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ORANGE TRANSPORTATION <br /> COUNTY GOVERNMENT <br /> TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT <br /> COUNTY <br /> NoKm CALIQLLNA PUBLIC TRANSIT <br /> OrangeCounty <br /> Item 5.b. <br /> Subject: US 70 Multimodal Corridor Study <br /> Attachment: Draft US 70 Study <br /> PURPOSE: To recommend Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approve US 70 Multimodal <br /> Corridor Study. <br /> BACKGROUND: In 2019, Board of County Commissioners approved the US 70 as a county priority <br /> for consideration in the state's Strategic Prioritization of Transportation (SPOT) process. VHB <br /> recently completed the US 70 Multimodal Corridor Study. It presents a comprehensive <br /> understanding that safety and congestion issues would be addressed through the state's highway <br /> mobility and complete streets process for multimodal accommodations. <br /> Key Highlights <br /> • US 70 be designated Transit Emphasis Corridor with specific transit improvements. <br /> • Multimodal recommendations are bike lanes,sidewalks, multiuse path, and transit access <br /> • Reduce speed but widen east of Mebane for all uses, improve safety, and mobility. <br /> NCDOT Complete Streets (link) and County Complete Street Policy <br /> All highway projects now go through a comprehensive "complete" use assessment. The <br /> Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) is the governing document for the state's new <br /> Complete Street Policy and its implementation. Per the new policy, "during the Comprehensive <br /> Transportation Planning process, bicycle, pedestrian, transit, and other multimodal usage shall <br /> be presumed to exist along and across certain corridors." NCDOT recognizes that an individual <br /> user is a pedestrian, bicyclist,transit rider, EV/gas vehicle driver, etc., and often times in the same <br /> day. Therefore, the policy dictates "Consideration of multimodal elements will begin at the <br /> inception of the transportation planning process and the decisions made will be documented." <br /> Orange County BOCC also adopted a Complete Street and Vision Zero policy on October 2022. <br /> Local Authorization—UDO and Collector Street Plans <br /> The Orange County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) section 2.5.3.(v) and reiterated in <br /> section 6.10.A.1.(b), includes the requirements for reserving and dedicating right of way or <br /> requiring road construction listed in locally adopted Collector Street Plans or on the CTP. Specific <br /> mention is also made to the dedication of right of way based on the concepts shown on the CTP <br /> and locally adopted transportation plans, in accordance with N.C.G.S. § 136 66.2 and § 136 66.10. <br /> Orange County currently has three locally adopted transportation plans: <br /> • Efland-Buckhorn-Mebane and Orange Grove Road Access Management Plans <br /> • Eno River Economic Development Access Management Plan <br /> • NC 54 Multimodal Corridor Study (East and West) <br /> 600 Hwy 86 N - Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 <br /> Phone (919) 245-2008 - Fax(919) 732-2137 <br /> orangecountync.gov/transportation <br />