Pedestrians
In case you haven't seen it yet, Chapel Hill has launched a new mapping tool to report bike and pedestrian issues across town. So far, there are plenty of issues that users have already reported, including unsafe biking conditions on Estes Dr Ext and MLK Blvd, inadequate pedestrian crossing lights on East Franklin St, and a laundry list of concerns around UNC's campus.
I'm glad to see the town proactively gathering this information, especially with the 2015 bond referendum including $16.2 million for streets and sidewalks, including bicycle and pedestrian safety. I hope the data they collect here will directly inform the priorities that can be funded if the bond passes.
Have you used this tool yet? What are your biggest bike/ped concerns around town, and what would you like to see done about them?
This announcement about bike and ped safety was posted by the town of Chapel Hill this weekend. Unfortunately recently there was another cyclist fatality near MLK and Hillsborough. This occurred where I was hit by a car while biking to work a decade ago. One suggestion I had back then was to have the reminder sign about" sharing the road with cyclist" be moved from uphill going towards downtown to place it going downhill closer to the corner gas station. I was told several times this was going to happen but it was never done. The chronic problem of warning signs being hidden by vegetation needs to be addressed. I know that the sign in that area was hidden by vegetation. It sounds from this memo that more attention will be given to this. When I ran for town council this is one of the things I meant by the town being more proactive rather than complaint driven. (Don't wait for someone to complain that a sign is hidden, have bus drivers or other employees notice and report it.) Having visible to drivers signs showing where a bike or greenway trail feeds into a street is a great idea and I hope the sign for the Bolin Creek Greenway and MLK is placed there quickly.
(Cross-posted from my blog at geoffgreen.org)
Meadowmont is a neo-urban neighborhood in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was designed with a mix of uses and is trumpeted as a walk-friendly community, with sidewalks along both sides of the street and a network of greenway trails. (It was also designed as a station for a light-rail line, but that's a different story.) During the approval process, Meadowmont's developer emphasized its "pedestrian orientation for working and living." So you would hope that the design of the sidewalks, roads and intersections would consistently reflect the importance of access for people traveling on foot.
Alas, you would be wrong.
After what seems to have been a heated month of politics on OP, I thought I'd start December with a few questions about crosswalks, speeding, sidewalks, road design, and other issues that impact the walkability of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
First, I've noticed that when I'm stopped at a crossswalk (particularly on Rosemary Street), cars rarely stop to let me cross, even if they see me patiently waiting. My understanding is that they are required to stop for pedestrians. What recourse do I have when they don't? How does one go about getting additional crosswalks put in?
Notice from the Town of Chapel Hill:
Complete Streets in Chapel Hill, a community information session and workshop, will be held at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, in the Council Chamber of Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
The Town of Chapel Hill workshop will use some fun activities to share and receive ideas on how best to incorporate Complete Streets principles and practices into the Town’s activities. Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities must be able to safely move along and across a complete street. Creating complete streets means addressing issues such as traffic calming, street design, landscaping, lighting and utilities to better enable safe access for all users.
Town staff participated in a Complete Streets workshop in April to learn more about Charlotte’s experiences and how their lessons could apply in our community. Staff then began exploring how current policies and standards can support and inform a Complete Streets policy for Chapel Hill.
The goal of the workshop will be to share information and to begin understanding what priorities the community has for the various elements of complete streets in Chapel Hill.
Can you attend the workshop?
What: Complete Streets Workshop
When: Nov. 17, 2010
Time: 5:15-6:15 p.m.
Where: Council Chamber, Town Hall
Would you like to learn more?
Questions?
Contact David Bonk (dbonk@townofchapelhill.org) or Mary Jane Nirdlinger (mnirdlinger@townofchapelhill.org) or call 919-968-2728.
Date:
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 - 12:15pm
Location:
Town Hall, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill
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