GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Greensboro leaders are pushing for input on how to make the area of the Lawndale Drive, Battleground Avenue and Westover Terrace corridor better for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.
Community members shared what they want to see done and why things need to change at a meeting Monday evening. Some people said the intersection is confusing, and there are drivers who don’t know which way to go. Others said there’s too much congestion. Many are worried about how many crashes they’ve seen in the area.
“A week doesn’t go by that there’s not an accident, sometimes significant,” said Dan Basinger, who owns All About Awards off Lawndale Drive.
In the 13 years Basinger has had his shop, he’s seen a lot of crashes and heard a lot of complaints.
“Fairly often, they ask ‘is another way to get out of the shopping center and get across?'” he said. “We do hear those concerns, and certainly the accidents that occur are unfortunately loud, and they get people’s attention.”
Dozens of business owners and community members came to offer suggestions at a meeting Monday evening hosted by the Greensboro Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Leaders want input on the future reconfiguration of the Battleground Avenue, Lawndale Drive and Westover Terrace corridor. They set up different stations at Guilford Park Presbyterian Church where people could learn more about the roads and hear from engineers working to improve them.
Community members had the opportunity to share the spots they think are most dangerous.
“Off of Battleground/Cornwallis, I was riding my bike to the grocery store, and somebody ran a red light and just clocked me,” said Megan Damico, who cycles frequently in the area.
Damico worries someone else could get hurt in the area. Engineers have identified two other intersections where they’re seeing issues.
“At the top is Cornwallis, which I think a lot of people know,” said Lydia McIntyre, Greensboro’s senior transportation planning engineer. “Cornwallis is one that’s difficult. That means we’ve got a lot of crashes there. That’s Cornwallis at Lawndale. Then we also look here at Pembroke at the corridor is another one we look at.”
People who travel the area often have their own ideas on how to make those intersections safer for everyone.
“Overpasses, tunnels, rerouting traffic to get pedestrians away from traffic bollards that are those cement blocks that physically protect pedestrians and cyclists,” Damico said.
Basinger travels the roads several times per day and has a solution in mind.
“I think consideration should be given to eliminating the left turns through both of those intersections,” he said.
It will stay open until April 28. So far, the city has gotten more than 150 responses.
It’s important to note, this project is in the very early stages. The city has applied for funding. If it’s approved, crews would start the design process in 2025, and construction wouldn’t begin until at least 2032.
