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Council renames small Chester Road stub to Pettiford Road to reduce driver confusion
Summary
A short stub of Chester Road near Oberlin was renamed Pettiford Road (effective April 1, 2025) after staff said the unusual four-legged intersection and driver confusion prompted the change; the name honors James Pettiford, a 19th-century free black landowner in the area.
Raleigh City Council adopted a street-name change on Feb. 18 renaming a short 75-foot stub of Chester Road between Chester and Oberlin roads to Pettiford Road, effective April 1, 2025.
Transportation staff said the small change reduces driver confusion at a newly configured intersection where drivers heading south on Chester Road were mistakenly continuing through onto a private street; signage and pavement marking efforts had not resolved the problem. The name honors James Pettiford, a historic free black landowner in the area, per a recommendation from the Raleigh Historic Commission.
Nut graf: Council approved the staff-initiated rename to make addressing and emergency response clearer and to provide an available street name for an adjacent private development that will address from the newly named street.
Staff noted no private addresses change as a result of the rename; the renamed segment has no existing addressed properties. Council accepted the transportation recommendation and adopted the resolution.
Ending: The change is scheduled to take effect April 1, 2025; staff will implement new signage and update mapping and emergency-response data.
