20120285 Ver 1_Study_20080619

DRAFT
UPDATED
PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
Gaston East -West Connector
Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties
STIP Project No U -3321
State Project No 8 2812501
Federal Aid Project No STP- 1213(6)
Prepared for
NORTH CAROLINA
1100
Turnpilke Authority
Prepared By
i�
1616 East Millbrook Road
Raleigh, NC 27609
(919) 876 -6888
June 19, 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Need Statement
Gaston East -West Connector
STIP Project U -3321
PREFACE
Paqe
1 1 INTRODUCTION
1
1 2 PROPOSED ACTION
1
1 3 NEED FOR PROJECT
3
14 PROJECT PURPOSE
5
1 5 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
6
1 5 1 Project Setting
6
1 5 2 History of Project
7
1 52 1 Local Planning Efforts
7
1 5 2 2 Planning by NCDOT and NCTA
8
1 6 EXISTING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
10
16 1 Existing Road Network
10
1 61 1 Major Roadways and their Characteristics
10
1 61 2 Types of Travel on Existing Roadways
12
1 6 1 3 Roadway Connections between Gaston and Mecklenburg
Counties 13
1 6 2 Other Transportation Modes
14
1 62 1 Railways
14
1 62 2 Airports
14
1 62 3 Mass Transit
15
1 7 PERFORMANCE OF THE EXISTING ROADWAY SYSTEM
16
1 7 1 Mobility and Connectivity Issues
16
1 7 2 Traffic Volumes on Existing Roadways
18
1 7 2 1 Travel Demand Modeling
18
1 7 2 2 Existing and Projected Traffic Volumes
18
1 7 3 Traffic Operations on Existing Major Roadways
23
1 7 3 1 Analysis Methodology
23
1 7 3 2 Traffic Operations on I 85
24
1 7 3 3 Traffic Operations on I 485
25
1 7 3 4 Traffic Operations on US 29 74
26
1 7 3 5 Traffic Operations on US 321
27
18 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
28
18 1 Population Characteristics
28
1 82 Economic Data
30
1 8 3 Major Attractions in Southern Gaston County
31
1 83 1 Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
31
1 83 2 Crowders Mountain State Park
32
19 TRANSPORTATION PLANS AND LAND USE PLANS
33
1 9 1 NCDOT State Transportation Improvement Program
33
1 9 2 NCDOT Strategic Highway Corridors Initiative
35

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Need Statement
Gaston East -West Connector
STIP Project U -3321
Page
1 9 3 North Carolina Intrastate System
38
1 9 4 Gaston County Transportation Plans
38
1 94 1 Gaston Thoroughfare Plan
38
1 94 2 Gaston Urban Area Long Range Transportation Plan
40
19 5 Mecklenburg County Transportation Plans
40
1 95 1 Mecklenburg Union Thoroughfare Plan
40
1 9 5 2 Mecklenburg Union MPO 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan
41
1 9 6 Gaston County Comprehensive Plan
41
1 9 7 Land Use Plans in Mecklenburg County
41
1 97 1 Southwest District Future Land Use Map
41
1 97 2 Dixie Berryhill Strategic Plan
45
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1
Commuting Patterns in Charlotte MSA based on 2000 Census Data
13
Table 2
I 85 - Existing and Projected Traffic Volumes
19
Table 3
I 485 - Existing and Projected Traffic Volumes
19
Table 4
US 29 -74 Existing and Projected Traffic Volumes
19
Table 5
US 321 Existing and Projected Traffic Volumes
20
Table 6
Definitions of Levels of Service
24
Table 7
I -85 - Traffic Operations in 2006 and 2030
25
Table 8
I -485 - Traffic Operations in 2006 and 2030
26
Table 9
US 29 74 - Traffic Operations in 2006 and 2030
26
Table 10
US 321 - Traffic Operations in 2006 and 2030
27

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Need Statement
Gaston East -West Connector
STIP Project U -3321
Pa e
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1
Project Location Map
2
Figure 2
GUAMPO Garden Parkway Corridor
9
Figure 3
Existing Facility Characteristics
11
Figure 4
2006 Traffic Volumes and Levels of Service
21
Figure 5
2030 Traffic Volumes and Levels of Services (No Build Alternative)
22
Figure 6
Population Growth Between 1990 and 2000 for Gaston County
29
Figure 7
STIP Projects in Gaston County and Western Mecklenburg County
34
Figure 8
Strategic Highway Corridor Vision Plan
37
Figure 9
Thoroughfare Plans
39
Figure 10
Long Range Transportation Plans
42
Figure 11
Composite Initiatives Map
43
Figure 12
Mecklenburg County Southwest District Future Land Use Map
44
Figure 13
Mecklenburg County Dixie Berryhill Area Small Area Plan
46
APPENDICES
Appendix A NEPA /404 Merger Process Concurrence Point 1 - Signed Form
Appendix B Projected Population Growth Maps for the Gaston Urban Area

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
PREFACE
The original Purpose and Need Statement for the Gaston East West Connector (State Transportation
Improvement Program (STEP) Project No U 3321) was finalized in August 2002 The Project Team
concurred on the Statement of Purpose and Need on July 24 2002 The Project Team members
include
• NC Turnpike Authority
• NC Department of Transportation
• Federal Highway Administration
• US Army Corps of Engineers
• US Fish and Wildlife Service
• US Environmental Protection Agency
• NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources — Division of Water Quality
• NC Wildlife Resources Commission
• State Historic Preservation Office
• Gaston Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
• Mecklenburg Union MPO
Since the approval of the Project s Purpose and Need Statement the project studies have progressed
toward completion of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) The Purpose and Need
Statement was originally prepared six years ago and several items needed to be updated for
publication in the DEIS as documented in this Updated Purpose and Need Statement The major
' items are listed below None of these updates resulted in a substantive change to the original project
purpose (Section 13)
1 In October 2002 the NC General Assembly established a law creating the NC Turnpike
Authority (NCTA) In February 2005 the NCTA Board of Directors selected the Gaston
East West Connector as a candidate toll facility and the project is now being studied by
NCTA
' 2 A travel demand model covering the entire Metrolma region (a 13 county region around
Charlotte including Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties) became available Traffic projections
' were updated from 2025 projections using the Gaston County travel demand model to 2030
projections using the Metrolma regional travel demand model The base year traffic
projections also were updated from 2000 to 2006 Section 17 2 discusses traffic projections
' 3 Levels of Service (LOS) for 185 1485 US 29 74 and US 321 for the base year 2006 and
horizon year 2030 were calculated using the projections from the Metrolma regional travel
demand model Section 17 3 discusses traffic operations
' 4 The Charlotte Douglas International Airport began construction of a third runway and is
expected to be complete by January 2010 (Section 16 2 2)
5 Information on transportation plans and land use plans was updated with the latest versions
(Section 19)
6 On September 2 2004 the NCDOT Board of Transportation established a system of Strategic
Highway Corridors for the state The Gaston East West Connector is part of this Strategic
Highway Corridor program (Section 19 2)
' GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2t7�8

PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION
What This Purpose and Need Statement Includes
This document describes the purpose of the project and why the proposed action is needed It
will become Chapter 1 of the projects Draft Environmental Impact Statement Supporting
information includes the project history a description of the existing roadway network and
how it operates now and in the future and data on population and employment southern
Gaston County attractions other transportation modes and area transportation and land use
plans
1 1 INTRODUCTION
An environmental document is being prepared for this project in accordance with the requirements set
forth in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as amended This is an informational
document intended for use by both the decision makers and the public As such it represents a
disclosure of relevant environmental information concerning the proposed action
The content of this Purpose and Need Statement conforms to the requirements of the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) guidelines which provide direction regarding implementation of the
procedural provisions of NEPA and to the Federal Highway Administration s Guidance for Preparing
and Processing Environmental and Section 4(f) Documents (Technical Advisory T66430 8 A October
1987)
' The project purpose and need drives the process for alternatives consideration and in depth analysis
CEQ regulations require that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) address the no action
alternative and rigorously explore and objectively evaluate all reasonable alternatives Furthermore
a well justified purpose and need is vital to meeting the requirements of NEPA Section 4(f) (49 USC
303) the Executive Orders on Wetlands (EO 11990) and Floodplains (EO 11988) and the Section
404(b)(1) Guidelines
1 2 PROPOSED ACTION
The North Carolina Turnpike Authority proposes to improve east west transportation mobility in the
area around the City of Gastonia and other municipalities in southern Gaston County between
Gastonia and the Charlotte metropolitan area and particularly to establish direct access between the
rapidly growing areas of southeast Gaston County and west Mecklenburg County Figure 1 shows the
general project location
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR MAY 2008
1

185 is an important corridor for regional and longer distance travel About 70 percent of the
workers living in Gaston County who work in other counties go to work in Mecklenburg
County The Charlotte region is a major freight distribution center and trucks use 185 to
' connect to destinations to the southwest (e g Atlanta GA) west (e g Asheville NC) and
northwest (e g Hickory NC) Tourists from the Charlotte region traveling to the mountains of
western North Carolina and Tennessee also use 185 in Gaston County
Projected growth in southern Gaston Countv and western Mecklenburg Countv will
continue to place demands on accessibility and connectivitv between the two counties
According to the draft Gaston County Comprehensive Plan (Section 8 3 of the plan) southern
Gaston County especially the southeastern portion is expected to experience high residential
growth in the next twenty years Similarly the Dixie Berryhill area a planned development
area in western Mecklenburg County west of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport is
expected to build out with high residential densities mixed with commercial uses and transit
oriented development
The Charlotte Douglas International Airport in western Mecklenburg County employs over
16 000 people and is expanding through construction of a third runway In the future the
airport also is planned to have an intermodal facility combining rail truck and air cargo
transport that would generate employment opportunities and substantial numbers of regional
truck trips
The Dixie Berryhill Vision Plan calls for mixed use and transit oriented development in the
currently sparsely developed part of western Mecklenburg County directly across the Catawba
River from southeastern Gaston County This mixed use area will create more employment
opportunities in proximity to Gaston County in addition to existing office and industrial parks
and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
3
PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
1 3 NEED FOR PROJECT
The primary needs for the proposed action are summarized below Detailed discussions of the
existing and projected conditions in the study area are presented in Sections 15 through 19
POOR CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN GASTON COUNTY AND MECKLENBURG COUNTY AND
WITHIN SOUTHERN GASTON COUNTY
'
• There are limited crossings of the Catawba River, constraining travel between and
through Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties The Catawba River separates Gaston and
Mecklenburg Counties and there are only four crossings of the river with none in the southern
half of Gaston County 185 and US 29 74 important as the only continuous east west
through routes in Gaston County provide parallel and adjacent crossings in the center of the
county The next crossing of the river south is about 1 l miles away on NC 49 connecting
York County South Carolina and Mecklenburg County
185 is an important corridor for regional and longer distance travel About 70 percent of the
workers living in Gaston County who work in other counties go to work in Mecklenburg
County The Charlotte region is a major freight distribution center and trucks use 185 to
' connect to destinations to the southwest (e g Atlanta GA) west (e g Asheville NC) and
northwest (e g Hickory NC) Tourists from the Charlotte region traveling to the mountains of
western North Carolina and Tennessee also use 185 in Gaston County
Projected growth in southern Gaston Countv and western Mecklenburg Countv will
continue to place demands on accessibility and connectivitv between the two counties
According to the draft Gaston County Comprehensive Plan (Section 8 3 of the plan) southern
Gaston County especially the southeastern portion is expected to experience high residential
growth in the next twenty years Similarly the Dixie Berryhill area a planned development
area in western Mecklenburg County west of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport is
expected to build out with high residential densities mixed with commercial uses and transit
oriented development
The Charlotte Douglas International Airport in western Mecklenburg County employs over
16 000 people and is expanding through construction of a third runway In the future the
airport also is planned to have an intermodal facility combining rail truck and air cargo
transport that would generate employment opportunities and substantial numbers of regional
truck trips
The Dixie Berryhill Vision Plan calls for mixed use and transit oriented development in the
currently sparsely developed part of western Mecklenburg County directly across the Catawba
River from southeastern Gaston County This mixed use area will create more employment
opportunities in proximity to Gaston County in addition to existing office and industrial parks
and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
3

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
• South of 185 in Gaston County, a lack of connecting east west roadways makes travel
circuitous and limits mobility Currently there are no continuous east west routes in
southern Gaston County The roads in southern Gaston County generally run more north
south For example a person wishing to travel from the residential subdivisions on the
Belmont peninsula (the land between the South Fork Catawba River and Catawba River) to
businesses and industries along US 321 in southern Gaston County cannot do so directly they
i
must first travel north to use westbound 185 or US 29 74 to US 321 then south on US 321 or
'
travel a circuitous route that might include NC 273 (Armstrong Road) NC 279 (South New
Hope Road) SR 2435 (Union New Hope Road) NC 274 (Union Road) SR 2416 (Robinson
Road) SR 2412 (Little Mountain Road) SR 2420 (Forbes Road) to US 321
'
Visitors to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden (a large tourist attraction) must travel along
circuitous two lane non access controlled routes in southern Gaston County to reach the
'
botanical garden from the interstate and intrastate system This creates confusion and delays
for visitors most of whom (94 percent) are non members of the Daniel Stowe Botanical
Garden During a major event like the Fourth of July traffic entering the Daniel Stowe
Botanical Garden has been reported to back up on NC 279 (New Hope Road [SR 2302]) about
15 miles north of the site
'
• Planned growth in southern Gaston County will result in an increase in the need for
east west mobility Between 1990 and 2000 southeastern Gaston County was the fastest
growing part of the county According to the Gaston County Comprehensive Plan the
southeastern part of the county is expected to continue to experience high residential growth
through 2020
• The Gaston Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization ( GUAMPO) and the
Mecklenburg Union MPO ( MUMPO) show in their plans a new location roadway
through southern Gaston County connecting over the Catawba River to Mecklenburg
County In their transportation plans the local MPOs recognize the need for a new freeway
providing new connectivity The GUAMPO ranks the proposed project as their top priority
'
• The Gaston East West Connector is a Strategic Highway Corridor The Gaston East
West Connector is designated as a new freeway facility in the Strategic Highway Corridors
Vision Plan The primary purpose of the Strategic Highway Corridors initiative is to provide a
safe reliable and high speed network of highways that connect travel destinations throughout
and just outside North Carolina
'
EXISTING AND PROJECTED POOR LEVELS OF SERVICE ON THE PROJECT AREA S MAJOR
ROADWAYS
'
• Traffic volumes are protected to increase on 185, 1485, US 29 74, and US 321 in the
study area through 2030 Traffic volumes on the study area s major roadways are projected
to increase through 2030 On 185 traffic volumes are projected to increase 29 50 percent
between 2006 and 2030 to 105 000 198 400 vehicles per day
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR 1UNE ZOOS
'
4

I PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT I
• There are existing poor levels of service on segments of 185 in the study area Based on
' 2006 traffic volumes 185 is operating at a level of service (LOS) E or F from Exit 19 (NC 7
[Ozark Avenue]) through Exit 27 (NC 273 [Park Street]) in Gaston County
I The LOS is defined with a letter designation from A to F with LOS A representing the
best operating conditions along a roadway or at an intersection and LOS F the worst
I' • Future levels of service on 185, US 29 74, and US 321 are protected to worsen By 2030
185 is projected to operate at LOS E F throughout the study area (Exit 10 (US 29 74))
through Exit 30 (I 485)) Congestion also is projected to increase on 1485 US 29 74 and
US 321 US 29 74 is projected to operate at LOS F from McAdenville (Wesleyan Drive) east
to 1485 a distance of approximately 6 miles
Congestion and incidents on 185 inhibit regional travel and the ability of 185 to
function as a Strategic Highway Corridor and Intrastate Corridor Existing and
projected congestion and frequent incidents on 185 that temporarily slow or stop traffic
(2 589 incidents in 2007 from Exit 10 (US 29 74) to Exit 29 (I 485)) inhibit travel along this
important link in the regional transportation system Traveling from Mecklenburg County
heading west to points in Cleveland County and points farther south 185 is the only full
control of access interstate facility through Gaston County Also traveling from Mecklenburg
County via 185 to points north of Gaston County such as Hickory or Boone US 321 (north of
I 85) is the only full control of access facility to those destinations from Gaston County and
these roadways are essential for regional truck and vehicular traffic
14 PROJECT PURPOSE
The purpose of the proposed action is to improve east west transportation mobility in the area around
the City of Gastonia between Gastonia and the Charlotte metropolitan area and particularly to
establish direct access between the rapidly growing area of southeast Gaston County and west
Mecklenburg County This project purpose is based on the following
• Need to improve mobility access and connectivity within southern Gaston County and
between southern Gaston County and Mecklenburg County
Need to improve traffic flow on the sections of 185 US 29 74 and US 321 in the project study
area and improve high speed safe reliable regional travel service along the 185 corridor
I GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
5

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
is BACKGROUND INFORMATION
I
1 5 1 Project Setting
Protect Setbno
The topography in the
study area is gently
rolling to hilly with
Crowders Mountain
State Park on the west
and the Catawba River
on the east Land uses
are suburban and rural
The nearest mayor city is Charlotte in Mecklenburg County which is 20 miles to the east Hickory is
37 miles to the north and Asheville is 95 miles to the northwest
The Mecklenburg Gaston County area has a temperate climate characterized by moderate temperature
As shown in Figure 1 the project study area is located in southern Gaston
County and western Mecklenburg County within the unincorporated
areas of these counties and within the municipalities of Gastonia
'
McAdenville Cramerton Belmont and Charlotte The project study area
'
consists of the following general boundaries 185 to the north the South
'
Carolina state line to the south the Charlotte Douglas International
'
Airport to the east and the 185 and US 29 74 function and Crowders
Mountain State Park to the west
Protect Setbno
The topography in the
study area is gently
rolling to hilly with
Crowders Mountain
State Park on the west
and the Catawba River
on the east Land uses
are suburban and rural
The nearest mayor city is Charlotte in Mecklenburg County which is 20 miles to the east Hickory is
37 miles to the north and Asheville is 95 miles to the northwest
The Mecklenburg Gaston County area has a temperate climate characterized by moderate temperature
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
6
variations and moderate humidity The average annual high temperature is about 71 72 degrees
Fahrenheit and the average annual low temperature is 47 49 degrees The average annual
precipitation is 48 54 inches (NC Department of Commerce website
http //www nccommerce com /en /AboutNorthCarolina/Location/ accessed May 2 2008)
'
The project is located in the South Central Piedmont region of North Carolina The topography of the
project area is gently rolling to hilly with several pronounced ridges including Kings Mountain
'
Pinnacle Spencer Mountain Jackson s Knob Paysour Mountain and Crowders Mountain
Gaston County has a total area of approximately 363 5 square imles and Mecklenburg County has a
total area of approximately 546 2 square miles (Census 2000 http //factfinder census eov Table
GCT PHI — Population Housing Units Area and Density accessed May 27 2008) Elevations
above sea level in Gaston County range from 587 feet in the southeast corner to 1 705 feet at the
Pinnacle of the Kings Mountain ndge in the southwest The average elevation is estimated at 825 feet
'
(Gaston County Economic Development Commission website
http //www Easton org/PDF/LocationGeog pd f accessed April 15 2008) The average elevation of
'
Mecklenburg County is 751 feet with the highest elevation of 890 feet located in the western portion
of the county (NC Geological Survey website http Hwww geology enr state nc us/
county /county — high —points html accessed May 5 2008)
'
The most prominent natural features in the project area are Crowders Mountain to the west and the
Catawba River to the east The Catawba River is the boundary between Gaston County and
Mecklenburg County The Catawba River and its lakes are a regional water supply They also provide
boating fishing and other recreational opportunities as well as provide cooling waters for the Duke
Energy Allen Steam Station and the Catawba Nuclear Station
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
6

I PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT I
Outside the municipal boundaries the land uses in southern Gaston County are suburban and rural
with residential subdivisions scattered among large tracts of undeveloped land and agricultural land
Businesses and industries are concentrated within municipal limits and outside the cities along 185
US 29 74 US 321 NC 274 (Union Road) and NC 273 (South Point Road) where water and sewer
services are provided
The most prominent land use in western Mecklenburg County is the Charlotte Douglas International
Airport Business and commercial uses are concentrated in areas surrounding the airport and along
185 and US 29 74 Between 1485 and the Catawba River the land uses consist of undeveloped land
scattered rural residences riverfront developments and new subdivisions This area is one of the few
remaining relatively undeveloped areas near Charlotte and it is rapidly developing
' 1 5 2 History of Project
1 5 2 1 Local Planning Efforts
. Plans to improve east west mobihty in southern Gaston County through
construction of a new location roadway have been under discussion since
' the late 1980 s by the Gaston Urban Area Metropolitan Planning
Organization ( GUAMPO) The need for improved east west mobihty and
the bypass concept was first identified in 1989 during the citizen
Local Plannina
Local planning efforts for
the project have been
underway since the late
19805
participation process associated with the update of the Gaston Urban Area
Thoroughfare Plan The GUAMPO held five citizen workshops six public meetings and thirteen
formal public hearings before adopting the locally named US 321/74 Bypass on their 1991 Plan The
US 321/74 Bypass extends from US 321 north of Gastonia around the west and south sides of
Gastonia to 1485 in Mecklenburg County
The GUAMPO s Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) oversees state and federal road projects
within the Gaston Urbanized Area In 1992 the TAC requested that the Mecklenburg Union MPO
Technical Coordinating Committee ( MUMPO TCC) place the US 321/74 Bypass on their
thoroughfare plan since the eastern end of the project was in Mecklenburg County In 1994 the
MUMPO TCC adopted a conceptual regional thoroughfare plan proposed by the Charlotte Committee
of 100 which included the US 321/74 Bypass
In 1996 a citizens advisory council was formed to serve as an advisory board to the GUAMPO TAC
This group later called the US 321/74 Bypass Citizens Committee consisted of 40 Gaston County
residents From 1997 through 1999 the US 321/74 Bypass Citizens Committee met on a monthly
basis in an effort to select a corridor for the Bypass The Citizens Committee recommended to the
GUAMPO TAC a proposed location of the bypass facility and then disbanded in August 1998 In
October 1998 a public hearing was held by the GUAMPO regarding the US 321/74 Bypass location
The GUAMPO TAC adopted a modified version of the proposed location in January 1999 and shortly
thereafter (March 1999) it appeared on the 1999 Gaston Urban Area Thoroughfare Plan
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
7

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
In September 2000 the GUAMPO TAC passed a resolution that it supports the use of alternative
funding methods to accelerate construction of the US 321/74 Bypass including methods that would
require the payment of a toll by motorists (Gaston Urban Area 2030 LRTP May 2005 p 74) In
November 2001 the GUAMPO TAC approved a motion to use the name Garden Parkway (as in
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden) in reference to the US 321/74 Bypass
The corridor adopted in 2004 by the GUAMPO TAC for the Garden Parkway is shown in Figure 2
' In the Gaston Urban Area 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) (adopted May 2005) the
I' Garden Parkway is recognized as two projects the Gaston East West Connector (STIP Project
U 3321) extending from 185 west of Gastonia to 1485 and the US 321 Bypass (STEP Project R 2608)
j' extending from US 321 north of Gastonia to 185 west of Gastonia (Gaston Urban Area 2030 LRTP
May 2005 p 71)
1 5 2 2 Planning by NCDOT and NCTA
In 2001 the North Carolina Department of Transportation began studies
' of Project U 3321 to comply with the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA)
The first series of Citizens Informational Workshops for the proposed
action took place in September and December 2003 Three workshops
were held on September 30 December 9 and December 10 to receive
NCTA
The NCTA selected the
Gaston East West
Connector as a
candidate toll facility in
February 2005
input on the purpose and need for the project and preliminary alternatives being considered The
majority of people commenting on the project supported the need for the project and the concept of a
new location highway (PBS &J Citizens Informational Workshop Series #1 Summary March 2004)
While under the administration of the NCDOT the project followed the Merger 01 Process for
environmental agency concurrence and coordination as contained in the NEPA /404 Merger 01
Memorandum of Agreement signed by NCDOT Federal Highway Admimstration (FHWA) US Army
Corps of Engineers (USAGE) and the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR) The NEPA/404 Merger Team for this project included these four agencies and the US Fish
and Wildlife Service US Environmental Protection Agency NC Wildlife Resources Commission
DENR Division of Water Quality State Histonc Preservation Office GUAMPO and MUMPO
The Merger 01 process allows agency representatives to coordinate efficiently in a common forum for
discussion of project issues as they relate to each agency s mission The Merger 01 process requires
concurrence from member agencies at specific project milestones These milestones are called
Concurrence Points and the first is concurrence on purpose and need The Merger 01 team concurred
on the project s purpose and need on July 24 2002 The Concurrence Form is included as
Appendix A
In February 2005 the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) Board of Directors selected the
Gaston East West Connector as a candidate toll facility and the project is now being studied by
NCTA The NCTA was created in 2002 by the North Carolina General Assembly in response to
concerns about rapid growth heavy congestion and dwindling resources The NCTA is authorized to
study plan develop construct operate and maintain up to nine projects
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
8

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
16 EXISTING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
1 6 1 Existing Road Network
1 6 1 1 Major Roadways and thelr Charactenstics
The primary east west routes through Gaston County are 185 and
US 29 74 The I 85 /US 29 74 travel corridor is used by most of the traffic
traveling east west within the project study area and there are no other
crossings of the Catawba River in Gaston County south of these two
roadways
Interstate 85
185 is the only
controlled access
east west highway
through Gaston
County
The mayor artenals that connect to the I 85 /US 29 74 travel corridor in I
Gaston County are from west to east NC 274 (Union New Hope Road) NC 279 (South New Hope
Road) and NC 273 (Southpomt Road)
US 321 is the primary north south route through the county It intersects the I 85 /US 29 74 corridor in
the center of Gastonia 1485 provides north south travel in the Mecklenburg County portion of the
study area
NC 279 and NC 273 provide north south connections to southeastern Gaston County parallel to either
side of the South Fork Catawba River Minor artenals that intersect NC 273 and NC 279 generally
traverse in a northeast southwest direction South of 185 and US 29 74 east west travel in southern
Gaston County is circuitous as there are no direct east west routes across southern Gaston County
Figure 3 shows the characteristics of the mayor roadways in the study area These roads are described
below
185 185 is a controlled access north south interstate route that traverses Gaston County in an
east west direction 185 extends from Richmond Virginia through Atlanta Georgia 185
connects Gaston County with Charlotte to the northeast and Greenville Spartanburg South
Carolina to the southwest
In the project area (Exit 10 (US 29 74) to Exit 30 (I 485)) the interstate vanes between six and
eight lanes with posted speed limits from 55 to 65 miles per hour (mph)
There are eleven interchanges in Gaston County between Exit 10 (US 29 74) and Exit 27 (NC 273
[Park Street]) There are two interchanges in Mecklenburg County in the project area Exit 29
(Sam Wilson Road) and Exit 30 (I 485) Exit 29 is a diamond interchange with Sam Wilson Road
(SR 1625) Exit 30 is a freeway to freeway interchange with 1 485
1485 1485 is a partially completed outer loop of Charlotte in Mecklenburg County In the project
area it is on the west side of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport and it extends Just north of
185 to NC 16 It is six lanes wide (three in each direction) with a posted speed limit of 65 mph In
the project area there are interchanges at 185 US 29 74 (half clover) and Steele Creek Road
(NC 160) (partial clover)
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
10

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
I
US 29 74 US 29 and US 74 are coinciding routes through most of Gaston County and part of
Mecklenburg County The road is also called Franklin Boulevard (west of Redbud Drive in
Gaston County) and Wilkinson Boulevard (east of Redbud Drive) US 29 74 is south of and
parallel to 185 and travelers driving between Gaston or Cleveland Counties and Mecklenburg
County can use US 29 74 as an alternative to using 185 especially in the event of congestion or
incident delays
The number of lanes vanes from four lanes (at the South Fork Catawba River crossing and west of
Myrtle School Road [SR 1136]) to seven lanes with posted speed linuts between 35 and 50 mph
Access control along US 29 74 vanes from partial control of access to no control of access
Access to US 29 74 is provided at numerous locations through signalized and unsignalized
intersections and residential and commercial driveways
' US 321 US 321 is the only north south US route in Gaston County It connects to 140 Hickory and
Boone to the north and with South Carolina to the south US 321 from Dallas North Carolina to
Hickory is mostly a full control of access four lane divided facility Consequently US 321 serves as
' an alternative north south route to 177 that connects to 140 Within the study area US 321 vanes
from four to six lanes with posted speed limits ranging from 35 to 55 miles per hour There is no
control of access on US 321 in the project study area Through downtown Gastonia US 321 is a one
' way pair of streets — Chester Street is southbound and York Road is northbound
NC Routes Segments of five NC routes are in southern Gaston County These NC routes are NC 7
' NC 161 NC 273 NC 274 and NC 279 Segments of one NC route NC 160 are in the western
Mecklenburg County portion of the study area
1 6 1 2 Types of Travel on Existing Roadways
Local travel statistics are available for the project area The Greater Commuters
Charlotte Region Household Travel Survey completed in September 37% of workers living in
2002 was a cooperative effort between NCDOT the South Carolina Gaston County work
Department of Transportation ( SCDOT) and the City of Charlotte outside the county Of
these 70% work in
Department of Transportation (CDOT) The survey collected travel Mecklenburg County
information from a sample population of 3 333 households including
7 418 people from ten counties In this study the Greater Charlotte
Region includes Mecklenburg County Gaston County Lincoln County Cabarrus County Rowan
County Stanly County Union County portions of Iredell and Cleveland Counties and York County
South Carolina For the region there were 199 vehicles per household and each vehicle traveled an
average of 24 2 miles per day
' The predominant transportation type for the region is car van or truck (92 6 percent) followed by
school bus (3 8 percent) and walking (2 2 percent) Transit bus bicycle and motorcycle are used by
only one percent of the people in the region according to the survey Overall each household made
' 7 93 vehicle trips per day distributed mainly among trips to home (33 5 percent) work (16 8 percent)
personal business (10 9 percent) and shopping (9 4 percent)
' Data on commuting patterns is available from the US Census Table 1 shows the commuting patterns
in the Charlotte Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) based on 2000 Census data
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
12

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
Table 1 Commuting Patterns in Charlotte MSA based on 2000 Census Data
County of
Residence
C unty of Work
Cabarrus
Gaston
Lincoln
Meck
lenburg
Rowan
Union
York
SC
Elsewhere
Total #
Workers
Living in
County
Cabarrus
35 032
400
92
22 693
4 025
525
282
2 933
65 982
Gaston
423
56 321
1 868
23 101
1 046
226
1 602
4 754
89 341
Lincoln
195
3 166
15 249
6 545
320
93
99
6 136
31 803
Mecklenburg
6 694
3 948
748
329 498
1 284
4 853
4 217
11 654
362 932
Rowan
8 155
232
99
4 942
40 721
181
122
5 847
60 299
Union
551
184
7
24 892
87
32 613
608
2 275
61 217
York SC
279
2 526
155
23 907
228
439
47 898
4 490
79 922
Elsewhere
5 626
8 339
2 991
40 131
10 665
6 646
8 726
N/A
N/A
Total #
Working in
Count
56 955
75 116
21 209
475 709
58 376
45 576
63 554
N/A
Source 2000 US Census
As shown in Table 1 Mecklenburg County attracts the majority of commuters in the region In 2000
over 33 000 people left Gaston County daily to go to work with the overwhelming majority (23 101
commuters or 70 percent) going to Charlotte or elsewhere in Mecklenburg County Conversely
nearly 4 000 people commuted from Mecklenburg County to Gaston County every day Altogether
there are over 27 000 workers commuting between Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties which
demonstrates a need for connectivity between the counties
1 6 1 3 Roadway Connections between Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties
Gaston County is separated from Mecklenburg County the
region s largest employment and destination generator by the Catawba River Crossings
Catawba River There are only four roadway connections between There are only four bridges over
the Catawba River between
Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties over the Catawba River Two Gaston and Mecklenburg
of the crossings NC 16 and NC 27 are in the northern half of Counties None are in southern
Gaston County
Gaston County In the center of Gaston County the two adjacent
parallel connections across the river are 185 and US 29 74 The next cross g o e Ca OMMI"'rver is
outside Gaston County on NC 49 connecting to York County South Carolina approximately 11 miles
to the south
NC 16 is a four lane divided roadway over the Catawba River with a posted speed limit of 45 mph
NC 27 is a four lane crossing approximately four miles south of the NC 16 crossing
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE ZOOS
13

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
According to 2006 annual average daily traffic (ADT) maps from NCDOT there were approximately
17 000 vehicles per day (vpd) using the NC 16 crossing and 12 000 vpd using the NC 27 crossing
The 2006 ADT volumes for the 185 and US 29 74 crossings are approximately 121 000 vpd and
19 000 vpd respectively Based on the ADT information the I 85 /US 29 74 corridor carries
approximately 82 percent of the traffic volume traveling between Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties
1 6 2 Other Transportation Modes
1 6 2 1 Railways
In 1911 the Piedmont and Northern Railroad (P &N) interurban line began service from Gastonia to
Charlotte and furnished Gastonia with its first and only streetcar (Gastonia s Comprehensive Plan
1995) The streetcar ran directly along Franklin Avenue starting at Webb Street and continuing to
Church Street (SR 2339) The line continued to Groves Mill before connecting with the P &N Due to
increased automobile traffic along this route streetcar use stopped in 1948 After the streetcars
stopped running passenger operations on the P &N ceased in 1954
Amtrak provides passenger rail service through Gastonia and Charlotte There are currently three
routes that service the area the Crescent route runs daily between New York City and New Orleans
with many stops in between including Charlotte and Gastonia the Piedmont route provides daily trips
between Charlotte and Raleigh and the Carolinian route provides daily service between Charlotte and
New York City with stops in Raleigh Richmond Washington DC Baltimore and Philadelphia
These routes operate on the Norfolk Southern and CSX rail lines which also carry freight train traffic
(Amtrak website www amtrak com accessed April 14 2008)
There are three existing railroad bridge crossings across the Catawba River between Gaston and
Mecklenburg Counties Two of the three are adjacent and parallel to existing NC 27 on the south side
The third railroad bridge crossing is approximately 0 7 irides south of the existing US 29 74 crossing
1 6 2 2 Airports
The Gastonia Municipal Airport is the airport nearest the project
study area in Gaston County and the Charlotte Douglas
International Airport is the closest airport in Mecklenburg County
The Gaston Municipal Airport is a general aviation airport
adjacent to the east side of NC 274 (Union Road) south of
downtown Gastonia Access to the airport is from NC 274 (Union
Road) via Gaston Day School Road (SR 2444) and Airport Road
Charlotte - Douglas
International Airport
This mayor employer in west
Mecklenburg County is
expanding with the addition of a
third runway A freight
mtermodal facility is also
planned
' (SR 1903) The airport has one runway that is approximately
3 500 feet long and more than 30 hangars for private aircraft Aircraft operations averaged 137 planes
per day in 2006 consisting of 80 percent local general aviation 18 percent transient general aviation
' and 2 percent air taxi (AirNav com website www aimav com accessed April 18 2008) Area
emergency medical services and law enforcement agencies use the facility as a heliport and transport
point
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
14

Fir,
PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
m The Charlotte Douglas International Airport is located on approximately 5 000 acres in west Charlotte
g rP PP Y
(Figure 1) Over 100 000 Jobs in the region are directly or indirectly related to the airport and its
services (Charlotte Douglas International Airport website
www charmeck org/ Departments /Airport/About +CLT/Economic +Asset htm accessed April 21
2008) Access to the airport is possible from multiple directions From Uptown Charlotte or Gaston
County access is along US 29 74 (Wilkinson Boulevard) From South Charlotte the airport is
accessed via US 521 (Billy Graham Parkway) or 1485 Regional access occurs primarily from 185
1� North and South
Airport facilities include a l 7 million square foot terminal with five concourses serving 91 gates As
of February 2008 the airport has 627 daily departures (Charlotte Douglas International Airport
website www charmeck orb/ Departments /Airport/About +CLT/Fast +Facts htm accessed April 18
2008) The airport currently has two parallel runways with lengths of 10 000 feet and 8 676 feet
Construction of a third parallel runway is underway The new 9 000 foot runway will allow for three
independent approaches for arrivals increasing air service by 33 percent The scheduled runway
completion date is January 2010 (Charlotte Douglas International Airport website
www charmeck org/ Departments /Airport/Construction +Update+ htm accessed April 21 2008)
The runway project requires the relocation of two area roads Old Dowd Road (SR 1191) and Wallace
Neel Road (SR 1195) which will be reconstructed to maintain road connections to the airport
Additionally West Boulevard (NC 160) is being relocated to the south of the present road to
accommodate the runway construction West Boulevard will be extended to 1485 and will provide
access to the planned mtermodal facility As funding becomes available the roadway will be
expanded to a four lane highway The relocation and construction of West Boulevard will be
completed in phases to maintain needed connectivity for both citizens and runway project traffic
(Charlotte Douglas International Airport website
www charmeck org /Departments /Airport/Runway +Road +Relocations htm accessed April 21 2008
In the future the Charlotte Douglas International Airport has plans for an mtermodal zone that
would combine direct rail and truck access with incoming air cargo The intermodal facility would be
located between the new runway and the existing runway and is expected to have a 10 track rail yard
and approximately 2 500 trailer parking spaces Additional truck traffic generated from the site would
use NC 160 (West Boulevard [SR 1448]) to access 1485 and vice versa (Charlotte Douglas
International Airport 2002) 1485 provides increased mobility to destinations within Mecklenburg
County Gaston County is connected to 1485 through the I 85 /US 29 74 travel corridor
1 6 2 3 Mass Transit
Bus service is available in Gastonia through Gastonia Transit which provides service to over 325 000
passengers annually The bus fleet consists of seven (7) 35 foot transit buses three (3) demand
response vans and the only compressed natural gas ( CNG ) bus in the state of North Carolina
(Gastonia Transit General Information website
www cityofgastonia com/city_sery /general /transit/transit cfm accessed April 18 2008)
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR 1UNE 20OS
15

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
All bus routes begin and end at Bradley Station at the corner of Oakland Street (SR 1001) and Main
Avenue in Gastonia There are a total of nine bus routes of which three serve US 29 74 and three
serve US 321 (Gastonia Transit Route Map website
www cityofaastoma com/crty sery /generaU pdf° Io20files/NC %20Gastoma %201nt %20 %2005 pdf
accessed April 18 2008)
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) in partnership with Gastonia has established Express Bus
service to uptown Charlotte Route 85x the Gastonia Express runs four times in the morning and
twice in the evening The express bus makes one stop between the Bradley Station and Uptown
Charlotte at the Abbey Plaza Shopping Center at the corner of US 29 74 and NC 273 (Park Street
[North of NC 7]) in Belmont Total travel time on the express route is about one hour
In western Mecklenburg County Route 2 runs along US 29 74 (Wilkinson Boulevard) to Old Dowd
Road at Distribution and Marketing Services Inc This route runs to Old Dowd Road four times a day
on weekdays only Route 55 also provides service in western Mecklenburg County running along
Westinghouse Boulevard from the Sharon Road West Station to Steele Creek Road (NC 160) This
route operates every half hour during the morning and afternoon rush hours and otherwise every hour
on weekdays only (Charlotte Area Transit System website
www charmeck org/Departments /CATS/Home htm accessed April 21 2008)
17 PERFORMANCE OF THE EXISTING ROADWAY
SYSTEM
1 7 1 Mobility and Connectivity
Issues Mobility in Southern
Gaston County
South of 185 in southern Gaston County a lack of
connecting east west roadways makes travel circuitous and
limits mobility In addition mobility is inhibited between
southern Gaston County and Mecklenburg County by the lim
River which acts as natural barrier between the two counties
A lack of connecting east west
roadways in southern Gaston
County makes travel circuitous
and limits mobility
ited number of bridges over the C
Currently there are no continuous east west routes in southern Gaston County The roads in southern
Gaston County generally run more north south As can be seen on Figure 3 a person wishing to
travel from the residential subdivisions on the Belmont peninsula (the land between the South Fork
Catawba River and Catawba River) to businesses and industries along US 321 in southern Gaston
County cannot do so directly they must first travel north to use westbound 185 or US 29 74 to
US 321 then south on US 321 or travel a circuitous route that might include NC 273 (Armstrong
Road) NC 279 (South New Hope Road) SR 2435 (Union New Hope Road) NC 274 (Union Road)
SR 2416 (Robinson Road) SR 2412 (Little Mountain Road) SR 2420 (Forbes Road) to US 321
The need for improved connectivity and east west mobility within southern Gaston County will
continue to grow as the population in this area increases Between 1990 and 2000 southeastern
Gaston County had the largest population increase in the County According to the Gaston County
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
16

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
Comprehensive Plan the southeastern part of the county is expected to continue experiencing high
residential growth through 2020
Mecklenburg County is the hub of the 13 county Charlotte region and is the primary center for
employment shopping and other economic activities The linkage between Gaston County and
Mecklenburg County is demonstrated by commuting patterns In 2000 over 33 000 people left Gaston
County daily to go to work with the overwhelming majority (23 101 commuters or 70 percent) going
to Charlotte or elsewhere in Mecklenburg County Nearly 4 000 people commuted from Mecklenburg
County to Gaston County every day Altogether there are over 27 000 people commuting between
Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties which demonstrates a need for connectivity between the counties
There is demand for regional accessibility through Gaston County The Charlotte region is a major
trucking center and destinations to the southwest (e g Greenville Spartanburg SC and Atlanta GA)
west (e g Asheville NC) and northwest (e g Hickory NC) are reached by traveling on 185 and
US 321 through Gaston County Tourists from the Charlotte metropolitan area traveling to the
mountains of western North Carolina and Tennessee also use 185 and US 321 through Gaston County
Accessibility and regional travel between southern Gaston County and Mecklenburg County is
inhibited because existing connections across the Catawba River are limited The parallel corridors of
185 and US 29 74 serve as the connections between southern Gaston County and Mecklenburg
County Approximately 82 percent of the existing traffic volumes between the counties are provided
by the 185 and US 29 74 parallel corridors The next closest crossings are 2' /z miles to the north on
NC 27 and 11 miles to the south on NC 49 neither of which are practical for access to /from southern
Gaston County
Many segments of 185 in the study area (Exit 19 (NC 7 [Ozark Avenue] through Exit 27 (NC 273
[Park Street])) currently are operating at or above capacity and congestion is projected to worsen
through the design year 2030 Also there are high numbers of incidents (events that slow traffic or
close a lane such as a vehicle breakdown) on 185 contributing to unexpected delays US 29 74 is not
access controlled and has numerous closely spaced signalized intersections so speeds are limited
Residential growth projected in southern Gaston County and residential and employment growth in
western Mecklenburg County will continue to increase demand for accessibility and connectivity
between the two counties Gaston County expects future residential growth to be focused in
southeastern Gaston County due to its proximity to Mecklenburg County (the economic center of the
region) and distance away from the watershed area of Mountain Island Lake to the northeast
' The Charlotte Douglas International Airport in western Mecklenburg County employs over 16 000
people and is in the process of expanding through construction of a new runway In the future the
airport has plans for an intermodal facility combining rail truck and air cargo transport that would
generate employment opportunities and substantial numbers of regional truck trips
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
17

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
The Dixie Berryhill Strategic Plan calls for mixed use and transit oriented development in the
currently sparsely developed part of western Mecklenburg County directly across the Catawba River
from southeastern Gaston County This mixed use area will create more employment opportunities in
proximity to Gaston County in addition to existing office and industrial parks and the Charlotte
Douglas International Airport
1 7 2 Traffic Volumes on Existing Roadways
1 7 2 1 Travel Demand Modeling
Travel demand is a function of socioeconomic conditions such as residential densities locations of
fobs and services and trip lengths and distributions for the various types of trip purposes Travel
demand models are used for simulating current travel conditions and forecasting future travel patterns
and conditions
' Traffic forecasts were prepared by Martm /AlexiouBryson and described in a separate technical
memorandum (Gaston East West Connector (U 3321) Traffic Forecasts for Toll Alternatives May
2008) The Metrohna Regional Model (April 13 2006) which covers a multi county region including
Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties provided by the Charlotte Department of Transportation was used
as the base network to model the 2006 base year and the design year 2030 No Build Alternative The
April 13 2006 version of the 2030 Metrohna travel demand model was used as the base model
because this was the version current at the time the updated forecasting activities began and all
scenarios needed to be forecast from the same base model The 2030 No Build Alternative assumes
that the proposed action is not constructed
1 7 2 2 Existing and Projected Traffic Volumes
Tables 2 through 5 show existing (2006) and projected (design
year 2030) traffic volumes for 185 1 485 US 29 74 and US 321
respectively Figures 4 and 5 present the same information
graphically
Traffic Volumes
Traffic volumes are projected to
increase substantially from 2006
to 2030 on the study area s
major roadways
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE Z 8
18

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
Table 2 185— Existing and Projected Traffic Volumes
Segment
2006
AADT*
2030
AADT*
From
To
Exit 10 —
US 29 74 W Franklin Blvd
Exit 13 SR 1307 (Edgewood Rd)
73 800
105 000
Exit 13
Exit 14 NC 274 (Bessemer City Rd)
79 400
115 400
Exit 14
Exit 17 US 321 (Chester St)
84 200
119 200
Exit 17
Exit 19 NC 7 (Ozark Ave)
97 400
134 600
Exit 19
Exit 20 NC 279 (New Hope Rd)
109 600
147 200
Exit 20
Exit 21 Cox Rd
111 200
151 000
Exit 21
Exit 22 Main St
118 200
153 000
Exit 22
Exit 23 NC 7 (McAdenville Rd)
123 600
161 600
Exit 23
Exit 26 Belmont Mount Holly Rd
125 000
169 200
Exit 26
Exit 27 NC 273
126 800
178 600
Exit 27
Exit 29 — Sam Wilson Road
134 000
193 600
Exit 29
Exit 30 1 485
130 000
198 400
AAD I — Annual Average Daily Traffic Volumes (vehicles per day)
Source Forecasts prepared by Martin/Alexiou /Bryson using the 2030 Metrolina travel demand model (version
4/13/06)
Table 3 1 485 Existrna and Prometed Traffic Volumes
Segment
2006
AADT'
2030
AADT'
From
To
Exit 4 Steele Creek Rd (NC 160)
Exit 9 US 29 74 (Wilkinson Blvd)
52 000
100 000
Exit 9
Exit 10 — 1 85
16100 2
41 9002
I AAU i — Annual Average uauy i rarric volumes (venicies per aay)
2 AADT is for the mainline and does not include AADT on the collector /distributor roads between the two
intenccnages
Source Forecasts prepared by Marti n/Al exiou/B ryson using the 2030 Metrolma travel demand model (version 4/13/06)
Table 4 US 29 74 Existma and Projected Traffic Volumes
Segment
2006
AADT*
2030
AADT*
From
To
Sparrow Springs Rd
Edgewood Rd
29 100
37 200
Edgewood Rd
Shannon Bradley Rd
28 800
35 600
Shannon Bradley Rd
Myrtle School Rd
29 100
35 400
Myrtle School Rd
NC 274
Bessemer City Rd /Garrison Blvd
26 200
32 200
NC 274
Bessemer City Rd /Garrison Blvd
Linwood Rd
13 400
21 500
Linwood Rd
US 321 (Chester St)
7 900
16 400
US 321 (Chester St)
Avon St
15 900
21 800
Avon St
Thomas St / Belvedere
16 100
22 700
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
19

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
Table 4 US 29 74 Existina and Proiected Traffic Volumes
Segment
2006
AADT*
2030
AADT*
From
To
Thomas St / Belvedere
NC 279 New Hoe Rd
20 000
27 100
NC 279 New Hoe Rd
Cox Rd / Armstrong Park Rd
15 500
24 700
Cox Rd / Armstrong Park Rd
Franklin Square Shopping Ctr
24 600
39 200
Franklin Square Shopping Ctr
S Main St / Redbud Dr
22 800
39 500
S Main St / Redbud Dr
Wesleyan Dr / Market St
33 100
42 300
Wesleyan Dr / Market St
Lakewood Rd
33 900
59 700
Lakewood Rd
NC 273 Park St
33 600
60 100
NC 273 Park St
NC 7 Catawba St
43 700
72 700
NC 7 Catawba St
Old Dowd Rd
45 100
70 500
Old Dowd Rd
Sam Wilson Rd
31 900
52 600
Sam Wilson Rd
1 485 NB Ramps
36 000
58 400
1 485 SB Ramps
1 485 NB Ramps
34 900
55 100
East of 1 485 NB Rams
29 800
45 000
AAU I — Annual Average Daily I rattic volumes (Vehicles per day)
Source Forecasts prepared by Martin /Alexlou /Bryson using the 2030 Metrollna travel demand model (version 4/13/06)
Table 5 US 321 Existina and Proiected Traffic Volumes
Segment
2006
AADT*
2030
AADT*
From
To
State Line
Forbes Rd
18 500
30 900
Forbes Rd
Crowders Creek Rd
13 500
20 700
Crowders Creek Rd
Stagecoach Rd
15 500
23 400
Stagecoach Rd
Davis Park Rd
16 100
23 000
Davis Park Rd
Hudson Blvd
15 600
23 000
Hudson Blvd
Jackson Rd
20 000
22 800
Jackson Rd
W 3rd Ave
15 600
17 400
W 3rd Ave
W Franklin Blvd
15 600
17 400
W Franklin Blvd
W Airline Ave/W Long Ave
21 400
20 500
W Airline Ave/W Long Ave
W Rankin Ave
21 400
20 500
W Rankin Ave
Radio St
16 800
19 900
Radio St
185 SB Ramps
18 600
22 000
1 85 SB Ramps
1 85 NB Ramps
30 100
34 500
185 NB Ramps
Rankin Lake Rd
41 600
47 000
AAU I — Annual Average Daily I rattic volumes (vehicles per day)
Source Forecasts prepared by Martin /Alexlou /Bryson using the 2030 Metrollna travel demand model (version 4/13/06)
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
20

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
185 In the study area base year (2006) annual average daily traffic volumes (AADT) on 185 ranged
from 73 800 to 134 000 vehicles per day (vpd) on 185 with the highest traffic volumes closest to
Charlotte By 2030 traffic volumes are projected to increase 29 50 percent (to 105 000 198 400 vpd)
with the average increase 40 percent The highest percent increase is expected between Exit 29 (Sam
Wilson Road) and Exit 30 (1485) in Mecklenburg County
1485, In the study area base year (2006) AADT volumes on 1485 ranged from 46 400 to 52 000
vehicles per day (vpd) on 1485 By 2030 traffic volumes are projected to double to 91 400 to
100 000 vpd
US 29 74 Along US 29 74 the highest base year (2006) AADT volume (45 100 vpd) was reported
between Park Street and Old Dowd Road Volumes are projected to increase by 22 to 107 percent by
2030 with the highest percent increase (107 percent) expected between Linwood Road and Chester
Street
US 321 On US 321 based year (2006) AADT volumes ranged from 13 500 41 600 vpd with the
highest traffic volumes (41 600 vpd) occurring between the 185 northbound ramp and Rankin Lake
Road By 2030 US 321 is expected to see changes in volumes ranging from 4 to 67 percent The 4
percent decrease in volume is projected between West Franklin Boulevard and West Rankin Avenue
Oust north of downtown) while the highest percent increase (67 percent) is projected between the
North Carohna/South Carolina state line and Forbes Road/Supenor Stainless Road
1 7 3 Traffic Operations on Existing Mayor Roadways
1 7 3 1 Analysis Methodology
The level of service (LOS) is a qualitative measure describing
operational conditions within a traffic stream (Transportation
Research Board 2000 2 2) The LOS is defined with letter
designations from A to F that can be applied to both roadway
segments and intersections LOS A represents the best
operating conditions and LOS F the worst
Traffic Operations
By 2030 185 is projected to
operate at LOS E F throughout
the study area
Table 6 describes the traffic conditions along roadway segments and intersections generally associated
with each LOS designation In urban areas LOS D and better is generally considered acceptable
while in rural areas LOS C and better is considered acceptable
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR 1 UNE 2008
23

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
Table 6 Definitions of Levels of Service
Level of
Service
Signalized Intersection
Roadway Segment
Very low delay ( <10 0 sec
Free flow Individuals are unaffected by others in traffic
A
per vehicle) Most vehicles
stream Freedom to select speed and maneuver is
do not have to stop at all
extremely high
10 1 20 0 sec delay Good
Free flow but the presence of other vehicles begins to be
B
progression and short cycle
noticeable Slight decline in freedom to maneuver
length
20 1 35 0 sec delay Fair
Stable flow but the beginning of the range in which the
progression and /or longer
influence of traffic density on operations becomes
C
cycles The number of
marked Maneuvering requires substantial vigilance
vehicles stopping is
Average travel speeds may begin to show some
significant
reduction
35 1 55 0 sec delay Many
High density flow in which ability to maneuver is severely
D
vehicles stop Individual
restricted by increasing volumes Only minor traffic
cycle failures noticeable
disruptions can be absorbed without effect
55 1 80 0 sec delay The
Flow at or near capacity Unstable Most traffic
E
limit of acceptable delay
disruptions will cause queues to form and service to
deteriorate
>80 0 sec delay
Breakdown flow Traffic exceeds capacity Queues form
F
Considered unacceptable to
behind such locations which are characterized by
most drivers
extremely unstable stop and go waves
Source Transportation Research Board 2000
All analyses were performed in accordance with the NCDOT Congestion Management Capacity
Analysis Guidelines using the North Carolina Level of Service (NC LOS) software Version 13 A
freeway capacity analysis was performed for the 185 and 1485 mainlines and an arterial capacity
analysis was performed for US 29 74 and US 321 The analysis is documented in Traffic Operations
Technical Memorandum for 185 1485 US 29 74 and US 321 Under Various Scenarios — Gaston
East West Connector (PBS &J May 2008)
1 7 3 2 Traffic Operations on I -85
Table 7 presents the results of the NC LOS model for 185 in the project area for 2006 and 2030
Figures 4 and 5 present the same information graphically
Six of the twelve analyzed segments are operating at an acceptable LOS C or D while the remaining
six are operating at LOS E or F Currently the 185 mainline is operating at LOS C on the west end of
the study area degrading to LOS E and F from around Exit 19 (NC 7 [Ozark Avenue]) to Exit 27
(NC 273 [Park Street]) East of Exit 27 the level of service improves to D where 185 is eight lanes
By 2030 the LOS for the twelve segments is projected to degrade to LOS E or F indicating
congestion on 185 throughout the study area
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
24

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
Table 7 185 —Traffic Operations in 2006 and 2030
Segment
2006
LOS*
2030
LOS*
From
To
Exit 10—
US 29 74 W Franklin Blvd
Exit 13 SR 1307 (Edgewood Rd)
C
E
Exit 13
Exit 14 NC 274 (Bessemer City Rd)
C
F
Exit 14
Exit 17 US 321 (Chester St)
D
F
Exit 17
Exit 19 NC 7 (Ozark Ave)
D
F
Exit 19
Exit 20 NC 279 (New Hope Rd)
E
F
Exit 20
Exit 21 Cox Rd
E
F
Exit 21
Exit 22 Main St
F
F
Exit 22
Exit 23 NC 7 (McAdenville Rd)
F
F
Exit 23
Exit 26 Belmont Mount Holly Rd
F
F
Exit 26
Exit 27 NC 273
F
F
Exit 27
Exit 29 — Sam Wilson Rd
D
F
Exit 29
Exit 30 1 485
D
F
Ws — Level Or service (See i ame 6 for aetinitlons)
Source PBSU May 2008
In addition to high traffic volumes creating congestion incidents such as vehicle breakdowns or
accidents occurring on 185 can also slow or back up traffic Data on reported incidents was collected
from NCDOT ( NCDOT Intelligent Transportation Systems Unit IMAP Information email dated
May 8 2008) In 2007 there were 2 589 reported incidents along 185 in the study area from Exit 10
(US 29 74) to Exit 29 (Sam Wilson Road) These incidents frequently affect travel on 185 by causing
traffic slowdowns and sometimes lane closures and temporary detours onto US 29 74 (a roadway with
no access control and numerous commercial driveways) This is an average of approximately seven
incidents per day
Approximately 60 percent of the incidents on 185 involved disabled vehicles 25 percent were
abandoned vehicles 8 5 percent were accidents 6 5 percent were debris related and the remainder
were fire and other incidents Approximately 16 percent of incidents occurred between 7 am and 9
am and approximately 18 percent occurred between 3 pm and 5 pm This high frequency of incidents
contributes to diminished traffic operations along 185
1 7 3 3 Traffic Operations on I -485
Table 8 presents the results of the NC LOS model for 1485 in 2006 and 2030 Figures 4 and 5
present the same information graphically
1485 in the project area currently is operating at acceptable levels of service (LOS D or better) By
2030 both segments are projected to operate at LOS E
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR 1 UNE 2005
25

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
Table 8 1 485 —Traffic Operations in 2006 and 2030
Segment
2006
LOS
2030
LOS
From
To
Exit 4 Steele Creek Rd (NC 160)
Exit 9 US 29 74 (Wilkinson Blvd)
C
E
Exit 9
Exit 10 —1 85
A
B
Source PBSU May 2008
1 7 3 4 Traffic Operations on US 29 -74
Table 9 presents the results of the NC LOS model for US 29 74 for 2006 and 2030 Figures 4 and 5
present the same information graphically
Table 9 US 29 74 —Traffic Operations In 2006 and 2030
Segment
2006
LOS
2030
LOS
From
To
Sparrow Springs Rd
Edgewood Rd
B
D
Edgewood Rd
Shannon Bradley Rd
B
C
Shannon Bradley Rd
Myrtle School Rd
C
E
Myrtle School Rd
NC 274
Bessemer City Rd /Garrison Blvd
D
D
NC 274
Bessemer City Rd /Garrison Blvd
Linwood Rd
C
D
Linwood Rd
US 321 (Chester St)
C
C
US 321 (Chester St)
Avon St
D
D
Avon St
Thomas St / Belvedere
D
D
Thomas St / Belvedere
NC 279 (New Hope Rd)
C
C
NC 279 (New Hope Rd)
Cox Rd / Armstrong Park Rd
C
C
Cox Rd / Armstrong Park Rd
Franklin Square Shopping Ctr
C
D
Franklin Square Shopping Ctr
S Main St / Redbud Dr
C
D
S Main St / Redbud Dr
Wesleyan Dr / Market St
D
D
Wesleyan Dr / Market St
Lakewood Rd
D
F
Lakewood Rd
NC 273 (Park St)
D
F
NC 273 (Park St)
NC 7 (Catawba St)
D
F
NC 7 (Catawba St)
Old Dowd Rd
F
F
Old Dowd Rd
Sam Wilson Rd
D
F
Sam Wilson Rd
1 485 NB Ramps/Tuckaseegee Rd
E
F
1 485 SB Ram ps /Fieldridge Rd
1 485 NB Rampsffuckaseegee Rd
F
F
East of 1 485 NB Ramps / Tuckasee ee Rd
D
F
LUS — Level of Service (see Table 6 for definitions)
Source PBSU May 2008
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
26

Table 10 presents the results of the NC LOS model for US 321 for 2006 and 2030 Figures 4 and 5
present the same information graphically
The majority of segments along US 321 are operating at LOS D or better and are expected to continue
operating at LOS D or better through 2030 The exceptions are the segments near the 185 ramps
which are operating at LOS E and F and are expected to remain congested through 2030
Table 10 US 321 —Traffic Operations in 2006 and 2030
Segment
2006
LOS
2030
LOS
PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
To
NC /SC State Line
Forbes Rd / Superior Stainless Rd
All segments of US 29 74 are currently operating at acceptable levels of service (LOS D or better)
A
with the exception of the segment between the 1485 ramps which is operating at LOS E By 2030 all
'
segments from Wesleyan Dnve/Market Street in McAdenville to east of the 1485 ramps (a distance of
B
approximately 6 miles) are expected to operate at LOS F Most other segments in the project area are
Old York Rd / Stagecoach Rd
projected to operate at LOS C or D
C
Along US 29 74 traffic flow is significantly influenced by traffic signals since most of the signalized
'
intersections in the corridor study area are within two miles of each other In Gastonia signalized
C
intersections control the capacity and govern the level of service provided to the motoring public on
Hudson Blvd
existing US 29 74
D
Hudson Blvd
Jackson Rd
1 7 3 5 Traffic Operations on US 321
Table 10 presents the results of the NC LOS model for US 321 for 2006 and 2030 Figures 4 and 5
present the same information graphically
The majority of segments along US 321 are operating at LOS D or better and are expected to continue
operating at LOS D or better through 2030 The exceptions are the segments near the 185 ramps
which are operating at LOS E and F and are expected to remain congested through 2030
Table 10 US 321 —Traffic Operations in 2006 and 2030
Segment
2006
LOS
2030
LOS
From
To
NC /SC State Line
Forbes Rd / Superior Stainless Rd
A
A
Forbes Rd / Superior Stainless Rd
Crowders Creek Rd / Telegraph Dr
B
B
Crowders Creek Rd / Telegraph Dr
Old York Rd / Stagecoach Rd
C
C
Old York Rd / Stagecoach Rd
Davis Park Rd
B
C
Davis Park Rd
Hudson Blvd
D
D
Hudson Blvd
Jackson Rd
D
D
Jackson Rd
W 3rd Ave
C
D
W 3rd Ave
W Franklin Blvd
C
C
W Franklin Blvd
W Airline Ave / W Long Ave
C
C
W Airline Ave / W Long Ave
W Rankin Ave
C
C
W Rankin Ave
Radio St
C
D
Radio St
1 85 SB Ramps
C
D
185 SB Ramps
1 85 NB Ramps
F
F
185 NB Ramps
Rankin Lake Rd
E
E
LUJ — Level or Service (see I aoie 6 Tor oeTlnrtlons)
Source PBS &J May 2008
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE ZOOS
27

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
18 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
1 8 1 Population Characteristics
Gaston County has 15 municipalities entirely within the
county the most of any North Carolina county Gastonia
centrally located in the county is the county s largest city and
its seat About 58 percent of Gaston County s population lives
within the 15 incorporated municipalities Most of the
population growth in Gaston County between 1980 and 2000
occurred in the county s eastern towns near the Mecklenburg
County border including Mount Holly Belmont and
Population Growth
Gaston County s population is
expected to increase 12 8
percent from 2006 to 2030 with
most growth occurring in
southeast Gaston County
Mecklenburg County s population
is projected to increase 68 2
percent between 2006 and 2030
Cramerton (Gaston County Comprehensive Plan 2002) Mecklenburg County has seven
municipalities with the largest being Charlotte the county seat
Gaston County has been growing at an average rate of approximately one percent per year since 1990
In 1990 the population of Gaston County was 175 093 rising to 190 365 in 2000 and 199 397 in
2006 The percent change in Gaston County s population between 2000 and 2006 was 4 8 percent
compared to a 10 1 percent change for the state of North Carolina and a 19 percent change for
Mecklenburg County during the same period From 1990 to 2000 Mecklenburg County s population
increased 36 percent from 511 433 to 695 454 The population grew to 827 445 in 2006 (US Census
Bureau website www census gov accessed April 15 2008)
In an effort to focus on the unique qualities of the county s various communities the county was
divided into five Small Areas Small Area planning meetings were held for attendees to identify the
issues and opportunities to be recognized in the development strategy for their respective area The
project study area is included in the Southwest and Southeast Small Areas The development
scenarios for these areas include mixed use development greenway trails a connected road network
and incorporation of tounsm related uses Among the five Small Areas within Gaston County the
population grew fastest between 1990 and 2000 in the Southeast Small Area The Southeast Small
Area accounted for approximately 58 percent (8 947 persons) of the population growth in Gaston
County from 1990 to 2000 Figure 6 displays the population growth between 1990 and 2000 for the
five Small Areas
The populations of both Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties are expected to increase through 2030
although Mecklenburg County is projected to grow more rapidly The population of Gaston County is
projected to grow 12 8 percent from 2006 to 2030 while Mecklenburg County s population is
expected to grow 68 2 percent (to 1 391 703 people) during the same period (NC State Demographics
website www demog state nc us accessed April 15 2008)
As part of the development of their 2030 LRTP (See Section 19 3 2) the GUAMPO developed
population projections for 2010 2020 and 2030 for the Gaston Urban Area These population
projection maps are included as Appendix B The GUAMPO projects the largest increases in
population will occur on the eastern side of Gaston County particularly south of 185
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
28

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
1 8 2 Economic Data
Gaston County s reputation as an industrial center began more Employment
than a century ago with the advent of the textile industries The manufacturing sector
Today Gaston County is home to a diverse set of industries employs the most workers in
Gaston County The
including health services transportation equipment government sector employs
manufacturing retail eating and drinking establishments the most workers in
business services food stores industrial machinery and I Mecklenburg County
equipment manufacturing and government (Gaston County Economic Development Commission
2002)
The manufacturing sector employs the largest number of people in Gaston County and accounts for
21 8 percent of the county s total employment (NC Department of Commerce website
www nccommerce com/NCDOCWEBAPP /Resources /CountvProfiles /pdf /Gaston 200704 Ddf
accessed April 21 2008) While textile null manufacturing continues to dominate the industrial
structure of Gaston County its industrial base is becoming more diversified Electrical goods motor
oil filters chemicals plastics chain saws brick and tile zipper fasteners business forms resistors
corrugated boxes lawnmowers lithium compounds and a host of other items are currently
manufactured in Gaston County to balance out the industrial community
The health care and social assistance sector is second to manufacturing in total employment
accounting for 15 2 percent of total employment in the county followed closely by retail trade with
13 6 percent and government with 12 8 percent While approximately sixty five percent of the total
acreage of Gaston County is classified as farmland agricultural employment is minimal Only 0 1
percent of total county employment is in the agricultural sector (NC Department of Commerce website
www nccommerce com/NCDOCWEBAPP /Resources /CountvProfiles /ndf /Gaston 200704 Ddf
accessed April 21 2008)
The average annual unemployment rate in Gaston County for 2007 was 5 5 percent which was higher
than the statewide rate of 4 7 percent (Employment Security Commission of North Carolina) Mayor
employers in Gaston County include Gaston County Schools Caromount Health Freightliner
Corporation (manufacturing) Wix Filtration Corporation (manufacturing) and Gaston County all of
which employ over 1 000 people (based on September 2006 employment figures from the North
Carolina Employment Security Commission) In 2006 the median household income in Gaston
County was $47 468 which was consistent with the statewide median household income of $47 739
(Gaston County Economic Development Commission)
The government sector employs the largest number of people in Mecklenburg County accounting for
10 8 percent of total employment in the county The retail trade sector is second in total employment
accounting for 10 4 percent followed by finance and insurance at 9 6 percent and accommodation and
food services at 8 4 percent (NC Department of Commerce website
www nccommerce com/NCDOCWEBAPP/Resources /CountvProfiles /Ddf/Mecklenbure 200704 Ddf
accessed April 21 2008)
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
30

I PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT I
Major employers in Mecklenburg County include International Business Machines Lance
Manufacturing Corporation Microsoft Corporation Carolinas Health Care Systems Wachovia Bank
and Bank of America (based on 2 d Quarter 2007 employment figures from the North Carolina
Employment Security Comaussion) The average annual unemployment rate in Mecklenburg County
' for 2007 was 4 5 percent which was slightly lower than the statewide rate of 4 7 percent (Employment
Security Commission of North Carolina)
' Current and future growth in Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties will require improvements to area
infrastructure to support the needs of a growing population Most of the employment growth in
Gaston County will be in the services industry which is forecasted to represent 26 7 percent of total
' employment in 2010 (Gaston County Comprehensive Plan 2002)
1 8 3 Mayor Attractions in Southern Gaston County
ical garden The
Attractions
The Daniel Stowe Botanical
Garden attracted 84 000 visitors
in 2006 Crowders Mountain
State Park had over 400 000
visitors in 2007
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in the southeastern portion of Gaston County (Figure 1) is a major
' tourist attraction in Gaston County The Garden is comprised of 158 000 square feet of planting beds
divided into separate areas each with a distinctive theme
' In 2006 the 450 acre botanical garden attracted approximately 84 000 visitors With planned
improvements to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden described later in this section visitor attendance
is expected to reach 250 000 by 2011 (Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden Annual Report 2006) The
botanical garden employs about 40 people (phone interview with DSBG Human Resources April 22
2008)
On October 9 1999 Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden hosted the grand opening of a new 110 acre
greenspace including gardens grounds fountains and a 13 500 square foot Visitor Pavilion A 3 000
square foot children s Willow Maze was opened in September 2007 and the grand opening of the
Orchid Conservatory was held in January 2008 The conservatory is North and South Carolinas only
glass house dedicated to the display of orchids and tropical plants
The 40 year Master Plan includes a walled English garden conservatory complex Asian garden rose
pergola natural wetland waterfall Piedmont garden library and reading garden home demonstration
complex auditorium and full service restaurant Full development of the master plan is estimated to
require between $150 200 million (Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden website www dsbg org accessed
April 15 2008)
The only visitor entrance to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is off NC 279 (New Hope Road)
Vehicles entering and leaving the botanical garden often experience delays on NC 279 (New Hope
Road) particularly during major events like Fourth of July Traffic entering the Daniel Stowe
Botanical Garden for Fourth of July has queued on NC 279 (New Hope Road) for about 15 nules
north of the visitor entrance (Interview with DSBG 2001) The botanical garden hosts several major
' GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
31
I
1 8 3 1 Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
In 1991 retired Belmont textile executive Daniel Jonathan
Stowe set aside 450 acres of rolling meadows woodlands
'
and lakefront property as well as a $14 milhon endowment
for the development of a world class botan
ical garden The
Attractions
The Daniel Stowe Botanical
Garden attracted 84 000 visitors
in 2006 Crowders Mountain
State Park had over 400 000
visitors in 2007
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in the southeastern portion of Gaston County (Figure 1) is a major
' tourist attraction in Gaston County The Garden is comprised of 158 000 square feet of planting beds
divided into separate areas each with a distinctive theme
' In 2006 the 450 acre botanical garden attracted approximately 84 000 visitors With planned
improvements to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden described later in this section visitor attendance
is expected to reach 250 000 by 2011 (Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden Annual Report 2006) The
botanical garden employs about 40 people (phone interview with DSBG Human Resources April 22
2008)
On October 9 1999 Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden hosted the grand opening of a new 110 acre
greenspace including gardens grounds fountains and a 13 500 square foot Visitor Pavilion A 3 000
square foot children s Willow Maze was opened in September 2007 and the grand opening of the
Orchid Conservatory was held in January 2008 The conservatory is North and South Carolinas only
glass house dedicated to the display of orchids and tropical plants
The 40 year Master Plan includes a walled English garden conservatory complex Asian garden rose
pergola natural wetland waterfall Piedmont garden library and reading garden home demonstration
complex auditorium and full service restaurant Full development of the master plan is estimated to
require between $150 200 million (Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden website www dsbg org accessed
April 15 2008)
The only visitor entrance to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is off NC 279 (New Hope Road)
Vehicles entering and leaving the botanical garden often experience delays on NC 279 (New Hope
Road) particularly during major events like Fourth of July Traffic entering the Daniel Stowe
Botanical Garden for Fourth of July has queued on NC 279 (New Hope Road) for about 15 nules
north of the visitor entrance (Interview with DSBG 2001) The botanical garden hosts several major
' GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
31
I

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
events throughout the year including their spring and fall plant sales Holiday Lights Fourth of July
Balloon Glow Art in the Garden and Wedding Showcase
1 8 3 2 Crowders Mountain State Park
Crowders Mountain State Park is located near the North Carolina South Carolina state line in
southwest Gaston County (Figure 1) Regional access to Crowders Mountain is provided primarily by
185 The main park entrance is located off of Sparrow Springs Road which is accessed from Franklin
Boulevard (US 74) to the north or Lake Montonia Road/Pinnacle Road to the south There is also an
access point on the northern end of the park off Linwood Road US 29 74 US 321 and NC 161
(York Road) surround the park to the north east and west respectively
Crowders Mountain State Park contains 5 126 acres including the peaks of Crowders Mountain and
Kings Pinnacle These peaks rise approximately 800 feet above the surrounding countryside The
significant scenic resources of the park include the contrast between rolling Piedmont hills and the
sheer rock outcrops of the Kings Mountain Range Numerous opportunities exist to view the
panoramic Piedmont plateau from the park s cliffs
Crowders Mountain State Park offers a variety of hiking trails ranging from the more rugged trails
leading to the summits of Crowders Mountain and Kings Pinnacle to the flat easy trail circling the
nine acre park lake Canoes for use on the lake can be rented at the park office from June through
Labor Day and both canoe and bank fishing are allowed The lake is the only public lake in Gaston
County
In 2000 the park acquired over 2 000 additional acres to connect to Kings Mountain State Park in
South Carolina as well as Kings Mountain National Military Park The acquisition was funded by the
NC Heritage Trust Fund and the NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund No future land acquisitions are
planned at this time Current projects in the park include construction of the Ridgeline Trail from the
existing visitors center at Sparrows Spring Road to the new Boulders Visitors Station near the North
Carohna/South Carolina state line
Crowders Mountain State Park had over 400 000 visitors in 2007 compared to under 300 000 visitors
in 2001 (phone interview park staff April 11 2008) The Park receives its heaviest use in early
spring through nud summer During the five months from March through July Crowders Mountain
normally receives a little over half its annual visitation
Crowders Mountain State Park is adimmstered under the auspices of the NC Department of
' Environment and Natural Resources Division of Parks and Recreation Most of the Park s budget
comes from State appropriations (Division of Parks and Recreation 2001) The annual operating
budget for the park is approximately $105 000 and the capital improvements budget is over
$1 million The state park currently has 12 full time employees and five part time employees (phone
interview park superintendent April 11 2008)
l
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
32

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
19 TRANSPORTATION PLANS AND LAND USE PLANS
1 9 1 NCDOT State Transportation Improvement Program
The proposed action is included as Project U 3321 in the
NCDOT s adopted 2007 2013 State Transportation Improvement
Program (STIP) and the NCDOT s Draft 2009 2015 STIP
Project U 3321 is programmed for a planning and environmental
study Fifteen other projects in the Draft 2009 2015 STIP are in
the general vicinity of the proposed action R 2608 R 2248
U 2408 U 2713 U 3405 U 3411 U 3425 U 3806 B 4517
NCDOT STIP
The STIP is the State s 7 year
plan for funding transportation
projects statewide including
roads ferries public
transportation aviation and
passenger rail projects It is
updated every two years
15000 B 4752 B 4753 B 4860 B 4344 and U 2523 These are described below Figure 7 shows
the general locations of these projects in relation to STIP Project U 3321
Project R 2608 is a proposed new route from 185 west of Gastonia to US 321 north of Gastonia in
Gaston County The project is unfunded The new route is a proposed four lane divided freeway on
new location The total project length is 7 5 mules
Project R 2248 is a proposed new location freeway (I 485 Charlotte Western Outer Loop) from west
of 177 to 185 north in Mecklenburg County The new freeway is a proposed four to six lane divided
freeway on new location The total project length is 28 0 miles Several sections of the project are
complete Section D (east of Oakdale Road to east of Old Statesville Road) is currently under
construction and Section H (interchange with Garrison Road) is scheduled for construction in Fiscal
Year (FY) 2010 A portion of Section E (east of Old Statesville Road to 185 North) is scheduled for
construction in FY 2015 Section G (interchange with Oakdale Road) and portions of Section E are
unfunded and not yet scheduled
Pro_lect U 2408 is on NC 274 (Bessemer City Road [North of US 29 74]) from NC 275 to US 29 74
in Gaston County Project U 2408 is proposed to widen existing NC 274 (Bessemer City Road [North
of US 29 74]) to a multi lane facility The total project length is 2 8 miles This project is currently
under construction
Project U 2713 is on SR 1131 (Linwood Road) from Crowders Creek to US 29 74 NC 274 (Franklin
' GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
33
Boulevard) in Gaston County Project U 2713 is proposed to widen existing Linwood Road
(SR 1133) to a multi lane facility with some roadway relocation The project is unfunded The total
project length is 2 2 mules
1
Project U 3405 is on NC 274 (Gastonia Highway) from SR 1484 (Maine Avenue) to NC 275 in
Gaston County Project U 3405 is proposed to widen existing NC 274 (Gastonia Highway) to a five
lane curb and gutter facility The total project length is 14 miles Planning /design and right of way
acquisition are currently underway and construction is scheduled to begin in FY 2009
Pro_tect U 3411 is a relocation of NC 160 (West Boulevard [SR 1448]) from east of 1485 (Charlotte
'
Outer Loop) to Horseshoe Lane in Mecklenburg County Project U 3411 is proposed to construct a
multi lane facility on a new location The total project length is 2 3 mules Right of way acquisition
and construction are scheduled to begin in FY 2008 and the schedule is to be coordinated with Project
'
R 2248H
' GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
33

14
1
1
u
r-,
ICI
Project B 4753 is the replacement of Bridge Number 15 on SR 2439 over Duhart s Creek in Gaston
County Right of way acquisition is scheduled to begin in FY 2010 with construction scheduled to
begin in FY 2011
Project B 4860 is the replacement of Bridge Number 421 on West Davidson Avenue over Kaylor
Branch in Gastonia Right of way acquisition and construction are scheduled to begin in FY 2008 as a
municipal project
Project B 4344 is the replacement of Bridge Number 167 on Tulip Drive over Kaylor Branch in
Gastonia This project is under construction by the City of Gastonia
Project U 2523 is the widening of NC 279 from NC 7 to west of NC 275 in Dallas The project is
proposed to widen NC 279 to a multi lane facihty over the 3 6 mile project length A portion of this
project from NC 7 (Ozark Avenue) to north of SR 2275 (Robinson Clemmer Road) is complete The
remaining portion from north of SR 2275 (Robinson Clemmer Road) to west of NC 275 in Dallas is
unfunded
1 9 2 NCDOT Strategic Highway Corridors Initiative
On September 2 2004 the North Carolina Board of Transportation established a system of Strategic
Highway Corridors for North Carolina as part of the State s Long Range Multi Modal Statewide
Transportation Plan
In October 2005 NCDOT issued a Concept Development Report
for the statewide network of SHC routes The SHC Report
explained that the primary purpose of the SHC Concept is to
provide a safe reliable and high speed network of highways that
connect to travel destinations throughout and just outside of North
Stratecic Hiahwav
Corridors
185 1 485 US 321 The Gaston
East West Connector and STIP
Project R 2608 (US 321 Bypass)
are part of the Strategic
Highway Comdors program
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
35
PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
Project U 3425 is on SR 1136 (Myrtle School Road) from US 29 74 to Hudson Boulevard (SR 1255)
in Gaston County Project U 3425 is proposed to widen 1 8 miles of existing SR 1136 (Myrtle School
Road) to a multi lane facility The is unfunded
project
Project U 3806 is on US 29 74 (Franklin Boulevard) from SR 2200 (Cox Road) to SR 2339 (Church
Street) in Gaston County Project U 3806 is proposed to add an additional lane in the eastbound
direction of US 29 74 The project is unfunded The total project length is 0 5 miles
Protect B 4517 is a bridge replacement project on Crowders Creek Road (SR 1103) Project B 4517
will replace Bridge Number 49 in Gaston County over Crowders Creek Right of way acquisition is
scheduled to begin in FY 2008 and construction is scheduled to begin in FY 2009
Project 15000 involves geometric safety improvements to the interchange at 185 and US 321 in
Gaston County Right of way acquisition is scheduled for FY 2013 with construction scheduled to
begin in FY 2015
Protect B 4752 is the replacement of Bridge Number 6 on SR 2014 over South Fork Catawba River in
Gaston County Right of way acquisition is scheduled to begin in FY 2011 with construction
scheduled to begin in FY 2012
14
1
1
u
r-,
ICI
Project B 4753 is the replacement of Bridge Number 15 on SR 2439 over Duhart s Creek in Gaston
County Right of way acquisition is scheduled to begin in FY 2010 with construction scheduled to
begin in FY 2011
Project B 4860 is the replacement of Bridge Number 421 on West Davidson Avenue over Kaylor
Branch in Gastonia Right of way acquisition and construction are scheduled to begin in FY 2008 as a
municipal project
Project B 4344 is the replacement of Bridge Number 167 on Tulip Drive over Kaylor Branch in
Gastonia This project is under construction by the City of Gastonia
Project U 2523 is the widening of NC 279 from NC 7 to west of NC 275 in Dallas The project is
proposed to widen NC 279 to a multi lane facihty over the 3 6 mile project length A portion of this
project from NC 7 (Ozark Avenue) to north of SR 2275 (Robinson Clemmer Road) is complete The
remaining portion from north of SR 2275 (Robinson Clemmer Road) to west of NC 275 in Dallas is
unfunded
1 9 2 NCDOT Strategic Highway Corridors Initiative
On September 2 2004 the North Carolina Board of Transportation established a system of Strategic
Highway Corridors for North Carolina as part of the State s Long Range Multi Modal Statewide
Transportation Plan
In October 2005 NCDOT issued a Concept Development Report
for the statewide network of SHC routes The SHC Report
explained that the primary purpose of the SHC Concept is to
provide a safe reliable and high speed network of highways that
connect to travel destinations throughout and just outside of North
Stratecic Hiahwav
Corridors
185 1 485 US 321 The Gaston
East West Connector and STIP
Project R 2608 (US 321 Bypass)
are part of the Strategic
Highway Comdors program
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
35

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
Carolina A related goal is to use the SHC Concept as a tool to influence and affect ongoing
planning and project related decisions in order to realize the facility type vision
North Carolina s Department of Transportation ( NCDOT) Department of Commerce ( NCDOC) and
Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (NCDENR) collaborated in developing the SHC
Report and the process of selecting the strategic highway corridors In developing the SHC concept
NCDOT held nine regional forums with local regional state and federal agencies economic
development and environmental organizations freight industry representatives political leadership
organizations and other advocacy groups
Central to the SHC initiative was identifying Strategic Highway Corridors which are a set of highways
vital to moving people and goods to destinations within and dust outside of the state Comdors were
selected using quantitative data (e g current and future traffic volumes route classifications and truck
traffic percentages) and subjective criteria (e g a comdor s role and function its significance to a
regional area and /or its historical role in national and /or statewide movement) Primary criteria
utilized to select the SHCs included
• Mobility Whether the corridor serves or has the potential to expeditiously move large
volumes of traffic
• Connectivity Whether a corridor provides a vital link between activity centers which include
urban areas (with populations of 200 000 or greater) state seaports mayor airports mayor
intermodal terminals mayor military bases University of North Carolina campuses trauma
centers and mayor tourist attractions
• Interstate Connectivity Whether a corridor provides an important connection between
existing and /or planned mterstates
• Interstate Relievers Whether a corridor currently serves or has the potential to serve as a
reliever route to an existing interstate facility
In addition to these primary criteria NCDOT considered additional elements to support the SHC
corridor selection process One element was the classification of a roadway as part of a national
statewide economic or military highway system including the North Carolina Intrastate System the
National Highway System and the Department of Defense Strategic Highway Network
(STRAHNET)
For each SHC corridor a Vision Plan was established by NCDOT that identified the mimmum
preferred type of roadway for the corridor The proposed facility types are primarily based upon the
function of the roadway level of mobility and access and whether the facility has (or will have) traffic
signals driveways and /or medians The facility types were developed by a committee comprised of
representatives from FHWA and the following NCDOT branches Traffic Engineering Highway
Design Project Development and Transportation Planning The facility types on the SHC system are
Freeway Expressway Boulevard and Thoroughfare
Figure 8 shows the SHC Vision Plan for NCDOT Division 12 which includes the study area
Strategic Highway Corridors in the study area include US 321 185 1485 the Gaston East West
Connector (Project U 3321) and STIP Project R 2608 They are all designated as freeways in the
Vision Plan
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2005
36

7
PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
1 9 3 North Carolina Intrastate System
The Intrastate System has been established by statute in North Carolina (NC Gen Stat § 136 178)
The purpose of the Intrastate System is to provide high speed safe travel service throughout the
State As defined in statute the Intrastate System
• connects major population centers both inside and outside the State
• provides safe convenient through travel for motorists
• is designed to support statewide growth and development objectives and to connect to major
highways of adjoining states
The statute governing the development of the Intrastate System requires that the routes in the Intrastate
System have at least four travel lanes unless traffic volume projections and environmental
considerations dictate fewer lanes The legislation also requires vertical separation or interchanges at
crossings more than four travel lanes and bypasses when warranted In other words Intrastate
System designation requires a four lane access controlled roadway if such a facility is warranted by
traffic volumes and is not precluded by environmental constraints
In the project study area 185 and 1485 are designated as existing multi lane intrastate corridors
1 9 4 Gaston County Transportation Plans
1 9 4 1 Gaston Thoroughfare Plan
The Thoroughfare Plan identifies a roadway system that is
Thoroughfare Plans
expected to serve the area s future travel demand It shows
alignments of major roadways based on the following Thoroughfare plans identify
the alp
g J Y g roadway projects needed to
facility types minor thoroughfares major thoroughfares serve an area s future travel
commercial arterials and freeways/expressways The demand in ten to twenty years
They are used as a starting point
Thoroughfare Plan is the primary inventory of roadway to prioritize projects
projects evaluated for construction pnontization and provides
a starting point for MPOs to determine which roadways require upgrades in ten or twenty years
Figure 9 shows the currently approved Gaston Urban Area Thoroughfare Plan (last revised in May
2006) and Mecklenburg Union Thoroughfare Plan The Thoroughfare plans show the Gaston East
West Connector (STIP Project U 3321) and the US 321 Bypass (STEP Project R 2608) as proposed
four lane freeways The alignments shown in Figure 9 for the Gaston East West Connector at the
Catawba River do not line up The Gaston Urban Area Thoroughfare Plan and Mecklenburg Union
Thoroughfare Plan show the corridors in slightly different locations at the Catawba River
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
38

The Gaston Urban Area 2030 LRTP includes a section (Section 5 3) devoted to the Garden Parkway
project which consists of STIP projects U 3321 (from 185 to I 485/NC 160) and R 2608 (from 185
to US 321 North) The GUAMPO s Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) considers the Garden
Parkway the most significant project of all the facilities proposed for Gaston County The
GUAMPO acknowledges that the Garden Parkway is now two separate projects The MPO initially
proposed the Garden Parkway to be one contiguous project however the project was split into two
portions in the STIP The first is project R 2608 (321 Bypass) which constitutes the segment from I
85 to US 321 North The second is project U 3321 (Gaston East West Connector) and is the segment
that begins in Mecklenburg County at NC 160 (West Boulevard) and extends across southern Gaston
County terminating at 185 (Gaston Urban Area 2030 LRTP p 72)
The Gaston Urban Area 2030 LRTP includes a list of unmet needs (Chapter 6) The Unmet Needs
List is the Gaston Urban Area s prioritized list of projects which the GUAMPO is requesting to be
placed in the STIP for funding The list was adopted by the GUAMPO on November 29 2004 prior
to the adoption of STIP Project U 3321 by the NCTA as a candidate toll facility The top two projects
on the Unmet Needs List are STIP Project U 3321 and STEP Project R 2608
1 9 5 Mecklenburg County Transportation Plans
1 9 5 1 Mecklenburg - Unlon Thoroughfare Plan
Figure 9 shows the western section of the currently adopted Mecklenburg Union Thoroughfare Plan
(last revised in May 2006) The Thoroughfare Plan shows the West Boulevard Extension (STIP
Project U 3411) as a mayor thoroughfare between NC 160 and 1485 The portion of the Gaston East
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
40
PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
1 9 4 2 Gaston Urban Area Long Range Transportation Plan
Long Range Transportation Plans (LRTPs) are developed by MPOs to guide long range transportation
investments in their areas The LRTP is a comprehensive Transportation Plan that defines a
transportation network that will serve both the present and future volumes of vehicular traffic and
transit use in and around an urban area The LRTP is based on the best information available
including but not limited to population and economic development growth and land development
patterns in and around the urban area (Gaston Urban Area 2030 LRTP p 2)
'
The Gaston Urban Area 2030 LRTP was last updated on Lona Range Transportation
May 25 2005 Figure 10 shows the 2030 LRTP project Plans
map One of the main objectives of the plan is to require A long range transportation plan guides
a region s transportation investments
transportation improvements to better connect Gaston over the next twenty years Federal
County to other cities in the region particularly law requires that the plan shall include
both long range and short range
Mecklenburg County and Charlotte Specifically the plan program strategies /actions that lead to
promotes additional bridge crossings over the Catawba the development of an integrated
intermodal transportation system that
River (Gaston East West Connector Mount Holly North facilitates the efficient movement of
Loop and widen existing roadways) to handle increases in people and goods (23 CFR450C
'
traffic on 185 and US 29 74 and to strengthen Sec 450 322)
connections to the regional network (Gaston Urban Area 2030 LRTP p 8)
The Gaston Urban Area 2030 LRTP includes a section (Section 5 3) devoted to the Garden Parkway
project which consists of STIP projects U 3321 (from 185 to I 485/NC 160) and R 2608 (from 185
to US 321 North) The GUAMPO s Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) considers the Garden
Parkway the most significant project of all the facilities proposed for Gaston County The
GUAMPO acknowledges that the Garden Parkway is now two separate projects The MPO initially
proposed the Garden Parkway to be one contiguous project however the project was split into two
portions in the STIP The first is project R 2608 (321 Bypass) which constitutes the segment from I
85 to US 321 North The second is project U 3321 (Gaston East West Connector) and is the segment
that begins in Mecklenburg County at NC 160 (West Boulevard) and extends across southern Gaston
County terminating at 185 (Gaston Urban Area 2030 LRTP p 72)
The Gaston Urban Area 2030 LRTP includes a list of unmet needs (Chapter 6) The Unmet Needs
List is the Gaston Urban Area s prioritized list of projects which the GUAMPO is requesting to be
placed in the STIP for funding The list was adopted by the GUAMPO on November 29 2004 prior
to the adoption of STIP Project U 3321 by the NCTA as a candidate toll facility The top two projects
on the Unmet Needs List are STIP Project U 3321 and STEP Project R 2608
1 9 5 Mecklenburg County Transportation Plans
1 9 5 1 Mecklenburg - Unlon Thoroughfare Plan
Figure 9 shows the western section of the currently adopted Mecklenburg Union Thoroughfare Plan
(last revised in May 2006) The Thoroughfare Plan shows the West Boulevard Extension (STIP
Project U 3411) as a mayor thoroughfare between NC 160 and 1485 The portion of the Gaston East
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
40

r
PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
West Connector (STIP Project U 3321) from I 485/NC 160 to the Gaston County line is shown as a
freeway
1 9 5 2 Mecklenburg -Union MPO 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan
The Mecklenburg Union MPO (MUMPO) 2030 LRTP was adopted in May 2005 and amended in
September 2005 and May 2007 Figure 10 shows the portion of the Mecklenburg Union 2030 LRTP
in western Mecklenburg County The 2010 planning horizon includes the West Boulevard Extension
(STIP Project U 341 l) from NC 160 to 1485 as a new four lane facility with a median and bike lanes
covering 0 48 miles This project is not currently ranked in the 2030 LRTP The 2020 planning
horizon includes the 1 89 mile portion of STEP Project U 3321 from 1485 to the Gaston County line
This project is ranked number 81 in the Mecklenburg Union 2030 LRTP
1 9 6 Gaston County Comprehensive Plan
The Gaston County Comprehensive Plan was adopted in November 2002 following an 18 month
planning process that included twelve public meetings The Comprehensive Plan is intended to serve
as a guide for managing growth in the county as well as to inform the planning processes of the
county s fifteen municipalities The plan serves as a common framework to help guide the
municipalities as they develop and update their own plans
Figure 11 is the Composite Initiatives Map developed in conjunction with the Comprehensive Plan It
generally shows recommended future land uses for various areas of the county The south and
southeastern portions of the map are shown to have primarily residential and mixed use potential
1 1 9 7 Land Use Plans in Mecklenburg County
1 9 7 1 Southwest District Future Land Use Map
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Department divides Mecklenburg County into six districts for
planning purposes The Southwest District is bordered by York County SC on the south and
southwest Gaston County on the west 185 on the north and Old Pineville Road and Billy Graham
Parkway on the east
The current Future Land Use Map for the Southwest District was last revised on July 9 2007 and is
presented as Figure 12 Multi family /office /retail uses are proposed along the west side of 1485 at
West Boulevard The east side of this interchange is proposed for office/business park/industrial and
office /industrial uses Similar uses are proposed around the 1 485 interchange at Steele Creek Road
with the addition of more retail uses Further west of 1485 closer to the Gaston County line more
single family residential uses are proposed
GASTON EAST WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
41

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Legend
y'S Multi- Family
MInstitutional
Industrial - Light
_NMF /Greenway IjOffice /Retail /Lt Industrial
Proposed Land Use
Multi Family <= 8 DUA
moffice
M Industrial Heavy
\MF /Office aResidential /Office /Retail
_ Single Family <= 1 DUA
_ Multi- Family <= 12 DUA
`L
Ir
•
-MF /Retail
Single Family <= 3 DUA
Multi - Family <= 17 DUA
'IoOffice /Business Park/Lt Industrial
MGreenway
�MFT /Office /Retail
I�•
,`r
�:.
Office /Business Park/Industrial
MTransit Supportive - Mixed
fte-
/
�1
i �•
- _Single Family /Multi - Family
Oa
Single Family < =6 DUA
Residential r- 8 DUA
Warehouse /Distribution
;SF /MF /Office /Retail
tional
Single Family= 8 DUA
Research
-Industrial
MSF /MF /Institutional /Office /Retail
Office /Warehouse
mot,
ft w
ezr
}O, �
�i
�� `7 ,pi's � -• _,�
J
Legend
y'S Multi- Family
MInstitutional
Industrial - Light
_NMF /Greenway IjOffice /Retail /Lt Industrial
Proposed Land Use
Multi Family <= 8 DUA
moffice
M Industrial Heavy
\MF /Office aResidential /Office /Retail
_ Single Family <= 1 DUA
_ Multi- Family <= 12 DUA
Office /Business Park
Park/Open Space
-MF /Retail
Single Family <= 3 DUA
Multi - Family <= 17 DUA
'IoOffice /Business Park/Lt Industrial
MGreenway
�MFT /Office /Retail
Single Family <=4 DUA
�_ Multi Family <= 2S DUA
Office /Business Park/Industrial
MTransit Supportive - Mixed
Institutional /Retail
Single Family <=5DUA
Residential <= 4 DUA
MRetail
- _Single Family /Multi - Family
Office /Retail
Single Family < =6 DUA
Residential r- 8 DUA
Warehouse /Distribution
;SF /MF /Office /Retail
Office /Industrial
Single Family= 8 DUA
Research
-Industrial
MSF /MF /Institutional /Office /Retail
Office /Warehouse
A ° — 1 2 t MECKLENBURG COUNTY
/ Turnpike Authority Miles — p SOUTHWEST DISTRICT
GASTON EAST -WEST CONNECTOR FUTURE LAND USE MAP
STIP PROJECT NO. U -3321 Source: Charlotte - Mecklenburg Planning
Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties Department. July 09, 2007. Figure 12

II
L�
1
PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
1.9.7.2 Dixie - Berryhill Strategic Plan
The Charlotte- Mecklenburg Planning Department creates area plans to better address the specific
needs of neighborhoods within the six planning districts. The Dixie - Berryhill Strategic Plan, adopted
in April 2003, was undertaken to implement a recommendation that a more detailed economic
development, land use, and design plan be developed for the area west of the Charlotte - Douglas
International Airport (between the Catawba River and I485) to encourage high quality mixed -use
development and support transit.
The Dixie - Berryhill planning area is a subset of the Southwest District that encompasses
approximately 7,594 acres in western Mecklenburg County, across the Catawba River from southern
Gaston County. The area is bounded by I -485 to the east; the Catawba River to the west; I -85 to the
north; and Rock Island Road, Shopton Road and Steele Creek Road (NC 160) to the south. As of
2000, approximately 80 percent of the land in the Dixie - Berryhill area consisted of vacant land or very
large parcels with a single dwelling.
Figure 13 is the Proposed Land Use map from the Dixie - Berryhill Strategic Plan. On the map, Mixed
Use Communities B and C are in the vicinity of the proposed project. The eastern portions of these
communities, near the Charlotte- Douglas International Airport, are proposed primarily for
employment/mixed -use developments, with higher- intensity employment uses proposed along the
major transportation corridors. Residential development is proposed in the western portions of these
communities.
Regarding transportation, the Dixie- Berryhill Plan refers to a West Boulevard Extension from I -485
through the Dixie - Berryhill area and across the Catawba River in the same general location as the
Gaston East -West Connector. However, the Plan recommends that this extension should be a major
thoroughfare. The Dixie- Berryhill Plan states,
"One of the primary issues remaining from a transportation perspective is the
character of the West Boulevard Extension across the Catawba River. The MUMPO
Thoroughfare Plan calls for this facility to be a freeway. The Gaston Urban Area is
requesting that the facility be constructed as a controlled access tollway to I -485. This
type of construction is inconsistent with the land use recommendations for Dixie -
Berryhill. This plan recommends that the proposed major thoroughfare [an upgraded
Dixie River Road] have access to the new facility, and that an urban diamond
interchange be constructed with I -485. This plan is opposed to the right -of -way
requirements and the associated impacts that would be required by a freeway to
freeway type interchange."
It should be noted that the Mecklenburg -Union Thoroughfare Plan, which was last updated by
MUMPO in March 2007 (four years after adoption of the Dixie - Berryhill Strategic Plan), shows the
Gaston East -West Connector as a freeway facility with a service interchange at the proposed major
thoroughfare (Dixie River Road), as well as a freeway -to- freeway interchange at I -485.
GASTON EAST­ WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
45

-egend O Residential up to 4 DUA
0 Employment/Mixed Use
e e Proposed Parkway
SWIM Buffer - 35
0 Residential up to 5 DUA
0 1 -465 Right of Way
r+H Railroads
— SWIM Buffer - 50
M Open Space
0 Charlotte City Limits
Dixie- Berryhill Study Area
_ SWIM Buffer - 100
a Institutional
m Proposed Major Thoroughfare
Community Boundary
� Lake Wylie Watershed -
M Multi - Family /Retail Mixed Use
... Proposed Minor Thoroughfare
1996 Noise Contour - 65 db
Critical and Protected Areas
N Community Center
w , Proposed Roads by Developer
2001 Noise Contour - 65 db
0 2.800 5,000 t MECKLENBURG COUNTY
io Turnpike Authority 11000000000===
Feet © DIXIE - BERRYHILL AREA
GASTON EAST -WEST CONNECTOR SMALL AREA PLAN
STIP PROJECT NO. U -3321 Source: Charlotte - Mecklenburg Planning
Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties Commission, .tune 2002. Figure 13

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
REFERENCES AND SUPPORTING
DOCUMENTATION
REFERENCES
Amtrak
Internet site: http: / /www.amtrak.com/ (April 14, 2008).
Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS)
Internet site: http : / /www.charmeck.org/Departments /CATS
Charlotte - Douglas International Airport
Internet site: http : / /www.charmeck.org/Departments /Airport
Charlotte - Mecklenburg Planning Department
2004 - Dixie Berryhill Strategic Plan. April
http: // www .charmeck.or,2/Departments/Planni n g/ Area+ Planning /Plans/Dixie +Berrvhill.htm
2007 Southwest District Future Land Use Map
http: / /www.charmeck. org/Departments/Planning /Area %20PIanni ng/Plans/home.htm
Crowders Mountain State Park
Phone interview on April 11, 2008 with Larry Hyde, Superintendent
Internet site: http: / /www.ncparks.gov
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Interview on November 13, 2001 with Mike Bush, Executive Director.
Internet site: htip: / /www.dsbg.org (April 2008)
2006 Annual Report.
Federal Aviation Administration
' 1999 Final Environmental Impact Statement and Department of Transportation Act Section
303(C) Statement for Master Plan Development and FAR Part 150 Noise Compatibility Plan
Update. November 1999.
Federal Highway Administration
1987 Guidance for Preparing and Processing Environmental and Section 4(t� Documents.
FHWA Technical Advisory T66430.8.A. October 1987.
Gaston County Planning Department
2002 Gaston County Comprehensive Plan
http: / /www.co. gaston. nc. us /CompPlan/ComprehensivePlan.htm
Gaston County Economic Development Commission
Internet site: http: / /www.gaston.org
GASTON EAST -WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 20 88
47

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
Gastonia Transit
Internet site: http: / /www.cityofuastonia.com/ city_ sery /generat/transit/tran sit. cfm
North Carolina Department of Commerce
Internet site: http: / /www.nccommerce.com
North Carolina Department of Transportation
2006, Metrolina Regional Model
Strategic Highway Corridors
Internet site: http: / /www.ncdot.org /doh /preconstruct/tpb /SHC
North Carolina State Data Center
Internet site: http: / /www.census.state.nc.us
North Carolina State Demographics
Internet site: http: / /www.demog.state.ne.us
US Census Bureau
Internet site: http / /www.census.gov
SUPPORTING PROJECT DOCUMENTATION
2004. Citizens Informational Workshop Series #1 Summary — Gaston East -West Connector. March.
Prepared by PBS &J for the NCDOT Project Development and Environmental Analysis Branch.
2008 Traffic Operations Technical Memorandum for 1-85,1485, US 29 -74, and US 321 Under
Various Scenarios — Gaston East -West Connector. May. Prepared by PBS &J for NCTA.
2008 Gaston East -West Connector (U -3321) Traffic Forecasts for Toll Alternatives. May. Prepared
by Martin /Alexiou/Bryson for NCTA.
GASTON EAST -WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008
48

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
APPENDIX A
NEPA /404 Merger Process
Concurrence Point 1 - Signed Form
GASTON EAST -WEST CONNECTOR JUNE 2008

I
Section 404/NEPA Nlei-ger Pro ' ject Team Meeting Agreement
Concurrence Point No.1 - Purpose and Need.
' �'ro'rct ' �t�,_' TIl ''�'c�.'Natt���1��:5cri�?t<�n:
Federal Project � <'umhcr: S I P- 1-2] ',16), `,gate ProjectN'Uni her 8- -IS] 2501.-
11 P Number: 21
Description, Gaston FIBI-I'VeSt COTT"d0l' 'Wd% In Gaston and Mecklenburg Counlic'S
h_jrvqLe � Nee-d of Proroscd Proiect:
�an L
fhe Purpose (41he propsed action is to improve east -west Irarisportatit-)n mobihiN in the
area around the City , fl- (Jastonla, beiween Graslonia and the Charlotte metropolitan area
in general.. and particularly to establi-sh direct access hott %Oezl the rapidk- growinv area of
southeast Gaston County and %%est 'Mecklenburg, COLIEM. Thi
tin the followITIO, is pro-ject purptise Is based
Z_
• Need to improve mobilit-, access Lind cc)nnecti�,it% within Southern Gaston
Countv and hcMeen smithern GaStOn C'L.)unt\- and Mecklenburo CountN,.
• Need to reduce congest inn and irnproN e traffic 11(.)w 4_=L, the scctjc)ns j) I- I TS
29-74 and I..'S 21 In the prefect swd area, improve high - speed. safe regional
travel Service along the t S 29-74 iiiii-astate corridor: and generally imprcive saj"CtN
and reduce abovc Liverauc accident rates in the study IrL!d-
The Pra,�iccl study area consists of the gencral boundaries: I-S5 lo the north- the
South Carolina Slate line to the south, th", Chad 01 te-D01 1,11 taJS Jnternafidmal : -\irporj to the
cast- and the 1-85 and 11S 29-74 jUnCtltin to the Nvest.
The Project Team C011CLIneel on this date cal' � Jld&Z NN"ith the purpose of
and need for the proposed prtljject as �tated above,
1-1 . S A C F
I. __ , — x v, 14 x-, A , ,
NCDOT!
NCD 'Q U N CW R
- AII"
Y
NCDCR

PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT
APPENDIX B
Projected Population Growth Maps for the Gaston
Urban Area
IGASTON EAST -WEST CONNECTOR .TUNE ZOOS

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Updated Purpose and Need
Statement
and
Alternatives Report Addendum
Gaston Elul. IT et Cowie for
.S•'17P Al je,—tNo. I ? -33'1
till.\• 100,
'I'mn- vke l wommwal. Ire nrt Cnunli!.rdwr l mans
Updated Purpose and Need
Statement
• I4cbruary 2005 - project selected ns a candidate
Tull tu.ilitt
• \cw regional travel demand model - \letrolina
model
• New horizon year and base year - 2006 and
3030
• Updated level of service analysis
P &N — Travel Demand Model
• Previous model - Euston Urban Area 'fni% t l
Demand :Model for year 3025
• latest model - 13- county Uetrolina Region
Travel Demand Model for year 2030
• New model has updated land use and population
projections, new trip tables, etc.
• Previous model needed to "stitch in" roadway
connections trom Mecklenburg County. 'These
connections alreatic in the Metrolitia model.
Updated Purpose and Need
Statement
• Concurrence Point #1 achieved jolt 24, 2002.
• Original Purpose and Need Statement
completed in August 3003.
• Several items were updated /refreshed.
• Conclusions and Project purpose remain
( », ntialh• the same.
Updated Purpose and Need
Statement
■ Construction ;it the (;harlotte airport
• hater versions of transportation and land use
Plans
• Strategic 1 lighway Corridor Program
• Other updated information (eg, incidents on
1 85, visitors to Crowders \hn State Park, etc.)
P &N — Traffic Volumes
• 1 ti:) a ud h( volumes higher in 2030 model eomparcd
io 3025 model
• Volumes sun, on average, 22" higher in 31130 con)pared to
21125 proicctions.
• I)iffcn•nces arc greater nearer to Mecklenburg Counn•
• l IS 29 -74 - traffic vohttnes much higher on the eastern
side in 2030 model compared to 3025 model. ( )thcr
scgnxttts about the same.
• I IS 331 - traffic volumes about the same in each
model.

P &N — Levels of Service
■ 2006 and 2030 levels of Seance (I.OS)
calculated for I -85, I -485, US 29 -74, and I I
■ Comparison of 2025 LOS and 2030 LOS
■ 3030 analyses .how incrcascd aatgcstion on 1 85
and US 29 -74 compared to 2035
P &N — Levels of Service 2030
P &N — Project Purpose
Project I'ut-huse in the 2002 and 2008 P&N
Statements:
The purpose of the proposed action is to improve
east -west transportation mobility in the area
around the City of Gastonia, between Gastonia
and the Charlotte metropolitan area in gcucral,
and particularly to establish direct access
between the rapidly growing area of southeast
Gaston County and west Mecklenburg Count.
This project purpose is based on the following:
P &N — Levels of Service 2006
P &N — Plans
• Project included in latest 2009 -2015 STIP and
2030 LRTPs
• Gaston East-West Connector is a Strategic
highway Corridor
• Stratetnc I Iighway Corridors adopted in 3004
• I ?silting 1 -85, 1 -485, and US 321 are also Stratcoc
I lighway Corridors
P &N — Project Purpose
I'r()Ject Purpt>se in the 2002 and 2008 P&X
Statements:
Need to improve mobility and connectivity within
southern ( iastou Couttiv and between southcnt Gaston
County and Mccklatburg County.
Need to n durc c nt};t <tir,n anti improve traffic flow on
the sections of 1 -85, US 39 -74, and US 321 in the
project study area: and improve high - speed, saf<
wgrional travel service along the 1 -85 /11S 29 -74
intra•t.n( corridor; :uul ;;cnrnilfc imp")%c s.O, t� .utd
I dncc ahucc J%cta1.,c ACidi'nt r:uk; in the �tukk .uxa.

Alternatives Report Addendum
■ Detailed Study Alternativcs idcntifted in
Scptcmbcr 2005. Concurrence Point #2
achieved on September 20, 2005.
■ Citizens Informational Workshops licld in
januat}• /February 2006.
■ Original Alternatives Development and
I :valuation Rcport - Fcbruan- 2007.
Alternatives Report Addendum
■ Major changes /updates in the Addendum did
not change:
• the decisions on which alternative concepts to
eliminate from further study.
• the process tin- identifying and selecting New
Location . \Urrnative corridors.
Alternatives Report Addendum
■ 2030'1•raffic Infortruttion for each Modeled
Scenario:
• ADT Volumes
• Rc, Tonal vchicics miles and horns traveled (\'NI'I•
and VI 1'I) and congested vehicle miles and hours
• bevels of service on 1 -85, US 29 -7.3, US 321, and
1485
Alternatives Report Addendum
■ Major changes /updates included in Addendum
• Ittcotporation of year 2030 traffic rt n'CCISiS and
Icvds of scr\'ic(. analy cs for several alternative
scenarios.
• Incorporation of tolling.
• I .Iimination of Corridor Septicnt K 11) at '1V ..\t :
Meeting held September 27, 2007 (resulting ill
elimination of ti ur l)S.\s)
Alternatives Report Addendum
■ 2030 Merrolina Modcl — Modcled Scenarios:
• \o -Build
• lmproyc Fxisfing Roadways .\Itcrnative Scenario la
(widen 1 -85 to 10 lanes, widen scgmcnt, of
US 39.74, various intersection improvements)
• \cw Loct'ion 'Poll Facility
• New Location \trn- 'Poll Facility
Alternatives Report Addendum
• 'Topics specific to tolls
• Traffic proieetuins
• LL;gislativc constraints (c,q tolling exismig capacity pnrhibiu-d)
• bcsi,., i constraints on tolling new capacity on c•xistIng
roadw:n s
• 'Polling added to discussions of alternative concepts:
• 'Transportation Demand \Ianatcnu•nt
• Imp-mc Vxisring Itoadw'acs Alternatives
• Ncw Location r\Itc•rnatiyc

� 1'r ! i

ICE Study Approach (cons.)
Key points of our approach:
• Land use change;
• Increased accessibility; and
• Associated urban growth potentially induced by the 16 DSAs
considered.
Spatial. Grid, Analysis
Spatial Grid Analysis helps address problems associated with
qualitatively assessing data at different scales, accuracies, and
formats.
This part of the analysis helped to:
• Identify areas sensitive to change, and
• Identify areas that had greater potential to change as a result of
the project and other influences.

Spatial Grid Analysis
Challenge: To identify areas where there exists botb sensitivity
(natural and human) and potential for gro-wtb as a result of the
proposed project-
s Identify data sources contributing to sensiti -6ty and growth
potential (see Table 12.1 for a full list)
• Combine the data layers to allow for comparisons
in Great+ a common gcography
■ Calculatc values for cac_h layer in each
grid cc]l
■ Scale values for each laver from 0 to 1
■ Sum values for data lavers to create a
tout score for sensitivity and growth
potential
ICE Steps 1 -5
Step 1: Define Study Area Boundaries
r �
r psi ►
k 7
R �
Step 2: Identify Study Area Directions and
Goals
Step 3: Inventory Notable Features
Step 4: Identify Effect- Causing Activities
Step 5: Identify Potential Indirect and
Cumulative Effects for further
Analysis

Study Area Boundary
The Study Area Boundary was developed considering three study area types:
1. ICE Study Area: area encompassing potential indirect effects stemming from the
project. Not all areas within the ICE Study Area are anticipated to be indirectly
affected by the project. Generally used a 5 -7 mile buffer as the starting point to
define the boundary.
2 Districts: Ten localized areas in the ICE Study Area of potential indirect and
cumulative effects.
3.
Interchange Areas: _areas in the ICE Study area with the potential for unique
land use change associated with improved accessibility due to proposed project
interchanges.
Step 1
IM-me StWY .krr:t
Bt qundarics
Temporal Boundary
T .e temporal boundary spans from 1989 to 2030
Step 1
Dclinc sLudr Area
Botmdaries

ICE Study Area Directions and
Goals
In addition to reviewing available land use plans adopted by local
Jurisdictions, we reviewed development policies and how they
were applied, guidelines, utility provisions and other actions in
areas included in the ICE Study Area_
(See Appendix Bin ICE Report)
Step 2
4icntifr Stu& area
Direction. and Goals
ICE Study Area Directions and
Goals (cont.)
Local area experts ■ Charlotte — Douglas International Airport
were interviewed on ■ Gaston County Chamber of Commerce
key factors of land ■ Gaston Urban Area Metropolitan Planning
use change and Organization
potential indirect ■ City of Gastonia
effects associated ■ City- of Belmont Planning Department
with each of the • York County Government
DSAs. ■ Charlotte - Mecklenburg Planning Department
■ Gaston Economic Development Corporation
■ Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition
(See Appendices C & D m Bessemer City Planning Department
in ICE Report) a Riverkeepers
■ Crowder Mountain State Park Step 2
ldentiFr Study area
Directitnis and Goals

ICE Study Area Directions and
Goals (coast.)
Responses from local experts were weighted based on the
individuals knowledge of areas (Districts) being discussed.
Notable Features*
• County- Land Use
• Watersheds
• Drinking Supply Watersheds
• Wetland Areas
• Stream /Surface Waters
• Riparian Buffers
Step 2
ldcntif4 Study Area
Directions and Goals
• Cultural Resources
• Socioeconomic
characteristics
• Natural Heritage Sites
• Terrestrial /Aquatic
Communities
*Determined through early scoping meetings with state
and federal agencies
Step 3
Inventory Notable
eatures

Water Resources
Catawba River Basin
Land Uses: A large portion of the watershed is moderately
developed as residential or industrial. Some tracts are forested or
in agricultural production.
Sub basin 03 -08 -34
Step 4
ldcntit}- Effect -
Causing Ac ivities
■ Greater Charlotte area, one of the most densely populated areas ui
North Carolina. Notable wetland and stream losses have occurred
since 1995
• Charlotte / Mecklenburg is required to comply with NPDFS Phase
I /II . Charlotte /Nfecklenburg have initiated "Surface Water
Improvements & Management (SWII\� program.
• No listed 303(d) streams in portion of sub basin that lies in ICE
Study lArea.
Step 4
hk -ntify Effcct-
Cawing Activiries

Sub basin 03 -08 -36
• Includes Gastonia, the southeastern portion of Gaston County
and parts of Bessemer City
• Gaston is required to comply with NPDES Phase I
• No listed 303(d) streams in portion of sub basin that lies in ICE
Study .z
Sub basin 03-08 -37
Step 4
c:ientif,,
t "Iffeet- Causini;
lctivitics
• Includes parts of Gastonia
• More than 1/3 of the streams within this sub basin are listed as
303(d) streams.
Step 4
]dcntih' Fffact-
Causing Acfivitics

Water Quality Indirect Effects
In the absence of Best Management Practices and water quality
ordinance conformity-, potential indirect effects associated 'with
the DSAs may include:
■ Reduced functionality of riparian buffer systems;
■ Loss of wetland \aquatic resources due to land use change and
subsequent altered surface water flow regime.
Step 4
Identify F,ffeet- CausinIg
Acticities
Cumulative Effects
In the absence of water quality protection measures including
BMPs, adverse indirect effects on water quality associated with
any DSA may add cumulatively to other actions resulting in
increased stormwater runoff.
Within the ICE Study Area these actions include residential
development, infrastructure expansion and the expansion of the
Charlotte - Douglas International Airport.
Step 4
Identifx• I ?ffect-
Causinf Activities

Significant Natural Heritage
There are no anticipated direct impacts
to the following Significant Natural
Heritage Areas yet, the following areas
have the potential to be indirectly
affected due to increased accessibility
that is associated with this project.
• Crowders Mountain State Park
• Stagecoach Road Granitic Outcrop
• Penc
Step 4
1 Junti fi. I `ffcct-
l:ausing Activitic,
Terrestrial Communities
The assessment of indirect effects on terrestrial communities was
focused on existing forested areas and grassland /shrub areas
having the potential for land use modification. These areas
coincide with the seven terrestrial communities identified in the
project's NRTR.
• Agriculture
• Clearcut
• Hardwood forest
• Mesic mixed hardwood forest
• N xed pin- hardwood forest, pine forest, pine plantation
• Successional Step 4
• Disturbed Iduntifl Effeet-
Causing Activifies

Terrestrial Communities (cont.)
Indirect effects associated with habitat fragmentation are based
on the following three factors:
• The amount of habitat edge that is added through road
construction and land use change to intact forest landscapes.
• The distance from DSAs to Gastonia and other urban uses.
• The size of the terrestrial community carved out by a particular
DSA.
Step 4
ldcntif" Effect - Causing
Activitics
Cumulative Effects
Much of the ICE Study Area has some degree of fragmentation
already due to existing roadways, utility corridors and residential,
industrial and commercial development.
Step 4
1dL -ntifv I:ffcct-
Causin Activitie"

Cumulative Effects
Any DSA and its associated development would cumulatively add to
the emsting trend of habitat fragmentation in the ICE Study area.
DSAs including H1C would have the potential to add to this trend at
a greater magnitude then other DSAs.
Threatened and Endangered
Species
Threatened or endangered species listed in Counties
included in the ICE Study Area are:
• Bog turtle
• Carolina heelsplitter
• Nlichaus's sumac
• Schweinitz's sunflower
• Smooth coneflower
Step 4
Idcntifr Effcct-
Causing Activitics

Threatened and Endangered
Species (cont.)
■ One population of Schweinitz's sunflower was found during
biological surveys within the ICI: study- boundary, but north of
project segment (K21'%).
Step 4
Identify F.ffeet-
(ausing . %ctivities
Threatened and Endangered
Species (cont.)
DSA's with segment K1 A have a greater potential to indirectly
modify existing habitat for the Schweinitz's sunflower through
land use change and /or may create new habitat along side of the
proposed roadway or other roadways associated with anticipated
growth and development.

Socioeconomic Effects
Indirect economic effects associated with any of the DSAs
include the economic effects of potential Land use changes, the
potential economic gains of various communities and the
economic travel time savings to residential and business users in
the ICE Stud- Area.
Step 4
klcntifj- 1?ffcct- (:au�n
A ctivitics
Cumulative Effects
As Gaston, Mecklenburg, York and Cleveland Counties continue
to grow, there rill be more of a burden placed on local school
systems and Emergency Management Services. Construction of
the proposed project would better support the established
network links by providing an additional link across the Catawba
River.
Step 4
Identify Fffcct-
Causim, Activitics

Farmland
Residential development within the ICL Study Area has resulted
in a trend of farmland conversion.
Residential development along US 27' ), NC 274, NC 279 and
near waterfronts and coves of the Catawba River and South Fork
Catawba River have the potential to reduce the amount of
farmland in the project area.
='R-� 3 Step 4
_ - Aw- ldcntifv liffeci
Causing Activities
Farmland (cant.)
Increased accessibility provided by any of the DSAs would
reinforce an existing trend especially in the southern portion of
Gaston County. This change in density on a regional scale would
be expected to reduce soil productivity in terms of the
agricultural output process, but not to a notable degree.

17
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r I
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LIM LL
F�-
77,
17

DSA, County, and Interchange
Summaries
The summations of findings for this ICf: assessment are
provided on a DSA, county and Interchange levels in the
Indirect and Clunulaxive Effects Assessment
Step 5
Identify Porcntial indirect
and Cumulative Effect:
for further Analysis

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