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