TITLE: Title
Implementation of East Main Street Restriping
PURPOSE: The purpose of this item is to provide an update on the implementation of the E Main Street Restriping Plan.
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DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT INFORMATION: Zachary Hallock, 919-918-7329, zhallock@townofcarrboro.org <mailto:zhallock@townofcarrboro.org>; Tina Moon, 919-918-7325, cmoon@townofcarrboro.org <mailto:cmoon@townofcarrboro.org>; Patricia McGuire, 919-918-7327, pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org <mailto:pmcguire@townofcarrboro.org>
INFORMATION: NCDOT Division 7 has informed the Town that the previously scheduled resurfacing of East Main Street has been postponed until the summer of 2021 and indicated they would consider a temporary installation. Working with NCDOT staff and Stantec, the consultant working on the E. Main Street permanent reconfiguration plan, steps needed to install temporary bike lanes on E Main Street have been identified.
Additional modifications than those that will occur in conjunction with the resurfacing are necessary due to the current locations of the loop detectors, the existing railroad preemption timing, and the signal timing proposed as a result of the operational analysis. Consequently, additional design and construction efforts, and associated costs, would be incurred. Furthermore, there are potentially hazardous conditions along the section of the pavement where the bike lane would be striped including manhole covers, storm drains, and uneven pavement. Staff had begun to evaluate these existing conditions in order to document existing hazards so that when the resurfacing occurs they would be addressed as completely as possible.
Staff also discussed with NCDOT Division 7 the interest in installing a mid-block crosswalk on the 300 Block of E Main. NCDOT expressed concerns about safety with the midblock locations due to motor vehicle queueing which would occur during the peak hours, but were receptive to adding a crosswalk across E Main St at its intersection with W Rosemary Street.
Currently, staff are working with the consultant to finalize the Pavement Marking Plan for the permanent reconfiguration based on comments received from NCDOT. Additional scope is being developed to include work to develop 25% design signal plans, temporary signal plans, and final signal plans. These signal modifications will be required whether the Town proceeds with a temporary installation or if the decision is made to wait until the resurfacing to install new markings. There will need to be two sets of traffic signal plans developed and two sets of traffic signal modifications made. This is due to the fact that because of the current pavement condition, the temporary marking plans will not be the same as the final marking plans due to changes needed to address safety issues where the bike lanes would be located. Current cost estimates to implement the temporary pavement markings/signal modifications, final pavement markings/signal modifications, and optional crosswalk @ Rosemary St are described below.
25% Signal Design & Cost Estimates:………………………………………………...….$7,500
This work, mentioned above, will develop 25% signal design plans to inform the engineer’s estimate for the Temporary Traffic Signal Modifications, Temporary Pavement Markings, and Final Traffic Signal Modifications. The Engineer’s Estimate can help provide greater certainty as to the construction cost of the necessary improvements. Chapel Hill Traffic Engineering has indicated that we can expect the construction to cost at least $10,000 per signal modification; though without a basis in design the cost could be higher depending on the details.
Temporary Traffic Signal Design………………………………………………………$33,000
Temporary Traffic Signal Installations…………………………………………………….TBD
Temporary Pavement Markings………………………………………………………...$10,000
These three items include all work related to the temporary pavement markings and associated signal plan design and modifications. Due to the existing pavement conditions, the final pavement marking plan (which was submitted to NCDOT) cannot be replicated for the temporary conditions. Modifications to the marking plan is required in order to safely designate a bike lane on East Main Street.
Final Traffic Signal Design………………………………………………………………$36,000
Final Traffic Signal Modifications………………………………………………………….TBD
These two items include all work related to the final pavement markings (which have been submitted to NCDOT) and the associated signal design and modifications which would need to be made in order to accommodate the changes in pavement markings. The temporary markings and signal modifications are not required to proceed with the final modifications. The resurfacing is currently anticipated to occur in the summer of 2021, which is when these final modifications would be made.
Optional Crosswalk on E Main @ Rosemary (Design & Construction)……………$60,000
This additional scope, would include design and construction for a signalized crosswalk (including pedestrian signals and curb ramps) on the western leg of E Main at W Rosemary, so that people can cross E Main without having to wait to cross two legs. Work on this would be incorporated into the final pavement marking plan and installation would be coordinated with the resurfacing project.
As was noted in the approval letter, the town’s responsibility will include signal modifications and installation/construction. Staff will bring back an agenda item at a later date to request authorization for the Town Manager to enter into a contract for those activities.
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: None noted in association with receiving this report.
RECOMMENDATION:r Staff recommends that the Council consider the resolution provided (Attachment A), which accepts the report and expresses interest in proceeding with the reconfiguration in conjunction with NCDOT’s planned resurfacing in summer 2021.