From WCCB:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Relief is on the way for drivers in south Charlotte. City council voted Monday night to widen Rea Rd around the Stonecrest shopping center.
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“It’s busy. It’s stressful sometimes. You never know how long it’s going to take,” said Sadie Young.
Briana Moore works at Dolce Lusso Salon and Spa located inside Stone Crest shopping center.
“Honestly, getting to the bank which is 7 minutes down the road has taken me 30 minutes to get down the road sometimes. So, that’s a little bit insane to me,” explained Moore.
Moore says the terrible traffic causes clients to be late for appointments.
“I always tell people. Hey I have a lot of people stuck in traffic, so please be aware of that one coming to your appointments,” Moore said.
Charlotte City Council voted to allocate nearly $14,000,000 to add lanes on Rea Road stretching from 485 Outer Loop Ramp to Williams Pond Lane.
Nearly half of the money will come from a state grant Charlotte is eligible for because of the I-485 Express Lanes. The rest is city funding.
The project will also add left and right turn lanes at Piper Station and Ballantyne Commons Parkway.
Construction isn’t expected to begin until 2026.
RRNC Why It Matters to Us:
Charlotte City Council clearly understands the troublesome traffic situation in South Charlotte and along Rea Road in particular. The vote to spend $14 million is a poignant acknowledgment of Charlotte's planning failures in the past.
Adding an additional 4,000 motor vehicle movements from the Gillespie Rezoning Request alone is counterintuitive. Yet when combined with NCDOT's plans to "funnel" even more traffic from northern Union County on to Rea Road via both Providence Road and NC 84, and now you have the makings of an irreversible traffic planning error.
From the City of Charlotte:
This project will increase capacity along Rea Road by utilizing the right turn lane drops and median to develop an additional northbound and southbound through-lane along Rea Road between the ramps at I-485 and Williams Pond Lane.This project will also increase turn-lane capacity and improve the intersection at Piper Station Drive and Ballantyne Commons Parkway. Pedestrian safety and mobility will also be maintained by providing sidewalks on both sides of Rea Road. Other specific improvements include curb and gutter, accessible ramps and driveways.
In short, while this is good news for South Charlotte it doesn't address the obvious issue of far too much development in an area that has long been mismanaged by the city with regards to roads, infrastructure and housing.
1 comment:
Thank you for providing this additional context. While I support the Bald Eagles traffic is a larger concern and this area is not suitable for this type of high density development.
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