Project Examples

Complete Streets principles are being incorporated into projects across North Carolina. As those projects are completed, success stories are being documented to serve as examples for communities interested in learning from what other cities and towns have done. The project examples below provide a snapshot of how North Carolina is working to implement its Complete Streets policy.

Rebuild/New Construction

South Tryon Street Conversion NC DOT Division Map 14
The City of Charlotte wanted to create better pedestrian and bicycle connections between Uptown and the South End neighborhood, which are separated by the inner belt line of I-277. However, the South Tryon Street bridge over the belt line lacked pedestrian and bicycle accommodations. Reducing the vehicle travel lanes from five to three allowed for the addition of bicycle lanes and wider sidewalks. Improvements have resulted in improved access for all modes between the two neighborhoods.

US 421 Widening Project NC DOT Division Map 14
Nearing the construction phase of the US 421 widening project in Boone, NC, representatives from NCDOT and the Town of Boone collaborated to incorporate pedestrian and bicycle elements into the project. In addition to upgraded fencing, lighting, and other aesthetic features, the project highlights an example of collaboration between stakeholders to support complete streets improvements.

Ramsey Street Corridor Project NC DOT Division Map 14
Cooperation between NCDOT, the City of Fayetteville and local business owners led to improvements to enhance multimodal accessibility, safety and business revenue along the Ramsey Street corridor. This project, involving access management and intersection improvements, is part of a larger effort to redevelop and improve the entire corridor.

Kernersville Streetscape Project NC DOT Division Map 14
In response to a lack of sidewalks and other amenities along North Main Street, the Town of Kernersville and NCDOT joined with a variety of stakeholders to transform the corridor into a vibrant pedestrian and bicycle friendly environment that fosters economic development and civic pride.

Cloverdale Avenue Pedestrian Project NC DOT Division Map 14
Cloverdale Avenue, a high-traffic corridor with multiple destinations but few pedestrian facilities, was in need of safety improvements. A series of projects focusing on sidewalk installation, traffic calming and restriping provided helped enhance pedestrian comfort and safety at key locations along the corridor.

Emma Pedestrian Access Project NC DOT Division Map 14
North Louisiana Avenue in Asheville’s Emma Community featured many destinations but few options for nonmotorized travel. Sidewalks were added along the corridor which, along with other improvements, improved access to these destinations for local residents.

North Third Street Improvements NC DOT Division Map 14
The need to replace aging water and sewer infrastructure offered an opportunity to improve the streetscape along North Third Street, a high-traffic corridor through downtown Wilmington. The resulting corridor features intersection improvements, raised medians, pedestrian-scale lighting, and a variety of other improvements.

West Jefferson Streetscape Project NC DOT Division Map 14
A vision for downtown West Jefferson was implemented based on community plans and a vision for a more walkable, comfortable environment. Improvements to sidewalks and intersections resulted in reduced traffic speeds and a more welcoming environment for local businesses.

Road Diet

West Morehead Streetscape Project NC DOT Division Map 14
As development along West Morehead Street in Charlotte slowly changed from industrial to retail and commercial uses, the need to improve conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians became more apparent. Working with NCDOT and other partners, the City of Charlotte reduced the number of travel lanes from four to three while adding bicycle facilities and making improvements to intersections for pedestrians. The streetscape was also improved by adding street trees, decorative lighting and planting strips.

East Boulevard Road Diet NC DOT Division Map 14
To address growing concerns among residents about the lack of safe crossing locations despite high numbers of pedestrians and a variety of destinations, the City of Charlotte conducted a three-phase road diet along a section of East Boulevard. After a challenging construction period between 2005 and 2011, the resulting roadway has seen reductions in all crash types, lower motor vehicle speeds and improved access for all road users.

Hillsborough Street Revitalization NC DOT Division Map 14
Pedestrian safety concerns, lack of parking, and motor vehicle congestion plagued the Hillsborough Street corridor adjacent to NC State University. NCDOT and the City of Raleigh, in cooperation with a coalition of business owners and residents, implemented a road diet and streetscape improvement resulting in an improved corridor for all users.

Planning

Weaver Dairy Road Improvement NC DOT Division Map 14
The Town of Chapel Hill worked with NCDOT to ensure that a redevelopment of Weaver Dairy Road would remain consistent with the local vision for that corridor. The resulting project featured fewer motor vehicle travel lanes than were initially proposed and also included bicycle, pedestrian and transit features to improve multimodal transportation options.

Stantonsburg Road/Tenth Street Connector NC DOT Division Map 14
A connector road in Greenville, NC, will address issues associated with a major rail line that bisects the City and causes issues for pedestrians, motorists, and bicyclists. A partnership between the City of Greenville, East Carolina University and Pitt County Memorial Hospital has led planning effort to ensure that the resulting connector and bridge project will feature multimodal accommodations and result in a more pleasant, safe corridor for all road users.

Morreene Road Corridor Study NC DOT Division Map 14
Morreene Road serves as a key corridor between residential areas and Duke University in Durham, NC, yet lacks features to accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users. This planning project will utilize a variety of funding sources to address the needs of all users by incorporating bicycle lanes, upgraded pedestrian crossings and improvements at transit stops.

Maintenance

Princess Place Drive Resurfacing NC DOT Division Map 14
Princess Place Drive serves as an important parallel route for bicyclists in Wilmington, NC, who do not wish to travel along the busy Market Street. However, poor conditions along the corridor required additional improvements. The Wilmington MPO coordinated with NCDOT to resurface the corridor to add bicycle lanes while maintaining the same number of motor vehicle lanes.

Resurfacing of US 23/74 NC DOT Division Map 14
The portion of North Carolina Bike Route 2 (the “Mountains to Sea Trail”) running through Jackson County is an on-road facility along US 23/74. The five-mile section features high motor vehicle travel speeds and volumes, and narrow shoulders with rumble strips resulted in difficult travel conditions for bicyclists. To address the problem, NCDOT widened the shoulders and gaps were provided in the rumble strips to allow for cyclist maneuvering.

Catawba Street Bike Lanes NC DOT Division Map 14
To address issues related to network connectivity and accessibility for bicyclists in Belmont, NC, bicycle lanes were added to Catawba Street, a critical cross-town corridor, during regular resurfacing. The resulting facility provides a key connection to multiple destinations.

Operational Enhancement

Triangle Transit Bus on Shoulder System NC DOT Division Map 14
Triangle Transit, NCDOT, and the I-40 Regional Partnership implemented a Bus on Shoulder System (BOSS) operation to allow authorized transit buses with trained drivers to operate on the shoulders of selected freeways at low speeds during periods of congestion in order to bypass congested traffic and maintain transit schedules.