Buck Jones residents willing to give to get

Although some property owners may give up ground when Buck Jones is widened to three lanes, most at the meeting Monday were pleased with the trade-offs.

"I like it, I like it," said Lawrence Bell. He often walks along Buck Jones Road to the grocery store and said the promise of a sidewalk swayed him.

"There have been some accidents out here – most notably a pedestrian fatality out here a few years ago – so one of the things this will create is an environment where folks are able to walk up and down the street," said Eric Lamb, of Raleigh's Public Works Department.

Bell's neighbor, Amin Asfari, agreed. "It hasn't come soon enough to be honest with you, in terms of the sidewalks," he said.

"I notice that it is going to take quite a chunk of my land. I don't know how much the compensation is going to be and of course the environmental impact," Asfari said.

The expansion may not begin until the economic tide turns. The city only has enough funding for the design phase. Lamb said construction and completion may have to wait until the next transportation bond passes.

Until then, the city will continue listening to the requests and concerns of those who live nearby.