Pittsboro, NC – ”PEDESTRIAN INCIDENT ON HILLSBORO STREET” was the headline. Pittsboro Government calls a man’s death an “incident” in a Chatham Chatlist post last Tuesday.
Golly gee whiz that sure seems it would softens the shock of realizing a man was hit and killed by a car on treacherous Hillsboro street. One or two cars have been known to exceed the speed limit there. And it is so far away from the life threatening challenges of our Pittsboro dangerous traffic circle. That word “incident” falls so much softer on the ear. Never mind that a person is dead.
The “incident” reported here on the Chatham Chatlist this past Tuesday (Chatlist #8170) by the Town of Pittsboro, went on to give details and sympathies for his family. I’m sure it is far more than an “incident” to those who knew and loved him. Seems there are no signs forbidding pedestrians in that area. The deceased person’s name, according to reports is Christopher Burns.
CHRISTOPHER BURNS WAS KILLED ON HYWAY 15-501 HILLSBORO STREET IN THE TOWN OF PITTSBORO NORTH CAROLINA. IT WAS NOT AN “INCIDENT.“ A MAN WAS HIT AND KILLED ON HILLSBORO STREET. I’m saying it out loud.
That highway, 15-501 from Park Drive (area of fatal accident) all the way out to Lowe’s Home improvement is treacherous. Cars have been known to exceed the speed limit. Don’t recall any signs “Don’t Walk Here” or “Watch for Pedestrians.” Especially dangerous is the southbound lane leading from Lowe’s Home Improvement area to Pittsboro proper. The concrete portions of the highway have deep side drop offs and the lane seems very narrow.. .
Gee, I’m wondering. Is the Town of Pittsboro now busy making new ordinance signs “No Pedestrians Allowed,’ ‘No Foot Traffic,” or “Motor vehicles only” for that area?
With all the improvements to traffic flow in Pittsboro, it still is an absolute headache to drive there. “Main street” is just awful. Today traffic was backed up south of the stop light, to the traffic circle, stopping that traffic altogether. It is happening all too frequently these days. There used to be backstreets to take and duck traffic; not so any more. These streets are now crowded too.
For more than fifty years, it seems, from the courthouse east, there is a dreadful bump in east bound traffic lane just west of West Street and Fayetteville street. It is a bump. It is a repaired bump of a repaired bump. Bumpier after every bumpy repair.
On west street (highway 64) in front of the old school, the highway is dreadful; unbecoming to a town that is supposed to be user friendly. My visits will be fewer and fewer in the future. I grew old and Pittsboro just can’t and won’t supply enough emotion and helpful band aids.
Futuristic thinking for the town of Pittsboro – maybe they should include plans to elevate the entire old courthouse circle twenty feet into the air, install a simple four way crossroad underneath with an old fashioned traffic/stop light. Pedestrians could rent giant stilts to step over stalled and snarled traffic.