UNC committee tackles pedestrian access

Every day, students must navigate busy sidewalks, crowded buses and congested streets on their way to campus.

In an attempt to ease mobility issues, the University's Advisory Committee on Transportation met Wednesday afternoon to discuss potential solutions to the problem.

"The town and the University clearly have a stake in this area," said David Bonk, Chapel Hill town planner.

Pedestrian traffic on South Road is the No. 1 issue concerning students, according to transportation forums held on campus on Oct. 26 and 27. Pedestrians collectively cross the road about 24,000 times each day, according to a study conducted by town officials.

Although members said they appreciated student, faculty and staff recommendations, they said they were disappointed with the low turnout at the forums.

Jennifer Carter, a representative of the Graduate and Professional Student Federation, said officials in the Department of Public Safety are not doing enough to respond to students' needs. She attributed the poor attendance to low publicity of the event.

"Sometimes I think the DPS people plan events in a way that prevents students from coming, so they don't have to listen to our concerns," Carter said.

Potential changes to Airport Road were also a topic of discussion in the meeting.

Bonk outlined the results of a recent study that focused on a particularly dangerous 4-mile corridor along Airport Road.

"We have been lucky that we've had relatively few accidents in the last few years," he said.

He stressed the University's interest in this particular section of the road because of the high population of students living in the area and the UNC facilities located along the road.

The report stated that inadequate sidewalks and a lack of buffers between pedestrians and motorists were safety issues along the corridor.

The issue of speeding vehicles also was brought up as a deterrent to pedestrians.

"Airport Road is a less than desirable place for pedestrians," Bonk said.

Bonk said an increase in refuge medians and tree-lined streets will reduce this problem.

"Our ultimate goal is to create a continuous median," he said.

The report also explored transit use along the corridor, where 1,000 people board buses daily, Bonk said.

"Enhancing transit stop access and appeal is something we want to pursue vigorously," he said.

Town officials will hold a forum discussion during Monday's Chapel Hill Town Council meeting to hear concerns and receive input on the issue.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.