Residents urge action on congested intersections; county outreach shows two redesign options for Old Charlotte/Hayes

John Early told the council he spends long hours driving Indian Trail roads and urged a temporary four‑way stop at the Gribble Road–South Fork–Indian Trail Road intersection because left‑turn traffic creates long delays and risky maneuvers. "I'm just asking you to please put a four‑way stop right there at that intersection temporarily," Early said during public comment, describing drivers cutting through adjacent streets to avoid long left‑turn waits.

Linda Avery, speaking during public comment, urged the council to design its planned bike‑safety and education program with pedestrian safety as the priority. She recommended that on narrow neighborhood sidewalks bikers dismount and walk around pedestrians, noting hazards including 4‑foot sidewalks, dogs on leashes and walkers who may not hear shouted warnings.

On Old Charlotte Highway at Hayes Road — an intersection selected by Union County for a safety program — Engineering Director Todd Huninger summarized the outreach done in February–March and a virtual public meeting (March 24). He said participation was low (six meeting attendees and 27 survey responses) but that survey respondents tended to favor Alternative Two (realignment to a conventional four‑way signal) because it appeared less confusing for both drivers and pedestrians. The county's crash‑reduction modeling projects roughly a 32% crash drop for either option. Huninger cited initial cost estimates (in present dollars) near $5 million for the signalized dual‑light option and about $6.5 million for the realignment option before contingencies and future‑year cost escalations; the town’s share depends heavily on grant match (examples discussed included an 80/20 federal/local split or a possible 50/50 split).

Council and staff noted jurisdictional limits on state‑owned roads (where Indian Trail may have less direct control) and discussed the tradeoffs of pursuing federal discretionary funds versus funding locally to accelerate construction and avoid future price escalation. Staff said they will return with a recommendation if the council wishes to pursue the fall call for CRTPO discretionary funding.

What happens next: staff will return with a recommended alternate and funding scenario for council consideration before the county moves the five‑intersection package to its board in June.