TITLE: Title
Request to adopt a resolution supporting NCDOT investment in Bicycle/Pedestrian improvements at the Franklin Street/Merritt Mill Road/Brewer Lane intersection
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is for the Board of Aldermen to consider adopting a resolution in support of the proposed design for the East Main Street/Brewer Lane/Merritt Mill Road/East Franklin Street intersection.
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DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT INFORMATION: Zachary Hallock, zhallock@townofcarrboro.org, 919-918-7329; Tina Moon, cmoon@townofcarrboro.org, 919-918-7325
INFORMATION: This intersection forms a critical transportation junction between Carrboro and Chapel Hill and the towns jointly submitted this intersection as a roundabout through the SPOT process, beginning as a highway project. NCDOT shared its initial roundabout designs and analysis, but it was determined that all fell short of an optimal design--due to the substantial right-of-way requirements and minimal operational improvements. During this time, discussion with staff and elected officials identified the need for improvements in bike/ped infrastructure at this intersection, with a particular focus on safety. With this new focus, NCDOT recommended abandoning the highway project and resubmitting as a bike/ped project to allow for that shift in design focus. The Board last received an update on this project's status on September 19th, 2017. (https://carrboro.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3158181&GUID=0616F2E0-976F-473A-AD60-C575DE1D968E) Since that update, there have been two additional meetings with Town Staff, NCDOT Staff, and Elected officials regarding the proposed alternatives.
In the first meeting (held on 2/22/18) the group decided that because the right-of-way costs for the highway project were so high, the focus should shift to providing improvements to bicycle and pedestrian safety both due to lowering overall project costs but also due to the problematic natu...
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