Agenda - 08-25-2008- c2 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Chapter 9: Transportation Element ~... 2 ORANGE COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN 3 The Orange Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard) initiated development of a 4 comprehensive transportation plan in 2008 that will set county-wide long-term transportation 5 goals for roads, transit (bus and rail), and pedestrian/bicycle facilities. The intent of the plan 6 is to have a series of maps and specific strategies for implementing the County's vision of an 7 inter-connected and multi-modal transportation network. The OUTBoard has developed a 8 framework for the plan that is provided in Appendix J: Draft Framework for Orange County 9 Comprehensive Transportation Plan. 10 11 This Transportation Element includes an objective to develop and adopt a comprehensive 12 transportation plan within two years of adoption of the Comprehensive Plan. 13 14 KEY ISSUES 15 Several key issues have been raised through during past transportation planning efforts that 16 set the stage for developing transportation policies and implementation strategies. These are: 1'7 There is a strong desire to provide more multi-modal opportunities for 18 commuting and. traveling to key points of interest in the County, such as UNC- 19 Chapel Hill's main campus and the future Carolina North campus, the new 20 County campus in downtown Hillsborough, and other destinations. Success of 21 future transit, bicycle and pedestrian modes is largely dependent upon the 22 location, pattern, and density of future developments in the County. Mixed- 23 use, higher density developments are advantageous for promoting use of 24 alternative modes of travel. 25 Reducing carbon emissions and increasing energy efficiency of the 26 County's transportation system is paramount. Guiding principles of this Plan 27 include encouraging energy efficiency and reducing air pollution in the County. 2$ Commuting trends in the County show that more miles are being driven per 29 person over time. Increased use of energy efficient, low-emissions vehicles and 30 the shortening of commutes by locating residential, commercial, and 31 employment developments in closer proximity can help achieve these County 32 goals. 33 Regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations in the Research Triangle region 34 have concluded that providing well-planned and timely major regional transit 35 investments is a very important part of maintaining the Triangle region's 36 current levels of transportation mobility, high quality of life and economic 3'7 prosperity. While plans for federal funding are now on hold, regional partners 3$ are preparing a set of recommended major transit investments to serve the 39 Research Triangle region. As this strategic planning moves forward, the County 40 will need to ensure that new developments are appropriate and will reinforce 41 the use of potential future transit services. 42 Development of the new University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill campus -- 43 Carolina North -- will be a high priority for transportation planning in the 44 coming years. While the campus is located in Chapel Hill and near Interstate- 45 40, it is likely there will be workers commuting from and through other parts of 46 the County to get to this new employment center. This campus is an ideal 4'7 opportunity for using alternative modes of transportation to move workers to Ora~e~Catw~ty CampE~e~+~vve~PZa~w Public Hearing Draft 5-6-08 Page 9-18