Skip to content
The Archive of The Carrboro Citizen
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Community
  • Schools
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • Mill
  • Flora
  • Print Archive
  • About
Menu

Speed table for Oak Avenue wins approval

Posted on October 18, 2007 by Staff

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

After a campaign by residents of Oak Avenue to try to get a handle on out-of-control traffic and speeding on this quiet, narrow mill village street, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen agreed unanimously to build a speed table and step up traffic enforcement.

Residents of Oak Avenue gathered at Town Hall Tuesday night where the board considered a staff proposal that did not include the speed table, but relied on heavier enforcement, possibly narrowing the intersection at North Greensboro and a neighborhood education program about the traffic problems.
A traffic analysis done by the town put it on the cusp for traffic-calming measures such as a speed table.
But resident Chris Frank told the board the town’s analysis was flawed because it considered Oak Avenue a collector street, even though is far narrower than the town’s official description of a collector. Frank said he also doubted that the town would park a police cruiser on the street on a regular basis and that it’s those using the street as a cut-through who need to be educated. He and his neighbors, he said, already are well aware of the problem.

Compounding the problem, Frank said, is that “there is a curve right  where people are going faster.”

“I hope you show us government in action tonight,” Frank said.

His neighbor, Arlene Furman, who is visually impaired, said the speeders worry her because her home is right on the curve.

She noted that in the search for a site for the speed table, town officials said they would not want to place the table too close to anyone’s driveway.

“We don’t feel it would be an infringement,” she said, if the town wanted to put the table on the edge of her driveway.

Board member Alex Zaffron said that it is traditional for the board to err on the side of the neighborhood’s request in such cases. The board adopted a plan that includes the speed table, more enforcement and asks planners to look at narrowing the intersection at North Greensboro.

The speed table, which will be similar to one on High Street, will cost an estimated $2,500. The town has not yet set a timetable for construction.

In other action Tuesday night the board:

  • Set a public hearing for November 27 on amending the town’s sight-distance requirements in its land use ordinance;
  • Authorized the sale of $2,590,000 in sidewalk bond anticipation notes to refinance existing notes due to mature;
  • Appointed Catherine DeVine, Sriv Navaratnam and John Gant to the Board of Adjustment.

2 thoughts on “Speed table for Oak Avenue wins approval”

  1. A neighbor says:
    October 23, 2007 at 4:11 am

    Is there a schedule for building the speed table? A sidewalk to Carrboro Elementary along Shelton St was approved and marked high priority years ago — but was never built.

  2. Editor says:
    October 23, 2007 at 5:33 am

    Good question. I haven’t heard a date set, but will check on it.
    My impression is that they they want to use funds in this year’s budget.

Comments are closed.

Web Archive

© 2025 The Archive of The Carrboro Citizen | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme