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Authorization to submit the NC-54 Corridor Plan for funding through the TWTPO Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)
PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND: The purpose of this item is to request Town Council authorization to submit and enter into an agreement with the Triangle West Transportation Planning Organization (TWTPO) for funding for the NC-54 Corridor Plan. A resolution has been provided (Attachment A). The NC-54 Corridor Plan is identified as a priority project in the Carrboro Connects Comprehensive Plan. The plan will look at land-use and transportation impacts and improvements along the NC-54 corridor, with particular focus on the Carrboro Plaza and Willow Creek shopping centers, as well as multimodal transportation improvements along the corridor. The plan will also consider improvements at the Town boundaries with Orange County and the Town of Chapel Hill.
TWTPO has an annual call for special projects as part of the Unified Planning Work Plan (UPWP) program. The UPWP is an annual statement of work that outlines the transportation planning priorities, activities, and budget for a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) or other designated planning entity. More information about the UPWP can be found in the memo from TWTPO (Attachment B). The adoption of an annual UPWP is a requirement under federal transportation planning regulations. Examples of similar projects that have been funded by the TWTPO under the UPWP include the NS-BRT project in Chapel Hill, the NC-54 Plan in Durham County, and the City of Durham Parking and Economic Development Study. Information from the corridor plan will help inform new standards for the new Unified Development Ordinance.
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Department
DEPARTMENT: Planning Department
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Fiscal and Staff Impact
FISCAL AND STAFF IMPACT: Awarded special projects as part of the Unified Planning Work Plan (UPWP) program require a 20% local match. $150,000 was allocated toward the NC-54 corridor plan in the adopted FY26-27 budget. To achieve the total envisioned budget for the project ($400,000) the Town will need to provide an $80,000 local match, which can come entirely from the already allocated funding for the project.
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Community Impact
COMMUNITY IMPACT: The NC-54 Corridor Plan will build on the identified future land use changes and transportation and mobility improvements identified in the comprehensive plan. The Comprehensive Plan identified needs for both addressing the affordable housing gap, as well as protecting naturally occurring affordable housing in the town. The NC-54 corridor includes some of the densest residential developments and apartment complexes and is scoped to explore how areas can redevelop while limiting displacement of Carrboro families and residents. Building on the success of engagement of the Downtown Area Plan, community members will have an opportunity to refine the vision and define the goals and objectives for long-range planning along the corridor.
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Climate Impact
CLIMATE IMPACT: NC-54 serves as a main route transportation route to and through Carrboro; the plan’s focus on multimodal transportation improvements will help drive policies and infrastructure changes that promote transportation choices and work towards a reduction in single occupancy motor vehicle trips and associated greenhouse gas emissions by travelers of the corridor. Portions of the NC-54 corridor to be studied are downstream from areas that have been identified for in-fill through the Downtown Area Plan. In framing this project as implementation of Carrboro Connects, staff anticipate that the plan will consider high-level stormwater impacts and how residents, developers, and the Town can address climate change with growth along the corridor.
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