DOT Unveils Plans for US64 Corridor
The Department of Transportation unveiled
short and long term goals for US64
from Apex to Pittsboro, one of the fastest growing regions of the state. The divided, four-lane road in the Short Term will likely become a Superstreet. This means that each major intersection will be placed by Michigan intersections, like one in front of the Hotel Europa (Sheraton) in Chapel Hill. US64 traffic and side street traffic turning right is unaffected. However side street traffic desiring a left turn will turn right, then make a U-turn. For more information, see the NCDOT Superstreet Webpage. The proposed long term goal for the road is to convert it to an expressway, as seen in the video below.
Oh, and there are the protesters. save64.org has put together a blog of absurdities that hinge on one pipe dream: stopping growth. Remember the quote from Shawshank Redemption? “Get busy living or get busy dying.” The alternative to growth in this area is not what we want, so we better handle growth properly. The save64 crowd needs to drive out Capital Blvd from 440 to 540 and see the future of their blessed road unless they enact a proactive plan.
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July 17th, 2009 at 9:56 am
I think that the plan leaves a lot to be desired, especially when the route of 540 is taken into consideration.
First of all, it does not fit the NC DOT’s own SmartStreet goal. The short term plan does not seem to meet safety needs of motorists, transit users, bicyclists, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities are safely accommodated. Asking cyclists to cross several lanes of traffic to make a left turn to cross several lanes of traffic to make a right turn does not seem safe. Adding this SuperStreet does not seem like it would promote sustainably development so much as it would spur further growth. Area residents have expressed that this would negatively affect their quality of life
The Town of Cary is also concerned about bicycle and pedestrian safety with the proposed SuperStreet, the short term plan: “Staff’s outstanding concerns with the superstreet alternative involve bicycle and pedestrian access and the educational aspect of modified driver patterns and access.”
Mount Pleasant, SC has recently started a superstreet project and they have also found that it does
not provide adequate bicycle/pedestrian mobility.
July 17th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Bikes should not be on the road anyway.
July 17th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Um - yeah, agreeing with Rick - if the ultimate goal of this corridor is an expressway, it should be assumed that bicycle and pedestrian traffic will have to find an alternate route or path, not incorporated into the plan for this particular roadway.
I don’t see a problem with development along the corridor. The problem I see is traffic access directly to/from the roadway, to which developers and planners need to simply be told - find another way other than the thoroughfare to access your development. Frontage road, side road access, whatever - alternative solutions have long existed for this sort of thing.
July 17th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Seriously, you shouldn’t ride a bike on an expressway and not be so much of a NIMBY.