Title
Public Hearing and Approval of SPOT P4.0 Regional Impact Category Project Priorities and Local Input Points (15 minutes)
Lindsay Smart, LPA Staff
Narrative
Background:
On May 11, 2016, the DCHC MPO Board reviewed and released the preliminary draft assignment of Local Input Points for Regional Impact category projects for public review and comment. During the public review and comment period, revisions were made to the assignment of Local Input Points to projects based on coordination calls with NCDOT Rail Division, other MPO partners, and the anticipation of the outcome of the state budget session. The attachment for this item presents the revised list of Local Input Points that reflects priorities for Regional Impact category projects. The revisions that were made to the assignment of points are as follows:
Previous:
100 points - R141979: Construct extension of East Durham Siding. Includes a combination of grade separations and closure at three crossings: Ellis Road - south end (734737A), Glover Road (734735L), and Wrenn Road (734736T)
92 points - H111011: Widen NC 751 (Hope Valley Road) to Four Lanes with a Median with Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Facilities As Appropriate from NC 54 to Southpoint Auto Park Blvd.
Revised:
0 points - R141979: Construct extension of East Durham Siding. Includes a combination of grade separations and closure at three crossings: Ellis Road - south end (734737A), Glover Road (734735L), and Wrenn Road (734736T).
0 points - H111011: Widen NC 751 (Hope Valley Road) to Four Lanes with a Median with Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit Facilities As Appropriate from NC 54 to Southpoint Auto Park Blvd.
100 points - T130035: D-O LRT - contingent upon outcome of state budget session.
18 points - R150274: Piedmont Service - Purchase five new bi-level passenger cars for future Piedmont service between Raleigh and Charlotte.
50 points - T150454: GoTriangle Expansion Vehicles CRX Route - purchase five expansion vehicles purchased to increase frequency. (50pts is the maximum number of points that DCHC MPO could assign to this project because the project is in CAMPO and DCHC MPO.)
24 points - T150450: GoTriangle Holloway Street - Transit Corridor improvements - access and stop improvements. GoDurham 3, 16, 16A, 16B. (24pts is the remainder of available points in the Regional Impact category.)
Explanation:
The Ellis Road north grade separation Rail project ranked as a higher priority in the Traffic Separation Study then any of the crossing eliminations that are included in the East Durham Siding project. Additionally, the Ellis Road north grade separation Rail project also received a higher Safety & Suitability score in the SPOT P4.0 process than the East Durham Siding project because of the number of accidents that have occurred from the switching.
The East Durham Siding project has a Cost to NCDOT of $49.2M. If this project is funded in the Regional Impact category, only one other DCHC MPO project (GoTriangle UNC Neighborhood Transit Center) will also be funded because of the limited amount of funding available in the Regional Impact category. If no Local Input Points are assigned to the East Durham Siding project, five additional public transportation projects (GoTriangle Garage Expansion, GoTriangle Future Rougemont Route, GoTriangle DRX Expansion, GoTriangle Expansion Vehicles CRX Route, GoTriangle Holloway Street Transit Corridor Improvements) and three additional Rail projects (Ellis Road north grade separation, Cornwallis Road grade separation, Future Piedmont Service passenger car purchase) would be more likely to receive funding in the Regional Impact category.
Additional information and support for the purchase of Piedmont Service passenger cars (R150274)
Purchasing 5 bi-level cars will add passenger capacity to Piedmont trips between Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, including upcoming 4th and 5th frequencies. The lower deck of these bi-level cars will allow for easier access for customers with disabilities and improve safety while loading passengers. Bi-level cars reduce station delay by providing a more efficient level platform for boarding.
The revision made to the assignment of Local Input Points for Regional Impact category projects was made after the May DCHC TC meeting so the Technical Subcommittee met to discuss the revision. The Technical Subcommittee recommends the following:
1. The MPO Board approve the revised list of Regional Impact category project priorities as shown in the attachment.
2. No Local Input Points be assigned to R141979, the East Durham Siding project.
3. The MPO Board authorize the TC and the Technical Subcommittee to meet again later in June and/or possibly early July to make any minor adjustments to the assignment of Local Input Points, per the adopted MPO Methodology, to only assign the needed number of points to each project to get the project funded.
4. The MPO Board authorize the TC and the Technical Subcommittee to assign Local Input Points to the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit (D-O LRT), if there is an opportunity to assign Local Input Points to the project and once again reaffirm that the project is one of the highest priority projects in the Regional Impact category by placing the maximum number of allowable points on the D-O LRT project.
Recommendation
Technical Subcommittee Action: Recommended that the DCHC MPO Board support and approve the Regional Impact category project priorities as shown in the attachment and the four (4) recommendations listed above from the Technical Subcommittee.
Board Action
Board Action: Review, support, and hold a public hearing for the Regional Impact category project priorities. Approve the Regional Impact category project priorities as shown in the attachment and explained in the four (4) recommendations from the Technical Subcommittee.