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Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Update.
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Staff:
Department:
Chris Blue, Chief
Police
Donnie Rhoads, Captain
Police
Bergen Watterson, Transportation Planning Manager
Planning
Overview: The Town of Chapel Hill strives to be a community where bicycling and walking are safe and convenient, everyday choices. Staff work hard to make our policies, ordinances, programs, and infrastructure the best they can be to encourage and support non-motorized transportation. However, the period between December 31, 2021 and February 1, 2022 saw nine people, including five children, injured in six different crashes with people driving cars.
Council will receive an update on Town bicycle-pedestrian safety initiatives and projects, an overview of the recent crashes and Town response, and next steps and upcoming projects to improve safety for vulnerable road users.
Next steps: In response to the recent string of bicycle and pedestrian crashes noted above, the Chapel Hill Police Department has stepped up its crosswalk enforcement efforts, committing to 4-hour operations twice a week for the next 6 weeks at high crash risk locations, and 3 times daily as part of regular traffic operations. In addition, The Town is making interim safety improvements on Estes Drive before the Estes Drive Connectivity Project begins construction in the spring:
* Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) will be installed at the Caswell Rd./Estes Dr. and Somerset Dr./Estes Dr. crosswalks as early as next week, and at the Granville Rd./Estes Dr. crosswalk in March or April.
* Flashing speed display signs are on order and will be installed at the edges of the school zone on Estes Dr. in the next month.
Staff is coordinating with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to conduct a speed study on Estes Drive and a comprehensive evaluation of traffic signals in Town and potential safety improvements. Additionally, staff will collaborate with the Highway Safety Research Center (H...
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