I'm going to try to use "unsignalized" in a sentence today. Wish me luck.

10/25/2012 2:29:07 PM

Quote :

"The article seems to indicate she was ticketed at the crosswalk in front of the YMCA, which as I recall does not have a signal. I imagine they are focusing on unsignalized crosswalks here."

Correct. The YMCA crosswalk does not have a signal. Hence why she got the ticket.

Quote :

"Section 20-173 Where traffic-control signals are not in place or in operation the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any unmarked crosswalk at or near an intersection"

^ lol

10/25/2012 2:51:26 PM

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/10/28/2443329/ncsu-will-close-dan-allen-drive.html

10/29/2012 10:55:19 AM

^won't that just create a huge traffic jam around 5:00 PM? People aren't smart enough/too lazy to just go around, so when it's close to 5:00 PM, I can see everyone going down Dan Allen in anticipation of the gates opening... so it will just create stopped traffic there before the gates open and it won't clear quickly.

10/29/2012 11:00:20 AM

Random post, but...

I've been back to Raleigh several times since I graduated (in '05), but until about a month ago, hadn't been back in the Hillsborough area around campus....and I just want to say that I thought it looked great. It was straight "shit-tay" when I was in school. Now I actually wouldn't be embarrassed to bring a visitor to that area.

10/29/2012 11:17:10 AM

^^ I'm also wondering how many accidents will be caused by people attempting to go down Dan Allen from Hillsborough, encountering the gate, then not having a place to U-turn back to Hillsborough. Also sucks for folks needing to visit the offices on Thurman Drive that aren't students.

10/29/2012 11:56:40 AM

So much for a "public campus".

10/30/2012 8:33:18 PM

With a great walking and bicycling environment and the best bus system in the state, somehow I suspect that people will be able to survive not being able to drive their car down that 0.5 mile stretch of road.

11/1/2012 10:15:24 AM

Quote :

"I'm also wondering how many accidents will be caused by people attempting to go down Dan Allen from Hillsborough, encountering the gate, then not having a place to U-turn back to Hillsborough."

What the fuck? They're going to see the gate and, what, just run into the bridge?

Quote :

"Also sucks for folks needing to visit the offices on Thurman Drive that aren't students. "

Yes, those people will have to park in the deck that is a 30 second walk from those offices, much like before. Oh, how horrible.

[Edited on November 1, 2012 at 10:43 AM. Reason : Are you seriously this desperate to bitch about this]

11/1/2012 10:42:38 AM

Quote :

"What the fuck? They're going to see the gate and, what, just run into the bridge?"

They'll see the gate, go "Shit, need to turn around," attempt to turn around while other people are also making the same mistake as them, traffic jams/accidents ensue as they attempt a 20-bajillion point turn since most people around campus seem to not understand how to execute a 3-point turn effectively and you'll have the people behind them attempt to creep up on them as they're turning around.

11/1/2012 11:07:11 AM

why not just turn to head into the deck or turn to head up towards sullivan (depending on what side they are on)? Also, I'm assuming there would be no through traffic signs.

And eventually people will learn, so it should only be an issue for a little while.

[Edited on November 1, 2012 at 11:32 AM. Reason : .]

11/1/2012 11:31:44 AM

Pfft you think people read signs

11/1/2012 11:38:55 AM

RIP Pantana Bobs building?

11/1/2012 12:03:59 PM

Good riddance.

11/2/2012 1:31:04 AM

That's been a long time coming. Not sure if Valentine got the rezone, but the original plan was a three story building in the current place, but he was angling to replace it with a seven story building that's another 20 feet back from Hillsborough.

11/4/2012 12:25:49 AM

Thought that PB's just had some kind of renovation. They really knocking it down? Would be nice to see them redoing the exterior to make it not look as ghetto and shitty.

11/4/2012 9:24:14 PM

Pantana Bob's, Capital Comics, etc. will be replaced by Phase 2B of Valentine Commons. See page 49 of this PDF:
http://www.raleighnc.gov/content/PlanLongRange/Documents/Zoning/RezoningCases/2012/Z-037-12.pdf

The plans show a 9 story apartment/mixed use building in its place.

11/5/2012 8:56:23 AM

^does anyone know anybody who lives there. How did the first year of rentals go. I assume it will add to the businesses in that area and boost the pedestrian experience on that end of H-boro but who knows. Do they have a cafeteria similar to UT?

11/5/2012 9:41:41 AM

I hope the city makes them put storefronts back along the street/sidewalk.

11/5/2012 10:07:25 AM

I hope they see the benefits of putting storefronts on street level and decide to do it themselves. (I'm pretty sure that's the plan)

11/5/2012 10:21:37 AM

There will definitely be retail along Hillsborough street. The corner of Hillsborough and Friendly will have a Kerr Drug and some other stuff. Probably not quite as many spaces as before though, but then again some of the retail spaces in those buildings along Hillsborough dilapidated and unoccupied anyway.

The neighborhoods near this project have objected to the 9-story apartment building, and saying they are okay with a 5-story building. I think Valentine has supposedly made some changes and the project will go before the Planning Commission Committee of the Whole tomorrow. Agenda here: http://www.raleighnc.gov/content/BoardsCommissions/Documents/PlanningCommission/PCCOWAgenda.pdf

[Edited on November 5, 2012 at 10:48 AM. Reason : URL FAIL]

11/5/2012 10:48:26 AM

I'm almost positive that's what is going to happen. I think one of the buildings they're building on the street level is going to be mixed use and there was a big deal about the commerical anchor being a CVS Kerr Drug and needing more parking space or something. I don't think anybody is going to be able to develop much of anything without the city's permission unless they opt to put in ground-level retail.

http://www.technicianonline.com/viewpoint/hillsborough-street-must-keep-its-identity-1.2608228#.UJfgijEgeCQ

[Edited on November 5, 2012 at 10:56 AM. Reason : ]

11/5/2012 10:49:09 AM

^^ Dammit, too slow.

This is somewhat informative: http://www.hillsboroughstreet.org/development/development-sites-projects

Apparently the mixed-use building will be an all commercial 5-story building: http://www.hillsboroughstreet.org/view/valentine-commons-mixed-use-building

11/5/2012 11:02:31 AM

Quote :

" ^does anyone know anybody who lives there. How did the first year of rentals go. I assume it will add to the businesses in that area and boost the pedestrian experience on that end of H-boro but who knows. Do they have a cafeteria similar to UT?"

I know a couple of people who live at VC and I've been there a handful of times. My friends that live there like it, especially the closeness to campus. I'm not sure of the specifics of VC, but I do know there is no cafeteria. The units I've been in are nice, but kinda small. The kitchen and living area are very small.

11/5/2012 11:31:29 AM

This is a good article to give you a bit of a map as to what they want to do: http://www.midtownraleighnews.com/2012/07/17/14357/developer-seeks-taller-building.html

It talks about the location of all the new buildings in those couple of blocks, the protests of residents, the goals of developers, the level of planning that goes into zoning all these projects, and the long-term goal of building density for a light-rail project.

The rail project is the most interesting to me. Already walking from Morgan St. to this area during peak road hours would take like 30 minutes or be a 10 minute drive. A light rail would take probably about 5 minutes and connect downtown and areas west of Raleigh as well.

11/5/2012 11:37:51 AM

It speaks to the power of light rail to catalyze high-density development that it is a motivating factor in these plans despite not even going to vote yet and still being 20 years off even if approved.

11/5/2012 11:42:57 AM

Yes. In the meantime, higher density zoning produces more tax revenue which will help finance the project when it finally does get approved. Envisioning what NC State will look like in the midst of all this development 20 years from now is almost unfathomable.

11/5/2012 11:54:27 AM

But then what are all of these people who bought houses in a nice quiet neighborhood beside a huge university supposed to do if they can almost maybe see a building? Won't someone think of the children?

11/5/2012 11:58:15 AM

Hopefully the rising property values will be enough to placate them.

11/5/2012 11:59:49 AM

Quote :

"But then what are all of these people who bought houses in a nice quiet neighborhood beside a huge university supposed to do if they can almost maybe see a building? Won't someone think of the children?"

11/5/2012 12:03:27 PM

^^ I hate those people so much

11/5/2012 12:03:39 PM

I don't get people like that. Property values will rise, you will have more businesses within walking distance of your home (drug store, restaurants, etc) and the neighborhood will be safer with more residents and businesses.

11/5/2012 2:43:45 PM

^N.I.M.B.Y.S they exist anywhere and everywhere when it comes to commercial or dense residential construction, power, transit, trash, etc.

They might like it, but just put it somewhere else. They refuse to see any positive benefit and only see the negatives associated with their personal anti growth, I always want my home/neighborhood to stay the same mentality.

11/5/2012 3:17:44 PM

False alarm.

PB's is still standing. The building between it and Katmandu is gone.

11/5/2012 4:31:54 PM

^I think its been like that for a while.

11/5/2012 4:51:23 PM

That is where The Brewery was.

11/6/2012 12:04:27 AM

The Brewery, Cantina, former Gumby's building, and small yellow house have been gone for quite a while. As I understand it, the former Milano's/Time Out, Katmandu Lounge, and the PB's/Capitol Comics buildings are all scheduled to go as well, but it depends on when they want to break ground for the buildings going up in their place.

11/6/2012 10:17:26 AM

http://www.wral.com/hillsborough-street-bridge-to-be-removed-in-west-raleigh/11748989/

11/8/2012 10:41:02 AM

There's nothing wrong with that bridge. Their goal is to shut down all vehicular traffic on Hillsborough St.

11/8/2012 12:44:24 PM

...except that it's 70 years old, not built to current design standards, and not constructed to handle the volume of traffic that it handles (there's a lot more traffic between cary and raleigh these days than there was 70 years ago)

11/8/2012 12:55:59 PM

in a very odd way I'll be sad to see that clusterfuck of an intersection go away

11/8/2012 1:00:38 PM

I don't feel like looking for its SR number, but its in here:
http://www.ncdot.gov/download/projects/ncbridges/StatewideBridges.xls

11/8/2012 1:06:16 PM

I'll bet it was an amazing intersection of the future in the 1940's. It still is impressive today.

11/8/2012 1:10:05 PM

^^^me too, I grew up in Cary in the early 80s, it still makes me think of going to the fair

[Edited on November 8, 2012 at 1:11 PM. Reason : ]

11/8/2012 1:10:44 PM

it makes me think of the countless games/birthday parties held at Soccer Dome in the early/mid 90's

11/8/2012 1:18:54 PM

I think they should tear down the Dorton Arena and install a two-lane roundabout.

BETTER YET!!!

Make the roof of the Dorton Arena a roundabout! Imagine it, go up one ramp and down the other. At least the stupid drivers that can't figure it out will fall to their deaths.

[Edited on November 8, 2012 at 1:21 PM. Reason : .]

11/8/2012 1:20:08 PM

Since we were discussing light rail in the downtown Raleigh thread, I think the redesign of this intersection and the improved pedestrian accommodations are likely part of a long-term plan incorporating the light rail station that is planned there. The future of that immediate area (which is currently industrial and strip retail) is probably more mixed-use, transit-oriented development similar to what you see along South Boulevard in Charlotte. The freeway-style flyover would be very out of place in that context.

11/8/2012 1:20:31 PM

I can't wait until the bums can travel easily from downtown Raleigh to Cary.

11/8/2012 1:23:03 PM

I assume you're joking, but since there are people who think transit investments like light rail have no purpose other than to provide the homeless with a way to to get around, light rail in virtually all cases captures a higher income rider base than roadway modes. Its primary base is peak hour commuters.

11/8/2012 1:47:16 PM

I'll believe it when I smell it.

Just recently a Raleigh shopping center almost got away with lobbying the city council to allow them to NOT have a bus stop constructed nearby. Public transportation is the first step to urban decay.

[Edited on November 8, 2012 at 1:55 PM. Reason : .]

11/8/2012 1:48:35 PM