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Development Update on Draft 2028-2037 STIP - Consideration of Transportation Projects for SPOT Prioritization 8.0
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is to provide the Town Council with an update on the development of the 2028-2037 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), the prioritization schedule, and the proposed list of Town projects for consideration for SPOT Prioritization 8.0 (P8).
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Department
DEPARTMENT: Planning
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Council Direction
COUNCIL DIRECTION:
_X_ Race/Equity _X_ Climate _X_ Comprehensive Plan _X_ Other
Council Direction Statement
The projects recommended for consideration in the P8 process have been identified in the Comprehensive Plan and Bicycle Plan as priority projects that advance multimodal travel options which further the Town’s efforts toward climate action and race/equity. Pocket questions have been provided as Attachment B.
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Information
INFORMATION: About every two to three years, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) develops a State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) to identify funding and schedule transportation projects for a period of ten years. NCDOT selects these projects using a data-driven prioritization process established by the Strategic Transportation Investments (STI) law, adopted in 2013. (Information about STI may be found at the following link: NCDOT: Strategic Transportation Investments <https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/Transportation/stip/Pages/strategic-transportation-investments.aspx>).
Work on SPOT Prioritization 7.0 (P7) began in late 2022 and will wrap up this spring with adoption of the 2026-2035 STIP by the N.C. Board of Transportation anticipated for March and final approval by the Federal Highway Administration expected by June of this year. While some new projects were approved during P7 statewide, unlike SPOT Prioritization 6.0 (P6), which was cancelled due to a significant lack of funding, there was limited funding available overall. A limited number of statewide mobility projects were programmed, none in Orange or Durham Counties (there were X in Wake County). NCDOT Division 7, which includes Carrboro, is paired with Division 9 for Regional Impact purposes, and was one of the few regions in the state to have funding for new projects.
There were two new projects partially within Carrboro programmed at the Regional Impact level:
• Durham to Carrboro BRT ($40,000,000). It is not known where in Carrboro the BRT route would terminate at this time, but it is likely that this is intended to be an upgrade of GoTriangle Bus Route 405, which terminates at Collins Crossing apartments on Jones Ferry Rd and stops in Downtown Carrboro on its way to Downtown Durham.
• Chapel Hill Citywide Signal System ($15,610,000). Will upgrade the traffic signal system in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Will include transit signal priority.
It was initially indicated that there would be available funding at the Division Needs level for Division 7, but no additional projects were programmed at that level for the division. This means that no new bike/ped projects were programmed, as bike/ped projects are only considered at the Division Needs level.
Carrboro submitted three bike/ped projects as part of the P7 process:
• Morgan Creek Greenway - Phase 2.
• NC Old 86 - Bike lanes and sidewalk from Farm House Rd to Homestead Rd
• Seawell School Rd - Sidepath from Estes Dr to Homestead Rd
Based on the initial scoring for P7, staff is recommending the following projects:
Resubmittal as part of P8
• Seawell School Road Sidepath (Bike/Ped project: local match required). This will involve coordination with Chapel Hill.
• NC 54 Sidepath Project (Bike/Ped project: local match required). The project, formerly funded for design only in the STIP, lost funding as a result of P7. The path would run from Anderson Park to James Street along NC 54. We are not sure if this will be considered a carryover project or will need to be submitted as a “holding tank” project (a project that has been submitted for scoring but was not programmed.
• Phase 2 of the Morgan Creek Greenway (Bike/Ped project: local match required). Phase 1 is under design, an Engineer’s Estimate for Phase 2 has been prepared. Completion of Phase 2 would extend the project close to the final destination points of University Lake via existing formal and informal paths.
Possible new projects for P8 submittal
Phase 2 of the Bolin Creek Greenway - Construction (Bike/Ped project: local match required). Connection from the Jones Creek Greenway to Lake Hogan Farms Trail by way of Turtleback Crossing Drive.
Phases 3 and 4 of the Bolin Creek Greenway (Bike/Ped project: local match required). An extension of the Bolin Creek Greenway to connect the existing Wilson Park Trail (Phase 1a) and the segment of the Greenway adjacent to Chapel Hill High School/Smith Middle School/Seawell Elementary School (Phase 1b).
Additional P8 Recommendation
• Based on the previous experience with SPOT, staff is recommending at this point that the Old NC 86/Hillsborough Road from Farmhouse Road to Calvander bike lanes and sidewalk improvement project not be resubmitted. Staff will coordinate with NCDOT, Orange County, and TWTPO for potential alternative funding.
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Fiscal and Staff Impact
FISCAL IMPACT: There are no fiscal impacts for considering this item. Future fiscal impacts are dependent on the selection of projects during the P8.0 process; staff would bring back a future agenda item for consideration.
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Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION: The Town Manager recommends that the Town Council adopt the attached resolution to receiving the update and reaffirming the Town’s interest in these projects.