By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
CARRBORO – In a move that some residents hope will slow cars traveling in the Kent Woodlands neighborhood, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen voted unanimously on Tuesday to authorize traffic-calming measures for Rossburn Way.
The measure follows a November 2010 request by residents of the neighborhood who said that traffic-calming measures were needed to address safety concerns.
Town transportation staff conducted a traffic study of the area earlier this year and determined that given the volume of traffic and the speed at which cars travel through the area – which, in the study, reached up to 39 mph in the 25 mph zone – certain measures were needed to slow traffic.
The board approved Stage 1 traffic-calming measures, which include education, enforcement, signage, pavement marking and radar-speed trailer deployment.
Stage 2 includes physical measures, like speed tables, and the board instructed staff to be prepared to implement such measures if Stage 1 changes prove ineffective.
Under Stage 1, the town could installstop signs along the road, which board members encouraged.
Board member Dan Coleman said he visited the neighborhood earlier this week.
“I saw the astounding number of small children,†he said. “I believe this is a serious problem.â€
Jill Hill, a Rossburn Way resident with three young children, initiated the petition for the traffic-calming measures.
“We have multiple children just in this one block. There have been so many close calls, and somebody’s going to die,†she said, urging the board to consider Stage 2 measures as well.
Omar Zinn, the developer of the neighborhood and also a resident of Rossburn Way, said he supported Stage 1 measures, like adding a stop sign at the intersection of Rossburn Way and Palomar Point, but that he didn’t want to see speed tables installed.
“I think there are other Stage 2 measures that we can take,†he said, like installing chicanes, horizontal diversions that cause vehicles to slow as they would for a curve. Speed tables are less aesthetically pleasing for neighborhoods and could slow emergency vehicles, Zinn added.
In other action Tuesday night, the board discussed consideration of changing the name of the board from “aldermen.â€
“It’s long been clear that [board member] Randee [Haven-O’Donnell] is uncomfortable with the name aldermen,†Coleman said, adding that he doesn’t personally believe they should change the name of the board.
Haven-O’Donnell often refers to the board as “alderfolk,†and said she prefers to be referred to as an alderwoman.
Several board members said they liked the name aldermen because it is different from the name of most similar boards.
“I am not personally offended by ‘m-a-n.’ I know I should be, but I’m not,†board member Jacquie Gist said.
“I also feel like aldermen is kind of a quaint term that you don’t find in too many small towns,†she added.
Mayor Mark Chilton agreed.
“I think it’s worthy of consideration, but I fundamentally agree with Jacquie that I think it’s nice that we have a somewhat distinct name for our board.â€
Other board members said they should focus on more important matters.
“I think there are other things you need to consider other than what you call yourself,†board member Joal Hall Broun said.
“There are so many other serious things that the town is facing.â€