Agenda 05-07-24; 6-b - Approval of the Orange County US 70 Multimodal Corridor Study (MCS)

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76 US 70 Multimodal Corridor Study 4.6.1 Pedestrian and Bicycle Crashes Four pedestrian crashes and zero bicycle crashes were reported along the corridor between August 2017 and July 2022, as summarized in Table 18. Many bicycle or pedestrian "near-misses" are not reported and are, therefore, unsubstantiated. Both travelling along US 70 and crossing US 70 are potentially hazardous, given the lack of appropriate accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists. Traffic speeds, rolling terrain, driver expectations, and access locations all contribute to crash potential, and suggest that pedestrian and bicycle travel in this corridor is suppressed due to discomfort and risk. Vehicle safety is typically measured in terms of crash history; given that many bicycle and pedestrian trips are trips are foregone due to the above reasons, crash history is not a reliable indicator of conditions related to bicycle and pedestrian safety. Given the potential amount of latent demand and the scarcity of crash data, bicycle and pedestrian safety are generally assessed differently from vehicular crashes, relying more on physical conditions. A similar approach is applied to railroad safety as well, due to the infrequent—but typically severe--nature of such rail crashes. Table 18 Bicycle and Pedestrian Crashes (August 2017 - July 2022) Day of Nearest Road Ambient Date Time Location Severity Surface Week Intersection Condition Light Jul Orange County 10:03 Buckhorn Possible Dark - Not 2021 Thursday PM Rd Injury (C) Dry Lighted Jul 2:44 Hillsborough, Faucette Evident 2021 Sunday PM Orange County Mill Rd Injury (B) Dry Daylight Feb 7:36 Hillsborough, Faucette Evident Dark - 2020 Tuesday PM Orange County Mill Rd Injury (B) Dry Lighted Jan 9:38 Hillsborough, Possible Dark - 2020 Friday PM Orange County NC 86 Injury (C) Dry Lighted 4.6.2 Large Vehicle Crashes Sixty-two crashes involving large vehicles were reported along US 70 between Mebane and NC 751, including one fatal crash and four B-injury crashes as well as multiple C-injury crashes. This crash rate appears to be generally proportionate to the volume of trucks relative to total traffic (i.e., there did not appear to be an outsized number of truck crashes relative to the percentage of truck traffic.) The fatal crash involved a truck rear-ending a vehicle leading to a multicar crash in a construction zone when traffic was stopped by a flagger near W Hill Avenue (SR 1161). The largest cluster of truck crashes occurred in Hillsborough near Churton Street (NC 86) including three school bus crashes.All three school bus crashes were rear ends that occurred in the morning around 7:30 am –8:30 am. Most truck crashes occurred in urban areas along the corridor and about 40% occurred within municipal limits.The truck crashes that occurred in more rural areas along the corridor tended to be rear end and fixed object crashes indicating the possibility of speeding and unexpected stops as attributable factors. Eight crashes involving large vehicles were reported along US 70 Bus from Churton Street (SR 1009) in Downtown Hillsborough to slightly before Palmers Grove Church Road including one A-injury crash and one B-injury crash as well as multiple C-injury crashes.The A-injury crash involved a left-turning passenger vehicle striking another on Churton Street (SR 1009) at US 70 Bus leading to a multicar crash including a bus. The B-injury crash involved a truck running off the road to the left and striking a utility pole then a house near Efland Street.The largest cluster of truck crashes occurred in Hillsborough near Churton Street (NC 86) including three school bus crashes.All three school bus crashes were rear ends that occurred in the morning around 7:30 am –8:30 am. 67 Existing Conditions and Critical Issues