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G-2
Appendices
G
Crabtree Crossing
sylvanica
), loblolly pine (
Pinus taeda
), and sycamore (
Platanus
occidentalis
). The shrub strata was highly invaded with Chinese
privet (
Ligustrum sinense
). Wildlife sighted by direct observa-
tion included an individual barred owl (
Strix varia
) and a herd
of whitetail deer (
Odocoileus virginianus
). Raccoons (
Procyon
lotor
) were identified by tracks and scat.
Emergency Response
. One reason for increasing connectivity in
the town is to facilitate emergency response (police, fire, ambu-
lance) service when alternative roadways are congested. At
the request of the Town Council, the town staff presented the
information in Figure G.4 regarding the change in emergency
response times with and without the connection created by the
CCPE project.
Design and Construction
. The existing portion of Crabtree Cross-
ing Parkway south of Morrisville Parkway is a very wide, two-lane
street with a planted median. Residents have cited speeding,
hazardous crossing conditions (including for golf carts south of
Morrisville Parkway) and sight distance issues, which led to the
installation of traffic calming measures between 1997 and 2002.
There have been eight reported accidents in Morrisville between
the southern terminus of the proposed Crabtree Crossing Park-
way Extension and Ridge Creek Drive between 2004 and early 2008. Most are sideswipe,
turning, or fixed-object reports, with one reporting an injury.
Specifically, the following design elements and language were incorporated into the draft
2009 Transportation Plan
to address these issues.
•
The design of the proposed CCPE project in the
2009 Transportation Plan
took into
account the concerns about negative neighborhood impacts expressed by sever-
al citizens during the planning process by designing for a lower volume and speed
limit. The proposed roadway was reduced from a four-lane cross-section to a two-
lane cross-section. This cross-section is very comparable to the two-lane section
to the south of Morrisville Parkway, but quite different from the four-lane, divided
cross-section of Town Hall Drive to the north.
•
The proposed cross-section would accommodate both bicycle lanes as well as
sidewalks for non-motorized traffic, as well as provide additional pedestrian and
bicycle connectivity to the large residential developments to the south and the
shopping, schools, and other uses to the north.
•
The Transportation Plan included language supporting traffic calming at the south
end of the roadway (existing Crabtree Crossing Parkway) and a roundabout at
Wolfsnare Lane (see Figure G.5) to help slow through traffic.
•
The priority of the proposed roadway was intentionally set lower than capacity
improvements for major north-south roadways to provide through traffic less incen-
tive to find alternative routes through this area.
The rough cost estimate for completing the CCPE project, which is subject to change
based upon additional engineering refinements that would normally occur during a de-
sign phase of work, is $7.7 million.
Resolution.
Much discussion during the review
process for the 2009 Transportation Plan with
the Planning and Zoning Board and the Town
Council focused on the potential impacts
of the proposed Crabtree Crossing Parkway
Extension. Many members of the public ex-
pressed concern about traffic impacts from
the project, despite the narrower cross-sec-
tion, delayed timeframe and traffic calming
measures included in the draft Transportation
Plan. Information regarding the positive im-
pact to emergency response times and the
benefits of additional connectivity in the town
were also the subject of much discussion with
the boards. The Town Council ultimately de-
cided in March 2008 to remove the proposed
CCPE project, but retain a greenway in that
location to allow bicycle and pedestrian ac-
cess.
A
ppendix
G. C
rabtree
C
rossing
P
arkway
E
xtension
,
cont
’
d
Start Point
End Point
Distance
Travel Time
Fire Station #1
(150 Town Hall
Drive)
Morrisville Aquatics
Center (1301 Morrisville
Pkwy)
2.3
/
1.7
miles
3:56
/
2:52
Fire Station #1
(150 Town Hall
Drive)
Crabtree Crossing
Pkwy at Morrisville
Pkwy
1.9
/
0.9
miles
3:18
/
1:29
Fire Station #1
(150 Town Hall
Drive)
Morrisville Pkwy
Elementary School
1.9
/
2.0
miles
3:18
/
3:26
Fire Station #1 /
Fire Station #2
Morrisville Manor
1.7
/
3.1
/
1.9
miles
2:51
/
5:16
/
3:11
Fire Station #1
(with NC 54 Shut
Down)
Morrisville Manor
6.3
/
1.9
miles
10:48
/
3:11
Without CCPE
|
With CCPE
|
From Fire Station #2
Figure G.4 Estimated Emergency Response Times With and Without CCPE
Source: Town of Morrisville staff
Figure G.5 Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension Illustration
Existing roadway
With proposed
improvements