Highway Planners: Residents Mixed on 'Ribbons-Strings' Game

The room was filled to capacity at the Cypress Pointe fire station.

Tom Embrey and Ted M. Natt Jr.

As of Saturday, November 5, 2011

“Strings and Ribbons,” the newest transportation game in Moore County, has received mixed reviews from participants.

Moore County residents participated in the game at various locations across Moore County last week.

Hosted by the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the Moore County Transportation Committee, the Moore County Planning and Community Development De-partment and the Triangle Area Rural Planning Organization, the public input exercises, called charrettes, were designed to gather input from residents on proposed transportation projects.

“I think it’s been good to see how interactive people are with each other,” said Kathy Liles, planning director in Aberdeen and charrette facilitator. “When people are standing up and leaning over the table, you know they are into it. I’m curious to see how many versions of the map we are going to get.”

The projects include a proposed U.S. 1 bypass, improvements to N.C. 24/27 and the N.C. 211 bypass/western connector. They will be included in a Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) being developed for the county that will reflect the priorities of residents and elected officials.

“People were involved,” said Linda Covington. “It was interesting and intriguing, like paper-dolling only better.”

Others weren’t as easily swayed.

“I certainly had reservations that it was going to be a charade rather than a charrette,” Marsha Bryant said. “Whether it is going to mean anything, or if it is just going to be a pacification game, I’m not sure. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Bryant said she didn’t have issues playing the game, but said she heard that others did.

“We heard other people say their facilitators were combative,” she said.

Donna Jameson said the concept of playing a game was insulting to her.

“I think we are a long way from any voices being heard in any substantial way,” she said.

Naomi Johnson, of Carthage, said the workshops seemed “like an exercise in futility.”

“I’ve been around a long time and I’ve seen the government make you feel like you’re doing something positive, but it’s already planned,” Johnson said.

Aberdeen Mayor Betsy Mofield was more blunt: “This whole project is unnecessary. It’s a waste of taxpayer money.”

During the sessions — which were held in Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen, Carthage, Cameron and West End — residents sat at tables in groups of eight. Each individual was given $400 million in money to fund projects. Each table had different maps of the areas with the roads in question. Each table was required to work together and spend all their money.

Individuals each had five stickers that they placed on the maps to identify areas of priority that they wanted to protect. They were also given price sheets to tell the cost of roads, bridges, overpasses and other items, a calculator, tally sheets for purchases, comment sheets and a handout outlining transportation issues in the area.

To complete the game, each table was asked to spend all its money on as many projects as possible. The one catch was that they had to come to a consensus on all projects by the end of the game.

That wasn’t always easy.

“I was probably the lone dissenter at my table,” said Tom Campbell, “but I didn’t want to wreck the whole idea of the table.”

Several residents said they appreciated the chance to meet people from other parts of the county and listen to their concerns.

Upon completion, each map was signed by participants and photographed and uploaded to a website.

“You are not required to draw a line on the map to play the game, but why wouldn’t you take the opportunity to let people know where you want change to happen?” said Jumetta G. Posey, CEO of Neighborhood Solutions in Winston-Salem. Her firm, which has conducted Strings and Ribbons across the country, facilitated the charrettes.

Throughout the process those running the charrettes stressed that residents were not setting an alignment for any road, but rather were presenting options for future study.

“We are only drawing the line to show them what we want to study,” said Frances Bisby, of the NCDOT. “It’s not about alignment.”

Bisby praised the turnout and participation.

“We are thrilled with the enthusiasm Moore County has shown and the interest you have taken in being part of the decisions that are going to affect the Moore County transportation system for the next 25 to 30 years,” she said.

In fact, turnout was so heavy that people were turned away from nearly every venue, which was upsetting to some.

“I feel disgruntled because I came to participate and I can’t get in, so my voice will not be heard,” said Katie Walsh, of Southern Pines.

Walsh, who is president of the Southern Pines Garden Club, said her goal was to preserve the native plants in the 4,200-acre nature preserve owned by the Walthour-Moss Foundation.

“It’s a magnificent treasure trove that we need to protect for our children and their children. We want it to be enjoyed for generations,” Walsh said.

Stephen Later, a Pinehurst attorney and vice chairman of the Foundation, attended every charrette and was thrilled with the weeklong turnout.

“It’s obvious that there are a lot of highly motivated people who value the integrity of their communities, and believe that miles of steel and concrete don’t necessarily represent the highest values in planning,” Later said.

Later added that it was important for Moore County residents to prioritize their wishes.

“We needed to let DOT know there are other values besides shaving a few seconds off a transit time from point to point,” he said.

Bisby said the input from residents will help DOT look at the issues and areas of concern that are important to Moore County and then use tax dollars efficiently and effectively to study what’s important to residents.

“I’m really excited because people have been engaged. We’ll have a grab-bag of solutions from Moore County citizens,” she said.

According to NCDOT, the need for the projects is to ease congestion along N.C. 2, N.C. 5, U.S. 1 and U.S. 15-501.

The most vocal opposition has come from Horse Country, because a bypass east of U.S. 1 would likely go through the Foundation, which is home to large stands of longleaf pines as well as numerous endangered plants and wildlife.

“I know there is a lot of anger from what’s happened in the past, but this is a new day, a new process and a new planning document,” Posey said. “Even though you are upset about what happened in the past, I’m going to ask you to look at the problems of today and talk about what the solutions could be from this day forward for the next 25 years.”

More like this story

Interested 1 year, 6 months ago

Congestion on 2 and 5? Really?

CNMT 1 year, 6 months ago

I would like to add 15/501 and 211 to the question above posed by Interested. I have lived here for almost 10 years and the only traffic congestion I have seen is around the traffic circle during certain times of the day. And that is nothing compared to other places I have lived. It has yet to take me more than 5 minutes to clear the traffic circle!!! With the current state of the economy, why are we spending millions of dollars fixing things that are not broken? The only positive to any of this is it does provide jobs for those doing the highway work - and God knows people need jobs.

Easygoing 1 year, 6 months ago

Agreed, I have been timing my delay at the traffic circle for about 6 months now and have never been delayed more than 7 minutes with an average (in the most busy times) of about 5 minutes. Outside of peak times the delay is negligible. It does require some caution and they should be careful to ensure sight lines are not obscured. My one suggestion is to find a way to instruct drivers to stop farther back from the actual circle so they can easily see the traffic in the circle and where the breaks in the flow occur to allow them to enter. If you stop back some 20 to 30 feet from the circle its far easier to get up to the right speed to merge into the circle. I also notice the young aggressive drivers are the usual drivers who race around the circle and try to cut everyone off. Older more experienced drivers seem to understand courtesy and how to keep a proper distance from the car ahead.

Mark106 1 year, 6 months ago

What is the websight to see the "Maps"?

JK 1 year, 6 months ago

To even take this project seriously shows how worthless the Southern Pines Town Council is. The upcoming election is critical in determining whether this project occurs our not.

MidwayResident 1 year, 6 months ago

I agree that there has been vocal opposition to a bypass through the Walthour Moss Foundation but officials and nerchants in Aberdeen are wary of any bypass also. The problem with routing into the Walthour Moss Foundation is that on the southern end the routing is very thorny because of historic property such as the Blue Farm, Old Bethesda Church and Cemetery along with a historically black community on the southeast side of Aberdeen. The opposition by the Walthour Moss Foundation means that upgradingthe present corridor is the most plausible way forward. .

Bflat 1 year, 6 months ago

Traffic studies are done well in advance and growth projections lead to roads being planned 20 years or more in advance. While citizens will raise concerns, unless someone is an engineer, accountant, and has a budget for road construction and some political pull (sometimes?)....strings and ribbons are a romper room approach that is PR for the NCDOT.

pacer 1 year, 6 months ago

I guess with my work schedule, I must miss the "traffic congestion and delays" WOW! Really, congestion. Wait 5 minutes, it'll all be back to normal. P.S. Stay clear of the traffic circle near the hospital, unless you have a FULL 7-8 minutes to spare.

Poundman 1 year, 6 months ago

I vote no new roads are needed and we spend the 75% of the money in maintaining the roads we have. With the reaming funds I propose we use it for debt reduction.

BrerRabbit 1 year, 6 months ago

It will be hard to pacify 'all' because everyone is in different "stages" of their lives around these parts-- but for the record, I will say, I can shop in Asheboro or Greensboro much more conveniently than I can in Moore Co. based on where I live.

The daily traffic congestion may not mean much to those who casually stroll down to Aberdeen or Southern Pines to shop or brunch with friends at their leisure- but try dealing with it on a daily basis with 3 kids going to Pinecrest (spread out over 10 years) who are all involved in sports and other endeavors during the morning and evening commute. Oh yeah, try getting to work on time after all that and preparing a meal that didn't come from McDonalds.

Seven minutes (times 4) may not mean much to you- but it means a great deal to others with not enough time in their day.I've lived here all my life and Hwy 211 & 5 are getting nothing but worse each year. I don't need comparisons with Atlanta/New York or fill-in-the-blank "big city" you came from- its not applicable here.

We're talking about here and now. It really won't matter whatever they decide- by the time they acually do anything about it my kids will have all graduated and moved away. Squeaky wheels get the grease.

Arestorer 1 year, 6 months ago

The North Carolina, and most all, school districts have a novel sollution to you spending your most valuable time in traffic..................Put your kids on a School bus!!!!!

This is one of the biggest conjestion problems in Moore co. during School days... WHY do parents think they have to drive their kids to school, when transportation is availible??

mymindwanders 1 year, 6 months ago

How about because we want to know and have control of our kids ride to school. Not have some kid, whose parents didn't hardly raise them, picking on her/him, or maybe using profanity.Maybe we just Love our kids that much. Or maybe it could be I can leave at 7:30 & have my kid to school in plenty of time or I can leave them at the end of the road at 6:50.God knows what could happen and he loses 40 minutes sleep.We all know kids need sleep. just a few reasons I take my kids to school.

Courseaire 1 year, 6 months ago

The schools do not have enough vehicles to bus all the students. They rely on a certain number of students getting to school by alternate means. Agree totally with mymindwanders.

Arestorer 1 year, 6 months ago

mymindwanders1 hour, 18 minutes ago;

SPOILED !!!!!!!!!!!!

Courseaire39 minutes ago;

DITTO !!!!!!!!!

Arestorer 1 year, 6 months ago

Ya'll quit bitchin about traffic, when your the ones that are constantly riding around...

mymindwanders 1 year, 6 months ago

Just for the record, I Never complained about traffic. You called me out for driving my "spoiled" kids to school. This article is about Highway planning. whether we have a by-pass or not, we will still get our kids to school the same way. And, seeing as how you yourself said "Bitchin" in an open forum available to all. you probaly let your kids ride the bus...