AGENDA #3a(2)

-----Original Message-----

From: Rudy Juliano [mailto: [email protected]]

Sent: Wed 6/4/2008 8:33 PM

To: Kevin Foy; [email protected]

Subject: Pedestrian Safety

To: Mayor Foy and Chancellor-Elect Thorp

From: Rudy Juliano

Re: Pedestrian Safety

Dear Kevin and Holden,

You two gentlemen are very busy people and I hate to intrude upon you. However, in behalf of the Chapel Hill Transportation Board I would like to urge you to focus some of your attention on the issue of pedestrian safety.

The recent tragic deaths on Manning Drive and in the Weaver-Dairy area shocked us all. To the T-Board, they exemplify the problem of assuring pedestrian safety on our increasingly busy streets, an issue that has not received sufficient attention in recent years.

The situation on Manning Drive has actually gotten much worse since the recent tragedy. The contractor for the new Dental building at the corner of Manning and S. Columbia has closed the sidewalk, thus effectively cutting off direct access from the main research complex of the Medical School to the Health Sciences Library and the other Health Affairs schools. The result is that many people are now walking in the roadway on S. Columbia-this situation is a disaster waiting to happen! Thus, we urge that the Town and UNC work together to take steps for radical improvements in pedestrian access and safety in and near the Manning Drive/S. Columbia intersection.

Another dangerous site is the Manning/15-501 intersection where a UNC faculty member was killed a couple of years ago.  Last year a Town-sponsored committee studied the situation and made recommendations for improving pedestrian safety. However, I have not noted any major improvements to date. Once again we urge that the Town and UNC work together to put a high priority on improving safety at this site.

Another problem area (not involving UNC directly) is the Estes Drive/15-501 intersection. There is a substantial amount of pedestrian traffic (mainly children and teen-agers) even late at night. It is also a site where traffic hits very high speeds. Once again this is a tragedy waiting to happen.

Thus we urge you to put pedestrian safety and these and other critical sites on a fast track for action. Thank you.

 Best regards,

 Rudy Juliano

For the CH T-Board

Augustus Cho; Bharathwajan Iyengar; Kathryn Carder; Matt Hapgood; Matthew Scheer; Mirta Mihovilovic; Rudy Juliano(Chair)

Council liason: Matt Czajkowski