Orange County NC Website
47 Question: I see bike improvement and is that the road to Transportation Services? <br /> 48 Answer:Yes. There is Fairview Community Center and Park right there. <br /> 49 <br /> 50 Question: Is the transit vision for this corridor a fixed route transit? <br /> 51 Answer: Yes, the majority is fixed route with demand response feeding it. As Transit Emphases Corridor or and <br /> 52 through Transit Oriented Development, additional fixed route services will increase transit access. Currently we <br /> 53 have the Orange-Alamance and in discussion with Mebane for the Mebane circulator. Question: Do we know the <br /> 54 ridership along the corridor? <br /> 55 Answer: Right now, it is poor and the ridership along Orange-Alamance is more of a deviated service since Covid. <br /> 56 It was also advised that since Go triangle just made changes to their ODX route(s). Transit recommendations <br /> 57 include new stops and improvements. Once those are all addressed, it shows a need for a widened road and the <br /> 58 plan recommends a four-lane divided for the corridor. <br /> 59 <br /> 60 Question: Would that be similar to the typical widened section in NC 54? <br /> 61 Answer: NCDOT complete streets will only help pay for improvements such as sidewalks, bike, pedestrian, and <br /> 62 transit improvements through highway projects. <br /> 63 <br /> 64 Question: Is there enough right of way to do it? <br /> 65 Answer: It's 120 feet of right of way which is already filed for US 70 (not 70 business). The DOT already has it. <br /> 66 There are parts of 70 that are only 100 feet. US 70 is also a federal highway. <br /> 67 <br /> 68 There was discussion regarding speed cameras and revenue generation and higher rates of speeding and accidents <br /> 69 post Covid.The four-lane divided highway will end at Buckhorn and Mt.Willing Road. It was recommended to look <br /> 70 at the Efland access management plan regarding the residential zoning and a four-lane divided highway. Mebane <br /> 71 and 70 business are not recommended to be widened at this time. <br /> 72 <br /> 73 Question: How do you put in a divided highway and keep the character of the community & preserve the <br /> 74 environment? There are studies that show the effective way to reduce congestion is to narrow the lanes, not <br /> 75 widen them, how will this work? <br /> 76 Answer: Road diet's such as narrowing lanes or replacing vehicle lanes with bike/ped. Work in urban <br /> 77 environments. The practice is challenging in rural areas due to constant increasing in commuting traffic. The <br /> 78 Existing Condition analysis showed that more and more people are using US 70 and less are using 1-85. 1-85/1-40 <br /> 79 is mainly Burlington to Raleigh, not Mebane, Hillsborough to Durham and vice versa. <br /> 80 <br /> 81 Question: Is this work/plan at the point where the MPOs and Towns have agreed? <br /> 82 Answer: We're looking for as many comments as possible so they can make any changes that need to be done <br /> 83 before it comes back to you in March for your action. Hillsborough and Mebane will take action first,than Orange <br /> 84 County. MPO action will defer to local jurisdictions. <br /> 85 <br /> 86 Question: Has this been vetted by the MPOs at this point? <br /> 87 Answer: Both MPOs are part of the Core Technical Team and meet monthly on the project. <br /> 88 <br /> 89 Question: When those improvements are done, is it required they make it ADA accessible for the bus stops, etc.? <br /> 90 Answer: Yes. When the State does a road improvement, if there is an associated transit component, it is required <br /> 91 to be ADA accessible. A comment was made that advised it depends on the scope of the change, for example, if <br /> 92 the State tears up the asphalt and puts it back, that will not trigger the need for an ADA improvement. If they <br /> 93 were to move the bus stop, then they would have to. There was a discussion of the nuance of when an <br /> 94 improvement is required vs. not. <br />