AG 2002 12 16 (Regular) - Laserfiche WebLink

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TRANSPOR TA TION INTRODUC~ON Efficient management of the transportation systems are a vital aspect to all communities and can be a predominate factor in regard to the quality of life the community provides for its citizens. The efficiency of a road network is a very important issue in guiding residents safely throughout the community, as well as navigating visitors and commerce through the area. While vehicular traffic is an important aspect to a community's transportation system, additional efforts should be made to insure safe routes for the pedestrian and the cyclist. ROADS Current Status The Town of Mount Pleasant and the rest of the planning area have two primary transportation routes, NC Highway 49 connecting it to Harrisburg/Charlotte and Asbeboro and NC Highway 73 connecting the Town to Concord and Albemarle. Of the two routes, NC Highway 49 is the Town's major route. In addition, a very short segment of US Highway 52 runs through the northeast tip of Cabarrus County. All three of these highways are planned for improvement during the next ten to fifteen years. Highway 49 will be the first facility improved through the planning area. It is part of the North Carolina intra-state system and will be widened from two to four lanes. The second phase of the Highway 49 widening project will directly affect Mount Pleasant and result in a five-lane urban cross section through the Town. The project to widen Highway 52 is currently going through the environmental review stage. Various community meetings have been held and an initial report with various route options has been published. Planning for the widening of Highway 73 is only in a conceptual stage. No formal work regarding the design or final route of this facility has begun. The Town of Mount Pleasant has maintained a multi-modal transportation system throughout their community for many years through sidewalks as well as a road system network. The sidewalk system in Mount Pleasant is a welcoming feature to the Town and one that is a valuable asset to maintain and improve. Many of the roads in the planning area are very narrow and residents feel they are not safe for high traffic levels. Clearly, if public utilities are placed into areas outside of Mount Pleasant, road improvements will need to be made. Mount Pleasant and the Eastern Area Recommendation: When the planned improvements of Highways 49, 52 and 73 are completed the Eastern Planning Area will be more accessible for businesses and residents. While these improvements will bring many benefits they will also bring their own difficulties and challenges. These improvements may cause even more traffic congestion on existing roads, further delays at intersections, and potentially bring new development pressures. The Transportation Map (map 4) following this section displays the roads proposed beyond that of