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Wake County Story



Cary Puts In Traffic Measures, Community Still Wants Traffic Light

Credit: AP Online

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CARY, N.C. -

A lot of attention is being given to Green Level to Durham Road and Cary Glen Boulevard in Cary, the site of a hit-and-run accident Monday that killed 16-year-old Kailee Birdsong.

Residents living nearby say they're fed up with wrecks there, and lament the fact that someone was killed.

Cary's engineering director told town council members the NCDOT owns Green Level to Durham Road, which means the town cannot install a traffic signal against the will of the NCDOT.

Town officials said Thursday they plan to conduct a traffic count study over the next two weeks to see if the intersection warrants a stoplight.

Some other the solutions offered tonight included a "super street" that would block the median so drivers could not drive straight across. Also suggested: blocking or rerouting traffic so they can't use the intersection at all.

Late Wednesday afternoon twin rows of traffic cones appeared on Cary Glen Boulevard, designed to keep cars from bunching up next to each other and blocking lines of sight.

Cary officials say it's the best they can do in the short term, to try to make the intersection with Green Level to Durham Road safer.

With federal guidelines, a traffic light isn't the answer for now.

"The sight-distance is actually very close to the standard -- just short of the standard," said Tim Bailey, Cary's director of engineering. "We just measured that today for one of the locations, and we're trying to understand it better."

In light of Monday's death, many residents don't buy that.

"I think it's preposterous," said Dawn Cross, who lives near the intersection.

She has started an online petition asking for a traffic light there; so far, it's gotten some 600 signatures.

Cross said the intersection may not have the right accident-count for a light, but guidelines don't count the un-reported incidents.

"Near misses where people just on foot trying to get across have almost been hit," said Cross. "We've been asking for this for well over a year."

On Thursday, supporters of the traffic light idea held a community walk at the Harris Teeter near the intersection where the hit-and-run happened.

Meanwhile, traffic investigators are still trying to track down the tan or beige van they say clipped the SUV that Kailee Birdsong was riding in.

They spent much of Wednesday handing out fliers asking people to come forward.

"We are getting some calls, and we encourage the public to continue to call to help us with our investigation," said Lt. Randall Rhyne.

So far, though, police have yet to get that big break they need.

Anyone with information should call (919) 469-4012.

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Keep up with the stories Chris Cowperthwaite is working on every day: http://twitter.com/CCowperthwaite.

Comments

  • By Bob on 06/25 07:59 AM

    I've sent email to the city years ago about cars flying through the intersection at 60-70 mph, right through the center of a neighborhood with lots of children. With the cars able to get up next to each other, block each other's sight, a confusing intersection to begin with, combined with limited sight distance and high rates of speed, you would have to be an idiot not to predict fatal accidents here. At least a 4-way stop sign would slow cross traffic down, or a 35 mph speed limit, and allow for some driver mistake. I don't see why this has to be a high speed throughway, despite comments from the city that it "has always been one"

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