Announcement

 

Additional Information and Comments Regarding the Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension

In the box to the right is a link to public comments on the proposed Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension that the Town received in January 2008 during the review of the Park West Village project. At that time, Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension was planned to have a four-lane cross section. Input received more recently from the public as part of the 2008 Transportation Plan planning process identified concerns about neighborhood safety, the cost of the facility, and the need for connectivity and emergency vehicle access that it could provide (these emails are also included in the comments file). To reconcile these different views, the current draft of the Transportation includes a recommendation for the road with a two-lane cross section, four-foot bike lanes and eight-foot sidewalks, with additional traffic calming measures such as a traffic circle at the intersection with Wolfsnare Lane. It also recommends that this road be a relatively low priority, and that improvements on other facilities such as NC 54 and Davis Drive be completed first. Please see below for the discussion of this proposed facility in the current draft of the Transportation Plan. In addition, staff and consultants have responded to citizen concerns and requests for information with an additional Summary of Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension and line-by-line responses to recent citizen comments on the project.

Draft Recommendation for Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension in 3rd draft of 2008 Transportation Plan

The north-south connection between Town Hall Drive and Crabtree Crossing Parkway has proven to be a contentious issue for the residential neighborhoods bordering Crabtree Crossing Parkway, although the connection provides better connectivity to these neighborhoods and does not appear (from travel demand modeling exercises) to draw more than 2,000 cars per day north of Morrisville Parkway, about a third of that south of Morrisville Parkway. The connection is an important alternative for local residents to make shorter trips for shopping and daily needs, helping to avoid the more congested NC 54 corridor. In addition, it will improve public safety response times by providing an alternative to NC 54. The recommendation for Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension is to be a two-lane mediandivided facility, part of which will need to bridge Crabtree Creek. Keeping the capacity at two lanes, and including bicycle lanes, coincides with the cross-section of Crabtree Crossing Parkway to the south of the project. Additional traffic calming strategies to help reinforce the slower pace for southbound traffic coming off of Town Hall Drive could include a roundabout at Wolfsnare Lane to deviate and “calm” traffic. FIgure 5.12 illustrates how the bridge and roundabout would look at the current northern terminus of Crabtree Crossing Parkway.

This Plan recognizes the opinions of members of the public, who have spoken both in favor of and opposed to this connection. Investigations into the history of the proposed connection indicate that the connection has been envisioned since at least 1993, and was part of the site plan design as the Crabtree Crossing apartment complex was undergoing review in 1996 (Figure 5.13). The roadway does not have a cul-de-sac “bulb” or other provisions for a turnaround at the north end, further indicating that it was deigned to extend northward at a later date. The Transportation Plan recommends the connection because it is a long-standing planned improvement that reflects sound transportation planning principles (i.e. completes an important north/south connection for the Town and improves critical public safety services). Several design modifications, including making the roadway a two-lane facility instead of a four-lane facility; including bicycle lanes and sidewalks even across the structure; and including traffic calming measures at the south end at the Wolfsnare Lane intersection are proposed to address the concerns of through traffic of some of the residents in this area; however, the existing travel demand model does not indicate a major demand for through traffic south of Morrisville Parkway after other improvements to Davis Drive and NC 54 are completed. A further recommendation is therefore that this connection should be marked as a later priority after the improvements to Davis Drive and NC 54 have been completed.

Figure 5.12 Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension Illustration

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 5.13 Timeline of Crabtree Crossing Parkway Extension Planning