Port City planning to make roads safer for walkers, bikers

Noelle Milam lives in Wilmington's Forest Hills neighborhood, within a mile of a coffee shop, a grocery store, the mall and Empie Park's dog park.

But because of a lack of crosswalks on major roads that surround her neighborhood - specifically Market Street, Oleander Drive and Independence Boulevard - she and her family feel effectively trapped, unable to safely get to those destinations without piling in a sport utility vehicle.

The 36-year-old would like to ride bicycles to the park with her four kids, ages 2 to 11, but she doesn't feel safe doing so.

About six years ago, Milam moved to the Port City from Charlottesville, Va., which she considers a pedestrian-friendly city.

With high gas prices, traffic congestion and rampant obesity, she wonders why more thought didn't go into planning walking and biking routes in Wilmington.

"This is just one of those issues that seems to be a no-brainer," she said.

This week, with the help of Washington, D.C.-based Toole Design Group, the city is embarking on its first-ever "comprehensive pedestrian plan" with the hope of making Wilmington safer and more convenient for walkers and joggers.

"We've been getting a lot of calls about pedestrian safety and a lot of concern about pedestrian friendliness of the city," said Joshuah Mello, associate transportation planner with the city of Wilmington and the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization.

For the year beginning Nov. 1, 2006, at least 38 pedestrians were struck by vehicles in the Port City, according to state crash data. Of those, six pedestrians were either killed or severely injured.

The goal of the $65,000 study, expected to be adopted by the city council late this year or early in 2009, is to create a plan that "doesn't sit on the shelf" and is implemented through policy changes and cost-effective infrastructure enhancements, Mello said. Wilmington received a $39,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Transportation's Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation, and the city is contributing $26,000 for the study.

It will analyze current pedestrian conditions, examine city policies and regulations regarding pedestrians and provide recommendations and cost estimates for new sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian countdown signals, refuge islands and other pedestrian aids.

A kickoff meeting will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Room of the Northeast Branch of the New Hanover County Library, 1241 Military Cutoff Road. Residents are welcome.

John Vine-Hodge, a transportation planner for the Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation, said the state has spent about $400,000 a year for four years on pedestrian and bicycle plans across the state. The process will include two or three opportunities for residents to make comments, as well as an online survey for residents to share their opinions about walking in the city.

For years, downtown residents have complained about the lack of crosswalks along Third Street. More recently, with the construction of the multi-use path near Mayfaire, the city is starting to hear about the dangers of crossing Military Cutoff between Mayfaire and the path.

Residents elsewhere, such as Milam, hope for improvements in their neighborhoods as well. Her children - Mary Grace, 11; Caroline, 9; Jeb, 8; and Wilson, 2 - enjoy playing tennis, swinging on the swings and playing together at Empie Park. They go there about twice a month, they said, but always by car. Jeb suggested a button he could push to get across Independence Boulevard safely.

His older sister agreed.

"It would be a lot easier for a lot of people," Mary Grace said. "It's so busy, it's dangerous."

Patrick Gannon: 343-2328

patrick.gannon@starnewsonline.com