TITLE: Title
Update on the Status of Transportation Projects - Merritt Mill/Franklin/East Main/Brewer (TIP #U-5847)
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is to provide the Board with an update on the status of the intersection improvement project with a focus on possible designs and anticipated timelines for moving forward.
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DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT INFORMATION: Christina Moon - 919-918-7325, Patricia McGuire - 919-918-7327
INFORMATION: Conceptual intersection improvements for the five-way intersection at Merritt Mill Road, Franklin Street, East Main Street and Brewer Lane, recommended as part of the 2005 Downtown Circulation Study, were programmed for funding in the 2016-2025 STIP with an anticipated timeline of construction occurring in FY2019. The project which crosses the jurisdictional line between Carrboro and Chapel Hill has proven challenging, due in part to the skewed alignment of the existing road network and in part due to its categorization as a highway project with an intended focus on improving vehicular level of service (LOS).
The Board of Aldermen has received updates on the project on May 10, 2016 and June 6, 2017. On August 29th, elected officials and staff from Carrboro and Chapel Hill met with NCDOT to review the status of the project, to discuss aspects of the different design scenarios that seemed problematic and to convey a shared interest in improving facilities for bike-ped as well as for cars and transit. The proposal for a five-way roundabout (or "beanabout") was noted as one of the designs that seemed to achieve some vehicular LOS improvement, but the need for right-of-way acquisition was not insignificant and enhancements for bike-ped users were minimal. Potential costs for bike-ped improvements for this project have yet to be determined but, for highway projects in general, such costs are typically assigned to the local jurisdiction as a cost share or match.
At the close of the August meeting, a representa...
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