Traf_¶ c pattern causes concern

A young woman in dark purple scrubs paid her respects Wednesday evening to a knee-high cross on the corner of South Columbia Street and Mason Farm Road.

This intersection is where UNC Hospitals radiology imaging specialist Valerie Hughes33 was struck and killed by a Chapel Hill Transit bus Monday afternoon.

It's also one of the most dangerous in Chapel Hill" pedestrians and officials said.

Traffic signaling at the intersection simultaneously indicates for pedestrians to cross and vehicles to turn onto Columbia.

It's often unclear that vehicles are legally required to yield to people crossing.

Passengers on the bus that struck Hughes said it was turning left onto South Columbia from Mason Farm and hit her in the crosswalk.

""I've walked across there many times" and I've had to stop because somebody is about to run me down" resident Richard Steele said. They blow the horn at me like I'm the person that's doing something wrong.""

Residents said the intersection is dangerous because so much traffic turns left onto South Columbia" instead of going straight across the intersection onto small unmarked Westwood Drive.

Most four-way intersections in the state operate the same way said Kelvin Jordan a traffic engineer at the N.C. Department of Transportation who coordinates with Chapel Hill.

But because so little traffic continues onto Westwood there isn't a left turn signal that holds traffic so pedestrians can cross freely said Kumar Neppalli Chapel Hill's engineering services manager.

The South Columbia and Mason Farm intersection has been under review and was already planned to be modified next year" he said.

He said his department hung up a large ""yield to pedestrians sign"" in response to multiple telephone and e-mail complaints about safety at the intersection.

But residents said the sign often goes unnoticed by preoccupied drivers and pedestrians.

Resident Karen Hurka-Richardson said the intersection has put her in danger countless times.

""I wish I had contacted Chapel Hill earlier"" she said. I feel like that death could have been prevented.""

The N.C. Department of Transportation is already conducting a complete system review of traffic signals in Chapel Hill" expected to be completed in the next few weeks.

The review includes an evaluation of signal timing and traffic flow which could contribute to accidents like Hughes' Jordan said.

He added that his department will also look into how Hughes' death could have been prevented as part of a standard post fatality investigation.

As he walked across South Columbia on Wednesday" resident Tim Ross said the intersection's traffic signals are what put pedestrians in danger.

""Right here"" he said. I've just about been hit myself.""

James Willie Orr" an eight-year Chapel Hill Transit driver who was behind the wheel of the NS-route bus that struck Hughes is on unpaid administrative leave said Stephen Spade director of Chapel Hill Transit.



Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.