Comprehensive Planning Committee to Review Hillsborough Street Resurfacing Options

The Raleigh City Council’s Comprehensive Planning Committee will review restriping and pavement marking options for Hillsborough Street between Woodburn Road and Park Avenue. This summer, the City of Raleigh is scheduled to begin resurfacing this portion of Hillsborough Street. City staff has identified a number of options for the restriping and pavement markings along the street and has met with the public to determine what the most reasonable options are. The section of Hillsborough Street currently supports more than 17,000 vehicles traveling the area each day and has substantial bicycle and pedestrian activity. The corridor is also served by multiple bus routes provided by Capital Area Transit and by Triangle Transit.

Currently, this section of Hillsborough Street has five lanes, with two travel lanes in each direction and a continuous center turn lane. Two main options are under consideration by the City. The first would involve one travel lane in each direction with a continuous center turn lane and would feature on-street parking on both sides of the street. Shared lane markings, also known as “sharrows,” would be placed in the travel lanes. The option is favored by the Cameron Village Neighborhood Association. The second option, favored by the City of Raleigh’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission would also have one travel lane in each direction and a center turn-lane. However, on-street parking would be included only on one side the street, which leaves enough room to include dedicated, striped bicycle lanes on both sides of the street.

The Comprehensive Planning Committee will also discuss the possibility of moving a pedestrian crosswalk from an area near the Velvet Cloak Inn to the area in front of the YMCA. The committee next meets on Feb. 29 in the Council Chambers of City Hall.