go to the hospital, and I can sit there from minutes trying to1017 take that left. I just imagine if someone is trying to take the left and that ramp’s not any wider when you start stacking 1018 up trucks behind those people, you are going to be up on the highway before long so I am just curious. I know, 1019 understand you’re within the footprint but that right hand turning lane would be really nice so that the truck could just 1020 roll off and not have to sit there and stack up.1021 1022 Matt Peach: I certainly understand that and the purpose that and the purpose of putting a traffic signal in there would 1023 be to allow the side street to move more efficiently. In theory, that delay would be reduced.1024 1025 Adam Beeman: Well that’s my biggest concern; I mean all the other stuff is secondary. My biggest concern is just 1026 that whole intersection is a nightmare and I don’t if it’s going to be on you guys to deal with it or because the hospital 1027 is expanding, they’re building all those houses across the street from the hospital and all that development, that 1028 intersection is going to be a nightmare before long so I was just hoping that you guys would try to address it 1029 preemptively rather than reactively.1030 1031 Matt Peach: Our current recommendation to NCDOT is to install a signal at that location so we are right in line with 1032 you there and just to point upon the point you made regarding the hospital, we made sure to account for traffic for 1033 future phases of Waterstone in our analysis.1034 1035 David Blankfard: I have a question, so what kind of traffic is going to be coming out from the building onto David 1036 Drive? Is that going to be trucks or is it going to be automobiles or a combination?1037 1038 Matt Peach: We do foresee both. Really as we had kind of been mentioning previously, the trucks would be using 1039 Old NC 86 to get up to I-40 primarily. We see very little traffic going to and from the west on Davis Road. If traffic is 1040 on Davis Road it’s trying to get from that driveway to Old 86 for that 1000 feet and that’s about it.1041 1042 David Blankfard: What about when they get to Davis Road and it’s backed up from 1-40? What prevents them from 1043 taking a right on Old 86 going down to the stop sign and then turning onto New Hope to get onto 40?1044 1045 Matt Peach: Another recommendation we made in the traffic study was to install a signal at Davis Road as well at 1046 Old NC 86 so again the delay on the side street having no longer stop control will be reduced in this scenario.1047 1048 David Blankfard: But there’s nothing to stop them from turning right and going further into the rural….going toward 1049 Carrboro.1050 1051 Matt Peach: There will be no physical barrier, to answer that question specifically, but they would be losing time and 1052 which I don’t believe truckers, it’s in their best interests.1053 1054 21