Crosswalks pose a danger in Carrboro

State law requires stopping for pedestrians at crosswalks. But late Sunday afternoon, a boy sat on his bike waiting to use a crosswalk on North Greensboro Street as car after car passed by.

He’s not the only one. Local residents and town officials point to three Carrboro crosswalks that have recently posed problems for pedestrians, which might lead to a full review of pedestrian safety in the town.

Carrboro resident Daniel Westreich voiced his concerns in an e-mail to Mayor Mark Chilton and the Board of Aldermen, identifying the crosswalks where East Poplar Avenue, Short Street and Shelton Street intersect North Greensboro Street as the most dangerous.

He said he was especially concerned about safety after recently becoming a father.

“I’ll be pushing my son in a stroller, obviously waiting to use the crosswalk, and five cars will speed through it,” Westreich said. “No one would have to wait very long to see something like that happen.”

Alderman Dan Coleman notified Charlie Hileman, chairman of the town’s Transportation Advisory Board, who said the board is already analyzing the crosswalks.

“We discuss it at almost every meeting, the first and third Thursday of every month,” Hileman said. “That whole area is bad, especially near town. Cars don’t stop and it’s hard to expect pedestrians to test them in any way.”

Coleman and Hileman both said that cars fail to stop far too often.

“If you go out to those crosswalks and try to cross even a few times, you’ll see just how bad it is,” Hileman said.

He added that traffic conditions will worsen in the near future with the construction of Carolina North, the University’s future mixed-use satellite campus.

Hileman said the transportation board has discussed moving or raising the crosswalks, eliminating extraneous road signs and installing a stoplight or light that flashes when walkers push a button.

But the power to make changes lies almost exclusively with the N.C. Department of Transportation, Coleman said.

“Historically, the DOT is more focused on the movement of automobiles than pedestrian usage,” Coleman said.

“We can advocate for what we see as the best design of roads in Carrboro, and the DOT will certainly listen to us. They just may not agree with us.”

What the town may be able to do is implement an enforcement and education campaign for drivers, who Hileman said often appear not to know the law.

“We can work with the police department to put people on notice that the law will be enforced,” he said.

Hileman also said the town may issue public service announcements about crosswalk safety and crosswalk laws.



Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.