What is the Town planning for improvements to Estes Drive? Estes Drive cannot be widened according to the DOT. Chapel Hill voted for some changes to the MLK/Estes intersection when they adopted the Central West Plan back in 2014. Additional turning lanes and a multi-use bike path are intended to ease the congestion at this busy intersection.
If you listen carefully to Dan Jewell, representing the Aura developer, it sounds like the Texas developer, Trinsic, is going to solve the traffic problem on Estes Drive by bringing these improvements to Estes to mitigate traffic congestion. This is a Texas whopper.
Fact: Aura is proposing 650 parking spaces and adding 3000 more vehicle trips to Estes Drive a day.
Fact: the Town NC DOT and local residents taxes are funding these $4.5 million improvements. Landowners give permission for a contractor to build the bike lane according to the town plans.
Fact: According to the Traffic Impact Analysis, the Estes/MLK intersection turning lane improvements do reduce congestion but Aura traffic would undo the improvements by adding additional traffic. And that does not factor in five nearby projects that will also add traffic to Estes Drive!
These facts explain why the Town needs to follow the Central West Plan. Estes Neighbors is calling for the Town Council to reject Aura until the Town has sorted out the interests of neighboring property owners and has a workable traffic plan that meets the capacity of Estes Drive.
