AGENDA #5d
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Response to Petition Regarding Safety at the Intersection of Old Lystra Road and Mt. Carmel Church Road
DATE: February 11, 2002
This report responds to a petition from the Community Design Commission regarding safety concerns at the intersection of Old Lystra Road and Mt. Carmel Church Road. Please see the attached vicinity map.
At the November 12, 2001 Town Council meeting, the Community Design Commission presented a petition to the Council regarding traffic safety concerns at the intersection of Old Lystra Road and Mt. Carmel Church Road. Attachment #2 is a copy of the petition.
The petition requested that the Town work with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to investigate approaches and/or mechanisms that might be available to improve the safety of the Old Lystra Road/Mt. Carmel Church Road intersection. The Commission submitted the petition in response to requests from several area residents to consider the safety of this intersection in conjunction with the Commission’s review of the proposed Chancellor’s View subdivision.
Both Old Lystra Road and Mt. Carmel Church Road are maintained by the State. The posted speed limit is 35 mph on Mt. Carmel Church Road and 45 mph on Old Lystra Road. This segment of Mt. Carmel Church Road (including its intersection with Old Lystra Road) is within the Town Limits. Old Lystra Road extending south from the intersection is outside of the Town Limits.
Last year the Town Council adopted a policy requiring that, effective October 1, 2001, all Traffic Impact Analyses for new developments within the Town’s planning jurisdiction are to be prepared by traffic engineering consultants under contract with the Town. As part of the Traffic Impact Analysis for Chancellor’s View Subdivision, the Town’s traffic engineering consultant reviewed this intersection. Attachment #3 shows the peak hour traffic counts at this location. The Peak Hour Capacity Analysis indicated that the level of service on Old Lystra Road is “C” and on Mt. Carmel Church Road is “A”. The Signal Warrant Analysis (Attachment #4) indicates that the peak hour traffic volume warrant was not met for this location.
Only one accident was reported at this location between 1999 and 2001, based on Police Department records. The calculated accident rate for this intersection is 0.270, which does not indicate any unusual circumstances at the intersection.
However, after observing the intersection operating characteristics, we believe that the sight distances at this location are not optimal and vehicles traveling on Mt. Carmel Church Road often exceed the posted speed limit. Therefore, we are forwarding a request to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for a detailed analysis and recommendations of possible means to improve intersection safety as requested in the petition. We will work with State staff to further study this location, and will provide a follow-up report to the Town Council later this year with our findings and conclusions.
1. Area Map (p. 3).
2. Petition (p. 4).
3. Peak Hour Traffic Counts (p. 5).
4. Peak Hour Signal Warrant Analysis (p. 8).