Title
MPO Board Bicycle and Pedestrian Discussion Issues (15 minutes)
Dale McKeel, LPA Staff
Narrative
At its September 13 meeting, the MPO Board requested that LPA staff invite Secretary of Transportation Jim Trogden or Deputy Secretary Julie White to a future meeting to discuss concerns with bicycle and pedestrian transportation funding and policies. In advance of this meeting, the MPO Board indicated a desire to have a session to discuss issues for discussion with NCDOT staff. To assist with this process, LPA staff has put together a list of potential issues for discussion:
• Modify the Strategic Transportation Initiatives scoring process so that projects that improve bicycle and pedestrian safety are prioritized above projects that temporarily cut motorists’ travel time.
• Modify the Strategic Transportation Initiatives process so that the funding between modes is more closely aligned to funding split in the DCHC Metropolitan Transportation Plan.
• Revise policies and funding processes so that bike lanes and wide shoulders can be provided on secondary roads to improve safety for bicyclists.
• Eliminate the local government cost share for pedestrian facilities that are incidental to highway projects.
• Ensure that policies applicable to bridge construction also apply to culverts.
• Endorse NCDOT maintenance of all bicycle facilities within NCDOT right-of-way, including bike lanes and shared use paths.
• Ensure that the funding of facilities incentivizes and supports the selection of the most appropriate pedestrian and bicycle facility on NCDOT projects.
• Revise policies and design standards, such as those for street trees, guardrails, and streetlights, that can adversely impact the provision of facilities for people walking and biking on NCDOT-maintained streets.
• Develop a strategy for provision and maintenance of sidewalks and shared-use paths in NCDOT right-of-way in urbanizing rural areas to promote walkability and connectivity (changes to s...
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