Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Report of the Smith Level Road Task Force <br />The Carrboro Board of Alderman charged the task force with the following: <br />1. Gather data on existing problems that impact traffic and pedestrian safety along <br />Smith Level Road between Culbreth Road and 15 -501. <br />2. Examine development pressures that impact traffic and the University Lake <br />watershed within the study area. <br />3. Explore ways to provide safe, non - vehicular use of Smith Level Road. <br />4. Identify obstacles to transportation improvements <br />The taskforce began meeting on March 14, 2007. At subsequent meetings, we reviewed <br />DOT traffic projections and accident reports; examined the Chapel Hill Carrboro City <br />School system's walkability policies and current distribution of students living on or <br />along Smith Level Road; and analyzed the best estimates on growth in northern Chatham <br />County and how that growth is reflected in DOT traffic projections. <br />Development Pressures <br />Although Carrboro and Chapel Hill have committed to restricting development along <br />Smith Level Road and within the rest of the University watershed, Chatham County has <br />designated the northern section of their county, which borders the watershed, as an <br />I <br />conomic development district. The Triangle J Council of Government estimates that <br />northeast Chatham County will have 117,000 residents by 2035 compared to the current <br />population of 58,000+ for the entire county. As of May 2007, approximately 15,000 new <br />residences have been approved but not built in northeast Chatham, including Pittsboro <br />and Cary. Additionally, more than one million square feet of retail and commercial <br />projects have been approved, but not built, on 15 -501 north of Fearrington Village. <br />Data on Existing Problems and Future Growth <br />DOT's most recent traffic projections for a no -build scenario, derived from the 2005 <br />Triangle Regional Model, predict a uniform increase of approximately 5000 -5800 <br />vehicles per day between 2005 and 2030. There is recognition that the model is <br />inherently imperfect and represents a best guess based on available data and certain <br />assumptions. <br />These projections include Lee -Moore Oil Company's proposed big box development and <br />the anticipated growth in northern Chatham County. The two left -turn lanes onto Smith <br />Level added during the widening of 15 -501 were built in anticipation of this future <br />increase in traffic coming from Chatham County. <br />Between 2001 and 2006, there was an average of 25 accidents per year along Smith Level <br />Road. The majority of these accidents were property damage only, however, there was <br />Page 2 of 8 <br />