Eight Places You’ll Notice Safety Upgrades This Month
Town staff installed eight new Quick‑Build street safety projects—fast, flexible upgrades designed to slow speeds, improve visibility, and reduce crash risks. These locations were chosen using crash data and walk‑audits, combining what police reports tell us with details only visible when you stand in the street.
These improvements follow the Safe Systems Approach, which recognizes that people make mistakes—but streets should be designed so those mistakes don’t turn into life‑changing injuries.
Where We Made Improvements
Quick‑Build safety upgrades now span key locations across Chapel Hill:
• West Franklin @ McDonald’s – centerline hardening to slow fast ,weeping left turns
• Kenan & Mallette – daylighting corners and tightening turn radii to reduce right‑hook crashes
• Country Club Road – new gateway treatments and a bulb‑out to slow speeds
• Ridge @ Country Club – a shorter, clearer crossing for a major campus walking route
• Seawell School Road – gateway treatment responding to a dusk visibility‑related crash
• Elliott Road – medians installed to calm traffic speeds
Why These Projects Matter
Quick‑Build projects help us:
• slow drivers down where speed has been a factor
• improve sight lines with daylighting and clearer markings
• shorten crossing distances for people walking and biking
• reduce turning conflicts at busy intersections
• act quickly while larger capital projects are still years away
• test designs before making long‑term changes
How This Supports the Safe Systems Approach
Your feedback and field observations shape these projects, but the approach is based on national best practices:
Safe Speeds
Narrowing lanes, tightening turns, and using gateway treatments help slow vehicles naturally.
Safe Roads
Clearer crosswalks, daylighting, mini‑medians, and centerline hardening reduce conflict points.
Safe People
Predictable designs help drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists understand how to navigate safely.
Proven designs like centerline hardening and daylighting can reduce conflicts by up to 45 percent, and we’ll continue monitoring when students return in the Fall to make sure they're working.
Learn more about the Safe Systems Approach → What Is a Safe System Approach? (U.S. DOT)
What This Means for You
With these upgrades in place, residents will notice:
• safer, more visible crossings
• slower turning speeds
• clearer lane guidance
• reduced mid‑block conflicts
• more consistent vehicle speeds across several corridors
What You Can Do Next
Help us continue improving safety across Chapel Hill by sharing places where you’ve experienced near misses, uncomfortable crossings, or risky driving behaviors.
Add your pin to the Close Calls Map:
https://engage.chapelhillnc.gov/close-calls
Your comments help us identify future Quick‑Build locations and supports our Safe Systems Approach by capturing things that don’t show up in crash data.
Thank you for your contribution!
Help us reach out to more people in the community
Share this with family and friends