Title
Public Hearing for the Safe Routes to School Action Plan Update
PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND:
The purpose of this agenda item is for the Town Council to hold a legislative public hearing and receive public comment on the draft Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Action Plan Update. The draft Plan identifies infrastructure improvements and programmatic strategies to make walking, biking, and rolling to school safer and more accessible for students in and around Carrboro.
In 2023, the Town received a non-infrastructure grant from the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Integrated Mobility Division (NCDOT-IMD) to update the 2012 SRTS Strategic Action Plan and collaborate with the Town of Chapel Hill and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools on a district-wide SRTS program. A supplemental grant awarded in 2025, with a 20% Town match, supported continued development of the Plan.
In August 2025, the Town contracted with Three Oaks Engineering, Inc. to prepare the update. Over the past year, the project team has assessed existing travel conditions, engaged students, families, and school administrators, and developed infrastructure and programmatic recommendations. The resulting draft Plan is intended to guide the Town’s SRTS program over the next five years.
With additional approval from NCDOT-IMD and the Town Council, the consultant’s scope was expanded to include:
• Assessing existing conditions and recommending improvements for Carrboro students traveling to schools in Chapel Hill.
• Advancing priority projects through preliminary design and engineering to improve their competitiveness for future funding and support earlier implementation.
These additional efforts are incorporated into the draft Plan.
Since the draft Plan was published on the Engage Carrboro webpage on October 4, 2026, the project team has shared it with stakeholder groups, including Carrboro school principals, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools administrators, Town advisory boards and commissions, and NCDOT. The Town has also distributed information through schools, PTA/PTSAs, social media, the local newspaper, the Carrboro Farmers Market, Walk & Roll to School Day, and other community events to reach families and the broader public. Public and stakeholder feedback has informed revisions to the draft Plan.
The attachments include the following:
• Attachment A: Combined consistency statement and resolution to adopt the SRTS Action Plan Update.
• Attachment B: Draft SRTS Action Plan Update.
• Attachment C: Compilation of revisions made since publication of the public hearing draft.
• Attachment D: Consultant’s presentation.
• Attachment E: Recommendations from Town advisory boards and commissions.
Town staff recommend that the Town Council receive public comment during the hearing and consider the resolution in Attachment A to adopt the SRTS Action Plan Update.
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Department
DEPARTMENT: Planning, Zoning, & Inspections
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Fiscal and Staff Impact
FISCAL AND STAFF IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with holding the public hearing or receiving public comment. Implementation of the Action Plan will require staff time and may have future fiscal impacts, depending on project priorities, funding availability, and the timing of implementation.
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Community Impact
COMMUNITY IMPACT: The SRTS Action Plan Update seeks to make walking, biking, and rolling to school safer and more accessible for all Carrboro students, regardless of age, race, ability, or neighborhood. The draft Plan includes an “Expanding Access” goal focused on reducing barriers for younger children, students with disabilities, and households with limited access to vehicles. These priorities will help guide the selection and prioritization of future infrastructure improvements and programmatic strategies.
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Climate Impact
CLIMATE IMPACT: The SRTS Action Plan Update seeks to reduce vehicle drop-offs and associated greenhouse gas emissions by making walking, biking, and rolling to school safer and more convenient. The Plan’s “Supporting a Healthy Community” goal also includes strategies to mitigate potential environmental impacts from new bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including green infrastructure and low-impact design.
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