This is a dangerous situation as traffic coming from Umstead Dr and turning left has no indication if it is safe to turn left or not, or when the Hillsborough Rd traffic will switch to Red. The current pattern would seem logical if there was a green left turn signal for Umstead traffic, which would be a welcomed addition l, but the current situation is unsafe.

Thank you for reporting your issue with the Town of Chapel Hill. This change was intentional to reduce turning conflicts at this intersection during the Estes Drive detour. The Hillsborough St side has dramatically more traffic with the detour in place, and residents on the Umstead side reported issues trying to make turns with such heavy conflicting traffic. The grade changes within the intersection and curve along Hillsborough also make it difficult for the Umstead side to judge oncoming vehicles as well.

Adding a green arrow would require changing the signal head. The phase changing is meant to be a temporary measure during the Estes Road detour. Split phasing (where opposite approaches have different phases instead of running concurrently) is used at many locations in town. Please see the NC DMV driver manual about the meanings of various traffic signal indications.

Likewise the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices says:
Standard:
03 The following meanings shall be given to highway traffic signal indications for vehicles and pedestrians:

Steady green signal indications shall have the following meanings:
Vehicular traffic facing a CIRCULAR GREEN signal indication is permitted to proceed straight through or turn right or left or make a U-turn movement except as such movement is modified by lane-use signs, turn prohibition signs, lane markings, roadway design, separate turn signal indications, or other traffic control devices.
Such vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left or making a U-turn movement, shall yield the right-of-way to:
Pedestrians lawfully within an associated crosswalk, and
Other vehicles lawfully within the intersection.

So, basically, the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices confirms the complaint since you are supposed to "yield the right-of-way to: Other vehicles lawfully within the intersection." And the circular green, instead of an arrow, suggests that those cars facing you will enter the intersection lawfully.
Also, have you seen any decrease in traffic backing up on Hillsborough street since you implemented this? I haven't. All that's been done just makes this more confusing and dangerous.

If with all the expense and disruption the Estes working in causing, the town is not willing to properly provide the hardware to add a left turn arrow, then this change should be removed as it creates a more uncertain and unsafe situation than was created from the increased traffic. Turning left at that intersection is a challenge, but this unfortunately just makes it worse.

Without the Left turn arrow on Umstead it's really ambiguous when traffic is safe to turn Left. Since implementing this "helpful" measure I've actually seen cars on Umstead now wait longer to turn Left since they're confused/unsure why the cars coming down Hillsborough are waiting to turn Right or go straight. Without both sides of traffic knowing what's happening it creates a slower and more unsafe traffic pattern. Definitely would advocate for equally clear signals to be provided to traffic on both sides of Umstead and Hillsborough.

Please keep this issue open. I've driven for decades in multiple towns and cities and I've never seen this before. Chapel Hill needs to either return this signal to a rational state or pay for a left-turn signal.

Hello,
To echo Rob Zelt and others, I live off of Umstead Ave. and drive through the Umstead/Hillsborough/MLK intersection every day. The left turn from Umstead onto MLK was already dangerous with cars approaching quickly from down the hill (and out of sight) on Hillsborough. But with the new change to the green light, it adds additional confusion and no risk averse (or properly trained driver) would make a left turn in front of cars that appear to be going straight on a green light. The town's rationale does not make sense and as a public health practitioner, I would identify this change as creating a hazard, not removing one. This intersection would likely benefit from a left turn signal even when Estes construction is finished. But as is, the town has exacerbated a traffic issue, not provided a solution.

I am a local resident living one block from Umstead Dr, and I either turn left on MLK or travel across to Hillsborough St several times per day. The left turn onto MLK from Umstead has ALWAYS been very dangerous for the unwary, because unless it is a bus coming over from Hillsborough St, the sharp dip of the hill there completely hides regular incoming traffic (and rude drivers approaching via Hillsborough compound the issue by gunning across the intersection as their light changes from yellow to red). In my 30+ years as a resident I have seen the aftermath of various crashes at that intersection. Unfortunately, when I turn left from Umstead I have to wait until MY light turns red and I am sure that incoming traffic on the facing lane has actually stopped, before I accelerate into the left turn. The new arrangement extending the red light for the Hillsborough-to-MLK/Umstead drivers should have been introduced years ago, and formalized with a left-hand light signal to let drivers turning from Umstead know that it is safe to do so! Not knowing if/why the Hillsborough traffic is actually stopped does not help!

I am a resident of Umstead Dr who, like others have mentioned themselves, has lived in a number of different places (and countries) throughout my life. I've never seen anything like this. The new system installed at this intersection is beyond dangerous. It is hard enough to see drivers coming from Hillsborough, and many speed through this intersection. Without clarity from the Umstead Dr side, this system exacerbates a long-standing problem instead of relieving it. We learned very quickly not to use this intersection during the first month of Fall Semester as new students tear through the area. If an arrow is not added on the Umstead side, there will be a serious accident, and quite possibly a fatality.

A big thank you to Rob and Rick who raised this concern and met me at the intersection this afternoon. The Town is interested in acquiring approval from the North Carolina DOT to install left-turn arrows on Umstead and on Hillsborough at NC 86, however, that will take a few months to get approval and redesign it. The Town's interest is in easing delay but doing it safely. With that said, at 4 pm today the Town changed the signal phasing back to the way it was before. Again, a big thank you to all of you who voiced your observations.

NC 86 is owned by the State of North Carolina but operated by Town staff under a contract between the Town and State. I will close this ticket.

Roger Henderson
Transportation Engineering Manager
Town of Chapel Hill
rhenderson@townofchapelhill.org

Thank you for reporting your issue with the Town of Chapel Hill. We are pleased to advise you that this issue has been resolved and closed. We have returned the signal to the original function and are exploring opportunities to upgrade it. If you feel this issue has not been resolved to your satisfaction, please contact us by phone at 919-969-5100.