DRAFT Comprehensive Transportation Plan Update: February 23, 2018 version

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

G-1 | P A G E D R A F T | 0 2 / 2 3 / 2 0 1 8