This is a follow up from the meeting last Monday night.

Apparently the speed hump idea has been dropped. There was no explanation, however, a remark was made that there was a meeting a month earlier and I suppose the residents were told the speed hump idea was not going to happen.

The new plan still calls for calming using obstacles to force traffic to slow. There are several concerns with the plan.

The plan calls for a median at Town and Country and Millbrook which is intended to slow vehicles turning right onto Town and Country. The problem I see with this is the gas pipelines just off the side of Town and Country. People caught off guard by the median may over correct and run off the road possibly hitting the pipelines. The plan also calls for a small version of a roundabout at Town and Country and Kingsley. Further, the plan calls for the present left turn lane into the Windmere apartments to be replaced with a median removing the turn lane. This will cause traffic to back up to the end of Town and Country and onto Lead Mine. The cost for the original four speed humps was to be about 12 – 15 thousand dollars. No price was mentioned on the new plan, however, based on what the city has spent in similar situations, I expect the cost to be well over 100 thousand. Maintenance costs will also be incurred due to trees, shrubs, etc. that the city will have to maintain.

Not part of the traffic calming plan, but very significant is the likely installation of a traffic light at Town and Country and Millbrook. This will certainly cause major backups on Town and Country.

Town and Country is not a neighborhood road in the sense that it is not in a development sort of neighborhood. In fact it really used to be Leesville road until Millbrook was extended. The road has and always will be a cut through and time saving route to Northwest Raleigh. Repeatedly, comments from residents were made during the meeting eluding to wanting to make Town and Country a less convenient path. One resident even suggested blocking one end of Town and Country. There was mention of speeding, but the overall issue is traffic volume which will only grow no matter what the city does to Town and Country. The city is promising to fix the speeding problem and the plan may slow down traffic, but the resulting congestion will be discouraging for the homeowners.