No charges filed in Oct. 3 cyclist death

Chapel Hill police will not file charges against the driver of a vehicle that struck and killed a bicyclist on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard earlier this month — and the town is starting an initiative to prevent bicyclist and pedestrian deaths in the future.

Police determined that the driver of the vehicle, a 2001 Lincoln, was pulling out of the parking lot of the Mobil station at 800 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. when she struck the bicyclist on Oct. 3.

The bicyclist — Pamela Lane, 57, of Chapel Hill — was driving her bicycle southbound on the eastern sidewalk of the highway when she attempted to go around the front of the car at the same time as it was pulling out of the parking lot, according to a crash report from the police department.

Lane was taken to the UNC Emergency Department, where she died from injuries resulting from the collision.

Lane is one of 43 bicylists and pedestrians in Chapel Hill involved in crashes in 2013 and 2014 and one of two fatalities.

To address growing concerns about bicyclist and pedestrian safety in Chapel Hill, the town assembled a group of staff members from several different departments, including law enforcement, planning, traffic engineering, Chapel Hill Transit, parks and recreation and public outreach.

The team is working on several initiatives to identify problem areas around town and improve safety.

Projects that will start immediately include increasing education and enforcement of traffic violations and cleaning foliage and other debris from intersections, sidewalks and signs to improve visibility.

Later this month, the group will launch a WikiMap where residents can post their concerns about certain areas. The group will also place digital signs that say, “High Crash Area,” in places where numerous accidents have occurred.

Push-button activated flashing lights will be installed at four Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Franklin Street crosswalks that do not have signals in November.

city@dailytarheel.com