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History of the Street The historic Hillsborough Street corridor was first established in 1792 as part of the original design for the State's Capital City in Raleigh. Senator and Surveyor William Christmas focused a grid format design for the City on the State Capitol building in downtown Raleigh. Hillsborough, Fayetteville, New Bern and Halifax were designated as the four main streets radiating outward to the west, south, east and north from Capital Square. These streets were named for the historic capitals and important cities to which they are directed.
Today, Hillsborough Street remains as the only thoroughfare functioning in it's original uninterrupted design outward from the Capitol. Hillsborough Street serves as a significant community corridor bordering a broad range of business, University and neighborhood uses. Most know Hillsborough Street as a front door to Saint Mary's, North Carolina State University, and Meredith College. Some of the most cherished memories follow major sports victories by Wolfpack teams, with holiday parades and celebrations along the Hillsborough Street corridor eastward to the State Capitol.
The Vision At the heart of the plan is changing the street itself from a four lane, congested street, to a two-lane avenue moving vehicular and pedestrian traffic more safely and efficiently. Roundabouts are used to create attractive gateways and vistas, minimize speeds, reduce the problem of left turns (where most traffic accidents occur), simplify pedestrian crossings and keep traffic flowing gently along the street. A number of other design features complement the planned regional rail stop on NC State’s campus and provide a foundation for the redevelopment of the area. See the complete report for more information.
Roundabouts
What is a roundabout?
Often confused with a traffic circle, modern roundabouts are smaller and safer. While Americans were investing in traffic signal technology the last 4 decades, Europeans and Australians perfected the modern roundabout. The size of existing intersections would shrink and motorists approaching the roundabout would yield to vehicles already circulating around a landscaped island in the center. Vehicles entering, circulating and exiting the roundabout would nearly all travel at a uniform 15 to 25 mph - significantly slower than the posted 35 mph speed limit on Hillsborough Street now.
Is a roundabout safe? Studies of over 11 intersections around the U.S. where traffic signals have been replaced with roundabouts show a reduction in crashes. More importantly, the frequency of severe crashes involving injuries and fatalities is significantly reduced, since vehicles travel slower and the angle of vehicles as they merge and diverge is more conducive to sideswipes and fender bender type crashes. Signalized and unsignalized intersections tend to realize more T-bone and head-on type crashes.
How would pedestrians cross the street at a roundabout? Pedestrians are prohibited from crossing to the central island. Instead, pedestrians cross at a "splitter island" constructed on each approach to the intersection (near the location where vehicles see a YIELD sign. This treatment provides for a shorter time during which pedestrians are exposed to moving traffic and it provides for a wide refuge area in the middle of the street so that pedestrians cross one direction of traffic at a time. The study will consider the special needs of pedestrians who physically challenged such as people with low vision or in a wheelchair. One option is to maintain a signalized crossing that would be activated only by pedestrians.
Where would bicyclists ride? The study will consider the needs of bicyclists in the corridor. An option being considered is to allow bicyclists their choice of riding through the roundabout under the legal definition of a vehicle, according to North Carolina law, or riding on the sidewalk instead.
Would roundabouts be built big enough for trucks and buses?
Bus service along Hillsborough Street serves thousands of riders each day. The roundabouts would be built to accommodate buses operated by the Triangle Transit Authority, Capital Area Transit, and NC State Wolfline service. Similarly, trucks making local deliveries to businesses, homeowners, and NC State University must be maintained. The study will consider whether or not to accommodate the very largest trucks, those with a wheelbase exceeding 50 feet.
Who will decide whether or not to construct the roundabouts? Once the Phase I study report has been submitted to all of the sponsoring partners, the Raleigh City Council will consider whether or not to pursue a more detailed Phase II study that would identify construction costs and right-of-way requirements. Following Phase II, the City Council may choose to fund all or a portion of the project.
Is Hillsborough Street the right place to put roundabouts? Roundabouts are not new to Raleigh - there are a growing number of
minor streets and interior private development roadways that have roundabouts now. The feasibility study will determine the advantages and disadvantages of roundabouts on such an important thoroughfare as Hillsborough Street.
The objective is not necessarily to build roundabouts, but to improve pedestrian safety and enhance the pedestrian character of the corridor. There are far too many crashes now that involve a pedestrian and a vehicle. A 1999 study team recommended narrowing Hillsborough Street to one travel lane in each direction instead of the two currently there. Experts told them the traffic would back up at every signalized intersection so the study team suggested that the traffic signals be removed. Fearing bottlenecks would be created every time someone tried to turn left, the study team drew from their experience in other states where roundabouts are a safe, attractive alternative to signalized intersections.
