Those Hillsborough Street bikes lanes? They’re on again — maybe. The Raleigh City Council voted unanimously today to go ahead with them IF the state DOT approves. (Hillsborough Street = Route 54 = State Road.)
See our February story on the issue here. The city has a release out on what happened today and what’s next:
CITY COUNCIL GIVES CONDITIONAL ENDORSEMENT TO BICYCLE LANES FOR HILLSBOROUGH STREET
The City of Raleigh will ask the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to consider installing bicycle lanes along Hillsborough Street. The City Council voted unanimously today to authorize City staff to approach NCDOT about the proposal. Because Hillsborough Street is a State-maintained road, NCDOT would need to approve changes in road striping for the bicycle lanes.
The bicycle lanes would be installed on Hillsborough Street from Enterprise Street to Gardner Street. The cost to add the bicycle lanes would be $40,000. Council members endorsed striping the bicycle lanes on the condition that it not interfere with construction and completion of the ongoing Hillsborough Street Roundabouts Project-Phase I. The council also stipulated that the bicycle lanes be paid for with any funds remaining in the budget for the $9.92 million street improvement project after the work is complete.
Furthermore, the City Council authorized a public hearing on a proposal to revise the bicycle component of the City’s Comprehensive Plan to be consistent with the bicycle lane recommendations for Hillsborough Street. The public hearing will be held on July 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the council chamber at the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex, 222 W. Hargett St.
The Hillsborough Street Roundabouts Project-Phase 1 is scheduled to be complete by September. The project will convert Hillsborough Street to a two-lane, median-divided facility with on-street parking on both sides, a seven-foot wide raised median, curb extensions at the intersections and mid-block crosswalks, and several pedestrian signals. Two roundabouts are being constructed, at Hillsborough Street and Pullen Road and at Oberlin Road and Pullen Road Extension/Groveland Avenue. The project also includes replacing water and sewer utilities, replacing the existing concrete and brick sidewalks, putting overhead utilities underground, adding infrastructure to accommodate possible future charging stations for electric plug-in vehicles, and installing LED street and pedestrian lighting.
Also today, the City Council approved the following recommendations from the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation:
• Install parking pay stations along Hillsborough Street that accept credit card and cash. The pay stations will replace existing parking meters;
• Increase to two hours the maximum time limit for on-street parking on Hillsborough Street from Oberlin Road to Gardner Street Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and,
• Allow free parking with no time limits on Hillsborough Street from Oberlin Road to Gardner Street from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday and from 5 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Monday.