US 1 CORRIDOR STUDY AND PROJECT PRIORITIZATION PROCESS Augusta, GA November 29, 2012 Jeff Carroll CDM Smith Georgia Association of MPOs Annual Conference

Goals and Tools Goals – Protect existing 4-lane roadway – Link land use and highway corridor – Improve safety – Engage local residents – Brief elected officials Tools – Visualization – Ripe/Firm Analysis – Context Zones – Charrette and Public Meetings – Commission briefings

Augusta MPO Area

U.S. 1/U.S. 78 Clearwater Warrenville U.S. 421 U.S. 1/U.S. 78 Corridor Study Area Current volume in range of 20,600 to 31,600 per day. May exceed 50,000 by 2035.

Existing Conditions Study Area 12 miles 4 interchanges +12 signalized intersections + 9 unsignalized intersections +163 private driveways +52 intermediate median openings to serve private drives = ~ 1,600 points of conflict!

Safety Total Crash Types ( ) – 189 Rear-End – 165 Angle – 81 Single Car – 55 Sideswipes – 31 Head On – 15 Other 2/3 of all crashes

Projected Socio-economic growth

Ripe/Firm Analysis

Context Zones Freeway Suburban Village Center Rural Parkway

Context Zones Four Context Zones – Freeway (0.5 miles) – Suburban Highway (0.7 miles) – Rural Parkway (8 miles) – Village Center zones (2.9 miles) Character – Zones reflect land uses, types of development, and corridor character – Each context zone keeps four lanes of through traffic, two in each direction

Recommendations: Access Management and Safety Access Management – Enforce existing requirements – Limit Number of Driveways – Limit Movements at Driveways (RI/RO) – Increase spacing of Median Openings (Aim for 500’)

Recommendations: Access Management and Safety Improve median openings – Add Left-turn lanes – Increase width (storage) – Striping – Consolidate

Recommendations: Traffic Operations Coordinate traffic signals Construct dedicated left & right turn lanes Realign roadways Construct roundabouts

Recommendations – Non-Motorized

Recommendations: Regulatory Strategy Extend the County Highway Overlay District from the city limits of North Augusta to the city limit of Aiken. Use additional overlay districts within context zones: – HO-VC District (Highway Overlay – Village Center) – HO-P District (Highway Overlay – Parkway) – HO-S District (Highway Overlay – Suburban) – HO-H District (Highway Overlay – Highway)

Outcomes Low cost operation improvements Active citizen participation and interaction Commission action Enforcement

Signed into law in 2007 Act 114 requires MPOs and COGs to prioritize projects based on the following three project types: – Roadway Widening – New Facilities – Intersection Improvements Each project type has a set of criteria with an assigned percent South Carolina Act 114

MPOs and COGs have the discretion of using the statewide list to establish local priorities or they may use criteria consistent with Act 114, in addition to other criteria that address local desires and/or concerns related to transportation improvements Local criteria changes require SCDOT Commission approval Changes were developed through collaboration between – Aiken County – City of Aiken – City of North Augusta – Burnettown – ARTS – SCDOT – FHWA Change Process

Widening Criteria CriteriaState RankAiken County New Rank Traffic Volume and Congestion35%30% Public Safety15%10% Financial Viability10%14% Potential for Economic Development10% Truck Traffic10%8% Pavement Quality Index10%6% Environmental Impact10% LivabilityNA12% SCDOT Commission approved Used to prioritize projects in 2035 LRTP

Intersection Criteria CriteriaState RankAiken County New Rank Financial Viability and Maintenance Cost25% Public Safety20% Traffic Status20% Truck Traffic15%10% Potential for Economic Development10%7% Environmental Impact10%8% LivabilityNA10% SCDOT Commission approved Used to prioritize projects in 2035 LRTP

New Facility Criteria CriteriaState RankAiken County New Rank Financial Viability and Maintenance Cost20%15% Potential for Economic Development20% Traffic Volume and Congestion45%40% Environmental Impact15% LivabilityNA10% SCDOT Commission approved Used to prioritize projects in 2035 LRTP

New Process Rewards projects that: – Improve access and mobility options – Incorporate all modes – Improve modal connectivity – Support land use plans – Protect precious resources – Strengthen established communities (discourages sprawl) – Have the most future congestion – Can be implemented under financial realities Recognized by FHWA-FTA during ARTS certification review

Project Prioritization Tool All inclusive tool – Includes all three project types Easy data entry and look up tables Provides “on the fly” scoring results Transparent – Reports provide data input, scoring and overall rankings Used to prioritize projects in ARTS 2035 LRTP and US 1 Corridor Study

Project Listings

Project Details

Reports

Questions? Jeff Carroll, CDM Smith