NC-54/I-40 CORRIDORBLUEPRINT FOR MOBILITY

November 18, 2009

Public Workshop #1

Presentation Topics• Study background and objectives

• Overview of key issues and desired outcomes– Stakeholder perspectives– Initial focus group discussions

• Work tasks, schedule and milestones

• Tonight’s workshop activities – guiding scenarios for the corridor

Project Objectives• Clearly define a realistic

“blueprint” for an integrated growth and mobility strategy for the corridor

• Establish a development framework that strengthens travel options and reduces vehicle miles of travel (VMT)

• Improve operations and safety, and reduce delay

• Define project priorities and phasing linked to timing of growth

Steering Committee• Comprised of local agency staff, NCDOT,

UNC

•Meet monthly to guide study process

• Focal point for development of technical and policy recommendations to governing bodies

Study Partners• DCHC MPO*• NC Department of Transportation• Triangle Transit• City of Durham*• Durham County*• Town of Chapel Hill*• UNC• Chapel Hill Transit• DATA

Consulting Team

* Funding Partners

Vision Exercise

NC 54/I-40 Key Issues• Principal access to major activity

centers in SW Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and beyond

• I-40 interchange at NC 54 ranked as the top congested location in the region

• Study area growth is rapidly outpacing highway capacity

• Mobility depends on further developing other travel options

Corridor Context• NC 54 traffic grew 30% in last

decade– 1997: 35,000 vehicles per day – 2007: Increased to 47,000

• Similar rate of increase for I-40

• Highest traffic growth on Farrington and Barbee Chapel Roads

– Traffic levels have doubled in 10 years– Environmental and residential

constraints limit corridor options

• Multiple local and express bus routes serving the corridor

Scenario Planning• Create and test impacts of alternative future

outcomes to define overall vision

• Assess policy trade-offs for integrated land use-transportation strategies

• Comparison of various growth options– Trend build-out scenario– Transit Oriented Development– Neighborhood and environmental preservation– Evaluate impacts: transportation,

environment, economic, energy

• Select preferred scenario to guide Corridor Master Plan (“blueprint”)

Study StepsTasks• Project initiation and prepare

prepare corridor profile

• Develop scenarios

• Evaluate and select preferred scenario

• Prepare land use-transportation master plan (“corridor blueprint”)

• Present and document recommendations

Public Guidance Milestones

Nov ‘09

Feb ‘10

May ‘10

Focus Group Discussions• Held with key stakeholders in mid-

October

• Help understand the project area and relevant issues from different perspectives

• Identify issues to discuss at the public workshops

• Get feedback on specific issues identified to date

• Solicit input for other stakeholder groups and important individuals to target for participation in the process

Focus Group Review• Six groups identified:

– Commuters, businesses & developers, neighborhoods and environmental interests, policymakers, transit, and bicycle/pedestrian

• Common themes:– Fix problem intersections– Improve bicycling & walking conditions– Improve local and regional transit service– Higher-density development at transit stops – Context sensitivity

Focus Group Review• Commuters:

– OPPORTUNITY More park and ride capacity, bus only lanes or bus priority lanes

• Business & Developers:– OPPORTUNITY Better location of park and ride lots,

high occupancy vehicles in peak hours, transit-oriented development

• Neighborhood & Environmental Interests:– OPPORTUNITY Improve ability to cross either at

grade or via grade separation

Focus Group Review• Policymakers:

– OPPORTUNITY Complete street, viable phasing of improvements, raise awareness of planning needs, improve traffic flow

• Bicycle and Pedestrian Users/Advocates:– OPPORTUNITY Trail connections between neighborhoods

and transit stops, improve interchange area road design to better accommodate bicycling

• Transit Users/Advocates:– OPPORTUNITY improve transit service coordination, nail

down rail alignment, determine density of development in the corridor, improve sidewalks and bicycle networks

• Additional written comments received

Website and Notices• Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO web site

– www.nc54-i40corridorstudy.com– Project materials, updates, summaries, maps

and presentations

• Continued development of contact list (e-mail, mailing addresses)

Corridor Profile• Assemble prior studies and

data

• Analyze existing multimodal transportation networks

• Develop trend scenario– 2035 horizon– Adopted plans and

development potential– Anticipated travel demand and

implications

• Define performance measures

Master Plan Blueprint• Flesh out details for preferred

scenario– Short- and long-range strategies– Implementation plan

• Transportation project needs and priorities– I-40 interchange functional design– Multimodal network connectivity

and quality of service

• Land use strategy and design guidelines

Schedule and Milestones•10th month study complete in May 2010

•Key milestones:– Conditions & Trends (Corridor Profile) – Draft

November 2009– Select preferred scenario – March 2010– Corridor master plan blueprint – May 2010

Food for Thought

How might the corridor change in the future?

How should the corridor change in the future?

Trend ScenarioDevelopment at Current Zoning Intensities

Highway Commercialand Office Development

Highway Commercial

ResidentialDevelopment on

Vacant Land

Improved Highway Capacity

Scenario 1?Medical City as Transit-Oriented Development Anchor

Redevelop Friday Center as a High Intensity

Medical Complex

Medical Offices

Transit Supportive Village Center

Workforce Housing

Medical Offices

Scenario 2?Environmental Stewardship and Alternative Transportation

Smaller Scale NodalDevelopment

Preserved and EnhancedGreenway System

Passive Recreation Opportunities,

Trails, Wildlife CorridorsOff-Road Bike Trails

Campus-style LowerDensity Development

Workshop Process•Today’s workshop objectives:

– Confirm the corridor issues & opportunities– Identify performance measures/indicators– Guide development of scenarios

• Workshop #2: Review evaluation and define preferred scenario

• Workshop #3: Refine corridor “blueprint”

Issues and Opportunities

Please discuss and add to the Issues and Opportunities map at each table. This is intended to help guide the rest of the workshop process.

Sample discussion points;

What is missing in the community? What would you like to see? What would you notlike to see?

What character could emerge from growth?

Workshop Process Step 1 – Issues and Opportunities

Workshop Base Map

A large scale map at each table is used to record the group’s ideas. Please put the table number on the map and a list of participants’ names.

Step 2 – Future Corridor Vision: The Canvas

Workshop Base Map

Community Elements

Menus at each table define a range of Community Elements representing different types and intensities of growth.

EmploymentCommercialMixed-UseResidential

Transit Areas

The circles on the base map represent ¼ and ½ mile walking distance from the proposed station locations.

White areas are either vacant land or land that could potentially redevelop. These are the primary areas available for new development.

Step 2 – Future Corridor Vision: The Canvas

Community Element MenusSheets representing different types of development are available at each table. This is the palette of options for growth in the station areas.

Future Corridor Vision – The Palette

Workshop Base Map

VCH – Village Center High

HC - Hospital Campus

VRH - Village Residential High

VRL - Village Residential Low

2. Define area on the map and designate Community Element from the menu

1. Using the small station area handouts, determine which Community Elements are most appropriate for each area

Step 3 – Future Corridor Vision: Painting the Picture

Workshop Base Map

HC VRHVRL

Draw logical connections for each mode if necessary.

VRL

New road connections

New transit connections

Other opportunities or obstacles

New pedestrian/bicycle/ greenway connections

Step 3 – Future Corridor Vision: Final Details (New Connections)

NC-54/I-40 CORRIDORBLUEPRINT FOR MOBILITY

Next StepsTasks• Develop scenarios

• Evaluate and select preferred scenario

• Prepare land use-transportation master plan

(“corridor blueprint”)

Public Guidance Milestones

Feb ‘10

May ‘10

www.nc54-i40corridorstudy.com