TRANSPORTATION
ELEMENT
Transportation
is an important topic greatly affecting Henderson County residents and
businesses. The transportation system
directly affects the county’s quality of life in terms of travel time, air
pollution, road connectivity, emergency response time, recreation, and other
issues. The transportation network also
has a profound influence upon commerce and the economic environment. Henderson
County must take an active role in ensuring that the transportation network adequately
serves to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life of Henderson
County. The primary features of the
county’s transportation network are summarized on Map # 12, Transportation (Appendix I).
The Citizen
Survey did not address transportation in general terms. Specific questions regarding the expenditure
of public dollars on the development of a by-pass around Hendersonville, public
transit, or greenways all scored very low relative to virtually all other
issues.
Community Meeting
participants rated transportation as the second most important Primary
Comment. Transportation issues placed
within the top twenty detailed Summary Comments in a number of ways. Community Meeting participants expressed
much more interest in greenways and public transit than did respondents to the
Citizen Survey. Also, there was a
strong perception among participants that although the county transportation
network is currently adequate, the system is rapidly worsening due to growth
and congestion.
Designing Our Future questionnaire responses are summarized
as follows:
Recommendation
T-01: Develop and
maintain a high-quality transportation network, and continue to provide
leadership at every level in transportation planning.
A. Adopt
and implement a multi-modal transportation plan
A
multi-modal transportation plan (hereafter, “transportation plan”) should be
the primary mechanism through which Henderson County understands its future
needs, plans, and budgets for meeting such needs.
Section 4
of this Comprehensive Plan will establish a Community Planning Framework. Each Community Plan should contain a
transportation element that both informs and is informed by a transportation
plan.
B. Identify
and incorporate access management standards and requirements into County land
development ordinances.
One of the most important factors influencing the ability of Henderson
County’s road network to handle traffic volume is the design, placement, and
number of access points (driveways, intersections, and other curb cuts). “Access management is a process that
provides access to land development while simultaneously preserving the flow of
traffic on the surrounding road system in terms of safety, capacity, and
speed.” (NC
DOT Congestion Management Section, Access Management Group) According to the NC DOT, a good access
management program does the following:
· Limits the Number of
Conflict Points at Driveway Locations
· Separates Conflict
Areas
· Reduces the
Interference of Through Traffic
· Provides Sufficient
Spacing for At-Grade, Signalized Intersections
· Provides Adequate
On-Site Circulation and Storage
The benefits of access management are extensive:
Access management is an obvious strategy in the fight to
preserve the travel speeds and minimize accidents on our roadway system. The
real beauty…is that it can provide many substantial benefits at a relatively
low cost. A well designed and implemented access management program:
· Provides substantial
reductions in accident costs
· Maintains the
efficient movement of people and goods
· Preserves the public
investment in the transportation infrastructure
· Reduces the need to
build more new roadways
· Protect[s] the value
of private investments
·
Enhance[s] the environment and economic vitality of surrounding
communities
Access management programs typically control the number and spacing of
curb cuts, as well as the design of the cuts themselves. Effective use of medians and turn lanes
promotes limited types of movement and access while allowing vehicles to safely
decelerate without creating additional congestion or conflict from subsequent
traffic. Reducing points of conflict
through proper placement, spacing, and design of access points can greatly
increase a driver’s ability to respond to vehicular movements, whether entering
or exiting a roadway (NCDOT).
At a minimum, access management standards and
requirements will apply extensively within the Urban Services Area and
Community Service Centers as defined within the Growth Management Strategy Element of this Comprehensive Plan. Access management standards and requirements
should also apply within the Rural / Urban Transition Area.
C. Continue
to support public transportation in Henderson County.
Western Carolina Community Action, Inc.
(WCCA), having been appointed by Henderson County to administer numerous human
services including transportation, has made mass transit a reality in Henderson
County. Apple Country Transportation, a
division of the WCCA, provides bus service to a variety of destinations in the
county, even connecting to Asheville city lines via the Asheville Regional
Airport. Funding for the operation of Apple Country Transportation is obtained
primarily through federal and state sources.
However Henderson County, the City of Hendersonville, and the Town of
Fletcher all provide significant financial support. With the recent inclusion
of Henderson County in the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area, as per the
2000 Decennial Census, long-term funding for the bus system is in question.
The provision of public transit is important
for a number of reasons. Public transit facilitates the mobility of elderly and
low-income individuals, reduces traffic congestion, lowers levels of air and
noise pollution, and increases connectivity between communities. For all of
these reasons, Henderson County will continue to work with other municipal and
regional governments in the area toward the development of a sustainable bus
system. The County will explore a
variety ways to contribute to the funding of the system, including utilizing
portions of fees and taxes upon automobiles.
D. Integrate
recreation and transportation planning.
The Recreation Element of this
Plan calls for the development of a countywide recreation master plan
(hereafter, “recreation plan”), a key ingredient of which will be long-term
greenways development plans. Greenways
are multi-functional in that they meet both recreational and transportation
needs. Furthermore, much of the funding
for greenways development is derived from federal and state transportation
funding sources. It is therefore
necessary for greenways plans to be reflected in the adopted countywide
multi-modal transportation plan discussed in Action Strategy T-01.A of this
element. The transportation plan should
be updated and re-adopted at such time as the recreation plan is
completed. Conversely, the recreation
plan should reflect any guidance derived from the transportation plan. Furthermore, both documents should both
inform and be informed by the Community Plans envisioned in Section 4 of this
Comprehensive Plan.
E. Continue
active leadership of, and participation in, the French Broad River Metropolitan
Planning Organization (FBRMPO).
Henderson County was incorporated into the
French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization (FBRMPO) following the
release of the 2000 U.S. Census data.
The FBRMPO is part of a federal process that requires urbanized areas to
engage in comprehensive, ongoing, cooperative regional planning. The FBRMPO works with NC DOT to develop and
implement multi-modal transportation plans and with local governments to
coordinate transportation and land use planning.