Morrisville Land Use Plan 2009

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, cont ’ d

might ruin local quality of life and community cohesion in the process. This Plan prioritizes connectivity (providing multiple, redundant routes between origins and destinations), and the provision of alternative modes (bus, bike, walk and rail) to decrease dependence on car trips. Together these strategies hope to address the traffic congestion on and poor level of service provided by Morrisville’s current roadways (Section Three). A key recommendation is that the backbone of the transportation system, NC 54, should be widened to accommodate high traffic volumes, while including facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians and respecting existing development in the Town Center. Many of Mor- risville’s future roadways will be four lanes, with a landscaped median, 8-foot multi-use paths (wide sidewalks) along both sides and 4-foot bicycle lanes (Section Five). Providing direct connections to complementary land uses, like homes, shopping, and places of work or education, is a critical factor in determining how well traffic is distributed and the level of opportunity that will exist for people to use other modes of transportation besides a car for some of their trips. Design standards for roadways, transit, bicycle and pedestrian facilities and intersections are included in Section Six in order to provide guidance in implementing the multi-modal recommendations to most effectively fit within the context of the town. Recommenda- tions include developing a transit system in concert with the Town of Cary and Triangle Transit, existing operators with a proven record of success that already have services in the area. The Town should continue to collaborate on developing automated transit and regional transit services in conjunction with its nearby partners and regional organizations. Pursuing Transit Oriented Development as a future development option is a key compo- nent of both the Transportation and Land Use Plans because it integrates the develop- ment of land uses that are complementary to bus and rail services. Action items in the plan include not only fully implementing the detailed recommendations, but also a set of standards and policies that will support and enhance the recommended improvements, such as a policy for sidewalk connections between residential and commercial areas, a policy to require adequate and safe bicycle parking, a policy for access management (reducing driveways on a road to reduce accidents, among other benefits), and a policy to provide for bicycle and pedestrian accommodations during construction. Summary: The Future of Morrisville

So what is the future of Morrisville, according to these Plans? Tree- lined streets used for driving, walking, and cycling; meaningful pub- lic transport that carries people safely and conveniently to major destinations in Town and nearby; a more collaborative atmosphere to work with neighboring entities to create opportunities that Mor- risville would not be able to create or create as well on its own; a low-density lifestyle interspersed with areas that provide neighbor- hood- or town-scale shopping, and employment opportunities that work together with the transportation alternatives. The plans can be best summarized by how they answer two critical questions: How do the Plans respond to the challenge of building and main- taining a community in a growing region? • By balancing uses to meet the needs of different groups and locating land uses where they make sense. For exam- ple, placing major nonresidential uses at major intersections with greater transportation access and using the remain- ing undeveloped land not covered by the noise overlay for residential use. • By prioritizing connectivity rather than simply widening road- ways.

The first public workshop was attended by over 80 people on October 29, 2007.

• By prioritizing the integration of non-auto modes of transportation through the op- tion for Transit Oriented Development and the incorporation of bicycle and pedes- trian facilities on every major and minor roadway. • By enhancing Morrisville’s sense of community and community identity through the provision of amenities such as parks, protected environmental resources, gateway features, a vibrant Town Center and a protected Shiloh historic area. How do the Plans support the development of Morrisville as an “innovative crossroads”? • By striving to be a premier example of collaboration between jurisdictions and re- gional partner organizations. The development of the Plans themselves incorporat- ed these qualities by involving representatives of these groups as active participants in the planning process (see Appendix C), and the Plans call for a continuation of this kind of cooperation to implement many of the recommendations. • By thinking in terms of the big picture and considering how land use and transporta- tion interact and fit together to create an efficient, highly-functional community. • By focusing on tangible results through the incorporation of concrete, timeline- driven action items to implement the vision, goals and policies of the Plans.

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