AGENDA # 4g

(10-0102-01, 4:29129:3525 pam)

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                 Mayor and Town Council

FROM:                        W.  Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT:       Response to Request to Reduce theChange Speed Limit on Raleigh Road (NC 54) Between Burning Tree Drive and the Town Limits.

DATE:             October 10, 2001

The attached oOrdinance “A” would reduce the speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph on Raleigh Road (NC 54) from Burning Tree Drive to the Town limits. Please see the attached map..

The attached Ordinance “B" would correct discrepancies between posted speed limits and the Town Code of Ordinances for portions of South Road and Raleigh Road (NC-54).

BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION

We have received a request from a resident who lives in the Oaks Apartments to reduce the existing 45 mph speed limit to 35 mph on Raleigh Road (NC 54) from Glen Lennox to the Friday Center Drive.  Please see the attached e-mail request from a resident of The Oaks Condominiums to from a Council mMember.

Raleigh Road is a mMulti-lane State roadway and the existing speed limit is 35 mph from South Road to Burning Tree Drive and 45 mph from Burning Tree Drive to the Town Limits. Both vehicular and pedestrian traffic on Raleigh Roadsection between Hamilton Road and I-40 are expected to increase significantly as development associated with due to the proposedMeadowmont continues Subdivision.

We contacted  the North Carolina.C. Department of Transportation regarding the request, and were advised that the State does not recommend the requested speed limit reduction. (Seesent the attached letter from the NCDOT.).  However, Wwithin the Town limits, the Town can establish a 35mph speed limit on State roadways and the State is required by law to adopt a concurring ordinance.without the State’s concurrence.attached response indicating that they will not recommend change in the speed limit.

We think the requested speed limit reduction is reasonable, based on the 35 mph speed limits posted on similar roads throughout Chapel Hill. Also, this would establish a consistent speed limit on make NC-54,Raleigh Road which ismore comparable to the that on NC-86 Airport Road, with a 35mphlower speed limit onfor a major entryways into the Town.  We also believe that the increased multi-modaltransportation activity resulting from the Meadowmont development suggests that lowering the speed limit on NC-54 from 45mph to 35mph would be prudent.

If the Council adopts the attached ordinance,which will be effective January 01, 2002, we will forward it a copy to the North Carolina Department of Transportation to have the State speed regulations revised accordingly and to have the appropriate signs installed.  We have made the ordinance effective January 1, 2002, to allow time for the State to take these actions.for its concurrence.  Signs would then be replaced.

In reviewing the existing Town ordinances relating to this request, we noted discrepancies between the Code and the actual speed limit signs installed for speed limit on South Road between Raleigh Street and Country Club Road and on Raleigh Road (NC-54) (between Country Club Road and  Burning Tree Drive.   Tree Drive and Country Club Road) and South Road (between Country Club Road and Raleigh Street),we found several discrepancies and Wwe have attached a secondnother ordinance to correct these discrepancies.

Adopting Ordinance “A” would reduce the speed limit from 45mph to 35mph on NC-54 between Burning Tree Drive and the eastern Town limits, as requested.  Adopting Ordinance “B” would properly codify the existing 25mph speed limit on South Road between Raleigh Street and Country Club Road; and the existing 35mph speed limit on Raleigh Road (NC-54) between Country Club Road and Burning Tree Drive.   

RECOMMENDATION

That the Council adopt the attached Oordinance “A”s reducing the speed limit from 45 mph to 35 mph on Raleigh Road (NC 54) from Burning Tree Drive to the eastern Town limits, and the attached Ordinance “B” rectifying certain discrepancies in the Town Code regarding speed limits on South Road and Raleigh Road..

 

ATTACHMENTS

1.      Vicinity Map (one pagep. 5).

2.      Copy of the E-mail Request (one pagep. 6).

3.      Copy of the NCDOT Response (one pagep. 7).

ORDINANCE “A”

 

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 21 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES REGARDING SPEED LIMITS (2001-10-10/O-2a)

BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill as follows:

Section 1.  Section 21-11, “Speed regulations.”  is hereby amended by inserting the following, in appropriate alphabetical order:

            “(3) thirty-five miles per hour:

            (b) Raleigh Road (NC-54)Raleigh Road from Burning Tree Drive to to the eastern corporate limits.”

This ordinance shall become effective January 1, 2002.

This is the 10th day of October, 2001.

 

                                                ORDINANCE “B”

 

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 21 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES REGARDING SPEED LIMITS (2001-10-10/O-2b)

BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill as follows:

Section 1.  Section 21-11, “Speed regulations.” is hereby amended by deleting the following:

            “(3) thirty-five miles per hour:

(a)    South Road (NC 54 Bus.) from Country Club Road to Raleigh Street.

(p)   Raleigh Road (NC 54) from US 15-501 Bypass and NC 54 Bypass to Oakwood Road.”

“(4) forty-five miles per hour:

(a)    Raleigh Road (NC 54 Bus.) from Country Club Road to US 15-501 and NC 54 Bypass.

(b)    Raleigh Road (NC 54) from Hamilton Road to Finley Golf Course Road (SR 1900).”

Section 2.  Section 21-11, “Speed regulations.”  is hereby amended by inserting the following, in appropriate alphabetical order:

            “(2) twenty-five miles per hour

            (i) South Road (NC 54 Bus.) from Country Club Road to Raleigh Street to Country Club Road.”

            “(3) thirty-five miles per hour:

            (a) Raleigh Road (NC-54) from Country Club Road to Burning Tree Drive.”

This ordinance shall become effective upon adoption.

This is the 10th day of October, 2001.