iiiCRTPO 2045 MTP | TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR Growing Tomorrow

Prepared for

Prepared by

CRTPO

2045MetropolitanTransportationPlan

iv TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR Growing Tomorrow | CRTPO 2045 MTP

Resolution

vCRTPO 2045 MTP | TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR Growing Tomorrow

Resolution

vi TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR Growing Tomorrow | CRTPO 2045 MTP

AcknowledgementsThe Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO) relies on staff from throughout the planning area, with various areas of specialty to contribute to its transportation planning efforts, including the development of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). Two committees were formed to provide guidance for the MTP update – the MTP Steering Committee and the MTP Advisory Committee. The Steering Committee is made up of a core team of principal transportation staff members. The Advisory Committee consists of several Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC) members, as well as staff with expertise in planning disciplines specifically related to content contained in the MTP. Without the efforts of both committees, this 2045 MTP could not be accomplished. The efforts of those representing both committees is greatly appreciated by the CRTPO Staff.

MTP Steering Committee

RS&H Architects-Engineers-Planners, Inc.

MTP Advisory Committee

Curtis Bridges – CRTPONeil Burke – CRTPO

Robert Cook – CRTPOErin Kinne – CRTPO

Candice Rorie – CRTPOAnna Gallup – Charlotte DOT

Andy Grzymski – Charlotte DOTJonathan Wells – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department

Amy CoonsNick Landa

Kimely-Horn & Associates

Jonathan WhitehurstBrian Miller

City Explained, Inc.

Matt Noonkester

Tupponce Enterprises II, Inc.

Toni Tupponce

Loretta Barren Federal Highway Administration

Stuart Basham NCDOT Division 10

Anil Panicker NCDOT Division 12

Andy Bailey NCDOT Transportation Planning Division

Van Argabright NCDOT Program Development Branch

Megan Green Mecklenburg County Air Quality

David McDonald Charlotte Area Transit System

Norm Steinman Charlotte Dept. of Transportation

Will Washam TCC Focus Area Representative-Bicycle

Scott Curry TCC Focus Area Representative-Pedestrian

Gwen Cook TCC Focus Area Representative-Greenway

Dick Winters TCC Focus Area Representative- Public Health

Anna Gallup Metrolina Regional Travel Demand Model Team

Michelle Nance Centralina COG

Matthew Todd Iredell County

Sushil Nepal North Mecklenburg County

Susan Habina-Woolard South Mecklenburg County

Bjorn Hansen Union County

Carol Stamper Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Kenny Miller Iredell-Statesville Schools

Todd Black Mooresville Graded School District

Don Hughes Union County Schools

Note: MTP Steering Committee members also participated on the Advisory Committee

Radha Krishna SwayampakalaFord Tanner

viiCRTPO 2045 MTP | TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR Growing Tomorrow

List of Acronyms

ADA ....................... Americans with Disabilities ActBLE ......................... Blue Line ExtensionBMP....................... Best Management PracticesCDOT .................... Charlotte Department of TransportationCGS ....................... Charlotte Gateway StationCMAQ .................. Congestion Mitigation & Air QualityCMP ...................... Congestion Management ProcessCRAFT ................... Charlotte Regional Alliance for TransportationCRTPO .................. Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning OrganizationCTP ........................ Comprehensive Transportation PlanFAST Act .............. Fixing America’s Surface Transportation ActFHWA ................... Federal Highway AdministrationFTA ........................ Federal Transit AdministrationHSIP ...................... Highway Safety Improvement ProgramIMAP ..................... Incident Management Assistance PatrolsITS .......................... Intelligent Transportation SystemsMAP-21 ................ Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st CenturyMCM ..................... Metrolina CommunityViz ModelMPO ...................... Metropolitan Planning OrganizationMRM ..................... Metrolina Regional Travel Demand ModelMTC ....................... Metropolitan Transit CommissionMTP ....................... Metropolitan Transportation PlanNAAQS ................. National Ambient Air Quality StandardsNCDAQ ................ North Carolina Division of Air QualityNCDOT ................. North Carolina Department of TransportationNCDWR ............... North Carolina Division of Water Resources

RPO ....................... Rural Planning OrganizationSHSP ..................... Strategic Highway Safety PlanSIP .......................... State Implementation PlanSTI .......................... Strategic Transportation InvestmentsTAZ ........................ Traffic Analysis ZonesTCC ........................ Technical Coordinating CommitteeTIM ........................ Traffic Incident ManagementTIP.......................... Transportation Improvement ProgramUNCC .................... University of North Carolina-CharlotteUSDOT ................. United States Department of TransportationVMT ...................... Vehicle Miles Traveled

viii TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR Growing Tomorrow | CRTPO 2045 MTP

Introduction

Table of Contents

Planning forRegional Mobilityand Sustainability

The MTP ..............................................................3

Related Plans and Programs ..........................4

About CRTPO .....................................................5 Mission................................................................ 5 Organization .....................................................8

Federal Requirements .................................... 10 MTP Updates ................................................... 11

Goals and Objectives ..................................... 14

Federal Planning Factors ............................... 18 Support Economic Vitality ..........................20 Increase Safety of the Transportation System .................................23 Increase Security of the Transportation System .................................25 Increase Accessibility and Mobility of People and Freight .................26 Protect and Enhance the Environment and Improve Quality of Life ......................28 Enhance Integration and Connectivity of the Transportation System ....................30 Promote Efficient System Management and Operations ...................32

01 02

Emphasize Preservation of the Existing Transportation System ................ 34 Improve Resiliency and Reliability of the Transportation System ....................35 Enhance Travel and Tourism ......................38

Environment .....................................................40 Air Quality ....................................................... 40 Water Quality/Stormwater......................... 42 Environmental Mitigation .......................... 43 Resource Agency Consultation ................ 45

Health and Wellness ......................................46

ixCRTPO 2045 MTP | TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR Growing Tomorrow

Table of Contents

Regional Trends and Travel Patterns

CRTPO Planning Area Description ..............49

Regional Travel Demand Model ..................50

Population, Employment, and Land Use Trends ......................................52 Population ...................................................... 54 Employment ....................................................56 Land Use ..........................................................58 Iredell County .................................................59 Mecklenburg County ...................................62 Union County .................................................65

Travel Patterns .................................................68 Vehicle Miles Traveled ..................................68 Types of Trips ..................................................68 Lane Miles ........................................................69 Commuting Behaviors .................................70

03Plan Development

Public Engagement ........................................74 Strategies .........................................................74 Environmental Justice Outreach Efforts .............................................80

Environmental Justice Analysis ...................82 Analysis Findings .......................................... 84

Existing Transportation Assessment ..........86

Roadway ...........................................................86 Bicycle and Pedestrian .................................88 Public Transportation ................................... 91 Other Transportation Modes .................... 94 Freight ...............................................................96

04

Financial Plan ...................................................99 Overview ..........................................................99 Roadway Revenue Assumptions .............102 Non-Roadway Revenue Assumptions ...............................104 Other Revenue Sources ............................. 107

Project Prioritization .................................... 108

x TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR Growing Tomorrow | CRTPO 2045 MTP

2045 Plan Recommendations

and StrategiesTechnical Appendix

Investments and Strategies ......................... 111

Roadway ..........................................................113 Bicycle and Pedestrian ...............................134 Public Transportation .................................140 Freight .............................................................145

Implementation and Monitoring .............. 150

Congestion Management Process .........150 Performance-Based Planning ..................159 Health Metrics .............................................. 170

Emerging Strategies ..................................... 172 Scenario Planning Analysis and Results ................................... 176

05 TA

A technical appendix has been prepared as a supplement to the CRTPO’s 2045 MTP. The appendix contains tables, maps, and charts that provide additional details and background information that support the conclusions outlined in this MTP. It also includes an inventory of plans and programs that are related to the development of the MTP and contribute to the metropolitan planning process.

xiCRTPO 2045 MTP | TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR Growing Tomorrow

xii TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR Growing Tomorrow | CRTPO 2045 MTP

List of Figures

1-1 ..........Key MTP Components ................................................................................31-2 ..........Three Step Process .......................................................................................41-3 ..........CRTPO Boundary and Member Jurisdictions ......................................61-4..........CRTPO Organization Chart .......................................................................8

2-1 ..........CRAFT Membership ................................................................................... 212-2 .........Cross Charlotte Trail ...................................................................................222-3 .........Highway, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Safety ............................................ 242-4 .........CRTPO CMAQ Funding Amounts Over Time ....................................292-5 .........LYNX Blue Line Extension (BLE) ..............................................................302-6 .........Urban/Suburban Main Street Plan View ............................................. 312-7 .........Freight ITS and TIM Champion Group Recommendations ...........332-8 .........CRTPO Environmental Features ............................................................. 41

3-1 ..........Metrolina Model Area ...............................................................................503-2 .........CRTPO Population Growth (2015-2045) ............................................. 543-3 .........CRTPO Population Growth ......................................................................553-4 .........CRTPO Employment Growth (2015-2045) ..........................................563-5 .........CRTPO Employment Growth ..................................................................573-6 .........Iredell County Population Growth ........................................................593-7 .........Percent of Iredell County Population Growth by Jurisdiction (2015-2045) .....................................................................593-8 .........Iredell County Employment Growth .....................................................603-9 .........Percent of Iredell County Employment Growth by Jurisdiction (2015-2045) .....................................................................603-10 .......Mecklenburg County Population Growth ...........................................62

3-11 ........Percent of Mecklenburg County Population Growth by Jurisdiction (2015-2045) .....................................................................623-12 .......Mecklenburg County Employment Growth .......................................633-13 .......Percent of Mecklenburg County Employment Growth by Jurisdiction (2015-2045) .....................................................................633-14 .......Union County Population Growth .........................................................653-15 .......Percent of Union County Population Growth by Jurisdiction (2015-2045) .....................................................................653-16 .......Union County Employment Growth .....................................................663-17 .......Percent of Union County Employment Growth by Jurisdictions (2015-2045) ....................................................................663-18 .......Housing Unit Percent Growth (2000-2017) ........................................673-19 .......Home Locations of Workers ...................................................................70

4-1..........Public Involvement Event Locations .....................................................774-2 .........Public Involvement Event Summary .....................................................774-3 .........Public Outreach Summary.......................................................................794-4 .........Degree of Impact Analysis .......................................................................834-5 .........Environmental Justice Analysis Overview ...........................................854-6 .........FHWA Functional Classification of Roadways ....................................874-7 .........NCDOT 2015 AADT Truck Volumes .......................................................974-8 .........NCDOT STI Regions and Division Map – Statewide ......................1004-9 .........NCDOT Region and Division Map – CRTPO Region ..................... 1014-10 .......Roadway Project Programming Summary .......................................103

xiiiCRTPO 2045 MTP | TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR Growing Tomorrow

5-1 ..........Fiscally Constrained Roadway Projects – Iredell County .............. 1165-2 ........Fiscally Constrained Roadway Projects – Mecklenburg County ................................................................................1175-3 .........Fiscally Constrained Roadway Projects – Union County .............. 1185-4 .........2025 Programmed Funding for Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects ..................................................................................1355-5 .........Fiscally Constrained Bicycle/Pedestrian Projects ............................1365-6 .........Existing and Proposed CATS Fixed Rail Transit Network ..............1435-7 .........Congestion Management Process Overview .................................. 1515-8 .........CMP Development Key Steps ...............................................................1525-9 .........Urban Congestion Trends ......................................................................1545-10 .......CRTPO CMP Congested Corridors......................................................1555-11 ........Performance-Based Planning Process ...............................................1605-12 .......CONNECT Our Future Land Use .........................................................1805-13 .......Community Plans Land Use .................................................................. 1815-14 .......Existing + Committed Highway Network .........................................1825-15 .......2045 Fiscally Constrained Highway Network ..................................1835-16 .......2045 Fiscally Constrained Network + All Tier II Candidate Projects ...................................................................................1845-17 .......Existing + Committed Transit Network ..............................................1855-18 .......CONNECT Our Future Recommended Transit Network ..............1865-19 .......Summary of CRTPO Alternative Growth Scenarios .......................1875-20.......Regional Activity Centers .......................................................................188

xiv TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR Growing Tomorrow | CRTPO 2045 MTP

2-1 ..........Relationship Between CRTPO 2045 MTP Goals and Federal Planning Factors ................................................................. 192-2 .........Air Quality Index Basics ........................................................................... 40

3-1 ..........CRTPO Population Projections .............................................................. 543-2 .........CRTPO Employment Projections ...........................................................563-3 .........Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled ....................................................................683-4 .........Trip Type by County ...................................................................................693-5 .........CRTPO Roadway Network Planned Growth .......................................693-6 .........Average Travel Time to Work (in Minutes) ......................................... 713-7 .........Work Commuting Behavior by County ............................................... 71

4-1..........Functional Classification Lane Miles .....................................................874-2 .........Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans .................................................894-3 .........CRTPO Inbound/Outbound Trips ..........................................................964-4 .........Anticipated STI Roadway Project Funding for North Carolina ................................................................................... 1014-5 .........Anticipated STI Roadway Project Funding for CRTPO .................1024-6 .........Anticipated NCDOT Division Share Maintenance Funding for CRTPO .................................................................................1044-7 .........Anticipated Non-Roadway Project Funding for CRTPO ..............1054-8 .........Anticipated STI Non-Roadway Project Funding for CRTPO .......1054-9 .........Anticipated Transit Funding for CRTPO ............................................1064-10 .......Tier I Criteria ..............................................................................................1084-11 ........Tier II Criteria .............................................................................................109

List of Tables

5-1 ..........Roadway Projects in Horizon Year 2025 ........................................... 1195-2 .........Roadway Projects in Horizon Year 2035 ...........................................1285-3 .........Roadway Projects in Horizon Year 2045 ........................................... 1315-4 .........Bicycle/Pedestrian Projects in Horizon Year 2025 .........................1375-5 .........Transit Projects in Horizon Year 2025 ................................................ 1415-6 .........Freight Projects in Horizon Year 2025 ...............................................1475-7 .........CMP Goals, Objectives, and Performance Measures ....................1525-8 .........Existing Conditions Congestion Levels – Travel Time Index .......1535-9 .........Existing and Future Conditions Congestion Levels – Level of Service ........................................................................1535-10 .......CRTPO CMP Congested Corridors .....................................................1565-11 ........Federal Highway System Performance Measures .......................... 1615-12 .......Federal Transit System Performance Measures ..............................1625-13 .......NCDOT and CRTPO Safety Performance Targets ..........................1635-14 .......Highway Performance Target Timeline .............................................1645-15 .......CRTPO Recommended Non-Federal Performance Metrics ...............................................................................1685-16 .......CRTPO Health Metrics ............................................................................ 1705-17 .......Existing + Committed Transit Network .............................................1855-18 .......CONNECT Our Future Recommended Transit Network ..............1865-19 .......Summary of CRTPO Alternative Growth Scenarios .......................1875-20.......Regional Activity Centers .......................................................................188