Emails sent to the Chapel Hill Town Council in the last week detail several stories from residents along North Estes Drive about long-standing concerns around pedestrian safety on the road.

The news of two teenage girls being struck while using a crosswalk on New Year’s Eve led to all those stories being shared — as well as community members demonstrating in-person on Friday and advocating for more to be done.

Dozens of people gathered along the sidewalks of North Estes Drive on Friday evening, holding hand-made and printed signs to catch motorists’ attention as they drove by at the end of the work week. Organized by residents who live along the road, and by some who witnessed the aftermath of the crash, the group called for improvements to be made to the street’s pedestrian infrastructure and also asked drivers to slow down in the residential and school zones.

Community members gather along Estes Drive on January 7 to advocate for better pedestrian safety along the road. The week before, two teenaged girls were struck while in a crosswalk by a driver.

A child holds up a home-made sign as part of a demonstration along Estes Drive on  January 7 to advocate for better pedestrian safety.

The two teenagers, one of whom Chapel Hill Police says is continuing to suffer “life-threatening injuries,” were using a crosswalk near Phillips Middle School and Estes Drive’s intersection with Caswell Road on December 31. The pair were struck by a driver, a 69-year-old from Durham who has since been charged with Failure to Yield to Pedestrian in a Clearly Marked Crosswalk or Regular Pedestrian Crossing.

The crosswalk is at a block along Estes Drive, which is controlled by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, with limited street lighting and no traffic light. There are two pedestrian crossing signs on either side of the road, as well as an in-road marker reminding drivers it is state law to yield to pedestrians. The speed limit along most of North Estes Drive is 35 mph, with it dropping to 25 mph around the school zones for Phillips Middle School and Estes Hills Elementary School.

It is not just community members who are advocating for improved pedestrian safety. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district, who confirmed the two victims in the collision are Phillips Middle School students, is also working to ensure some more immediate safety measures are taken. A district spokesperson told Chapelboro they are in touch with the Chapel Hill Police Department’s traffic division, which handles safety and enforcement initiatives, and have “offered our support and further involvement in any further discussions and actions.”

Since the incident, a portable variable-message sign has been placed near Estes Hills Elementary, with the message “Watch For Pedestrians” displayed to oncoming drivers. Estes Drive residents have also placed printed signs into the ground along the road, saying “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here” and “Slow Down.”

Long-term improvements at the crosswalk near Phillips Middle School could be among the many changes expected to be completed along Estes Drive in an upcoming project by the Town of Chapel Hill. While it is a state-owned road, the town government is planning to add raised bike lanes and new sidewalks to improve connectivity for bicyclists and pedestrians. As part of the project, the town says there will be “enhanced crossing opportunities,” including Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons that improve visibility of crossing pedestrians. Such beacons are already installed at several crosswalks along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Franklin Street.

The Town of Chapel Hill was expecting for the Estes Drive Connectivity Project’s second phase, which includes converting traffic along stretches of Estes Drive to eastbound-only, to already be underway. In December, however, the town shared it was delaying the project due to a gas line needing to be relocated during the construction. Town officials said it would wait to work on the gas line until after the winter months when nearby residents would not be relying on that gas for heat.

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A crosswalk on West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill with installed Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons to improve visibility. Part of the town’s Estes Drive Connectivity Project includes installing such beacons at crossings. (Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill.)

According to the Chapel Hill Police Department, 79 citations for Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian have been distributed in the last five years, with 33 of those happening in 2021. Last year, the department also reported 16 pedestrian-involved collisions within the town limits — which is more than the previous two years combined.


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