Morrisville Carpenter Widening and Pedestrian Improvements U-5503 Update Town Council Briefing Meeting January 8 th, 2013

Project Area and Improvements

Project Overview Estimated Total Cost: $1.2 Million Town’s Share: 30% of the costs, per the Municipal Agreement. The rest is financed through CAMPO’s LAPP Funding. NCDOT is managing and designing the Project with the Town securing any outstanding Right of Way areas. As part of the design, NCDOT had to perform a Noise Report which provided noise levels currently and projected as well as noise mitigation requirements.

Traffic Noise Considerations Morrisville-Carpenter Road Improvements T.I.P. # U-5503 Town of Morrisville Town Council Briefing Session January 8, 2013

23 CFR 772 PROCEDURES FOR ABATEMENT OF HIGHWAY TRAFFIC NOISE AND CONSTRUCTION NOISE § Purpose: To provide procedures for noise studies and noise abatement measures to help protect the public health and welfare, to supply noise abatement criteria, and to establish requirements for information to be given to local officials for use in the planning and design of highways approved pursuant to Title 23 U.S.C.

Type I Project (a) The construction of a highway on new location (b) The physical alteration of an existing highway where there is either: (i) Substantial Horizontal Alteration (ii) Substantial Vertical Alteration (c) The addition of a through-traffic lane(s). This includes the addition of a through-traffic lane that functions as a HOV lane, High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lane, bus lane, or truck climbing lane

Type I Project (d) The addition of an auxiliary lane, except for when the auxiliary lane is a turn lane (e) The addition or relocation of interchange lanes or ramps added to a quadrant to complete an existing partial interchange (f) Restriping existing pavement for the purpose of adding a through-traffic lane or an auxiliary lane (g) The addition of a new or substantial alteration of a weigh station, rest stop, ride-share lot or toll plaza

Type I Project (h) If a project is determined to be a Type I project under this definition then the entire project area, as defined in the environmental document, is a Type I project.

Deafening Very Loud Moderate Loud Faint Very Faint Commercial Threshold 71 dB(A) Residential Threshold 66 dB(A)

Noise Abatement Criteria Activity Category Activity Criteria 1 Leq(h) 2 Evaluation Location Activity Description A57Exterior Lands on which serenity and quiet are of extraordinary significance and serve an important public need and where the preservation of those qualities is essential if the area is to continue to serve its intended purpose. B 3 67Exterior Residential C 3 67Exterior Active sport areas, amphitheaters, auditoriums, campgrounds, cemeteries, daycare centers, hospitals, libraries, medical facilities, parks, picnic areas, places of worship, playgrounds, public meeting rooms, public or nonprofit institutional structures, radio studios, recording studios, recreation areas, Section4(f) sites, schools, television studios, trails, and trail crossings D52Interior Auditoriums, day care centers, hospitals, libraries, medical facilities, places of worship, public meeting rooms, public or nonprofit institutional structures, radio studios, recording studios, schools, and television studios E 3 72Exterior Hotels, motels, offices, restaurants/bars, and other developed lands, properties or activities not included in A-D or F F-- Agriculture, airports, bus yards, emergency services, industrial, logging maintenance facilities, manufacturing, mining, rail yards, retail facilities, shipyards, utilities (water resources, water treatment, electrical), and warehousing G-- Undeveloped lands that are not permitted Hourly Equivalent A-Weighted Sound Level (dB(A)) 1 The Leq(h) Activity Criteria values are for impact determination only, and are not design standards for noise abatement measures. 2 The equivalent steady-state sound level which in a stated period of time contains the same acoustic energy as the time-varying sound level during the same time period, with Leq(h) being the hourly value of Leq. 3 Includes undeveloped lands permitted for this activity category.

Substantial Noise Level Increase Hourly Equivalent A-Weighted Sound Level (dB(A)) 1 Loudest hourly equivalent noise level from the combination of natural and mechanical sources and human activity usually present in a particular area. 2 Predicted hourly equivalent Design Year traffic noise level minus existing noise level.

Morrisville-Carpenter Road Begin Project End Project

Morrisville-Carpenter Road Begin Project End Project NCDOT Completed Traffic Noise Analysis in 2012 Total Receptors Considered = 228 (215 Residences, 11 Businesses, 2 Pools) Existing Noise Impacts = 69 (30%) (67 Residences, 2 Businesses) No-Build Noise Impacts = 69 (30%) (67 Residences, 2 Businesses) Build Noise Impacts = 91 (40%) (88 Residences, 3 Businesses) Average Noise Level Increase = 2.0 dB(A) Maximum Noise Level Increase = 3 dB(A)

Minimal Change Between Existing and Future Highway Traffic Noise Levels Most people cannot detect changes of < +/- 3 dB(A) no Highway traffic noise analyses are required for all Type I projects, even when there is no change in the surrounding noise environment. FHWA traffic noise regulations were developed to specifically address the improvement of situations where existing highway traffic noise levels are already high

Morrisville-Carpenter Road

Noise Wall Numbers Wall -NW1-2,477 ft 2 $ 60,000 - $ 90,000 Wall -NW2-2,573 ft 2 $ 60,000 - $ 100,000 Wall -NW3-6,011ft 2 $ 150,000 - $ 210,000 Wall -NW4-4,521ft 2 $ 110,000 - $ 160,000 Wall -NW5-6,138ft 2 $ 150,000 - $ 220,000 Wall -NW6-1,381ft 2 $ 30,000 - $ 50,000

Cost Comparison Estimated Project Construction = $ 1,015,000 Estimated Total Wall Cost = $ 560,000 - $ 830,000 or 55 – 82 % of Construction Cost

Public Preference Viewpoints of the property owners and residents of all benefited receptors shall be solicited. One owner ballot and one resident ballot shall be solicited for each benefited receptor. Points per ballot shall be distributed in the following weighted manner: 3 points/ballot for benefited front row property owners 1 point/ballot for all other benefited property owners 1 point/ballot vote for all residents From NCDOT Traffic Noise Abatement Policy

Public Preference Consideration of the noise abatement measure will continue unless a simple majority of all distributed points are returned that indicates the balloted voters do not want the abatement measure. From NCDOT Traffic Noise Abatement Policy

Questions ?

Contact Information Gregory A. Smith, LG, PE Traffic Noise & Air Quality Group Leader 1598 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC

Noise is no minor nuisance. It is one of the great underappreciated health hazards of our time – the secondhand smoke of our ears. A.J. Jacobs, Drop Dead Healthy

Noise Wall Examples Noise Wall Approximately 22 Feet Tall

Options Moving Forward Option 1 (Recommended by Staff and NCDOT)  Amend the Project Scope to remove the pavement widening  Sidewalk, pedestrian crossings, and intersection improvements will still be constructed Option 2  Move Forward with full scope of project constructing the 6 required Noise Walls  Based on the NCDOT Estimate, this could add $560,000-$830,000 or more to the cost of the project Option 3  Send ballot to each affected property to vote for or against noise wall(s)  The NCDOT Noise Abatement Policy requires a majority of every affected property owner/resident to vote against noise wall in order to not build noise wall(s) where dictated by Noise Study

Next Steps Town Council Briefing Meeting – Tuesday, February 12, 2013