DOT nixes crosswalk upgrade
Apr. 9—HIGH POINT — State officials have rejected the city of High Point's design for a proposed safety upgrade at a prominent pedestrian crosswalk.
The City Council in August 2023 OK'd a plan to install a concrete median "refuge island" for people using the mid-block crosswalk on N. Main Street near Hillcrest Place.
The council has long sought to enhance pedestrian safety around this crosswalk — which is not at a signalized intersection where traffic must stop on this busy street that is traveled by about 24,000 vehicles a day — because of its proximity to nearby businesses, including Brown Truck Brewery and Sweet Ol' Bill's.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation, which owns and maintains Main Street, had concerns that a new concrete median at the crosswalk would cause conflicts with left-turn movements from N. Main Street to Hillcrest Place, city Transportation Director Greg Venable said.
"They did say if we wanted to come back with a redesign of that median and extend it (farther north) across Hillcrest Place, they would approve it in that configuration," he said.
This would eliminate left turns from N. Main Street to Hillcrest Place and possibly limit driveway access to some businesses.
"That's a decision we'll have to discuss with management and see if we want to move forward with that," Venable said.
The city did install enhanced lighting, signage and flashing beacons at the crosswalk, but council members said they think more needs to be done.
"We have lots of businesses that have invested in that area with a lot of pedestrian traffic, and I'll go ahead and tell you, that crosswalk in front of Brown Truck, I'm grateful that it's there, but it is totally ... (ineffective)," Councilwoman Monica Peters said. "... (Vehicles) do not stop. So, we have got to be aggressive in that Uptowne area and make a difference, because it's just not fair for those business owners and investors."
