Morrisville Transportation Plan - 2009

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3 Existing Conditions
3.3 Bicycle and Pedestrian Network
Morrisville’s pedestrian and bicycling systems, although just beginning, are actively devel-
oping. Greenways are listed as the top priority item in Morrisville’s Long Range Financial
Plan. Figure 3.11 illustrates current and committed or under-construction bicycle and pe-
destrian facilities in Morrisville. The two systems are often grouped together, but they are
two distinct modes of travel with different emphases on operating characteristics, user
skills, and facility needs.
When deciding which bicycle facilities are appropriate, the needs of typical users of the
facility should be considered. Different levels of cyclist may be used to or feel safer on dif-
ferent kinds of facilities or in different conditions. A list of common cyclist types is below,1
and the list to the right defines common facility types2:
• Fast Commuter (Type A Cyclist) - Confident in most on-road situations and will use
a route with significant traffic volumes if it is more direct than a quieter route
• Other Utility Cyclist (Type A Cyclist) - May seek some segregation at busy junctions
and on links carrying high-speed traffic
• Inexperienced Utility, Commuter and Leisure Cyclist (Type B Cyclist) - May be willing
to sacrifice directness in terms of both distance and time, for a route with less traffic
and more places to stop and rest. May travel more slowly than regular cyclists
• Child (Type C Cyclist) - May require segregated, direct routes from residential areas
to schools, even where an on-road solution is available. Design needs to take ac-
count of personal security issues. Child cyclists should be anticipated in all residen-
tial areas and on most leisure cycling routes
Morrisville’s bicycle facilities include Parkside Valley Drive, a residential collector street in
the northwest corner of town, which was re-striped to include bicycle lanes in 2007, in part
to control speeding traffic by narrowing the lanes.
Two state-designated bicycle routes, marked as “NC State Bike Route” in Figure 3.11, tra-
verse Morrisville. The Carolina Connection and Mountains-to-Sea routes come together at
High House Road and Davis Drive in Cary. They then follow Davis Drive north to Morrisville-
Carpenter Road, east to Church Street, north to Barbee Road/Watkins Road, east to Perim-
eter Park Drive, northeast to Airport Boulevard, and across I-40 to Pleasant Grove Church
Road. Having a signed bike route does not imply that any accommodations (other than
signage) have been made for cyclists. Indeed, the conditions for cycling on some of the
designated bike route streets are problematic for all but the most experienced riders. For
example, Church Street is currently two lanes with no shoulder.
NCDOT is planning changes in the state bike routes in order to address changes in road-
ways and the upcoming closing of the railroad crossing at Barbee Road/Watkins Road.
The proposed (not yet official) new route would take riders around Morrisville along High
House Road to Cary Parkway, then to Evans Road, Weston Parkway, and through Um-
stead State Park.
Bicycling in North Carolina is regulated the same way, in most respects, as the operation
of a motor vehicle. However, dedicated on-road and off-road facilities can greatly im-
prove the cycling environment. The same holds true of pedestrian facilities, espe-
cially in terms of intersection improvements. Morrisville’s intersections are generally
transitioning from rural, two-lane crossroads into much wider and faster four-lane
intersections.
Morrisville’s pedestrian facilities include sidewalks and multi-use paths in many loca-
tions, more common on residential streets than major roadways. In addition, Mor-
risville is in the process of constructing the Indian Creek Greenway, which will run
north-south along Town Hall Drive from Morrisville-Carpenter Road to McCrimmon
Parkway. Additional planned segments would extend the greenway nearly to NC
540.
Currently, the same standards for pedestrian accommodations apply throughout
the town, regardless of whether the street in question is a high-volume major arte-
rial or a low-volume collector or residential street. Morrisville requires new develop-
ments to construct sidewalk inside as well as outside each new development. This
practice often leads to “gaps” in the sidewalk system as new sidewalk constructed
as part of new development stops at the parcel boundary with another, unde-
veloped (or developed during a time period when sidewalks were not required)
parcel. Adjacent developments seldom have connecting pedestrian facilities as
they are developed, making future connections very difficult and otherwise acces-
sible opportunities for shopping and recreation out of convenient reach. Morrisville
also requires developers to reserve right-of-way for, but not construct, greenways
traversing a new development.
Great opportunities exist in Morrisville to better accommodate pedestrians and cy-
clists of all types via bike lanes, wide outside lanes, sidewalks, multi-use paths and
greenways. This plan will incorporate recommendations from the 2006 Morrisville
Parks, Recreation and Greenways Plan, as well as recommend on-road bicycle fa-
cilities on key roadways, and specific pedestrian improvements.
1 The Highway Agency, “The Geometric Design of Pedestrian, Cycle and Equestrian Routes.” Vol. 6, Sec.
3, Design Manual for Roadways and Bridges. February, 2005.
vol6/section3/ta9005.pdf.
2 North Carolina Department of Transportation, as distributed by Capital Area Metropolitan Planning
Organization.
Bicycle/Pedestrian Facility Definitions2
Bike Lane - A portion of the roadway that
has been designated by striping, signing and
pavement markings for the preferential and
exclusive use of bicyclists.
Multi-use Path - Physically separated from motor
vehicle traffic, usually within the roadway right-
of-way. Wider than a sidewalk, typically 8 to 10
feet wide.
Greenway - Similar to a Multi-use Path, but
contained in an independent right-of-way,
separated from roadways.
Signed Bicycle Route - Designated route with
directional and informational markers.
Designated along more lightly traveled
residential or secondary roads where additional
facilities are not necessary.
Wide Outside Lane -The through lane closest to
the curb is wider (generally 14 feet, rather than
12 or 11 feet), allowing cars to more safely pass
bicyclists.
Sharrow - Sharrows are streets marked with bi-
cycle symbols to denote that bicycles “share” the
travel lane with motorized traffic.
NCDOT State Bike Route signs in Morrisville.