On March 12, 2010 the NOACA Governing Board approved the following regarding this project: Resolution No. 2010-008 Project Planning Review Resolution No. 2010-009 Plan and TIP Amendment. Title: Reconstruction and Minor Widening on Royalton Road in North Royalton Sponsor: Cuyahoga County Engineer PID No. 80961 Estimated Total Cost: $12,890,000 (Right-of-Way and Construction) Proposed Source of Federal Funds: SAFETEA-LU, NOACA History/Background: The City of North Royalton is the sponsor of two Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005 – a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) earmarks: 1) a House High Priority Projects (HHPP) Earmark No. 559 (Reconstruct and widen State Route 82) and 2) HHPP Earmark No. 4638 (Reconstruct and widen State Route 82). On April 7, 2009, the City Council of North Royalton, Ohio passed Ordinance No. 09-047 authorizing the city…to prepare an application to participate in the…NOACA, State, Capital improvement and/or local transportation improvement program(s) and to execute contracts as required and declaring an emergency.” HNTB Ohio, Inc. was retained by the Cuyahoga County Engineer’s Office to study a 1.7 mile section of Royalton Road (SR-82) from West 130th Street east to York Road, in the cities of Strongsville and North Royalton (Technical Memorandum Royalton Road Traffic Study, May 2009). A three-lane section was recommended based on safety, traffic flow and operation within the corridor. On October 15, 2009 the Board of County Commissioners of Cuyahoga County, Ohio adopted a resolution (File No. 5001) declaring that public convenience and welfare requires the reconstruction with additional turning lanes on Royalton Road from West 130th Street to York Road in the City of North Royalton; directing the County Engineer to prepare estimate of cost, plans and specifications for said improvement; authorizing the County Engineer to prepare the necessary agreement of cooperation. Current Conditions: Royalton Road, within the City of North Royalton, is functionally classified as an urban principal arterial. Local traffic uses Royalton Road to access I-71 to the west and I-77 to the east. Royalton Road has been reconstructed as a four-lane roadway west of West 130th Street. Royalton Road operates as a two-lane roadway from West 130th Street to York Road and continues to operate as a two-lane roadway east of York Road. The pavement width on Royalton Road varies from 24 feet to 38 feet. Royalton Road varies from two to three lanes with shoulders, two feet wide. The lane widths vary from 11 to 12 feet. Royalton Road widens at the intersections of West 130th Street, Spruce Run Drive, Deer Creek Drive, Abbey Road and York Road to provide exclusive turn lanes at each of these intersections. An exclusive left turn lane in the westbound direction is also provided at Progress Parkway, providing access to local commercial businesses. Royalton Road is curbed at the intersections of West 130th Street and York Road and varies from 48 to 68 feet wide. The width of the existing right-of-way (RW) varies from 60 to 80 feet. The average daily traffic on Royalton Road is 16,639 vehicles per day with five percent trucks (2009). The posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour. The sponsor reports that, except for a one-tenth-of-a-mile stretch on the western side of Royalton Road (which has driveways for apartment complexes and a few residential driveways), the entire length of Royalton Road is a commercial and industrial area with many businesses being located on Royalton Road or on an intersecting side street with a business park. The HNTB study reports that vehicles waiting to turn left into these driveways cause congestion and back up along the roadway, especially during peak periods. Furthermore, lane use along Royalton Road within the study area is not consistent and can be confusing to drivers. Some approaches have exclusive right turn lanes, some have exclusive left turn lanes while others have only one lane. Proposed Project: The proposed project involves the reconstruction of approximately 1.7 miles along Royalton Road, including a turning lane, from West 130th Street to York Road, in the City of North Royalton (location map). Implementing a continuous three-lane section offers consistency in lane use along the corridor and enhances drive expectancy improving safety. A two way left turning lane (TWLTL) minimizes the delay for through vehicles following left turning vehicles that slow or stop to make the left turn. The TWLTL will remove the left turning vehicles from the through traffic and allow a constant traffic flow in the through lane. The sponsor reports they will also investigate the possibility of adding two five-foot wide bike lanes. The proposed pavement width, including paved shoulders, will be 48 feet with two 12-foot wide lanes, a turning lane twelve feet wide and possibly five-foot wide bicycle lanes. The estimated total project cost, provided by the sponsor, is $12,890,000. The estimated cost of right-of-way (RW) is $690,000. The total SAFETEA-LU HHPP earmark (No. 559) is $800,000. An obligation limit of 91 percent ($728,000) has been applied to the earmark total. The total SAFETEA-LU HHPP earmark (No. 4638) is $1,000,000. An obligation limit of 91 percent ($910,000) has been applied to the earmark total. Therefore, a combined total of $1,638,000 in earmark funding is available to the sponsor for this project. Anything over $1,638,000 is the responsibility of the project sponsor. The sponsor intends to use the SAFETEA-LU funding for preliminary engineering and right-of-way acquisition. The estimated construction cost is $12,200,000. The sponsor requests that eighty percent ($9,760,000) of the construction cost be funded with NOACA-administered Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds. The Cuyahoga County Engineer intends to provide the non-federal share of construction ($2,440,000). The project can be designed and ready to construct in July 2013. Staff Comment (Summary): Plan and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Team: This project is consistent with NOACA’s Connections 2030 Goal #3 (Preserve and Improve the Efficiency of the Transportation System) and ODOT’s Access Ohio 2004 - 2030 Goals #1 (Transportation Safety), #3 (Efficient, Reliable Traffic Flow) and #4 (System Preservation). Recommend committee and public review in order to obtain comments. Regional Transportation System (RTS) Team: In 2008 the pavement condition rating (PCR) on this section of Royalton Road is 72 (Fair condition). In the construction year, 2015, the RPMS predicts the PCR to be 51 (poor condition). The Regional Pavement Management System also recommends major rehabilitation on this section of Royalton Road in 2015. Royalton Road is on the NOACA Bikeway Priority Plan and the project is proposing to use NOACA-controlled federal funds for a reconstruction; therefore, bike accommodation is required as described in NOACA’s Regional Bicycle Transportation Plan. The project does include five-foot bike lanes which will accommodate bicyclists and change this section of Royalton Road from “not suitable for cyclists” to “suitable for most cyclists.” Intergovernmental Review and Consultation (IGRC): If you are a representative of a governmental entity and would like to comment on this project, please email us. "RTA asks that any street improvements include concrete bus pads at stops near intersections. The projects include curb ramps and sidewalks that allow pedestrians to walk to the bus stops. Any intersection work or signal projects include the realization that buses run on the streets and operate differently than passenger vehicles. Any lane changes include the minimum width of a bus in 10' and RTA typically perfers 11' lanes. RTA supports the major infrastructure improvements being made to these projects as it improves our ability to provide timely, efficient bus service on these roadways. It makes our pedestrians safer and the ride more comfortable. RTA asks that the projects be done holistically considering not only automobiles but buses, bikes and pedestrians."- Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Agency, Cuyahoga County Public Involvement: NOACA encourages comments from the public on this proposed transportation improvement project. Please notify us if you would like to be added to our e-mail notification list for future updates. Brad Chase, GreenCityBlueLake Institute: 1) Language in proposed project should be adjusted to reflect NOACA Bikeway Priority Plan. Existing proposed project language, including "possibly" should be removed when referring to bike accommodations in this project. Language that is consistent with the Bikeway plan such as "must" or "will" should be inserted. Committee Review: Regional Transportation Investment Subcommittee (RTIS)/Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC): No comments; recommended for amendment to NOACA's Transportation Plan and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Bicycle Advisory Council (BAC): This project conforms to NOACA’s Bicycle Priority Plan requirements as submitted, with bike lanes. Look into the possibility of a path instead of bike lanes prior to designing the project.