Virtual Chapel Hill Road Meeting this Wednesday

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Cary, NC — An 18-month mobility study on how to best improve Chapel Hill Road began in early 2020. Here’s a look at the progress of the first few months and how Cary residents can provide input.

An Open, Virtual Project Symposium

Residents of Cary are invited to register and attend a virtual meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 5:30 PM.

During the meeting, residents will hear updates on the study and have the option to give their ideas on goals and priorities through live polling.

More on the Chapel Hill Road Study

The green line shows the limits of the Chapel Hill Road study, from NW Maynard Road to NE Maynard Road.

The focus on this portion of Chapel Hill Road stems from the Town’s desire to see it widened, but to also ensure its future design is cohesive with the character of the area, complementing downtown Cary.

With the look and feel of the road appearing very different than other downtown streets like Academy or Chatham, the 2040 Imagine Cary Community Plan calls for a widening of the above section of road to a 4-lane with a center median.

As the road stands now, the majority of it is two-lane with no bike lane and sporadic sidewalks, resulting in frequent sidewalk requests coming in, particularly near Northwoods Elementary. The study and community feedback are all about answering the big questions of how to get from where the road is now to where it will be for years to come. Some of the Town’s questions include:

  • How can the street best serve the homes, businesses, schools, and churches along the corridor?
  • How do we create a sense of place?
  • How do we make Chapel Hill Road walkable and pedestrian friendly?
  • Do we want bike lanes? If so, where?
  • How many lanes do we need?
  • What is the right speed limit for Chapel Hill Road?
  • Do we need streetlights? Drainage improvements?
  • Do we want landscaping? Public art?

Getting Engaged, Visual Preference Survey

A small, 10-question survey was open for 7 weeks to gather public input. With over 1,400 responses, a big takeaway was that sidewalks throughout the corridor are a must.

Cary staff has also worked with a consultant and nine focus groups to look into the areas of bike/pedestrian, schools, transit, emergency services, economic development, development/investors, faith-based organizations, downtown business and neighborhoods.

The town is constantly seeking community input on this project as the study will extend into mid-2021.

Many more public engagement activities, like project symposium this Wednesday, will be made available before the end of the study. A Visual Preference Survey will be going live after the symposium.

Story by Ashley Kairis. Photos and maps by the Town of Cary.

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