2023 FHA Quarterly FHA Speed Monitor Traffic Reports

 

FHA Weathersfield 4th Quarter 2023 Speed & Traffic Report Tables

Elevating Safety: Speed Monitors Enhance Security for Drivers, Pedestrians, and Cyclists in Fearrington Village

New Solar Powered Monitor Deployed on Weathersfield

We have implemented two solar-powered speed monitoring devices to enhance driver awareness of their current speed and ensure a safe environment for everyone. Our objective is to promote adherence to the village-wide 25 mph speed limit set by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). These monitors are diligently maintained by Gene Rogers, a dedicated volunteer.

The more recent unit (installed in late April 2022) is greatly improved in terms of technology based on long-lasting solar battery life. It conveys data (including photos of speeding vehicles) immediately to an online traffic monitoring site that analyzes the traffic speed information of each passing vehicle and presents it in sophisticated customizable useable forms for the committee and FHA board to share with the community. 

We will be posting informative village speed and traffic data reports for each annual quarter. The reports for the 2023 1st and 2nd annual quarter are posted above. The 3rd quarterly report will also be posted here in September.

For a comprehensive understanding of how factors like vehicle speeds, pedestrian age, driver responses, and vehicle design contribute to pedestrian injuries caused by collisions, we recommend watching this short video.

It’s crucial to note that at 20 mph, there is a 95% chance of surviving a collision with a car. However, at 30 mph, those odds drop to 55%, meaning there is an almost equal chance of survival. At speeds of 40 mph, the probability of survival is virtually non-existent at just 5%.

March 07, 2024 Update on Weathersfield 15/501 Intersection

NCDOT has notified us that work on the drainage, concrete islands, and sub asphalt work has been completed. The final top layer of asphalt, signage, and striping remains to be completed.

WEATHERSFIELD INTERSECTION  — GOOD NEWS / ON MARCH 07, 2024 NCDOT HAS NOTIFIED US THAT NOW THAT WARMER WEATHER HAS ARRIVED, WORK ON THE FINAL TOP LAYER OF ASPHALT, SIGNAGE, AND STRIPING AT THE WEATHERSFIELD EXIT AND ENTRANCE CAN SOON BE COMPLETED.

Our residents will notice that they can now turn again left from southbound 501 to enter Weathersfield and can only turn right to head northbound on 501 from Weathersfield.

The left lane entry from 501 is still rough because cold weather prevents placing the final layer until the weather improves. Please use CAUTION when you are in that lane.

The traffic control (cones) in the old left turn exit lane from Weathersfield will remain in place until the pavement is re-striped to accommodate allowing right turns only.

Warren Ort
FHA Health Safety Security Director

Major Traffic Safety Changes Underway at the Weathersfield and Village Way Entrances/Exits

October 14, 2023

Due to a significant increase in accidents involving vehicles exiting Weathersfield and attempting to turn south (left) across fast-moving traffic on 15/501, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has initiated a project to construct a barrier that will prevent cars from making this dangerous maneuver onto 15/501.

Northbound vehicles will retain the option to turn onto Weathersfield using the existing right-turn lane, while southbound 15/501 vehicles will have a new left-turn lane for access into Weathersfield.

For drivers exiting Weathersfield and heading south towards Pittsboro on 15/501, the safer and more efficient route will require turning right onto 15/501 and then using the dedicated left-turn lane at the Village Way traffic light intersection to proceed southbound.

In addition, NCDOT will implement slight modifications to the traffic light at the Village Way and 15/501 intersection to enhance the safety of southbound left turns into Village Way at that entrance.

These forthcoming modifications at both village entrances/exits are expected to significantly reduce both the frequency and severity of accidents at these locations.

NC Attorney General Josh Stein Publishes Guide to Help Prevent Senior Scams

Friday, October 13, 2023

Attorney General Josh Stein today published a revised Senior Scam Guide, available here. The guide provides a look at the common scams and tactics that scammers use to target vulnerable North Carolinians, particularly older people, and steal their money and personal information.

“Scammers rely on a tried-and-tested playbook to take advantage of hardworking North Carolinians,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “I hope this senior scam guide will help North Carolina families understand the tactics that scammers often use and how to avoid them. It’s always easier to prevent a scam than it is to try to recover your money.”

If you think you may have been the victim of a scam or have been contacted by a scammer, report it to his office at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or file a complaint. The Department of Justice works to hold scammers accountable and, when possible, recover your money. In 2022, his office’s Consumer Protection Division recovered more than $100,000 lost to elder fraud.

The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office provides presentations about scams and identity theft to groups of consumers across the state. To learn more or schedule a presentation, visit www.ncdoj.gov/outreach.

Chatham County (NC) Opens New 911 Center

On September 13, 2023, Chatham County Emergency Communications began operating its new 911 Center in Pittsboro. Chatham County 911 dispatched its first call at 9:54 a.m. and received its first call at 10:51 a.m.

The 911 Center is inside Chatham County’s state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center (EOC) located on Innovation Way in Pittsboro, which opened in May.

The main benefit to the new center is its capacity, expanding from six telecommunicator consoles to the capability of operating 16 consoles. Other enhancements include more resiliency and redundancy with improved phone and network connections, more space, better ergonomics for telecommunicators, and natural light. Each console has a status light, which illuminates green when a telecommunicator is available and turns red when the telecommunicator is on a call.

“This is an exciting day for Chatham County Emergency Communications and the entire community,” said Mike Reitz, Chatham County Emergency Communications Director. “Our new center will allow us the capability to expand over many decades as Chatham County continues to grow. We are already seeing an increase in calls not only from the community, but also from our partner emergency response agencies as they grow as well.”

 Telecommunicator Mariah Brown, who has been with Chatham County Emergency Communications for about a year, took the first 911 call. “I really like helping the community, and going home at the end of the day knowing I helped at least one person, makes me feel good,” said Brown. “Being in the new 911 Center is great; everything is so nice, and the building is much bigger.”

Chatham County Emergency Communications offers a fast, effective communications link between the residents of Chatham County and emergency response personnel, 24 hours a day. The 911 Center has experienced, certified telecommunicators who dispatch for multiple agencies, including Fire, EMS, Rescue, and Law Enforcement. The 911 Center is the primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) of Chatham County.

Individuals who are interested in making a difference as part of the Chatham County Emergency Communications team may apply at www.chathamcountync.gov/jobs.

Summer Storm Season Message from FHA Health, Safety, & Security Director

Summer Storm Season Has Arrived Storm season in Fearrington Village has arrived! While we very rarely experience hurricanes here, we often experience strong storms and occasionally hurricane remnants. Power outages may result, lasting hours to days. It is time to prepare. Emergency preparation guidelines can be found on page 10 of the Fearrington Village Directory and Handbook or on the FHA website. (Remember to log in first.)

Your FHA has updated The Gathering Place to serve as a cooling station for those choosing to remain in their homes during these outages. The Gathering Place is powered by a generator. Multiple outlets will be provided for electronics charging; refrigeration is available for medicine storage; first aid kits are available for minor injuries; and energy bars are available. The Gathering Place is not an emergency shelter. If you choose to go to a shelter, these will be established by the NC Department of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross in locations outside of Fearrington Village. If you have questions, please contact Steve Stewart, director of Health, Safety, & Security. His contact information is below, on the FHA website, and in the Directory.

—Warren Ort, Director, Health, Safety, & Security, healthsafetysecurity@fhaboard.org 

Hurricane Season Preparation Advice from NC Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey

 

Don't let hurricane season catch you off guard, says Commissioner Causey

As today marks the official start of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey is urging residents to prepare now and to arm themselves with important knowledge for if and when a storm makes landfall. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, experts have forecast 2023 to be an above-normal season of activity.

NOAA Predicts a Near-normal 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season

Press Conference on May 25, 2023

Website: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/2023-atlantic-hurricane-season-outlook

When Exiting Village Way at 15/501 Making a Right Turn on Red, Vehicles MUST Yield to U-Turning Traffic

Many drivers are not noticing this rather small sign suspended on the traffic signal cables and Village Way and 15/501, and there have been many close calls as drivers exiting Fearrington Village with a right turn on red challenge U-turning vehicles in the intersection.

There is also a small sign mounted on a post located on the edge of the exit on Village Way, That small sign is also easy to miss seeing, especially since drivers have to keep their eyes trained on fast-moving 15/501 (55 mph or faster) northbound traffic approaching in two lanes from around a curve on their left to assess whether it's safe to begin making a right turn on red. 

Thanks to the diligence of Warren Ort, the current Health, Safety, & Security FHA Board member and Fearrington resident Russell Davis, NCDOT is currently studying how to improve the signage. During October, NCDOT's traffic unit is pulling together accident data for this intersection to help them understand what solutions might be applicable to the U-turn/Right turn conflict.

In the meanwhile, and afterward as well, please yield as required and eliminate the likelihood of an accident.

Staying Safer from Ticks and the Diseases They Carry in Chatham County

Thursday, April 28, 1:30 pm via Zoom

Summer is coming and that means an increased risk of tick bites and tick-borne diseases in our community. For up-to-date information and advice on prevention, diagnosis and treatment; a history of deer, ticks, and diseases in Chatham County; and personal impact quotes, join this program presented by Dr. Marcia Herman-Giddens, PA, MPH, DrPH, adjunct professor in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC.

Dr. Herman-Giddens worked in the field of child health and maltreatment for over 25 years as a medical provider, advocate, researcher, and teacher. She became interested in tick-borne infections many years ago while practicing pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center. Her interest was further piqued when she moved to Chatham County 14 years ago and witnessed the changing environment and increase in tick disease rates in this area.

Join this program by going to fearringtoncares.org > Services > Education Programs. Click on the Zoom link 10 minutes before the program starts and please make sure your sound is muted.