STEELE CREEK NEWS

City Decision: No Traffic Signal at Shopton Road West and Steele Creek Roads

November 17th Public Meeting Summary

A well-attended open house was conducted on November 17th at the Masonic Lodge to introduce four concept alternatives for the Dixie River Road Realignment Project and seek public input to help identify a preferred alternative. Below is a brief summary of some of the common comments we received:

• Preference for one alternative over another varied; however, the two T-intersection alternatives seemed to be supported by many people.
  

• Individual property impacts were a concern expressed by many.
  
• Based on concerns regarding current safety and congestion at
  the intersection of Steele Creek Road at Shopton Road West improvements are needed now.
  
• Residential developments in the area are being constructed at a faster rate than the roadways necessary to accommodate the increased traffic.

Response to Request for Interim Traffic Signal

The planning and design of the Dixie River Road Realignment
Project includes the assumption that a traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of Steele Creek Road and Shopton Road West. During the recent open house, several citizens reiterated their strong interest that a traffic signal be installed as soon as possible, citing safety as a major concern.

After the public meeting, staff from the Charlotte Department of Transportation assembled accident reports for the Steele Creek Road/Shopton Road West intersection over the past five years. This data indicated:

• There were 46 accidents recorded over the past five years.
  

• Eight were considered correctable with a traffic signal.
  
• Other accidents are related to the roadway geometry, including the sharp curve of Steele Creek Road and the intersecting angle with Shopton Road West.
• This intersection is not on the City of Charlotte's 2005 High Accident Location List.
  

Installing traffic signals affects traffic movement and accidents. For traffic movement, a signal without the planned improvements would reduce delay and help traffic on Shopton Road, but would increase delay on Steele Creek Road. With regard to accidents, installing traffic signals has the effect of reducing certain types of collisions while increasing others. Adding a traffic signal would likely increase the total number of collisions. For an interim traffic signal to operate safely and efficiently, a left-turn lane would need to be constructed
along Steele Creek Road. This would require a lengthy design and construction process, which is the same process we are following for the permanent intersection improvements.

So is the City saying the intersection is safe and does not need a signal? Help me understand. . .

• This intersection needs improvements. Fortunately, there is funding approved and a project underway to plan and construct those improvements.
  

• Some aspects of the existing intersection's operation would benefit from a signal, but without careful planning and design, a hastily installed traffic signal could increase the number (and severity) of accidents.
  
• It is not possible to safely and efficiently add a traffic signal to the existing intersection without some amount of roadway reconstruction. Due to the time required to make these roadway improvements, it is not likely the installation of an interim traffic signal would be completed substantially before the start of the permanent signal project's construction.
  
• Steele Creek Road is a state-owned and -maintained roadway. The City and NCDOT generally work closely together, but NCDOT has the final responsibility for approving a new traffic signal at this location. Based on discussions to date and a summary of this information, it does not appear either agency can recommend a signal at this location without the necessary project intersection improvements.