Background

The resurfacing of W. Franklin St. (Columbia St. to Merritt Mill Rd.) was completed in August 2022. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), using a contractor, performed utility adjustments to the street, resurfaced and repainted the new asphalt with a design provided by the Town. The design includes bike lanes that are mostly next to the curb and, where there is on-street parking, runs between parked cars and the curb (known as curb running bike lanes) except at Carolina Square where the bike lane is between parked cars and traffic.

Click here for final pavement marking plans

What's Next?

The Town is continually seeking ways to improve Downtown's streets to be as welcoming and effective as possible for all users. We will be monitoring issues along the new paint on W. Franklin St. such as parking in the bike lane to see where more bollards, paint or other devices could improve.

Town staff have been considering W. Franklin St. for lane reallocation for a number of years, and it is a recommended project in the Mobility and Connectivity Plan. One goal is to determine whether the Town should transfer maintenance of Franklin St. in Downtown from NCDOT. More information on that can be found here. 

What is a Lane Reallocation?

Lane reallocations are when vehicle lanes are repurposed for bike lanes, parking, loading zones, turn lanes or other amenities. They are relatively low cost ways to achieve safety, mobility, and access for all transportation modes. Many lane reallocation projects have resulted in significant increases in the number of pedestrians and bicyclists, more customers and higher sales revenue for local businesses, and decreases in speeding and crashes along the corridors.

For more information about this project, please email or call Sarah Poulton (spoulton@townofchapelhill.org or 919-969-5009).