Pinehurst 2011: Some thoughts on Strickland’s road thoughts
We’re offering up kudos to Pinehurst village council candidate for actually listening to residents and offering up some thoughtful ideas:
A Pinehurst Village Council candidate is proposing a little road work that he says will improve safety and the quality of life for residents who live near N.C. 211.
John Strickland, one of five candidates vying for two seats on the council, has a three-prong plan that he has formulated thanks to input from residents.
Strickland proposes to eliminate access to N.C. 211 from McFarland Road and make the road a cul-de-sac; add sidewalks along Spring Lake Road in Village Acres; and create a small parking area on the Village Acres side of 15-501 near the entrance to No. 6 to allow easier access to the greenway trails.
Strickland said residents who live on?McFarland have indicated to him that because of the ongoing work to widen N.C. 211, people are increasingly using the street as a shortcut or cut-through to avoid delays caused by traffic congestion.
The additional sidewalks, Strickland said, would make it safer for residents to walk through Village Acres.
“There are a lot of roads that come off there (Spring Lake), and it is becoming increasingly more busy and less safe,” he said.
The parking lot would give residents in Village Acres who wanted to utilize the greenway trails safer access to the pathways without having to cross 15-501 on foot.
“These are some ideas that I think have some sway,” Strickland said. “And I think it shows the people of Pinehurst that I’m thinking through some of the residential safety issues.”
One concern we DO have about Strickland’s plan is the idea of cutting off access to NC 211. THAT seems like using a bazooka to kill a fly — in other words, an overreaction. The roadwork on NC 211 is a temporary inconvenience. Even without roadwork, it is getting tougher to get around town. Instead of making it harder to get around, village leaders should be looking for options that help alleviate traffic congestion on roads that pass through the village.
This proposal by Strickland brings back memories of former council member Lorraine Tweed’s proposal to ban children from being outside after sundown — in reaction to a complaint from one little old lady.
The other parts of Strickland’s proposal seem very reasonable. John Strickland is a very smart, very capable guy. If he makes it to the council, we hope he will re-orient his thinking more toward alleviating traffic issues in the village.
Brant, thanks for the coverage. Two points of clarification. First: the closing of McFarland Road which is a narrow, one block purely residential street on which many families with children live, will be permanent—not just for the duration of construction on Highway 211. McFarland Road is between Dundee and Page Roads, which are wider roads and much less residential, and those two roads can handle all the traffic that wants to divert off 211 before the traffic circle. Second, the parking area at Forest and 15-501 where the Greenway begins is meant to facilitate use of the Greenway by residents of Course #6, as well as Village Acres. This was not correctly explained by The Pilot in their initial report. Regards, John Strickland
John:
Thanks for writing. I realize the cul de sac would be permanent. I was talking about the road construction being temporary. Perhaps the traffic on McFarland will slack off when the road construction ends. Something has really got to be done about traffic congestion on Highways 5 and 211. I don’t think cutting off escape routes is going to help make it better.
I can empathize with those people on McFarland. I would hate to have a bunch of traffic flying by my house all day and all night. I think it is up to our elected leaders to help figure out how to get around town easier. Traffic at the circle from 7AM to 9AM and from 3PM to 5PM is tough.