THE FUTURE OF SMITH LEVEL ROAD

The future of Smith Level Road is an opportunity for our community. I believe we need to work on ways to improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities along the parts of Smith Level Road that are in town. The more rural character near and south of Damascus Church Road does not seem well suited to sidewalks and bike lanes, but perhaps working with OWASA and Orange County we can find a way to create a separate greenway – mostly on University Lake property – to connect Carrboro with Heritage Hills and Star Point. At the same time, Chapel Hill has plans for future bike/ped connections from Southern Village to Smith Level Road.

The current proposal from NCDOT widens the overall profile of Smith Level Road by adding sidewalks bike lanes, and a center median, but only one travel lane in each direction. The plan would connect the bridge over Morgan Creek with Rock Haven Road and Carrboro High School with sidwalks. It would add sidewalks on the last part of Culbreth Road from the end of the existing sidewalks on around the corner onto Smith Level Road. The plan includes crosswalks at several points and it also has a roundabout at the Rock Haven Road intersection in order to slow down commuters, trucks and high school students alike.

I concede that this plan is wider than I would like it to be and although I am not convinced that a center median is essential, NCDOT is adamanat about it. The effect of the median is to force some cutting into the woods on the west side of the project, but with DOT’s latest revisions very little new Right-of-Way will need to be condemned. The plan will restrict people from turning left out Willow Oak Lane in the Berryhill neighborhood, but traffic can turn right out of there to access Culbreth Road or those driving downtown can exit the neighborhood further south on Orchard Lane and BPW Club Road.

While some Berryhill residents have made the point that they will have to drive further in order to reach UNC or downtown because of the change, I submit that this sacrifice is modest compared to the benefits that accrue to our whole community from the bicycle and pedestrian improvements we get on Smith Level Road. Indeed the net result will make it a little harder for Berryhill residents to drive downtown, but a good deal easier for the same folks to walk or bike downtown.

You can let the Carrboro Board of Aldermen know what you think by emailing your opinion to MayorChilton@gmail.com. BE ADVISED: We are required by state law to give copies of all such emails to the local media.