Keep Chapel Hill Moving: Safe Detours Needed for Trails and Sidepaths
Tropical Storm Chantal left a mark on Chapel Hill, flooding homes, disrupting businesses, and damaging the infrastructure we depend on every day. Among the hardest hit transportation infrastructure was our biking and walking connections: large sections of the Bolin Creek Trail, Morgan Creek Trail, and the Fordham sidepath are closed, with repairs expected to take anywhere from 6 to 18 months.
For many residents, these paths and sidewalks are essential routes to school, work, errands, and community life. With closures stretching into the better part of a year, we should ensure that safe, accessible alternatives are in place.
Practical, Low-Cost Next Steps
Shift CHC is calling on the Town of Chapel Hill and NCDOT to act quickly with simple, proven solutions that can be deployed while long-term repairs are underway. These short-term fixes are a chance to test approaches the Town has already discussed, giving us real-world lessons for future projects:
Example of a quick build with barriers
Safe detours with basic protections.
We recommend temporarily reallocating one lane on Franklin, MLK, and S Estes to create barriers for a temporary 2-way bike path, facilitating connections to downtown, University Place, Chapel Hill Library, and the housing along MLK. Alternatively, removal of the grass strip between the sidewalk and road with crush and run gravel.
On Fordham Blvd, use barriers and crush and run gravel to reallocate a shoulder where the Rainbow Soccer path is closed to create a key connection from SE Chapel Hill to the NE.
On Estes between Franklin and Caswell, clearing the sidewalk of debris, and cutting back the bushes and trees.
Finally, adding temporary curb ramps and signage ensures compliance with ADA standards, and clear signage will be needed throughout to ensure all road users are aware of the detours and bike/walk movement. Full map with details here.Clear, accessible communication. Detour maps and timeline updates, posted online and at closure points, make it easier for residents to adapt.
Why This Matters
Without safe alternatives, residents are left with difficult choices: walking or biking along high-speed roads, paying for driving or ride-hailing, or spending extra time on indirect transit routes. By contrast, a few well-placed detours could allow people to safely keep walking or biking.
These trails aren’t luxuries; they’re part of the backbone of a connected, equitable, and climate-friendly Chapel Hill. Ensuring people can still move safely during repairs protects both residents’ mobility and the Town’s long-term vision.
A Collaborative Opportunity
This storm is more than a setback; it’s an opportunity to demonstrate what Chapel Hill stands for. By prioritizing quick, cost-effective detours, we can:
Keep people moving safely
Reduce pressure on already congested roads
Show how creative, flexible solutions can serve our community
Have you been impacted?
Share your story about how these closures affect your daily life in the comments or directly on our Contact Us page.
Every voice helps show the Town and NCDOT that safe detours aren’t optional, they’re essential!
