Middle schoolers, multiple standing ovations and the future of public transit were all part of the Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday.
All veterans who are employees for the town of Carrboro were recognized at the meeting after a brief statement by Mayor Lydia Lavelle about the history of Veterans' day and its significance in Carrboro. Cue first standing ovation.
Firefighter Hendrix Valenzuela was presented with the Advanced Firefighter Certificate, the highest award a North Carolina firefighter can achieve. Valenzuela is the first Carrboro firefighter to receive this honor. Cue second standing ovation.
McDougle Middle School students from an exploring business class gave presentations about their research findings of Carrboro residents' wants and needs, entitled "Creeping in Carrboro... You buy what?" They surveyed various groups of people and asked where they shopped for things like food and clothing.
One group found that people under 18 like restaurants that have chicken.
Another group found a man on Weaver Street lawn who, when asked about his wants as a consumer, said he just wanted hugs and love.
Yet another group defined the the age range of 21 to 35 as middle-aged.
The board praised the students' findings and professional presentations.
"I'd love for (the economic sustainability commission) to hear (their) presentations because I don't think when we have conversations we think about the under 18 audience," Board of Aldermen member Randee Haven-O'Donnell said.
Later on, Dan Meyers of AECOM, a technical and management support company, and Chapel Hill Transit Director Brian Litchfield gave an update on the North-South corridor study, which is also led by Mila Vega of Chapel Hill Transit.
"The (goal of the) project overall is to develop and evaluate transit investment alternatives within the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard corridor between the Park and Ride Lots at Eubanks Road and Southern Village," Litchfield said.
The plan aims to improve bike and pedestrian facilities to promote sustainability in the community and keep up with increasing demand for alternative transit to cars.
Meyers presented six alternates that have been researched and developed over the last 18 months.
Each alternative considers different combinations of either converted or constructed bus-only lanes.
Litchfield said at this time, bus fare will remain free as the project develops.
There are many potential outcomes that will be positive for the community, including an increase in ridership up to 50 percent, an increase in saved travel time by eight or more minutes and a minimized peak-hour delay of less than three minutes, said Meyers.
"In the next few months, we will most likely select an alternative for consideration and potential adoption, and then move forward," Meyers said.
Noteable:
Carrboro is considering adopting amendments to their Town of Carrboro Code of Ordinances that would become effective following Orange County's adoption of a unified Animal Control Ordinance.
Quoteable:
"Well we try not to think of it as stalking," said one of the McDougle Middle School students regarding the title of their presentation.
@meganroyer
city@dailytarheel.com
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