Carrboro council weighs Weaver Street pedestrian plan after study shows mixed impacts on traffic and transit

Carrboro — The Town Council on Oct. 7 received a staff briefing and a technical capacity study for a proposed pedestrian-focused redesign of East Weaver Street that would close the street to through-vehicle traffic using removable bollards and a service lane for deliveries and emergency access.

Planner Duncan Dodson summarized the recommended “build-with-improvements” scenario, which pairs the closure with lane restripings and signal-timing changes intended to improve intersection throughput despite redirecting Weaver Street traffic onto nearby corridors. Dodson said the estimate for the streets-and-signal work exceeds the project’s adopted capital budget; the estimate does not include a future plaza or other long-term public-space construction.

The proposal drew sharply divided public comment. Ian Scott, who said he represents the Chamber for Greater Chapel Hill Carrboro and provides staff support to the Carrboro Business Alliance, told council that local businesses depend on vehicle access, deliveries and reliable ADA access and asked the town to collaborate further with businesses before proceeding. “We don’t think you should move forward with this proposal,” he said, urging traffic-calming and other measures instead.

Several downtown business owners and landlords raised operational concerns about deliveries, trash and parking logistics, and possible towing implications for adjacent private lots. Emily Croitzer of Carrboro Plumbing warned that supplier access problems would increase operating costs for small businesses.

Supporters of the project said it would create public space, improve pedestrian and cycling safety and boost downtown vibrancy. “When people are able to gather and enjoy being together in town, I think that’s what Carrboro is all about,” resident Graham Bashai said.

Transit and emergency services questions were central to the council’s deliberations. Chapel Hill Transit told staff it needs on-street maneuvering tests to confirm whether the F and CW routes can safely turn at the adjusted intersections; planner Dodson said the design provides space for bus movements but that driver behavior and vehicle queuing could still prevent some turns in practice. Police Chief Potter cautioned that tight geometry, short sight lines and vehicles stopped beyond stop bars could complicate large-vehicle turns and emergency response.

Council members requested several follow-up items rather than taking immediate action: targeted, neighborhood-based outreach (including north Carrboro), deeper logistics work with the business community and property owners about deliveries and towing policies, scenarios and costs for automatic versus manual bollards, and specific testing that would let Chapel Hill Transit evaluate route impacts. Several members recommended exploring a pilot that focuses on evenings or weekends to gauge pedestrian activity and business impacts, though staff cautioned that a weekend-only pilot would not capture benefits that depend on signal and restriping changes.

Mayor Barbara Mushi and councilors emphasized they want broad public buy-in before any hardware is installed. At the meeting’s close council directed staff, at the manager’s discretion, to report back with options for pilot testing, additional community engagement and clearer cost estimates for designs that include more robust bollard or access-control systems.

Duncan Dodson said the town will also return with updated queuing diagrams and cost estimates after further coordination with NC DOT and Chapel Hill Transit. No vote or final decision was taken; the item was presented as information only.