Questions about the Superstreet? Read this!
Check out this link to an article that covers the new superstreet in Leland, NC (outside Wilmington)…it offers insights to the pros and cons of the “new-to-NC” style of road known as “the superstreet.”
http://www.thenbm.com/michigan.html
Here’s a quote from the above article:
“As it’s planned now, developers will also pay for all future superstreet intersections—which will run all along Highway 17. Peoples says the new intersections will increase the corridor’s traffic capacity by 50 to 60 percent.”
Want to see for yourself what could increase our traffic by 50-60 percent locally? You can drive a superstreet in person, without going all the way to Wilmington…there’s a small signalized superstreet at 15-501 and Europa Drive in Chapel Hill.
Even closer to home, you can also see an example of a right-in/right-out intersection, which is the hallmark of superstreets, at Kelly Road and US 64.
If you can, go drive these intersections…and decide if it’s what you’d like to see in your community.
Part of the 64 cooridor study, and an intersection that has already been modifed to block left turns is US 64 and SR 3074 Fern Valley Road, at the Castlewood subdivision, 1.7 miles west of Laura Duncan Road. To get onto 64E, Castlewood residents must now turn right and take the exit toward NC-55/Apex/Durham, turn left at the light, then left again at a light onto 64E (1 mile round trip, 3-10 minutes), or turn right and make a u-turn at Green Level Church Road (2 miles round-trip, 3-6 minutes).
It’s true that left turns from this intersection were sometimes dangerous DURING RUSH HOUR. At all other times, it’s simply a waste of time and fuel.
In typical NC-DOT fashion, they did not study or make any adjustments to the left-turn traffic lights to accommodate this traffic pattern change.
How does this project fit into the Complete Streets Policy that the NC DOT recently adopted?
In part, this policy states:
“The North Carolina Department of Transportation, in its role as stewards over the transportation infrastructure, is committed to:providing an efficient multi-modal transportation network in North Carolina such that the access, mobility, and safety needs of motorists, transit users, bicyclists, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities are safely accommodated; caring for the built and natural environments by promoting sustainable development practices that minimize impacts on natural resources, historic, businesses, residents, scenic and other community values, while also recognizing that transportation improvements have significant potential to contribute to local, regional, and statewide quality of life and economic development objectives; working in partnership with local government agencies, interest groups, and the public to plan, fund, design, construct, and manage complete street networks that sustain mobility while accommodating walking, biking, and transit opportunities safely.”(https://apps.dot.state.nc.us/pio/releases/details.aspx?r=2777)
The short term plan seems run counter to the goal of meeting 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.
“Staff’s outstanding concerns with the superstreet alternative involve bicycle and pedestrian access and the educational aspect of modified driver patterns and access.” (http://www.townofcary.org/agenda/councilmin09/cm052809.htm)
Town of Mount Pleasant also has concerns about SuperStreet design with regard to pedestrians and cyclists:
“Superstreet and signalized six-lane widening provide moderate capacity, but do
not provide adequate bicycle/pedestrian mobility ” (http://www.townofmountpleasant.com/downloads/STC121205.pdf)
Howdy,
I thought the meeting last night was quite informative, but did leave a number of open questions that still need to be resolved. One of mine was about showing numbers that would show the impact of the super street design in terms of the time it would take to get through the intersection. I did more looking at DOT’s web site, and others (Google is a wonderful thing), and found part of the information that I was looking for. Take a look:
http://www.ncdot.org/projects/Superstreet/propalts.html
The only thing that’s missing is an analysis of the time it would take to cross 15/501 from either Erwin or Europa. To me the analysis is focused on throughput on the main roadway, in our case 64, but not on the access streets (Laura Duncan, Lake Pine, etc).
I’ll push to get those kinds of stats from David Wasserman and others since to me and I think the rest of the folks here at Save64.org, this is what we are interested in more so than the throughput on 64 itself.
The Kelly Road light at 64 East is a death trap for US64 West traffic that is turning left onto Kelly Road, and it snarls 64 East traffic that has to stop for red lights, even for “phantom traffic”. Then, you have a bridge just east of that intersection that no one on 64 can access, and beyond that, continuing east, you have another traffic light at Green Level Road, further snarling 64 traffic, this time in both directions.
A good series of “Michigan lefts” (eliminating left turns at major intersections by turning right and then making u-turns) would solve some of this problem. However, the real solution, to me, would be to utilize the bridge that’s already there by building service/access roads that would let traffic from both Kelly and Green Level enter and exit 64 from access ramps on both sides of the bridge, and cross 64 ONLY via the bridge, eliminating both dangerous intersections and two stoplights.
The stupidity of the NCDOT never ceases to amaze me.