Archive for April, 2009

No Butts About It – Street Sweep Collects 200 Pounds of Litter

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

Raleigh, NC – The Pleasant Ridge & Ramsgate Community Watch, building a safe and informed family community, held Street Sweep 2009 on April 25, 2009, their annual neighborhood clean-up event. The group had volunteers, starting at 4-years old, deployed throughout the neighborhood logging over 20 service hours before temperatures started to creep into the low 90′s. The organization estimates that over 200 pounds of trash was collected. Several volunteers joked about items collected such as, various car parts (headlight, side mirror, and body parts), old, soggy newspapers, and lots of beer cans and bottles.

“The amount of cigarette butts seemed to be down this year,” said Pleasant Ridge & Ramsgate Community Watch President, Tabitha Groelle, “I’m surprised at how many people leave the Garner-Clayton paper in their driveway, unread, and decomposing – creating an eye sore for our community.”

Street Sweep 2009Street Sweep 2009Street Sweep 2009

The event organizer, Jason Hibbets, Pleasant Ridge & Ramsgate Community Watch Vice President was pleased with the outcome and hosted an afternoon cookout for the volunteers. “Not many people want to get up early on a Saturday morning to go pick up trash, but when it’s your neighborhood and no one else is going do it, you have some ownership and you feel good when it’s done.” (more…)

Posted in Community Services Department, PRR-Watch, Volunteer Opportunity | Comments Off

Main Campus Drive Connects, Offers Views

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

Snaking through the heart of Centennial Campus, Main Campus Drive, once two parts, is now one with the completion of a new extension this week. The new stretch is nestled along the Lonnie Poole Golf Course and finally connects Centennial Campus Middle School to the rest of the campus. According to the Master Plan, Main Campus Drive will complete a full loop around the planned oval when the road is complete, where Engineering Buildings I, II, and III currently occupy the northern end.

Main Campus Drive - near middle schoolMain Campus Drive - future site of Chancellor residenceMain Campus Drive - north view from bridge

Main Campus Drive now joins the northern part of Centennial Campus, where Oval Drive connects to Centennial Parkway, with the remote southwest corner of campus, where Main Campus Drive intersects with Trailwood Drive and becomes Thistledown Drive (connecting to Gorman Street). (more…)

Posted in NC State, Transportation | 1 Comment »

Trailwood Hills Reflects Successes, Prepares for Future Ones

Thursday, April 16th, 2009

The Trailwood Hills Home Owners Association (HOA) held their annual meeting on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at Carolina Pines Community Center.  During the meeting, the group reviewed the past year and looked forward to the year ahead.  Items that the homeowners who were present expressed interest in were:

  • Forming a Common Area Beautification Committee – who would be tasked with beautifying the three neighborhood entrances
  • Discussion about the new key card system at the pool
  • Implementing stricter pool enforcement with fines for glass and pet violations

The homeowners also had a great sense of accomplishment as they reviewed all the items addressed from April 2008-2009: (more…)

Posted in Trailwood Hills | Comments Off

Raleigh Boasts First Mobile Digital TV Venture

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

Another first for the Capital City: 

Raleigh, WRAL Partner On Nation’s First Mobile Digital TV Venture

Mobile digital television broadcasting joined forces with public transit on April 13 as the City of Raleigh and WRAL, the CBC New Media Group, launched the first public deployment of mobile digital TV in a Capital Area Transit (CAT) bus.

The announcement was made April 13 in front of the Raleigh Convention Center on Salisbury Street, the very spot from which the City initiated the Downtown Circulator just two months ago.

The new venture delivers real-time digital television and interactive data to CAT buses. CAT bus passengers will be able to view WRAL’s local and syndicated programming throughout the day. Additionally, the screens will offer CAT passengers city news, real-time schedules, route specific updates and other useful information on the digital screens that are strategically placed inside buses.

Read the entire article.

Posted in Raleigh City Council | Comments Off

New Red Light Camera on Avent Ferry

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

Raleigh’s Safelight Program is installing several new cameras in the city that will begin operation on April 13, 2009. Avent Ferry Road southbound at Varsity Drive will be one of those new locations. See the announcement below from the City of Raleigh that lists the other new locations as well as the existing ones that help reduce intersection accidents.

SAFELIGHT PROGRAM MONITORING SIX ADDITIONAL INTERSECTIONS

The City of Raleigh Safelight program now has 15 cameras with the addition of six new locations to help reduce accidents at intersections throughout the Capital City.

The newly monitored intersections are: Avent Ferry Road southbound at Varsity Drive; Wilmington Street southbound at Chapanoke Road; McDowell street northbound at Morgan Street; New Bern Avenue eastbound at I-440 (Inner); New Bern Avenue westbound at I-440 (Outer); and, Capital Boulevard northbound at New Hope Church Road /Buffaloe Road. The red-light monitors will begin functioning April 13

(more…)

Posted in NC State, Raleigh City Council, Transportation | Comments Off

Traffic Signal Coming to Lineberry and Trailwood

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

The intersection at Trailwood Drive and Lineberry Drive has been continuously evolving over the past few weeks for the installation of a new traffic signal that should improve safety measures at the increasingly heavy-traveled entrance to our neighborhoods.   NCDOT officials indicate the traffic signal installation should be complete by the end of May 2009.  Over the past few weeks, you’ve probably noticed the tentative restriping of the intersection, which will include a signalized 4-way crosswalk.  Just this week, utility poles were installed by NCDOT contractors.

If you travel through this intersection in the mornings, then you’ve probably noticed some increased traffic.  My best guess is that this is mostly associated with the start time of NC State classes.  But, additional travelers are also using Trailwood Drive as a cut-through to Tryon & Avent Ferry and to  Centennial Campus Middle school.  Traffic coming from Lineberry Drive making a right onto Trailwood Drive has been known to back-up to well-past the second entrance of University Village (formerly Melrose Apartments). In the same breath, residents of University Woods making a left from their complex onto Trailwood Drive have difficulty getting out as well.

About a year ago, when this project was under study by NCDOT for the Spot Safety Funding, the original recommendation to install a flashing signal was replaced with a traffic signal.  The traffic signal was recommended based on the increase in the “angle type crashes” reported at the intersection.

So hopefully, by the end of May 2009, our community will have a signalized intersection at Trailwood Drive and Lineberry Drive, complete with a 4-way, pedestrian-head crosswalk.  The crosswalk should assist residents from University Woods and other neighborhoods that cross Trailwood Drive to catch the bus, exercise, or do other pedestrian-friendly activities.  The traffic signal should improve safety conditions for all motorists and pedestrians.

Posted in Lineberry Alliance, NC State, Trailwood Drive, Transportation, University Village, University Woods | 4 Comments »

Lineberry Alliance Outlaws Student Rentals

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

In the midst of Rental Dwelling Registration, neighborhood leaders from the Lineberry Alliance proclaimed an outlaw on all student rentals within their jurisdiction starting on April 31, 2009.  A spokesperson for the organization stated, “Our area is overcome by absentee landlords and student rental units that deteriorate the value and quality of life in the neighborhood.  By outlawing this type of renter, we can take back control of our single-family neighborhoods and establish a sense of ownership again.”

A Trailwood Hills neighbor rejoiced, “I can not wait to get peace and quiet back to my Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights with no student parties going on.”  On the other end of the neighborhood, a Trailwood Springs home owner claimed, “We can finally get our parking back!”

One student renter was outraged and stated, “I live here because I’m close to campus and I can party until 3:00 AM without the neighbors calling the cops.  All my friends can come over, blast the music from their cars, slam their car doors, come and go at all hours of the night, and we love it. Moving is going to suck!”

It will be interesting to see if the City of Raleigh will allow the ban on student renters in the Lineberry area, as one City Councilor said that, “NC State University should provide adequate housing needs for all students and provide neighborhood education for each student living off-campus, many having rental responsibilities for the first time.  The Lineberry Alliance seems to be doing what’s best for their neighborhood integrity.”

This of course, is an April Fool’s posting, but ironically, there is probably a lot of truth intertwined.

Posted in Lineberry Alliance | 4 Comments »