Planners put pedestrian bridge on wish list for Western Boulevard

Raleigh, N.C. — Western Boulevard is a major headache for North Carolina State University students trying to cross it at Avent Ferry Road.

Now, campus officials are asking state transportation planners to consider building a pedestrian bridge or tunnel across the corridor, which bisects the campus, housing and shopping.

“I think a lot of people don't realize they're supposed to yield to the pedestrians,” N.C. State senior Parker Johnson said. “Sometimes it's quite scary.”

The busy intersection is complex for both pedestrians and motorists. Once those on foot get the “walk” signal, they must cross two through-lanes and a couple of turn lanes. Then they typically wait at a traffic island in the center of Western Boulevard, hit a button and wait for the signal to cross the other half of the road.

“It’s a lot of lanes to cross,” Johnson said. “Standing there in the middle, sometimes traffic's coming by at 55 mph.”

Brian O’Sullivan, transportation planner for the university, said a tunnel or pedestrian bridge could be a safe solution.

“It’s a busy place, and I don't see it ever changing,” O’Sullivan said. “As Centennial Campus grows, as apartment units grow down at the Avent Ferry complex, there's going to be a lot more movement of people.”

Many students said they would welcome anything that would make the trip across Western Boulevard less dicey.

“I think it's a great idea,” senior Brittany Anstead said. “It would make me feel more comfortable. If it would make me feel more comfortable, it would probably make other students (as well).”

O'Sullivan says planners are studying many possibilities as part of an overall look at Western Boulevard between Pullen Park Drive and Gorman Street. Learn more about the project online.

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Latest Comments

Ilovedowntownraleigh, stop it with the whiny unequal liberal childishness. If there were a bridge put up in southern Raleigh, the planners, you and I all know what would happen. It would get tagged DAILY, people who don't work would cross it to get their smokes and groceries with ebt cards we pay for and most certainly be a drug trafficking highway, I've had people buy NON food stuff with them all the time. If south raleigh wants more money and services they need to stop throwing trash everywhere, they possess trash cans just like north Raleigh. I've seen lazy good for nothings throw trash on the ground within feet of a trash can that wasn't full yet out of pure entitled laziness. BTW it's named SOUTH Saunders st., They named it SOUTH Saunders st because it was SOUTH of Raleigh not because it's direction. There is NO NORTH Saunders st. Both directions are called SOUTH Saunders st. Consult a map.

chrisnrali
November 15, 2012 9:27 a.m.

Unless Google Maps is wrong, neither road is carrying a state highway at that point so this seems to be a local issue rather than a state one.

mattcli
November 14, 2012 7:58 p.m.

Save the $$$$...use brains....set the lights up like they do in "smart" cities - RED lights in all directions (NO turns allowed when RED) and crosswalks GREEN at the same time (including diagonal crosswalk)....very successful, efficient and the $$ can be used on something really needed. tired2

great idea!

Pepe Silvia
November 14, 2012 4:34 p.m.

A complicated crossing no doubt - but according to the article, they at least have crosswalks and walk-don't walk signals.

Over here in south Raleigh, we have 2 miles of 9-lane traffic, on a road called Saunders and Wilmington, and you can be sure that 55 mph is common. What we don't have is a single crosswalk ANYWHERE on Saunders-Wilmington/401 from I-40 south to Garner, Clayton, or Fuquay-Varina. So you can imagine how I feel when I read about skybridges at Crabtree, and pedestrian bridges over Western. I see unequal distribution of funds, and heavily populated areas without even sidewalks or crosswalks, all in a city with a pedestrian-friendly rating of 36 out of 50 large American cities.