STAFF REPORT

Town Council, August 25, 2005

Comprehensive Transportation Plan Amendments (PL05-038B)
Consideration of modifications to the Comprehensive Transportation Plan as a result of adopting the Southwest and Southeast Cary Area Plan, and to reflect new development plans

Speaker:  Juliet Andes

From:  Jeffery G. Ulma, AICP, Director, Planning Department

Prepared by:  Juliet Andes, Senior Transportation Planner
Approved by:  William B. Coleman, Jr., Town Manager
Approved by:  Benjamin T. Shivar, Assistant Town Manager

Staff is requesting that the Town of Cary Comprehensive Transportation Plan be updated to reflect the Southwest and Southeast Cary Area Plans, adopted in August and September of 2004, respectively.  Revisions to the Transportation Plan (Transportation Plan Map) are also recommended to reflect approved site and subdivision plans.  This process will require public hearing and review by the Planning and Zoning Board.  Proposed Plan revisions are as defined below: 

 

  1. Remove the collector roads as deleted by the Southwest Area Plan and incorporate the rural road standard detailed in the Southwest Area Plan for all thoroughfares and collectors within the plan boundary.
  2. Upgrade O’Kelly Chapel Road to a 6-lane major thoroughfare between NC55 and Green Level to Durham Rd.
  3. Reduce Yates Store Road between County Line Road and Green Level Church Road from 4 lanes to a 2 lane minor thoroughfare.
  4. Highlight the recommended transit loop from the Northwest Area Plan to indicate roads that may require additional right-of-way for future transit service. These roads include Green Level to Durham, McCrimmon Pkwy. and Louis Stephens Dr.
  5. Realign the future extension of O’Kelly Chapel Rd. to be consistent with South Loop Rd. (Little Drive) in the Research Triangle Park.
  6. Realign the conceptual alignment of Town Hall Dr. extension to correspond with existing roads.
  7. Remove Wake Rd. extension outside of the Town’s jurisdiction.
  8. Add 4-lane major thoroughfare from Green Level West Rd. north to Green Level Church Rd. to serve the Southwest Area Plan’s “Village Center”.
  9. Designate Green Level Church Rd. as a 2-lane collector from the new thoroughfare south to Green Level West to preserve the historic Green Level community.
  10.  Show realignment of Morrisville Carpenter as a 4-lane major thoroughfare just east of NC55 through the historic Carpenter area.
  11. Add a north/south collector just west of NC55 between Morrisville Pkwy. and Green Hope School Rd. per the NW Area Plan.
  12. Remove the proposed collector between Louis Stephens Dr. and Carpenter Upchurch Rd.
  13. The proposed Hunter St. extension north of W. Chatham St. should be designated as a minor thoroughfare.
  14. Remove the Ravenstone Dr. collector designation per the SE Area Plan.
  15. Realign the proposed collector road between Tryon Rd. and Dillard Dr. to align with the Colonial Baptist Church access drive (see attached map).
  16. Remove collector road between Piney Plains Rd. and realigned north/south collector per the SE Area Plan.
  17. Remove collector east of Walnut St. between Dillard Dr. and Macedonia Dr.
  18. Remove the Dillard Dr. extension and proposed interchange outside of the Town’s jurisdiction.
  19. Reclassify Holly Springs Rd., south of Jones Franklin Rd., as a 4-lane median divided section per the SE Area Plan.
  20. Show realignment of Penny Rd. at Ten Ten Rd. as a T intersection (see attached map).
  21. Remove proposed grade separation at McKenan Ct. over US 1.
  22. Reclassify West Lake Rd., Optimist Farm Rd. and Bells Lake Rd. from minor to major thoroughfares.
  23. Reclassify Piney Plains as a major thoroughfare between Walnut St. and Tryon Rd.
  24. Designate Old Raleigh Rd. and Gregson as collector roads.
  25. Reclassify Laura Duncan Rd. from SW Cary Pkwy. to the Town limits as a collector. South of Old Apex Rd. Laura Duncan becomes a major thoroughfare.
  26. Reclassify Trinity Rd. between NC 54 and Cary Towne Blvd. from a minor to a major thoroughfare.
  27. Remove Cary Glen Blvd. collector extension between McCrimmon Pkwy. and the Evans Farm Rd. collector.
  28. Reclassify Louis Stephens Rd. north of Morrisville Pkwy. from a minor to a major thoroughfare.
  29. Reclassify Pleasant Grove Church Rd. north of I-40 from a minor to a major thoroughfare.
  30. Reclassify W. Chatham St. from Old Apex to Old Apex from a minor to a major thoroughfare.
  31. Reclassify Lake Pine Dr. from SW Cary Pkwy. to US 64 from a minor to a major thoroughfare.
  32. Reclassify Buck Jones Rd. from I-40 to Walnut St. from a minor to a major thoroughfare.
  33. Reclassify Harrison Ave. and proposed extension between W. Chatham St. and Kildaire Farm to a minor thoroughfare.
  34. Reclassify Dry Ave. between Academy St. and Harrison Ave. as a minor thoroughfare.
  35. Remove collector designation from the future extension of Lake Dr. near Evans Rd. This connection will be made through the connectivity ordinance.

Fiscal Impact: The Thoroughfare Plan revisions for the most part reduce road widths and road requirements. Therefore, the cost of future Capital Improvements by the Town would be reduced. Many road improvements are built by developers, so the reduction would also affect development. Roads on the Thoroughfare Plan are maintained by NCDOT, so the operations and maintenance cost would be borne by NCDOT, not the Town.

Staff Recommendation:  Staff recommends conducting a Planning and Zoning Board public hearing to receive comments on the proposed revisions to the Comprehensive Transportation Plan.  Following the public hearing, staff recommends forwarding the amendments to the Town Council for approval on October 20, 2005.