As a fellow parent, neighbor, and pedestrian, I support this recommendation. Last week, I was waiting for the school kids to cross Piney Mountain and I witnessed a service truck cut off a school bus and almost hit another car and myself as a pedestrian.

Although the speed limit has changed, vehicles are still speeding at 45-50mph

Agreed, people come by and speed up to 45 mph by where OFC branches off Piney Mt. Sometimes I purposefully slow down to exactly 25 and I end up with a pile of impatient drivers behind me going toward MLK

This is especially important because this area is within the walking (no busses) distance from Estes middle and elementary schools. A push to flash crossing light would be extremely helpful during school travel hours.

I support this recommendation. In addition, please consider adding multiple speed bumps on Piney Mt as well. Last week while walking back from school my daughter witnessed a fast car, overtaking a car at the cross of Old Forest Creek drive, right at the point where she cross Piney mt.

I also support this idea.
Furthermore, I would like to see some enforcement of the 25 mph speed limit. There may be many people unaware that this speed limit changed this past summer.

I fully support this recommendation for the safety of walkers, bikers, and drivers in the Old Forest Creek neighborhood and on Piney Mountain Rd. I frequently use the crosswalk with flashing light to cross MLK and find it very effective. A similar light on Piney Mountain would provide a much needed visual cue to drivers and help to reinforce the speed limit.

Ironically, the new speed limit has resulted in even more dangerous situations as those of us who abide by it are tailgated or even passed by other people who do not. This intersection is at the bottom of a hill from both directions AND around a corner, making it a safety challenge already. Now we have 2 segments of the population driving at 2 very different speeds.

A flashing crosswalk would be helpful and raise awareness, but it leaves the issue of speed unresolved.

Neighboring streets that are flat use speed humps to keep traffic speed in check. While these are fully residential streets and Piney Mountain is more of a connector street, more needs to be done to limit the speed of drivers as they descend toward the OFC / Piney Mt intersection.

Please consider placing speed humps 100 yards in both directions from that intersection as well as increasing the speed enforcement via other means.

Mike Rempson assigned this issue to Roger Henderson

Are there any updates or plans to remediate this?

Thank you all for your input. Town of Chapel Hill Public Works staff are evaluating the best location and best device to use in this situation. From your input I gather that your preferred location, if we do one device, is on Piney Mountain Rd at Old Forest Creek Dr.
Please share info on this stie about the direction of offending traffic (is it eastbound or westbound on Piney Mtn) and time of day. Let me know if you or someone you know or see, is trying to walk across Piney Mtn. Rd or if you're in a motor vehicle and having difficulty turning on to Piney Mtn. Info will help us be on-site at the times to see what's going on AND at the right location. I will update this site on January 31 to give you a status report. Again, thank you for sharing these concerns.

Westbound on Piney Mt towards MLK tends to be the offending direction. People are often in a rush, and they are coming down a long hill.

Crossing time for walking school children at Old Forest Creek is between 710 and 815 in the morning, and 250 and 350 pm.

Super helpful - thanks Jameson and Jolanda

Yes, traffic is heavy in the morning and afternoons which is the time that our neighborhood children are walking home from school. I have noticed new speed curbs and flashing speed signs on Shady lawn Road and Lakeshore since the roadwork on Estes Drive. A speed curb on the westbound side of Piney mountain and a flashing speed indicator before the crosswalk at Old Forest creek would increase the safety of our children walking home from school.

This afternoon when 3 children were crossing inside the crosswalk, a car came around the corner and did not stop. We must do something as soon as possible to ensure pedestrian safety in this area!

Thank you all for your input and expressed concerns. Several Town crews are working on a way to address the situation. One crew is preparing to pave a short path connecting the trail to the crosswalk. As part of that construction project, I have requested that they embed a Ped crossing sign in the new pavement, as close to the crosswalk as possible. Also, as a result of you sharing concerns about this situation, another Town crew installed an in-street yield to pedestrian crossing paddle-style sign. I have also submitted a work order to have additional speed limit (25 mph) signs installed closer to the crosswalk, one for each direction of travel on Piney Mtn Rd. We have been hampered by our inability to install new signs between Piney Mtn Rd and the trail because of an easement owned by OWASA. We are unable to install signs in the easement because of the possibility of damage to the important utility lines under ground. We will do our best given the site constraints and we will monitor conditions during school start/release times. Town of Chapel Hill Police are aware of the need for periodic presence and enforcement.

Thanks guys, the in-street yield sign has already had in impact, I see people slowing down because of the size of the road there and the sign. Thanks for the sign.

That said, I do see tire marks on some of the dirt around where that crosswalk is, indicating some people have just slightly gone off road with that new sign, you may way to investigate also putting in a little gravel around the edge of the rod

Thank you for installing the in- street yield sign. What would be very helpful if a lit up sign indicating how fast one is driving could be installed as well. This seems to work really well on Lakeshore drive. It will make drivers more aware of the 25 miles speed limit and their lack of adherence .Would this be possible?

The in-street Yield to Peds sign will be re-installed.

Hi Roger, Thank you for your attention to this matter. I think there is a larger problem here where people are driving over the speed limit and therefore the yield to pedestrian sign will continue to be damaged and knocked down. It has been run over at least twice now. I agree that a flashing speed indicator would be helpful to slow traffic down. Can we please look into a flashing speed indicator paired with the yield to pedestrian sign?

We ordered very large 25 mph speed limit signs and devising a way to install one in each direction on Piney Mtn Rd. Installing signs on the north side is no problem. Installing between the road and path is a problem; that is owned by OWASA and they have "critical water lines" under the surface. The Town would need a permit from OWASA to dig and we are doubtful we'd get it. Several of our staff previously worked for OWASA. Our ongoing collaboration with OWASA on building the connecting path at the crosswalk is going very well. We've been given the green light to continue with paving AND town staff are collaborating by building a shallow-depth brace for a Ped crossing sign in the new concrete. The sign post will not penetrate below the concrete so OWASA approved it. The existing Ped crossing sign is on the far side of the trail near the electrical boxes. That sign will be moved to right next to the roadway. Then when the path connector is done the Town will re-install the in-street Yield to Peds sign. When we take delivery of the large 25 mph signs we will install them. We're still not sure how to install the large speed limit sign for the downhill direction of Piney Mtn Rd - stay tuned. We're working on the improvements. Thanks, as always, for being engaged.

The new 25 mph speed limits signs have been installed, one in each direction on Piney Mtn. Rd (in fact, there are two signs directed at motorists in the downhill direction. The ped crossing sign has been relocated closer to the crosswalk.

I have reviewed and closed this issue. If you feel this issue has not been resolved to your satisfaction, please contact us by phone at (919) 969-5100.