By Jane Salemson
In 2013 on WCHL, Ron Stutts and Freddie Kiger were discussing the “improvements” to Weaver Dairy Road and Martin Luther King Boulevard. I was asked to broadcast a commentary about this.
My last sentence of the commentary was: “Do people need to be injured or even killed before the Department of Transportation and the Town of Chapel Hill realize what poor planning the have instigated?”
In 2014/15, I spent a 10 month “personal sabbatical” in Britain and Europe where, for much of that time, I walked to wherever I needed to go, visit or explore and followed the signs and signals, which were very pedestrian oriented (Switzerland is especially hard on jaywalkers). Not only was it an excellent way to get know the areas I was visiting, but back home in Chapel Hill my doctor was impressed at my physical condition!
Returning to Chapel Hill in 2015, I continued to walk as much as possible at home, but it was not long before I had a near collision with a car.
I was on the corner of Weaver Dairy Road wanting to cross MLK Boulevard going north, as there was a sidewalk on the far side. I waited at the crossing for the pedestrian white light to go on, and when it started flashing I started to walk across the road.
Fortunately my peripheral sight was good, as immediately I sensed movement on my left side and jumped back. A driver coming from Weaver Dairy Road had not stopped for the pedestrian light, and turned the corner at great speed followed by several other cars. There isn’t much space between the stop lines on Weaver Dairy and the pedestrian crossing on MLK. Another step on the crossing and I would have been hit.
Fast forward to 2018.
Two pedestrians killed in Chapel Hill this year where many people walk from their homes to the shopping centers.
The other side of the coin is that MLK Boulevard is the racetrack to I-40 and drivers are cutting corners whenever they can, to the detriment of pedestrians who also pay their road taxes and should expect safety when walking along or crossing these city roads. Expect more accidents especially on the pedestrian crossings that have no flashing lights. Who has right of way on the painted lines on the roads?
There is confusion by both drivers and walkers. Right now for the most part, both drivers and pedestrians think they have right of way. The only place a pedestrian can feel confident is in the shopping areas that have pedestrian crossings. Drivers have to slow down for the bumps and the pedestrians can signal them to stop and let them cross.
People come first. The people in charge of safety need to look more closely to the areas where those who walk, live and work in Chapel Hill.
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Tami Schwerin is a re-developer of The Plant, taking a cold-war industrial plant and creating a community hub of food, beverage and experiences. Her past experience includes founding a local food, renewable energy and cultural non-profit; Abundance NC. Before that she helped build Chatham Marketplace, a local co-op grocery store. She has served on art and environmental boards of directors. She traveled the world selling software in her younger years and renovated several old broken-down houses. Tami loves a challenge and creating a world that she wants to live in. She grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and loves the south and Pittsboro.
Cathy Brooksie Edwards is the founder and director of heart2heartnc, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Brooksie is dedicated to helping individuals navigate end-of-life with a greater sense of ease while supporting families, caregivers, and communities through their grief journey. The organization’s community-based events and personalized services are grounded in the power of human connection and the proven practice of various modalities—from touch and sound to movement and mindfulness. heart2heartnc is part of Sanctuary at the Burrow, a conservation green burial ground offering nondenominational end-of-life services and creating a meaningful experience that honors the dead and comforts the living. Brooksie is a licensed clinical counselor, death doula, bodyworker, kundalini yoga teacher and musician with over 25 years of experience.
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Commentary: Road Rage in Chapel HillTwo pedestrians have been struck and killed in Chapel Hill this year. People come first. Those in charge of safety need to look more closely to the areas where those who walk, live and work in Chapel Hill.
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