TITLE
Title
ADOPT THE GUILFORD COUNTY THOROUGHFARE AND COLLECTOR STREET PLAN AS PRESENTED BY THE GREENSBORO URBAN AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (GUAMPO)
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
J. Leslie Bell (Craig McKinney, GDDOT/MPO)
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BACKGROUND
Background
What is the Thoroughfare and Collector Plan?
Derived from the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, the Thoroughfare and Collector Plan (Plan) is referenced by the land development ordinance of Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) member jurisdictions, including Guilford County, the Towns of Oak Ridge, Stokesdale, Summerfield, Pleasant Garden and Sedalia, and the City of Greensboro. Keeping the plan current supports decision-makers in planning for, and regulation of, growth and development in their communities. The Plan is used in evaluating zoning decision and development applications, and is incorporated in zoning, subdivision and design standards in the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). Greensboro Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GUAMPO) is one of three MPOs that cover the unincorporated area of Guilford County (the other two are High Point MPO and Burlington Urban Area MPO). The Thoroughfare & Collector Street Plan serves the following land development ordinance functions:
- Establishes appropriate street design standards, including width, cross-section, access and connectivity, pedestrian facilities and etc., for specific roadways;
- Obtains or protects needed right-of-way in the land development process;
- Determines location of collector and thoroughfares across specific tracts or parcels in the site development process;
- Controls the number of future access points along thoroughfares;
- Ensures new construction is built at a suitable distance from freeways and thoroughfares;and
- Prevents new developments from being built in the path of identified future freeways and thoroughfares.
The current Thoroughfare Plan for Guilford County was adopted in 2006. The current Collector Plan was also adopted in 2006. This revised GUAMPO Thoroughfare and Collector Street Plan (consolidated) serves as the official map identifying freeways, major and minor thoroughfares and collector street classifications in the Greensboro Urban Area, which includes a large portion of unincorporated Guilford County (see attached A-2). Technical Advisory Council (TAC) representatives for this policy board are Chairman Melvin "Skip" Alston and Commissioner Carly Cooke.
The update was developed by a cross-functional team of MPO Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC) agency staff, coordination with Town and County officials, a review of other MPO and local plans and a 60-day public outreach process from February 1 to April 3, 2023. Public outreach methods included ads, social media posts and a public meeting. The draft MPO Plan was available for review and comment using an online mapping tool. Subsequent to MPO initial adoption of the updated plan, the Plan was revised and adopted by the Town of Stokesdale on July 11, 2024 to remove a proposed Highway 158 bypass, which was removed and endorsed by GUAMPO (see attached).
This new Plan brings roadway network recommendations up to date by adding constructed roadways built since the prior version of the plans, by removing roadway recommendations that have been determined not to be feasible, by modifying roadway recommendations based on environmental constraints and/or development, and by updating facility classifications, as appropriate (see attached Street List). The updated Plan includes the following changes (see attached Street List):
- Reclassified_collectors to locals;
- Reclassified_locals to collectors;
- Removed_proposed collectors;
- Added_existing collector;
- Added_proposed collector; and
- Removed_existing collector.
The typical functional street classifications found in the County are defined as follows:
- Expressway/Freeway - A multi-lane, controlled or limited access major road connecting this region, major activity centers or major roads with other regions, major activity centers or major roads. It is designed to accommodate large traffic volumes at high speeds. Such facilities may be part of the interstate, federal, or state primary highway system.
- Major Thoroughfare - Consist of interstate, other freeway, expressway, or parkway links, and major streets that provide for the expeditious movement of high volumes of traffic within and through urban areas.
- Minor Thoroughfare - Collect traffic from collector and local streets and carry it to the major thoroughfare system. Minor thoroughfares may be used to supplement the major thoroughfare system by facilitation of movement of moderate volumes of traffic within and through urban area and may also serve abutting property.
- Collector - A street who principal function is to carry traffic between cul-de-sac, local, private streets, private drives and streets of higher classification, but which may also provide direct access to abutting properties.
- Local - A street who primary function is to provide access to abutting properties.
The MPO recommends Guilford County adopt the Thoroughfare and Collector Street Plan (see recommendation attached). Doing so will provide the following benefits to support the County's development review process, area property owners and residents with a new Plan with the following advantages:
- Up-to-date existing roadway network (rather than the old networks from 2006 that the current town plans are based on);
- Up-to-date future roadway recommendations consistent with current MPO plans and includes updates from neighboring Town and County plans; and
- Convenient interactive map viewer that enables zooming in to specific parcels, querying for roadway information, and seeing the location and footprint of streams, lakes and buildings.
The MPO Thoroughfare Collector Street Plan (Map) is attached. The MPO Thoroughfare and Collector Street Plan Powerpoint presentation is also attached.
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BUDGET IMPACT
Budget Impact
NO ADDITIONAL COUNTY FUNDS REQUIRED
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REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Adopt the Greensboro Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (GUAMPO) Thoroughfare and Collector Street Plan, as presented.
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