Story by Guest Columnist | November 14, 2009 | Tags: cary, downtown, Environment, nc, Opinion, town of Cary, traffic, Vox Populi, walker street extension
Vox Populi – Latin for voice of the people. In this installment, Liz Adams explains the Walker Street Extension in downtown Cary. The plan calls for the extension of Walker Street 1,200 feet from its current end at Cedar Street northwards to Chapel Hill Road. The project includes an underpass beneath the railroad tracks that cross the extension ~ Editor
Walker Street Extension Public Meeting
by Liz Adams
Cary held a public information exchange on Tuesday for the Walker Street Extension, railroad underpass, and traffic circle.
The project will receive $2.1 million in Federal funding for grade separated crossings for the High Speed Railroad project, $980,000 in 2008 Federal Budget, 1.104 million in Federal Railroad Administration Funding, and $14 million from the Town of Cary.
The current site plan features straight 20’-25’ foot walls adjacent to the sidewalk. While the wall heights decline to about 12’, they hug the sidewalks for nearly 500’. Screening and green buffers are eliminated in this plan; the median is brick (see artist’s illustration above).
Rough map of the project by CaryCitizen. Please refer to the Town website for official information.
I walked away from the meeting concerned about impacts to the stream that runs behind the Town Hall Parking Deck and how downstream neighbors will be impacted by the additional storm water runoff.
The artist Vicki Scuri had some good ideas about integrating green street design elements to help reduce the negative impacts of runoff from this project to the Black Creek and Lake Crabtree Watershed. The Town has hired Ms. Scuri for her expertise in greening, public art planning and adding public spaces and amenities to develop designs that will be fully integrated into the project infrastructure.
The Town also has the opportunity to work collaboratively with downstream neighbors through the Black Creek Watershed Association to integrate storm water management into the road project, to minimize downstream impacts.
I am also concerned about the location chosen for the underpass and how this will raise barriers to supporting safe, convenient and interesting experiences for pedestrians and bicyclists in accessing downtown and the future high speed rail transit station. Perhaps the high retaining walls could provide extra space for rock climbing enthusiasts! Seriously, those of us who are seeking infrastructure support for a more active lifestyle need to take a look at this plan and provide feedback to the Town.
The deadline for feedback is Nov 20th, 2009. For more information visit the Walker Street Extension info page on the Town website or contact Eric Simpson, the project engineer.
Do you have a story for CaryCitizen? Get in touch. No guarantees, but we rely on concerned Citizens for more than 25% of our content and growing daily.
