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Consider a Preferred Option for Fordham Boulevard Sidepath Project.
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Staff: |
Department: |
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Judy Johnson, Interim Director |
Planning |
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Bergen Watterson, Transportation Planning Manager |
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Bill Webster, Planning and Development Manager |
Parks and Recreation |
Overview: The purpose of this item is to request guidance from Council on the preferred option for the Fordham Boulevard Sidepath Project.
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Recommendation(s): |
That the Council adopt Resolution A, B, or C related to the Fordham Boulevard Sidepath project:
• Resolution A authorizes the sidepath being built along Fordham Boulevard
• Resolution B authorizes the ‘shared street’ concept, including a sidewalk on Hickory Drive
• Resolution C authorizes the ‘shared street’ concept without a sidewalk on Hickory Drive
Key Issues:
• Staff presented information about each proposed option for the Sidepath at the February 26, 2020 Council meeting.
• Residents living in the Little Ridgefield neighborhood (adjacent to the proposed sidepath) have expressed concerns related to safety, noise, and loss of vegetative buffer along Fordham Boulevard. Staff expanded the design contract scope to include analyses of these concerns and options for addressing them.
• The neighbors have proposed a ‘shared street <https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/streets/residential-shared-street/>’ concept, which would route bicycles and pedestrians onto neighborhood streets, from Ridgefield Road to Willow Drive, where users would share the roads with vehicles.
• The design consultant developed three alternate designs for the segment between Ridgefield Road and Willow Drive:
o sidepath running along Fordham Boulevard as originally proposed
o shared street along Hickory Drive
o shared street along Hickory Drive with a sidewalk on one side
• If the scope of the project changes from what was originally proposed, Town staff will have to renegotiate the Municipal Agreement with NCDOT. Potential outcomes of this include:
o NCDOT approval and funding to upgrade existing sidepath and shared street alternative
o loss of federal funding for the project
o Town required to return the funds already spent on the project
Fiscal Impact/Resources: The project has an approved budget of $1,058,000, including $846,400 in federal funds (80%) and a local match of $211,600 (20%) from the 2015 Streets and Sidewalks Bond Funds issued in February 2017.
Where is this item in its process?
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Attachments: |
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• Resolution A - sidepath along Fordham Boulevard |
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• Resolution B - shared street along Hickory Drive with sidewalk on one side |
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• Resolution C - shared street along Hickory Drive without a sidewalk |
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• Staff Memorandum |
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• Draft Staff Presentation |
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• Transportation and Connectivity Advisory Board Recommendation |
Resolution A
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO PROCEED WITH DESIGN OF THE FORDHAM BOULEVARD SIDEPATH PROJECT WITHIN THE NCDOT RIGHT-OF-WAY FROM RIDGEFIELD ROAD TO WILLOW DRIVE (2020-03-04/R-6)
WHEREAS, the Town has explored various options for the Fordham Boulevard Sidepath from Ridgefield Road to Willow Drive; and
WHEREAS, the sidepath will eventually be a segment of a much larger integrated sidepath network along Fordham Boulevard, extending from Glen Lennox to Old Durham-Chapel Hill Road; and
WHEREAS, the Town’s goal of increasing bicycle and pedestrian transportation would be better addressed by providing dedicated bicycle and pedestrian facilities along Fordham Boulevard to reflect current and planned facilities along all other sections of Fordham Boulevard.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to proceed with design of the Fordham Boulevard Sidepath from Ridgefield Road to Willow Drive within the Fordham Boulevard right-of-way.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the design:
• Maximizes safety for all users
• Includes the option of sound-absorbing fencing to adjacent property owners
• Maximizes preservation of the existing landscape buffer
• Replaces the greatest amount of vegetative buffer as possible given the dimensions of the right-of-way.
This the 4th day of March, 2020.
Resolution B
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO PROCEED WITH DESIGN OF THE FORDHAM BOULEVARD SIDEPATH PROJECT BY ROUTING PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS ONTO NEIGHBORHOOD ‘SHARED STREETS’ FROM RIDGEFIELD ROAD TO WILLOW DRIVE, INCLUDING A SIDEWALK ALONG HICKORY DRIVE (2020-03-04/R-7)
WHEREAS, the Town has explored various options for the Fordham Boulevard Sidepath from Ridgefield Road to Willow Drive; and
WHEREAS, construction of the sidepath within the Fordham Boulevard right-of-way would result in some loss of an existing vegetative buffer between Fordham Boulevard and neighboring homes in the Little Ridgefield neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, the Town’s goal of increasing bicycle and pedestrian transportation could be addressed by routing bicyclists and pedestrians onto neighborhood ‘shared streets’ in the Little Ridgefield neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, this approach is only acceptable if an Americans with Disabilities (ADA) compliant sidewalk is built on Hickory Drive.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to negotiate with North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to develop a new Municipal Agreement with a goal of retaining funding for the section of path from Cleland Drive to Ridgefield Drive and to determine whether NCDOT funding will pay for the sidewalk on Hickory Drive.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to replace the Fordham Boulevard Sidepath from Cleland Drive to Willow Drive with a neighborhood ‘shared street’ from Ridgefield Road to Willow Drive, if negotiations with NCDOT are successful. If negotiations are not successful, staff will return to Council for guidance.
This the 4th day of March, 2020.
Resolution C
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO PROCEED WITH DESIGN OF THE FORDHAM BOULEVARD SIDEPATH PROJECT BY ROUTING PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS ONTO NEIGHBORHOOD ‘SHARED STREETS’ FROM RIDGEFIELD ROAD TO WILLOW DRIVE WITHOUT A SIDEWALK ALONG HICKORY DRIVE (2020-03-04/R-8)
WHEREAS, the Town has explored various options for the Fordham Boulevard Sidepath from Ridgefield Road to Willow Drive; and
WHEREAS, construction of the side path within the Fordham Boulevard right-of-way would result in some loss of an existing vegetative buffer between Fordham Boulevard and neighboring homes in the Little Ridgefield neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, the Town’s goal of increasing bicycle and pedestrian transportation could be addressed by routing bicyclists and pedestrians onto neighborhood ‘shared streets’ in the Little Ridgefield neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, an Americans with Disabilities (ADA) compliant sidewalk will not be included on Hickory Drive.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to negotiate with North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to develop a new Municipal Agreement, with a goal of retaining funding for the section of the path from Cleland Drive to Ridgefield Drive.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to proceed with design of the Fordham Boulevard Sidepath, from Cleland Drive to Ridgefield Drive, and plan for the use of neighborhood ‘shared streets’ from Ridgefield Drive to Willow Drive, if negotiations with NCDOT are successful. If negotiations are not successful, staff will return to Council for guidance.
This the 4th day of March, 2020.
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The Agenda will reflect the text below and/or the motion text will be used during the meeting. |
presenter
PRESENTER: Bergen Watterson, Transportation Planning Manager
RECOMMENDATION: That the Council adopt Resolution A, B, or C related to the Fordham Boulevard Sidepath project.