Transportation Plan - 2009, amended

Appendices

A ppendix G. C rabtree C rossing P arkway E xtension The following is an encapsulation of the history and design considerations for the Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension project, which was initially proposed in draft versions of the 2009 Transportation Plan . The project would be approximate- ly 0.3 miles in length, and would connect Town Hall Drive to the existing Crabtree Crossing Parkway and the Town of Cary to the south. Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension (CCPE) would be desirable in terms of providing additional connectiv- ity to heavily developed residential areas for local motorists and non-motorists wish- ing to travel north-south without using the more heavily traveled alternatives such as NC 54/Chapel Hill Road.

Figure G.1 General History of the Crabtree Crossing Extension Project Source: Town of Morrisville Town Council Minutes

History . The Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension has, over time, referred to more than one section of roadway. In the current context, we refer to the CCPE as the section between the current terminus of Crabtree Crossing Parkway northward to Morrisville-Carpenter Road at its current intersection with Town Hall Drive. Figure G.1 illustrates some of the history of the roadway and its genesis from the Preston subdivisions. The first mention of the CCPE was on January 12, 1996 when the current Crabtree Crossing Parkway was indicated as a road to be extended on a set of plans.

Description

PBQ&D Study (2006)

Transportation Plan/LBG Study (2009) Small part of a much larger study looking at feasible transportation improvements throughout the Town Coarse, traffic impacts studied at the cor- ridor level in general Approved Triangle Regional Model using land use forecasts supplied by the Town of Morrisville (and Cary) 2035

The value of this project has been exam- ined previously, most recently in an analysis conducted in 2006. The prior traffic analy- sis was conducted by Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas (PBQ&D, now PB World) and reported in the June 9, 2006 “Com- parative Traffic Study: Morrisville-Carpenter Road Widening vs. Crabtree Crossing Ex- tension.” The comparisons of the resulting traffic values assigned to Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension from the PBQ&D study and the 2009 Transportation Plan have been the source of some confusion, and the various points of information are sum- marized in Figure G.2. Because of the differences explained by Figure G.2, the resulting traffic volumes projected for Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension are different for the two studies: 6,600 vehicles per day (vpd) for the PBQ&D study, and approximately 1,500 vpd for the studies conducted during the planning pro- cess for the 2009 Transportation Plan . Influence of Park West Village . One ques-

Reason for Studying CCPE

Comparing three build alterna- tives to discern value-benefit of each alternative Fine, includes detailed traffic movement analysis Assumed 2% annual growth rate at key intersections based on 2003 traffic counts, then 10% re- duction at Morrisville-Carpenter Road/NC 54 intersection Assumed diversions, primarily from NC 54 / Chapel Hill Road and some fromclosure of Church Street Assumes 2006 dollars and value of materials; possibly assumes four-lane road and structure Depending on the scenario be- ingdiscussed, Morrisville-Carpen- ter Road widened to five lanes 2008 (from 2006)

Level of Detail

Forecast Year

Method of Generating Traffic Volumes

Method of Distributing Traffic

Approved Triangle Regional Model

Cost of Construction

Assumes 2008 dollars and value of mate- rials; assumes two/three-lane road and structure

Other Roadway Assump- tions

Major roadways are widened, including Davis Drive, NC 55, NC 54, Western Wake Freeway, and Morrisville Carpenter Road Figure G.2 Contrasting the PBQ&D Report and 2009 Transportation Plan Source: PBQ&D, 2006; The Louis Berger Group, Inc., 2009

tion about CCPE has been the influence of additional traffic created by the mixed use development Park West Village. Figure G.3 illustrates the various dwelling unit (housing) and employment projections in the Park West Village area from the 2005 and 2035 Triangle Regional Model, and the 2035 Preferred Scenario developed during the planning process for the 2009 Transportation and Land Use Plans. Two traffic analysis zones (TAZs) contain information about future development in the Park West Village Area, and both extend be- yond the proposed Park West Village site. Through the planning process for the 2009 Trans- portation and Land Use Plans, the residential and employment densities were adjusted to reflect the most current understanding of the development potential in this area, including Park West Village. Water Quality . A review of wetlands and stream features was conducted for an area spanning 300 feet centered on the centerline of the proposed new alignment. The Lou-

is Berger Group, Inc. conducted a scoping field view on May 5, 2008. Wetland areas identified in the field were evaluated for jurisdictional status by the three-parameter method outlined in the Corps of Engi- neers Wetland Delineation Manual, Technical Report Y-87-1 (January, 1987). Stream channels were identified by using indicators of Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM), the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ) stream rating method, and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) stream rating method. Jurisdictional boundaries were not de- lineated during this field visit; however, positions at key locations of po- tentially jurisdictional waters were logged in the field with a GPS unit capable of sub-meter accuracy. Berger scientists identified six potentially jurisdictional channels within the study area. Channels identified included the main stem of Crabtree Creek and multiple unnamed tributaries. One upland ditch draining to Crabtree Creek was also observed. No potentially jurisdictional wet- lands were identified during the field review. Wildlife Habitat . The predominant natural community within the review area is a bottomland hardwood forest community. The upper canopy was dominated by red maple ( Acer rubrum ), green ash ( Fraxinus pen-

1785

1078

Figure G.3 Population and Employment in Park West Village Area Sources: Triangle Regional Model and 2009 Transportation Plan

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G Crabtree Crossing