20210788 Ver 1_2019-074 Letter of No Practical Alternative_20210414

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Engineering & InspectionsL.
City of Greensboro GREENSBORO
April 7, 2021
Friendway Road Roadway and Sidewalk Improvements
Letter of No Practical Alternative
City Project P06091
As part of the City's Master Plan to increase pedestrian mobility in the City by adding
additional miles of pedestrian facilities throughout the City, the City's Department of
Transportation identified the need for a pedestrian facility on the east side of Friendway Road
approximately 615 feet south of Friendly Avenue to Fuquay Place (Western Guilford High
School). A pedestrian facility already exists on the east side of Friendway Road to the location
615 feet south of Friendly Avenue. In order to have a continuous sidewalk from Friendly Avenue
to Fuquay Place, the proposed sidewalk will slightly impact the existing toe of slope of an
Unnamed Tributary (Stream Index Number 16-11-5-(0.5), Classification WS-III,NSW, and with
the FEMA stream name of Horse Pen Creek Tributary 1) of the King George Branch, which runs
parallel to Friendway Road. If the facility is not constructed in its proposed location, pedestrians
on the east side of Friendway Road would have to cross Friendway Road and walk either in the
existing roadway or on the grassed shoulder on the west side. Such a scenario needlessly increases
the probability of an accident and personal harm by forcing pedestrians to cross the roadway before
they get to the intersection with Fuquay Place. The safest place for pedestrians to cross is at a
crosswalk at the intersection with Fuquay Place. This is not considered a practical alternative
because of the increased accident risk.
The proposed alternative for the sidewalk on the east side has been chosen to minimize
impacts to the existing areas adjacent to the Unnamed Tributary. If the proposed sidewalk were
to be constructed on the west side of Friendway Road,the potential impacts to the toe of slope and
other areas adjacent to the Unnamed Tributary would be far greater. Therefore, the proposed
pathway accomplishes the following:
• Provides the safest location for pedestrians to cross Friendway Road at the intersection
with Fuquay Place. This is particular important as the proposed sidewalk will primarily
serve Western Guilford High School and its students as they make their way to and from
school each day.
• Minimizes the potential impacts to the toe of slope and other areas adjacent to the Unnamed
Tributary. A sidewalk on the west side would have greater impacts to these sensitive areas.
It is thus the opinion of the City's Engineering and Inspections Department that the proposed
alternative meets the mobility objectives of the project while minimizing potent' ' up to the
toe of slope and other areas adjacent to the Unnamed Tributary.
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SEAL 40-
18859
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One Governmental Plaza, PO Box 3136, Greensboro, NC 27402-3136 (336) 3 _ 489)