[Durham INC] NC-54/I-40 Corridor Study Public Workshop Nov. 18

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov <mailto:Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov> 

 

For Immediate Release:  October 28, 2009

 

 

NC-54/I-40 Corridor Study Public Workshop Nov. 18

Resident Feedback Encouraged for Shaping Regional Gateway's Future
Growth

 

What:              NC-54/I-40 Corridor Study Public Workshop #1

 

Who:               Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning
Organization (DCHC MPO), City of Durham, Durham County, and the Town of
Chapel Hill

 

When:             Wednesday, November 18, 2009, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.   

 

Where:            William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education

100 Friday Center Drive

Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599-1020 

 

Fast Facts:

*         The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning
Organization (DCHC MPO) will host an interactive community workshop on
November 18 to obtain guidance on developing a blueprint for mobility
and development in the NC-54/I-40 corridor, a critical gateway linking
the City of Durham, Town of Chapel Hill, and University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.

 

*         The NC-54/I-40 corridor serves as one of the major gateways
between Chapel Hill and southwest Durham, with its interchange with I-40
consistently ranking as the top congested location in the region.
Development pressures within the corridor coupled with mobility and
capacity issues have highlighted that the existing and planned
transportation infrastructure is insufficient to accommodate growth and
address land use and transportation problems.  

 

*         To develop land use and transportation strategies to preserve
this important corridor, the DCHC MPO, the City of Durham, Durham
County, and the Town of Chapel Hill have begun a corridor study to
analyze short- and long-term land use issues and multi-modal
transportation problems, evaluate opportunities and challenges, and
recommend short- and long-range land use and transportation solutions
and strategies along the corridor.  

 

*         The vision of the DCHC MPO is to develop and implement
transportation plans that are multimodal and that fully integrate land
use and transportation issues.  To achieve this vision this study will:

o   Clearly define a realistic "blueprint" for an integrated growth and
mobility strategy for the corridor;

o   Establish a development framework that strengthens multimodal travel
options and reduces vehicle miles of travel;

o   Improve operations, safety, and travel time; and

o   Categorize strategies into near, mid-term, and long-term phases.  

 

*         A critical component of this study is public outreach and
involvement.  Three public workshops will be held as a part of this
study, which should be completed in June 2010.  

o   The first public workshop on November 18 will present the community
profile and solicit input on issues, opportunities, and trends to guide
the development of future scenarios.  

o   The second public workshop, tentatively scheduled for late winter
2010, will evaluate alternatives and seek public input in the selection
of the preferred scenario.  

o   The third workshop, tentatively scheduled for spring 2010, will give
participants an opportunity to review and refine the corridor master
plan and provide input on setting priorities for multimodal
transportation and land use strategies, implementation strategies, and
phasing.  

 

*         Once the study is finished, the final master plan will be
presented to the local and regional policy boards and used to inform
transportation/traffic analysis, land use decisions, project planning,
and funding priorities.

o   The total cost for the study is $257,432 with 80 percent of the
funding coming from federal transportation planning funds and the
remaining 20 percent funded jointly by the City of Durham, Durham
County, and the Town of Chapel Hill.

 

*         Residents interested in joining a group of citizen contacts
for this study should contact Leta Huntsinger with the DCHC MPO at (919)
560-4366 ext. 30423 or via e-mail at leta.huntsinger at durhamnc.gov.  For
more information about this study, visit www.nc54-I40corridorstudy.com.

 

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