Orange County NC Website
4 <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF <br />TRANSPORTATION ALLOCATE FUNDING FROM THE MOVING AHEAD <br />PROGRAM FOR BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS ALONG <br />HOMESTEAD ROAD <br />WHEREAS, Orange County, in response to citizens' concerns about the safety of <br />school children that walk or bicycle to Chapel Hill High School, Smith Middle School or <br />Seawell Elementary School from neighborhoods to the north and west of Homestead <br />Road, established the Homestead and High School Safety Task Force in December <br />2003 to develop recommendations for bicycle and pedestrian facilities that would <br />provide safe bicycle and pedestrian access from the surrounding neighborhoods to the <br />schools; and <br />WHEREAS, the Homestead and High School Roads Safety Task Farce has <br />recommended that, with existing and planned pedestrian and bicycle facilities, an <br />additional section of sidewalk along the north side of Homestead Road from Camden <br />Road to Rogers Raad and a short extension of the existing sidewalk on the east side of <br />Rogers Road would complete a safe pedestrian access from the surrounding <br />neighborhoods to High School Road; and <br />WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Transportation had allocated $1.3 <br />million in Moving Ahead funding for proposed improvements along Smith Level Road in <br />Carrboro; and <br />WHEREAS, bicycle and pedestrian improvements along Homestead Road are <br />high priorities for Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Orange County; and <br />WHEREAS, the Town of Carrboro has requested that the Moving Ahead funds <br />set aside for improvements on Smith Level Road instead be used on Homestead Road <br />and Rogers Road to improve pedestrian safety and access to Chapel Hill High School; <br />and <br />WHEREAS, we believe the proposed improvements along Homestead Road are <br />consistent with the goals of the Moving Ahead Program and eligible far Moving Ahead <br />funds; <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Orange County <br />Commissioners (the Board) requests that the North Carolina Department of <br />Transportation allocate Moving Ahead funds previously allocated to the Smith Level <br />Road project to the bicycle and pedestrian improvements along Homestead Road <br />consistent with the recommendations of the Homestead Road and High Schcol Road <br />Safety Task Force; and <br />