to: Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager
from: J.B.
Culpepper, Planning Director
David Bonk, Long Range Planning and Transportation
Coordinator
subject: Response to Public Forum Comments on Northside Pedestrian Mobility Plan
date: January 22, 2007
This memorandum responds to comments and questions received at the November 6, 2006 Public Forum on the draft Northside Pedestrian Mobility Plan (Attachment 1). The attached resolution would approve the Northside Pedestrian Mobility Plan.
In 2003, the Town received a $200,000 grant for five years from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to promote active living through programming and physical design. The grant proposal included the preparation of a mobility assessment for the Northside area. The grant proposed that “the project will undertake a comprehensive mobility and health program for the Northside neighborhood. Special attention will be given to the health challenges for the African American community.” The project works with local community leaders and residents to evaluate mobility issues. This evaluation includes an assessment of barriers to increased pedestrian, bicycle and transit use, and develops a program of improvements. In addition to identification of barriers to mobility the project develops information and outreach programs designed to educate residents on the health benefits of greater physical activity.
In November 2004, the Town contracted with North Carolina Prevention Partners to conduct an evaluation of barriers to mobility in the Northside Community. The Report summarized the results of an assessment of pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the Northside neighborhood. The Report included recommendations for repairing and constructing sidewalks, connecting pedestrian corridors, improve street lighting, and making public safety improvements.
On February 28, 2005, the Council referred the Mobility Assessment of the Northside Neighborhood Plan to Town advisory boards for comment.
On June 20, 2005, the Council held a Public Forum to receive citizen comments on the findings and recommendations of the Mobility Assessment of the Northside Neighborhood Plan.
On August 11, 2005, the Active Living by Design Advisory Committee reviewed the comments from the Public Forum. The Committee also conducted a walking study of the neighborhood, reviewed the study and the comments, and prepared recommendations.
At the same time Town staff provided recommendations on the draft Northside Plan, including comments subsequently incorporated into the draft Plan from the Police, Engineering, Public Works, Parks and Recreation and Housing Departments. Comments were also received from EmPowerment Chapel Hill.
On September 12, 2006, Town staff met with residents at the Northside Neighborhood Watch meeting to present a revised draft Plan and receive comments. The comments have been incorporated into the draft Plan.
The Council held a Public Forum on November 6, 2006 to receive additional comments (Attachment 2). The Council requested that the staff specifically address options for providing sidewalks along North Graham Street. The Council also referred the Public Forum comments to the Active Living by Design Advisory Committee for review and recommendation.
The following comments were provided at the November 6, 2006, Forum concerning North Graham Street. In addition, several letters and emails were received subsequent to the Forum. When possible we have attempted to organize comments that were of a similar nature into one question rather than addressing each individually (Attachment 3).
1. On November 6, 2006, in response to comments received from the Public Forum, Town Council asked that Town staff develop several options for North Graham Street. The Town Council also asked that the Active Living by Design Advisory Committee review these options at its November 9, 2006 meeting. At the Public Forum, several citizens objected to construction of sidewalks anywhere along North Graham Street. Other residents from North Graham Street supported the construction of a sidewalk to improve pedestrian safety.
Comment: In response staff developed the following options for sidewalk construction along North Graham Street (Attachment 4):
Option 1: Construct a raised curb sidewalk in the existing roadway. This will permit two 10-foot travel lanes and a four-foot sidewalk. On-street parking would not be permitted with a road width of 20 feet, but it is noted that there are places in Town where parking is allowed on streets narrower then 20 feet. The existing curb and gutter and storm drains on one side of the street would be moved. No easements would be needed with this option. Speed tables or other traffic calming devices could also be installed following an analysis by Town traffic engineering staff.
Option 2: Construct a raised curb sidewalk partially in the existing roadway and partially in the existing 30-foot right-of-way. This should permit two 11-foot travel lanes and a four-foot sidewalk within the 30-foot right-of-way. Parking would be permitted on one side of the street. The existing curb and gutter and storm drains on one side of the street would have to be moved. No easements are anticipated in this option. Speed tables or other traffic calming devices could be installed following an analysis by Town traffic engineering staff (Attachment 4).
Option 3: Do not install sidewalks along Graham Street at this time. Town Council could choose to proceed with the installation of speed tables or other traffic calming devices during the interim.
Options for installing sidewalks on Graham Street were reviewed by the Active Living by Design Advisory Committee on November 9, 2006. The committee recommended that sidewalks on Graham Street not be excluded from the Mobility Plan because Graham Street is an important section of the Northside pedestrian network. The Committee made the following recommendations, in priority order, for sidewalk construction on North Graham Street:
1. Several residents requested additional traffic calming along North Graham and throughout the area.
Comment: We anticipate initiating the Town’s adopted traffic calming procedures. We are currently working with the Town traffic engineer on the available options including speed tables and other traffic calming devices that are effective in reducing vehicular speeds.
Other comments were received from Town advisory boards and committees. These recommendations are as follows:
Comment: We agree that the title of the report should be changed to the Northside Mobility Plan.
Comment: We propose that crosswalks should be added to the Plan at North Columbia Street and along Church Street according to Town guidelines.
Comment: We are currently working with the Housing and Neighborhood Services Coordinator on available Community Development Block Grants. Application will be made for any of next year’s available funding for mobility improvements in the Northside Community. We have made the coordinator aware that the Town may apply for funding as a part of the next budget year block grants.
Comment: The improvements will be made according to ADA regulations specified by Town guidelines.
Comment: A new police substation has recently opened in the Northside Community at the intersection of Nunn, Sykes and Whitaker Streets. We believe this will improve neighborhood safety by addressing loitering along with other safety concerns.
1. The Plan is proposed sidewalk network is based largely on the major informal pedestrian routes currently used. Without Graham Street, the Plan has a huge deficiency in a north-south corridor.
2. Building sidewalks will increase pedestrian safety and encourage walking among people who would not otherwise walk without a sidewalk.
Comment: We agree that sidewalks on Graham Street are important in the connectivity of the community.
Comment: The suggested improvements are currently in the Tanyard Branch Trail Improvement Plan. We will reflect this in the plan.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board: The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board voted unanimously to endorse the draft Plan and recommended that the introduction should state that increasing walkability would help reduce crime.
Greenways Commission: Individual Commission members provided the following comments:
1. Commission members received the report with favorable looks but stated that several changes might improve the document. They noted that speed tables are an eye sore and really aren’t effective. One Commission member noted that:
Comment: We will pursue traffic calming options and explore options that best fit the needs of the community. We are currently working with the Town traffic engineer on available options. The Parks and Recreation Commission noted that design work for the Tanyard Branch Trail is complete and that improvements should be started in early 2007.
Comment: We will incorporate hyperlinks and review for consistency in formatting.
2. A Commission member recommended that the entrance to Tanyard Branch Trail be improved. Another Commission member recommended improving the Tanyard Branch trail head with better signage, a small kiosk (like at the Botanical Garden trails) and possibly an art project.
Planning Board: The Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend that the Council approve the draft Northside Pedestrian Mobility Plan and forwarded the following comments to the Town Council:
Comment: Pritchard Avenue Extension is outside the study area for Northside. However, the Town’s 2006-2007 Sidewalk Construction Plan recommends sidewalk installation on Pritchard Avenue Extension.
Comment: We agree that the proposed sidewalk improvements in the Craig Street, Gomains Avenue and Sykes Street area should connect to Rosemary Street. The recommended sidewalk improvements on the east side of Graham Street will partially address the need for pedestrian connections to Rosemary Street from the north. Tight street setbacks and insufficient public right-of-way limits the effectiveness of sidewalk connections on other streets connecting to Rosemary Street from Sykes Street.
Comment: We agree that while sidewalks are the preferable option for better mobility throughout the community, options in combination might also be effective. We believe traffic calming should be used in combination with sidewalk construction. We are working with the Town traffic engineer to explore all of the options. We believe that the newly opened police substation will help address safety issues.
Transportation Board: The Transportation Board voted unanimously to recommend that the Council approve the draft Northside Pedestrian Mobility Plan and recommended that the staff develop an implementation plan.
Comment: We gathered information from the August 1, 2006, Neighborhood Night Out, the September 12, 2006 Northside Community Watch meeting, and the June 20, 2005, and November 6, 2006 Public Forums. Information was also gathered from community leaders, as well as various Town committees and staff in preparing this plan.
Comment: Traffic calming is being pursued with the Town traffic engineer.
After approval of the Northside Pedestrian Mobility Plan the Town staff will begin implementation. Town staff will develop a Walking Loop plan for Council consideration as well as working with the town engineer on implementation of traffic calming devices in the Northside Community. Town staff will begin coordination of efforts with Parks and Recreation staff on the Tanyard Branch Trail Plan.
In the Town Sidewalk Construction Plan being considered by Town Council, the following recommended for Northside projects have been included:
Staff Recommendation: We recommend that the Council adopt the attached resolution approving the Northside Pedestrian Mobility Plan with the following modifications:
