Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Smith Level Road Task Force Update <br />Page 2 <br />BACKGROUND <br />The following chronology of local governments' actions with respect to the Smith Level Road <br />Task Force recommendations is followed by an update addressing the above two items of <br />concern. <br />June 19, 2007 <br />Carrboro Board of Aldermen received the Smith Level Road Task Force Final Report and <br />dissolved the task force. The Board of Aldermen then extended the charge of the task force <br />for the purpose of completing presentations of the report and for additional tasks that might <br />be identified by the Board of Aldermen based on the expected staff report. <br />September 19, 2007 <br />Orange County Board of Commissioners received the Smith Level Road Task Force Final <br />Report, and referred to staff to address in a timely manner. <br />October 22, 2007 <br />Chapel Hill Town Council received the Smith Level Road Task Force Final Report, and <br />referred the report to staff. A councilman pointed out Chapel Hill has planning jurisdiction for <br />(the southern part of) the Smith Level Road corridor but. the road is not within the Town's <br />corporate limits, and advised task force members to go to the Orange County Board of <br />Commissioners because counties now have legislative ability to spend money on state roads, <br />which they did not have in the past. (Chapel Hill Bicycle and Ped Advisory Board, Active <br />Living by Design Advisory Committee and the Chapel Hill Transportation Board, respectively <br />made their recommendations regarding the report on March 25, 2008, April 14, 2008, and <br />April 24, 2008. Those recommendations have not yet been taken back to the Chapel Hill <br />Town Council.) <br />November 20, 2007 <br />Carrboro Board of Aldermen received the Transportation Advisory Board recommendations, <br />and endorsed "A Resolution Responding to the Recommendation in the Final Report From <br />the Smith Level Road Task Force" that included, with several other actions, the following: <br />1. An action to request NCDOT consider as part of a comprehensive evaluation of the <br />southern section of Smith Level Road: <br />a) Reducing the speed limit to 35 MPH along the southern section of Smith Level Road; <br />b) Evaluating imposing truck restrictions for through traffic on the section of Smith Level <br />Road between current Town limits and South Greensboro Street; <br />c) Evaluating the feasibility of installing a roundabout at the intersection of Damascus <br />Church Road and Smith Level Road; and <br />d) Narrow each travel lane by six inches to facilitate a wider shoulder for a bike lane <br />along the west side of Smith Level Road from Rock Haven Road to US 15-501; or add <br />a multi-use path along the west side of the road from the Carrboro High School <br />sidewalk to US 15-501. <br />5. An action to "Direct staff and a Board liaison to follow up with the Town of Chapel Hill and <br />Orange County regarding the recommendations for the respective municipalities (as <br />presented by the Smith Level Road Task Force) and to collectively explore amulti- <br />jurisdictional approach to a comprehensive evaluation of the southern portion of Smith <br />Level Road. <br />