Public Health & Safety

I very nearly bit the dust this morning on Dairyland, about 1/2 mile west of Old 86.

While on my morning bicycle ride, minding my own business along the road's virtually nonexistent shoulder, a driver whipping past me clipped my left hip and the edge of my left handlebar. Miraculously, I was not injured physically, although I am pretty shaken up. Two more inches and I wouldn't be here to type this right now.

I mention this out of a growing frustration with the gaping disparity between the image that this area has of itself (as a place that facilitates active, healthy lifestyles and encourages alternative transportation methods) and the reality of our local roads, which are for the most part very unfriendly to bikes and pedestrians.

I think of the often-expressed desire to limit parking spaces at Carolina North in order to encourage other modes of transport, and then I think of my experience this morning, and I ruefully laugh. The truth is that we do not have the road infrastructure to support anything other than cars and buses on our roads, and, so far as I know, no comprehensive plan to change that.

At tonight's Chapel Hill Town Council meeting they will be reviewing the Northern Area Task Force Report, which proposes a large number of significant changes to limit development and encourage more pedestrian-oriented growth. I still haven't spent as much time as I'd like digging into it. What do y'all think of the recommendations?

Also, I think the Rogers Road neighbors and their friends will be petitioning the Council. I don't know what their request is, but it may be about the Transfer Station which will be before the Council for a Special Use permit soon.

The Chapel Hill News wrote up a nice overview of the northern area suggestions, I'm posting the whole thing because I'm in a hurry.

GOAL 1: A landmark gateway that "announces" Chapel Hill at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Weaver Dairy Road.

Objectives:

I admit, I'm not the biggest expert on Hillsborough issues, but this sure seems like a good thing.

The Hillsborough Board of Adjustment unanimously denied the application for a proposed asphalt plant at its meeting Tuesday night.

The vote against developer Doug Robins, owner of Durham-based Asphalt Experts, is based on four failed compliances with the town's ordinances, said Margaret Hauth, Hillsborough's planning director. The plant is proposed for 410 Valley Forge Road, off N.C. 86 between Interstate 85 and U.S. 70 Business.

The board ruled that Robins failed to a complete an air quality permit, obtain written approval from the fire marshal, obtain written approval from the director of utilities and did not meet Hillsborough's definition of permitted uses for the property.
- heraldsun.com: Plans for new asphalt plant voted down 8/8/07