DOT presents downtown traffic study; recommends sidewalk widening, one-way street pairs and short-term curb buffers

The North Carolina Department of Transportation presented a downtown transportation study to the Town of Smithfield Council on May 6, saying crash history and pedestrian safety — not roadway capacity — were the primary problems identified for Market Street and adjacent blocks.

DOT deputy division engineer Sam Lawhorn said the downtown corridor’s crash record was the main concern and that “the downtown section is 3 and a half times what we consider the critical rate,” based on five years of reported crash data. DOT staff told the council the study found 514 reported crashes over five years, with more than half involving parked-vehicle strikes or sideswipes.

DOT offered two engineering alternatives: keep on-street parking on one side (which would yield narrow lanes and keep parked vehicles next to sidewalks) or remove on-street parking and widen sidewalks by moving the curbline. DOT staff said the latter is higher cost because it requires relocating drainage and utilities, but it would produce wider, 11-foot travel lanes and improve pedestrian buffers. As an interim, lower-cost measure DOT proposed installing temporary curb elements or flexible curb extensions to create a protected buffer while planning a permanent sidewalk widening and landscaping project.

DOT division engineer Andy Brown said angled parking on short side streets and a limited, targeted one-way pair on side streets could recover closer-in “premium” parking for customers while providing refuges for pedestrians. Brown showed a preliminary sketch that would convert a short stretch of Market Street approach to a one-way pair and add a raised median/island near the courthouse to slow incoming traffic and provide a pedestrian refuge.

Council members and residents pressed DOT on trade-offs. Several council members said they were reluctant to remove on-street parking in front of downtown businesses and warned that reducing curbside spaces could harm downtown foot traffic. Councilman Scott and others questioned whether the study accounted for special-event parking (for example Ham and Yam) and noted the DOT parking counts used routine days; DOT confirmed event days were excluded. Council members voiced concern that narrowing lanes could put pedestrians closer to large trucks and mirrors overhanging sidewalks.

DOT staff acknowledged community concerns and said any conversion of side streets to one-way would be a town decision for town-maintained roads; DOT offered to pursue federal funding for Market Street improvements — including striping, signal timing and islands — if the town supported the one-way package. DOT stated a funding submission could be made in June; if funded, implementation would take about 12 months. Brown estimated construction for the one-way pair elements and Market Street work at roughly $400,000 in DOT’s preliminary estimate, while noting full curb-line reconstruction would cost more.

Council members suggested other design ideas — alternating parking blocks, pedestrian head-start signal timing, and retrofit islands on approaches — and asked DOT to study them further. DOT said retiming the signals and adding a “pedestrian lead” phase could shorten crossing exposure and that curb flares at marked crosswalks would increase pedestrian visibility where parked cars now block sightlines.

DOT officials closed by asking whether the council wanted the state to include the town’s preferences in a funding request. Multiple council members asked for more local analysis and time to weigh parking impacts and business concerns before endorsing a one-way conversion.

Short-term direction: DOT and town staff agreed to continue local discussion, refine options (including temporary curb buffers and signal timing changes) and evaluate whether the town would support DOT’s federal funding application. DOT asked for a prompt council position because of the June funding window.