Hello to All,
Thank you for your support in preserving the 64 corridor in Cary and Apex.
As a result of our communities and Save64.org’s efforts a series of “Stake Holders” meetings were held with NCDOT and the “Study Group”.
We are pleased to announce that the Study Group and NCDOT has in fact recommended that a by-pass be created via US 1 and 540, and that they were dropping the elevated Free Way aspects from the Study.
The Regional Transportation Alliance has been working with both Cary and Apex Chambers of Commerce and have asked that we present the below draft to our fellow citizens. The purpose is to judge the publics opinion on there draft on this very important issue.
Feel free to post any of your thoughts or questions on our web site, or to contact your local officials or NCDOT.
Thank you,
Save64.org
Draft position on US 64 West corridor
We recognize that US 64 is a critical corridor for both transportation and economic development for our region and state. We also understand that US 64 West also serves our local community in southwestern Wake County and is critical for mobility; access to offices, merchants, parks, and schools; and overall quality of life.
We applaud NCDOT, the Capital Area MPO, the Towns of Cary and Apex, and other partners for their shared efforts at exploring multiple options in order to identify a balanced solution from a community, regional, and statewide perspective. After engaging in the extensive community outreach process during 2009 with the corridor study team, we offer the following comments:
- We support the study team’s recommendation to pursue signing US 64 bypass along NC 540 in order to inform through travelers of the availability of a nearby freeway-quality facility and to encourage long-distance travelers to use that routing
- We request that dynamic message signs that highlight travel time differences between the existing 64 corridor and the 540 freeway routing be installed along the lines of the electronic travel time sign examples shown in the new 2009 MUTCD in order to further inform longer distance travelers of the availability of the bypass routing
- Given the continuing and projected population and travel growth in the Triangle, we support efforts to preserve or enhance the mobility along the existing corridor between NC 540 and US 1
- Given the character of the Cary/Apex community and the existing US 64 corridor, any proposed mobility improvements to the existing corridor should sustain or improve its aesthetics, maintain a boulevard feel, and preserve or enhance connectivity between land uses north and south of the corridor
- We fully support the study team’s recommendations to install Carmel, IN-type aesthetic roundabout interchanges at Lake Pine and Laura Duncan and their potential for significant capacity improvements, travel time savings, safety improvements, north-south multimodal connectivity enhancements, and boulevard aesthetics preservation
- Given the potential benefits associated with the proposed grade-separated interchanges at Laura Duncan and Lake Pine, we encourage consideration of focusing resources to accelerate one of these interchanges in lieu of spreading funding around on multiple smaller projects
- We encourage NCDOT to conduct a speed study on the existing corridor once NC 540 opens to see if speeds are appropriate
- We encourage the Town of Cary to consider further study of the area near the US 1 / US 64 interchange in order to explore potential opportunities for improved access, connectivity, mobility, and aesthetics along both US 1 and US 64
- Given the boulevard feel of the corridor and the capacity improvements that grade separations afford, we encourage preserving the existing corridor footprint at four lanes (two through lanes per direction), either indefinitely or at a minimum until multiple interchanges are installed, travel flow is observed, and further community engagement is undertaken
We thank NCDOT and the study team for the tremendous outreach and engagement efforts that have been undertaken as part of this study.
