Comprehensive Transportation Plan - March 2019

TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY

TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY With its location near the Research Triangle Park and many of the Triangle’s most significant travelways, the Town of Morrisville is in a unique position to be proactive when planning for and incorporating transportation technology. This section details current applications of transportation technology within the Town, as well as considerations for the incorporation of emerging transportation technology. Current Efforts The Town of Morrisville has numerous signalized intersections, which depending on their location are maintained either by the Town of Cary or by NCDOT. Funding has been awarded to the Town of Morrisville to develop a Townwide coordinated signal system. A coordinated signal system will allow for communication between the various signalized intersections within the Town. Signals along a corridor can be timed to maximize green time for drivers, and signal timing can be adjusted dynamically to adjust to crashes, congestion, or other changing conditions. The Town will be working closely with CAMPO as this coordinated signal system is developed by NCDOT. During this process, the Town should consider how best to manage the coordinated signal system upon its completion, potentially partnering with the Town of Cary. Residents and employees within the Town of Morrisville also can take advantage of transportation demand management programs that are active throughout the region. Strategies such as carpooling, vanpooling, flexible work hours, or telecommuting reduce the amount of single occupant vehicles on the road and help reduce congestion. The Town should continue to seek out opportunities to educate its citizens about the availability of these programs. Electric vehicles are already a part of the landscape within the Town of Morrisville. As this portion of the vehicle fleet continues to grow, communities will need to be intentional about providing charging stations at public facilities and with private development. The Town’s Unified Development Ordinance includes some considerations for the location and quantity of these charging stations. Moving forward, the Town should continue to explore adding detail to these considerations, including guidance on when private developers or the Town are responsible for installation. Emerging Technology While the impacts of some technological developments are limited to their field, there are others—like the printing press, the telephone, and the computer—that have the capacity to introduce a much more significant impact and transform the lifestyle of a generation. The introduction and advancements of connected and automated vehicles (CAV) is one such development. Connected vehicles are defined as vehicles equipped with technology for communication with other vehicles and roadside infrastructure. Autonomous vehicles are defined as vehicles that can perform driving functions without a driver at any time. As CAV advancements expand daily and are introduced into existing transportation systems, it becomes more challenging for agencies to prepare and plan for these advancements. CAV will introduce changes in the way states and local agencies implement transportation projects and future developments. Figure G-1 captures a sampling of the opportunities and impacts that many agencies have recently identified with respect to CAV. Figure G-1: Opportunities and Impacts of CAV Technologies

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