Aldermen Identify Priorities To Improve Transportation

The list, developed by the town's Transportation Advisory Board, highlights nine areas in Carrboro that are in need of transportation improvements, including sidewalks and bicycle lanes.

Carrboro Board of Alderman member Jacquelyn Gist cast the only dissenting vote in the 6-1 approval.

Gist said she voted against the list because it did not contain information about how the changes would affect residents.

"I'm not in favor of this," she said. "Nothing in this tells me about the impact this will have on the people. I can't support sending this (list) forward."

The N.C. Department of Transportation requested a list of suggested improvements from local governments to be included in the State Transportation Improvement Program for the fiscal years 2004 through 2010.

The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization will receive the towns' lists and draft a regional improvement list.

The suggestions were scheduled to be sent to the Transportation Coordinating Committee, a division of the NCDOT, for endorsement Wednesday.

TCC members could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

If the Regional Priority List is endorsed by the TCC, it will be sent on to the state Transportation Advisory Committee, which is scheduled to hold a public hearing Jan. 9 to gather input from residents.

The list will then be sent back through the TCC, TAC and regional MPO for any changes. The NCDOT plans to adopt a statewide transportation improvements plan in June 2003.

Only one significant change was made to the town's proposal Tuesday night. Ten areas were included in the original local transportation list for Carrboro. But item nine, which sought to widen Rogers Road to include 4-foot bike lanes on either side of the road, was removed because neighborhood residents objected to its implementation.

"The only major change to the plan was the removal of item nine," said Alderman Mark Dorosin. "Neighbors spoke out against it at a neighborhood meeting post."

The change was made at the request of Alderman Diana McDuffee, who said adding sidewalks to four intersections, including at Estes Drive and Homestead Road, to the list would make it more substantial.

"Sidewalks would benefit the town," McDuffee said. "I don't understand why we wouldn't ask for sidewalks."

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