Orange County NC Website
2. Provide pedestrian facilities along Orange Grove Road -sidewalks and bike <br />lanes. <br />3. Take this study and incorporate into local plans and regulations. <br />4. Continue to improve the South Churton Street corridor. <br />5. Distribute Orange Grove Road Study and Access Management Plan to <br />community groups for comments. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis acknowledged the involvement of a citizen, Nancy Baker, who <br />raised the issue of the traffic light necessity at New Grady Brown School Road. She has <br />located a company that can attach a walkway to the bridge. This will be much cheaper <br />than what DOT could da. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that Nancy Baker sent an email to Chuck Edwards from <br />NCDOT that this bridge company was an the approved DOT list in North Carolina. This <br />walkway would improve pedestrian traffic to and from schools. <br />Commissioner Jacobs highlighted that the idea of the group was to build some alliance <br />with the Town of Hillsborough and the recommendations involve how Hillsborough will <br />approve proposed developments and there are opportunities to address some of these <br />issues. Craig Benedict has worked with Hillsborough Planning Director Margaret Hauth <br />and there should be buy in by bath the County and the Town. He said that this access <br />management plan could be applicable to other areas of the County so that we could <br />move forward without community groups each time. He suggested looking at North <br />Carolina Moving Ahead money for some of the improvements, especially at the <br />intersection of Oakdale and Orange Grove Roads. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that this should be brought to the Tawn of Hillsborough in <br />May to see if they buy into this. She made reference to the EDD Transportation Work <br />Group and the Board's role in that. She would like to have the whole Hillsborough board <br />talk about this issue. She feels that Orange County has tried to be cooperative. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that it is disturbing to him to see people carrying groceries <br />on Orange Grove Road and there is not enough roam for two people to walk on the side <br />of the road. He said that we could avert a disastrous situation out there. He thanked <br />Craig Benedict, the staff, and DOT for moving this along <br />Chair Brown asked that one page be added on how to pursue the next steps of the <br />study. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that we have been told that DOT will embrace the access <br />management plan that the County presents. The next step for the County will be to fold <br />the access management process into the thinking. <br />This item will be brought back far further discussion <br />