News Flash

March 14, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TOWN OF NORTH WILKESBORO TO INSTALL SPEED HUMPS ON 6^th ST.

[NORTH WILKESBORO, NC, March 14, 2022] – Contractors for the Town of North Wilkesboro are scheduled to begin installation of three speed humps on 6^th St. on March 23^rd and 24^th, weather permitting. Motorists should expect road closures during installation.

Speed humps are being installed to slow traffic on 6^th St. hill after numerous observations of speeding by the street’s residents, and confirmed by the town’s data collection. Previous efforts to slow traffic through lane-narrowing and reconfiguration of the 6^th/Hinshaw/J St. intersection were unsuccessful.

Speed humps were chosen for 6^th St. after successful application on Finley Ave. “Our feedback from motorists and residents along Finley Avenue is that they worked, and the data we collected verified it,” said Town Manager Wilson Hooper. “And while no solution will please everyone, the feedback we received on speed humps from stakeholders is that they are the least objectionable option.”

“Therefore, we’ve decided to install them on 6^th St. to slow traffic there,” Hooper continued. “We hope that their presence will slow speeding motorist and provide some relief to 6^th St. residents. With that said, speed humps aren’t a textbook solution to the 6^th St. problem. Speed humps are typically placed mid-block. That’s challenging to do here because of the grade of the road and the presence of driveway entrances near the mid-block points. Instead, we’ll put one at the crest of the hill, and two just north of the intersections with E and F streets. They will be made with asphalt, with about a three-inch rise.”

In other traffic calming news, the Town has completed installation of three complete sets of speed humps on Finley Ave. These replace the two, single bumps that were along the stretch before. The new sets stretch the length of the roadway to prevent vehicles from driving around.

Also, the North Wilkesboro Police Department has stepped up traffic enforcement town-wide, issuing 456 traffic charges in January and February.

“The North Wilkesboro Police Department responded to 416 motor vehicle crashes last year, with 48 of them involving severe injuries,” Chief Rob Thornburg said. “One of our goals is to maintain safety for the town's citizens by reducing the number of motor vehicle crashes. Therefore, we have implemented a plan, contingent on staffing levels, to have more officers dedicated to enforcing traffic violations within the gird streets to slow motor vehicles down this summer to help reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes.”

In the months to come, North Wilkesboro staff will bring a traffic calming policy to the Board of Commissioners for consideration. This policy will set conditions for what streets are eligible for traffic calming measures, and outline the town’s evaluation and funding process.