Downtown Davidson Transportation Safety Group
Draft Recommendations:

Intersection Improvements
Speed Reduction Efforts

This proposal was provided by Meredith Judy of the Town Planning department of the Town of Davidson. For planning and zoning news in Davidson, click here.

The proposal illustrates the town initiatives for making pedestrian travel safer, as the amount of traffic increases on Davidson's main thoroughfares.

As you navigate through my web site, you will see the street connection proposals I have created using ArcView GIS. The street connections proposed aim to filter more traffic to byways, to keep main thoroughfare clean, and to increase their pedestrian safety, perhaps reducing the need for some of these intersection recommendations.

Scroll through this proposal to find out about intersection improvement recommendations in downtown Davidson. 2.

Revised November 1, 2001

** Intersections listed in order of priority.

Main Street and Concord Road

Recommendations:
1. Add a third crosswalk at the north side of the intersection and eliminate the post office crosswalk.
2. Install brick surfaces on the three crosswalks.
3. Add reinforced bulbouts that accommodate truck traffic.
4. Install pedestrian buttons on all three crossings.
5. Change the "right turn on red" policy to "right turn with arrow".
6. Make Jackson Street "Hwy. 115" rather than Main Street, and reconfigure the four Jackson Street intersections
7. Create a left turn lane on southbound Main Street.

Rationale:
1. The intersection is at capacity, so reducing traffic flow is unwise.
2. Inadequate deflection for southbound Main Street traffic argues against a roundabout.
3. Moving the crosswalk from its current location in front of the post office to the corner of Main and Concord creates a safer situation for pedestrians and drivers.


Beaty Street and Griffith Street

Recommendations:
1. Install a roundabout as recommended by Michael Wallwork.

Rationale:
1. According to documentation provided by Wallwork, this solution would facilitate access onto and off of Beaty Street without compromising Griffith Street traffic flow.
2. The "safety island" associated with a roundabout will create safer conditions for pedestrians crossing Griffith Street.


Main Street and Depot Street

Recommendations:
1. Add crosswalks on the north and west sides of the intersection.
2. Place bulbouts on each side of the Main/ Depot crosswalks (allowing for appropriate turning radii).
3. Install brick surfaces on the crosswalks.
4. Close the crosswalks at the Carolina Inn and the computer center.
5. Widen Depot Street and bury the power lines.
6. Ensure appropriate site distance for drivers turning from Depot to Main Street. This may involve deletion of a parallel parking spot.

Rationale:
1. Bulbouts will reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians.
2. Crosswalk surface changes will make drivers more aware of potential pedestrians in the roadway.
3. Midblock crosswalks are not safe.


Concord Road

Recommendations:
1. Paint crosswalks across Concord and install bulbouts at the following locations: Lorimer Road, Preyer building, Woodland Street, and Thompson Street.
2. Provide pedestrian accommodations at the unaligned College Street/ Faculty Drive crossing.
3. Consider bricking the Concord Road crossings.
4. Extend the sidewalk on the north side of Concord Road.
5. Provide bike lanes on Concord Road. (6 feet in width where there is on street parking)

Rationale:
1. Many pedestrians cross Concord Road at the above locations, yet there are no pedestrian safety features and few indicators to Concord Road drivers.
2. It is currently unsafe for inexperienced bikers to ride on Concord Road.


Main Street and Griffith Street

Recommendations:
1. Install a roundabout as recommended by Michael Wallwork.
2. Move the College entrance to align with Griffith Street.
3. Mark parking on both sides of Griffith in the Jackson - Main block.
4. Delineate the parking with a bulbout on each corner.

Rationale:
1. Roundabout can be built in existing right of way.
2. Roundabout improves pedestrian safety more than any other option.
3. The bulbouts improve the roundabout's safety by decreasing the crossing distance for pedestrians.
4. Parking on both sides of Griffith Street narrows the driving lanes therefore encouraging drivers to slow.


Concord Road/ E. Rocky River Road and Davidson-Concord Road

Recommendation:
1. Install a roundabout
2. Change the in town Concord Road and Davidson-Concord Road speed limits to 45 mph.

Rationale:
1. The current angle at which Davidson-Concord Road intersects with Concord Road creates a dangerous situation for vehicles.


Main Street, South Street, and Chairman Blake Drive

Recommendations:
1. Install a roundabout, ensuring sufficient deflection for traffic traveling south on Main Street.

Rationale:
1. In order to maneuver through the roundabout, cars must reduce their speed.
2. Traffic at this intersection primarily travels north and south on Main Street. A roundabout will reduce stacking when there is no traffic on South and Chairman Blake.
3. A roundabout will make this intersection more manageable for pedestrians by providing a "safety island" (triangular median dividing the lanes) in the middle of Main Street.


Griffith Street and Jetton, SE Drive, I-77

Recommendations:
1. Run a median from the I-77 interchange to Lakeside Avenue.
2. Place a roundabout at Griffith and Jetton.
3. Put a roundabout at Griffith and SE Drive.
4. Create a "T" intersection with stop sign at the northbound I-77 exit and Griffith.
5. Allow and delineate on street parking along Griffith Street.
6. Add a sidewalk on the north side of Griffith Street.
7. Stripe a bike lane on Griffith.
8. Install a raised sidewalk on the I-77 bridge, and add an additional safety railing.

Rationale:
1. Median and on street parking will narrow the street width and slow traffic.