On January 4, 2010, Raleigh City Council approved both a short-term fix and a long-term solution to the continuing safety problems on Tryon Road, near Raleigh Golf Association (RGA). The short-term fix involves decreasing the speed limit between the bridge and South Wilmington Street to 35 MPH. The council also approved creating channelization, which would realign existing travel lanes, in that same area.
Tryon Road Project
The long-term solution involves partnering with the North Carolina Department Transportation (NCDOT) and replacing the structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridge, as well as completing the realignment of Tryon Road through the Renaissance Park neighborhood—removing the curve between the bridge and Junction Blvd. that has been unfortunately named the “Garner Death Curve.”
More info: Raleigh City Council Votes To Move Ahead With Tryon Rd. Improvements [NBC 17]
So we won, what now?
First let’s take a moment to reflect on the elements that created success in this endeavor. The driving force behind this came out of a South West CAC planning meeting when Tryon Road was identified as one of the top priorities for the group in December 2009. Other neighborhood associations had seen it as a priority, but this was the first time a civic body made it a top agenda item.
From here, several meetings were held and a lot of research was done–the project was more complicated than it initially appeared. We are very grateful for the patience of several elected and public officials that took the time to sit down with us and explain who was responsible for what, and ultimately, what would need to happen to see the project move forward.
Without spending a lot of time naming names and running the risk of leaving someone important out, it is very safe to say that south west Raleigh is currently very well represented at both the city and the state level. The grassroots effort behind this initiative was equally impressive. There has been great turnout of support at council and committee meetings. Enough emails have been sent to the point where Renaissance Park was mentioned by a counselor, specifically in the discussion of passing the long-term solution for the road.
We also greatly benefited from positive media exposure. For all of us involved and concerned, this is a huge win and for everyone that helped play a part. We send out a huge debt of gratitude. Without all of you, we wouldn’t have been able to celebrate this victory.
What are the next steps?
This is a huge win for the entire South West Raleigh area, but in many ways, just a small step towards a much larger goal. We still have a lot of issues we can work on together as a community to increase the quality of life for everyone. This exercise, while critically important for our safety as we travel, also showed us an important lesson—working together and collaborating can accomplish a lot.
We’ve built a bridge (figuratively) that will hopefully start a push towards an improved south west gateway for Raleigh—where safer travel means better opportunity for everyone.
Like this and want to see more?
A win builds momentum and if you want to be a part—big or small—of the next victory, locate your Citiznes Advisory Council (CAC) in the south west Raleigh area and go to their next meeting. Your involvement and talent can make a difference.
The Citizens Advisory Councils are open to everyone and every Raleigh resident over the age of 18 is already considered a voting member. You can find your meeting location by calling the Community Services Department at 919-996-6100.