SMITHFIELD – The Smithfield Town Council received the results of an extensive study on Downtown traffic, Tuesday night.
The study primarily focused on Market Street (US 70 Business) from Front Street to US 301 (Brightleaf Boulevard) and how to improve roadway safety, pedestrian safety, congestion, and parking availability.
The report included feedback from citizens who were randomly surveyed. Feedback included concerns about speeding and sideswipes of parking cars along Market Street, repair or replacement of aging sidewalks, reducing truck traffic, and one-way streets.
Overall, the public requested some “immediate improvements”, even though they may be temporarily.
A consultant, Candice Andres with VHB, and NCDOT representatives, said in the past five years there have been 514 crashes along Market Street in Downtown Smithfield, with 80 percent of the accidents being property damage only. Many of the accidents involved parked cars being sideswiped. A large number of collisions occurred two intersections, Market at Second and Market at Third Street.
The volume of collisions exceeded the Critical Crash Rate by 3-1/2 times, according to the NCDOT review of 5 years of accident data.
The report recommended one of three options to the Town.
Option 1 would remove all on-street parking along Market Street and add left turn lanes or a raised median, while removing existing curb extensions.
Option 2 would also remove on-street parking on Market Street, while widening the sidewalks, plus an option to include a narrow raised median in select locations.
Option 3 would retain parking on one-side (north side of Market Street being the preferred option in the study) and widened the parking lane on the north side from approximately 7 foot to 9 foot. Parking on the south side of Market Street would be eliminated.
Additionally, the study highlighted the potential benefits of converting South Second and South Third Streets into one-way streets from Market to Johnston Street.
The Council did not initially seem interested in the one-way street idea but asked a number of questions about the three Market Street options.
Mayor Andy Moore said Market Street was “…extremely dangerous for pedestrians to cross, even at intersections.”
The estimated cost for the improvements range from $2.1 to $5 million.
The report also noted that upgrades were also needed at Market and Brightleaf Boulevard, including improved turn lanes. The cost was projected at $2 million.
The Council took no action Tuesday night on the report but indicated a decision on one of the three options could be made soon, even if it would be a short-term improvement. “There is an urgency… a bandaid is better than an open wound,” Councilman David Barbour said.
The Mayor and Council also discussed seeking safety improvement grants, in addition to NCDOT funding, to help pay for the upgrades.
Option one sounds good…should fix “broken mirror” alley.
Agreed, it’s too narrow in those blocks. A bypass to carry some of the traffic would be better, but I there’s no easy place for it. Call me crazy, but I think the “flyover” would help if it had ramps on/off of I-95.
How about one lane each way with turn lanes and a raised median, keep the parking on both sides.
Way too much traffic to make it a one lane road although I sure don’t have an answer except it is a mess.
I got my driver’s license in 1987 when I was 16. Even then I wondered why there was not a turning lane on that portion of Market St.
Yes, get rid of the on-street parking and redraw the lines, that would be the cheapest way to go. People could park behind the old Belk building.
Why does Smithfield always try to make things difficult?
Just build a parking garage and stop trying to put every building and house on that street. Parking garage will pay for it’s self
A good idea.
I have aan idea. Let’s have a law enforcement presence on our roads during major travel hours and enforce the laws on the books. I have witnessed countless times when law enforcement ignores reckless and distracted driving. The same people, every morning and every afternoon driving Buffalo road and Live oak church rd like it’s a racetrack, passing over hills and double lines to go around people already going over the speed limit. I won’t even get into highways 70 and 40. The highway patrol will be in Selma and Smithfield writing seat belt tickets during rush hour and writing tickets on highway 70 by Princeton after dark. Never where they should be. Looks more lucrative for the state. I’m sure it’s just as bad in other places around the county. The road rage is another issue. I had my wife call me twice this year because of angry men trying to run her off of the road because she chooses not to do 20 miles over the posted limit. I’ll only ask for help once.