June 29th CCEC comments provided to Dan Thomas of the NC DOT on their US 64 Corridor report

Dear Mr. Thomas: 

Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities, Inc. (CCEC) is a grassroots citizen organization with hundreds of citizens on our list serve.  We respectfully offer the following comments on the DOT’s April 2010 draft study report on the US 64 Corridor.  

One issue that needs immediate attention is the safety issue at the intersection of Rte 751 and US 64.  The DOT currently acknowledges the serious problem at this intersection.  The above average incidents of crashes at this intersection need to be resolved immediately and should not wait until any short or long term plan is accepted.  There must be immediate measures that can be implemented to prevent or reduce these accidents and save lives. 

As stated in the report the intention of the DOT is to develop a master plan that will enhance mobility and safety along US 64 while balancing community access and interests.  This goal has not been met for Chatham County.   

Outlined below are several of our issues that lead us to this conclusion: 

SAFETY - SHORT TERM PLAN

1. The short-term proposal calls for only 5 access points (or intersections) within Chatham.  US 64 is an evacuation route in the event that the Shearon Harris nuclear facility has a critical incident.  Limiting the roadway to only 5 access points will delay the prompt evacuation of Chatham citizens in the event of an emergency.  Currently, people are able to access this road directly from their homes and businesses, which allows for a more rapid evacuation.

2.  These same limited access points will increase emergency response times within our community.  This problem is not resolved by the DOT’s statement that a decrease in traffic flow, congestion and increased speeds will make up this response time.

3.  These same increased response times may raise the fire insurance rates for customers within this area.

4.  The area involved with this proposal includes Jordan Lake.  Although the DOT believes that synchronized traffic lights will solve any U-turn Superstreet problems, we respectfully disagree.  Boats being trailed by cars, trucks and RVs during the peak usage of the lake will interfere with the smooth flow of traffic along US 64.  During a busy weekend there are numerous boats using the lake and those heading east when coming out of the park facilities will have to cross over US 64 to make the U-turn.  Tired drivers hauling boats will, indeed, create an unsafe condition in the late afternoon when they have a limited space to cross over the traffic.  Additionally, while synchronized lights are good in theory, frequently they do not remain perfectly synchronized as any experienced driver knows.  To rely solely on this as a safety measure is unrealistic. 

SYSTEM LINKAGE- SHORT TERM PLAN

1.  The DOT’s rationale for the plan is based on anticipated growth in the area.  Yet, this same anticipated growth does not lend itself to any consideration of mass transit.  If the estimated growth requires an expansion of the roadway and such an expenditure of funds, why does this not require consideration of mass transit?

2.  Clearly, this report does not address the consideration of the high speed rail line from Richmond, Virginia to Charlotte North Carolina.  Consideration should be given to providing connections to that line as a mass transit alternative.

3.  Based upon the 2000 census, the DOT indicates that only 0.2% of Chatham citizens use public transportation as mass transit.  This is an interesting observation, since there were no public transportation options available to Chatham citizens in 2000.  It is certainly not a valid reason to eliminate any consideration of mass transit in the future. The absence of mass transit considerations appears to us to be a missing component at a critical time of peak oil production and climate change and the need to provide new alternatives to vehicular travel.  Furthermore, in 2009, a new bus route with a hybrid/clean air bus has been added along Rte 15/501 and is proving popular with riders as a source of mass transit along that route. Therefore, people will use mass transit if it is available.

4. There are no provisions for park and ride facilities for either mass transit or carpooling.

5. Chatham has many bicycle enthusiasts.  While the plan does provide for bicycle lanes, they are not through lanes and there is no direct connection to the American Tobacco Trail from Pittsboro.  Furthermore, the proposal calls for bicyclists to make the same U-turns as does vehicular traffic.  Not only is this an unsafe condition, but it is also unrealistic.  As the DOT acknowledges, bicyclists are not inclined to get off their bicycles and walk across a road.  Better planning provisions for connectivity are needed, and as a result this plan is incomplete.

6.  US 64 is the only east/west route through Chatham County.  In many areas, it serves as a main street within the community.  Limited access will cause reliance on interrupted service roads for citizens to conduct their business and access their homes.  Already constructed, narrow side roads are also inadequate to handle the rerouted traffic.  The conversion of US 64 into a Superstreet with limited access, only serves to create another problem along the periphery of the road.  The report does not address this problem. 

ENVIRONMENTAL/CULTURAL ANALYSIS - SHORT TERM PLAN

1. As a regional source of drinking water and recreational opportunities, the protection of Jordan Lake has long been a major concern of Chatham citizens.  The Department of Water Quality considers the lake as being impaired, and as a result there are newly implemented Jordan Lake Nutrient Rules.  We understand that DWQ now considers turbidity to be a problem also.  This entire project, both in the short and long terms, is one that will further degrade the lake.  While not acknowledged in the report, Jordan Lake is also a source of drinking water not only for Cary but also for Chatham County.  Additional pollution increases the costs for treating this water and can pose a safety hazard for Chatham customers because of the additional necessary treatment.  

2.   In addition to the direct impacts of the project on streams, wetlands, and stream buffers and the increase in impervious surfaces from the project, which the DOT considers to be minimal, there are serious concerns about the construction impacts, including silt and run off, for both Jordan Lake and the Haw River.  We do not believe adequate consideration has been given to protection of these valuable resources of Chatham County, nor do we agree that the impacts would be minimal.

3.  Inadequate consideration has been given to the New Hope Rural Historical Archaeological District at Big Woods Road.  This district was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.  It consists of two separate parcels of land that contain historic archaeological remains of houses and outbuildings that contain intact deposits related to the occupation of the area prior to its acquisition by the Corps of Engineers. The boundaries of the district contain several distinct archaeological sites. US 64 goes right through the middle of one of these parcels.  There is no mention of any measures that are proposed to mitigate any adverse effects on this site.   While the report mentions a determination was made under 23 USC 138. 4 (f) that this site is not a protected historic resource, this section refers only to the legal transportation requirements.  NC General Statutes 121-12(a) requires consultation with Office of State Archaeology regarding this district because it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the report omits the results of any such consultation.  Furthermore, should Federal funding be used for this project, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act would apply and no mention has been made of this requirement.   

LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1.  The citizens of Chatham County have voiced their objection to strip malls as an economic development source and the County has revised certain ordinances to avoid them.  Other land use planning is currently being undertaken for the county.  The extensive use of service roads contemplated by this report will only encourage strip malls in the short term.  Additionally, the project calls for the relocation of established businesses.  The loss of such locally owned business will negatively impact the economic development in the county.

2.  The county has also expended money, time effort and has had citizen input during the development of a strategic economic development plan for the county.  The DOT proposal runs contrary to this plan in the short term and certainly will negate economic development for the long term. 

3.  A major transportation route along US 64 is not in the best interests of residents living in the affected area.  These residents purchased their homes with the expectation that their property values would increase or at the minimum remain the same.  An interstate highway, with limited access, running past their homes will decrease property values, as well as raise concerns about noise, air pollution and general quality of life issues.   

While this report only addressed a small section of the NCDOT’s plans for changes to US 64, the overall picture cannot be omitted from consideration.  The ultimate plan is for the highway to go from US 1 through Cary and Apex, to the Pittsboro by-pass, then into the western part of Chatham, continuing with a by-pass around Siler City, to Rte. 49, and ending in Charlotte.  In the past, the DOT has clearly stated that the purpose of this route is to alleviate the congestion on I 40.   Such a plan will not draw people into Chatham County.  It would, however, enable people to pass through the county without stopping.  It would create a north/south divide of this rural county that would hinder the agricultural, industrial, economic, cultural, recreational and residential interests of the people.  This is not in the best interests of the citizens of Chatham, nor is it in the best interests of this rural area. 

Additionally, the transportation vision contained within the US 64 Corridor Study Report is, in our opinion, archaic.  It speaks in terms of yesterday’s concepts, while the rest of the United States is generating new ideas for transportation such as monorail, high-speed trains, articulated, hybrid busses, etc. The outmoded message presented to Chatham County and the State is - more of the same - more and wider highways to accommodate petroleum-based, gas guzzlers without any consideration of  future trends.  This smacks of a philosophy that says, "We have to do it this way because that’s the way its always been done".  It appears that the Department of Transportation has directed its planners to use this old concept of road development to solve the I 40 congestion problems by building more roads and eventually duplicating the congestion problems on US 64.  It is the "same old, same old" solution that lacks creativity and ingenuity and eliminates any other possibilities.  

In conclusion, we strongly oppose this proposal because we do not consider it to be in the best interests of the county’s citizens, now or in the future.  Therefore, we recommend consideration of other options and suggest that any long term plans for transporting people and goods must include forward-thinking mass transit alternatives such as high speed rail and energy efficient busses that reduce dependence on fossil fuels and automobiles, while affording the potential for enhancing economic development within the state. 

Respectfully submitted,
Board of Directors,
Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities, Inc.
Loyse Hurley, President