Aldermen get crack at plan for transport

Carrboro officials are focused on making downtown streets more accessible, but agreeing on one strategy could take some time.

And one week ago today, the town’s leaders got another chance to weigh in on the process.

At the Board of Aldermen’s meeting, consultant Roger Henderson of Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. presented updates to a downtown Carrboro transportation study that was unveiled in December.

As might be suspected, traffic played a key role in the discussion.

Upcoming projects — such as renovations to the ArtsCenter shopping complex, a proposed apartment complex near Merritt Mill Road and changes to Smith Level Road — might add to downtown traffic congestion, a problem officials are trying to avoid in a variety of ways.

“There are no earth-shattering traffic problems right now, but (the aldermen) want to double commercial space downtown,” said Nathan Milian, manager of Carr Mill Mall.

The study’s suggestions include changing traffic flow on primary streets and improving walkability, bicycle routes and intersections.

“The basic concept that underlies this report is that there needs to be another way to get across downtown Carrboro,” said Alderman Mark Chilton.

But tying the study to existing and future projects could be a challenge.

“I think a couple of things can be done right away with minimal amounts of money or heartburn, but other things I have real reservations about without modeling and studies to make sure they’ll work,” Milian said.

Major changes might be in order for Main, North Greensboro and Roberson streets. The study proposes reducing parts of the streets to two lanes and adding new, alternate routes to downtown.

“That recommendation came from two issues: reducing speed and on-street parking,” said Transportation Planner Dale McKeel.

One alternate would involve extending Roberson Street to intersect with Brewer Lane, across the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks that lie on the University-owned land behind the Armadillo Grill.

“This has the potential to really eat into that junkyard site and the Cat’s Cradle site, and both of those properties are redevelopment proposals on the table,” Chilton said.

While business owners would be happy to see additional parking spaces, they have concerns about narrowing major downtown thoroughfares, Milian said.

“I feel strongly that they can’t reduce the number of lanes in front of The ArtsCenter without an east-west corridor,” Milian said.

Another walkability suggestion from the report would convert the 100 block of Weaver Street into a woonerf — Dutch for “living street” — allowing only westbound traffic.

But after general public and business disapproval, the consultants abandoned the idea.

“To remove customers from in front of our shopping center is not something that we’re going to be easily swayed from,” Milian said.

McKeel said Carrboro prides itself on being pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly, and the study suggests extending the striped bicycle lanes found on other streets throughout downtown.

Sidewalk funding is available from a 2003 bond item, but the project list has grown beyond what the bond can fund, Chilton said.

Tense relations with the N.C. Department of Transportation over the Smith Level Road project could keep the town from carrying out some of the study’s recommendations, Chilton said.

The DOT has always been more focused on highways, and pedestrian and bicycle traffic are Carrboro’s top priorities, he said.

“What we’re trying to do is serve all modes of transportation as well as possible,” McKeel said.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.