Community Highlights
Davidson is designated as a Bronze-level community due to the City’s commitment to Complete Streets and their extensive sidewalk policies. Highlights of Davidson’s application include:
- The Davidson Mobility Plan is a local comprehensive transportation plan that provides a town-wide vision for projects, policies, and programs to manage congestion and improve multimodal travel within and through town. This plan addresses the challenge before Davidson of maintaining its quality of life while dealing with the growth pressures of the region. The vision of the Mobility Plan is to provide a balance and connected network of comfortable facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and drivers. The plan includes recommendations for policies, programs, and projects to encourage Davidsonians to think differently about mobility. The Davidson Mobility Plan was formed from extensive public engagement, feedback, and analysis over an 18-month process, and is still an active document.
- In 2021, the Board of Commissioners adopted a Vision Zero resolution and the town is working to lay the groundwork for an approach that will eliminate fatalities and serious injuries.
- Since it was first named a Walk Friendly Community, Davidson has installed 3.25 new miles of greenway at two of its community parks.
- In addition to Vision Zero, Davidson participates in the statewide Watch for Me NC program to focus attention on road safety, with particular attention paid to bicycling and walking. The program involves educating the public about safety laws and performing regular enforcement to reinforce positive behaviors.
- Davidson’s Complete Streets guidelines indicate a willingness on the part of the local government to plan for all modes of transportation. Requiring developers to comply with these guidelines is a great way of ensuring that new streets are designed and constructed for all users.
- Davidson views pedestrian transportation as an important component of the transportation network in the town as evidenced by these sidewalk policies. By ensuring that all collector and arterial streets have sidewalks on both sides, Davidson has created a safe and accessible pedestrian network. Also, the sidewalk retrofit policy is an excellent step towards realizing a connected sidewalk network, which further encourages pedestrian transportation. In addition, wide sidewalks in urbanized areas create a safer and more attractive pedestrian environment and can have a positive impact on businesses in the area.
- Davidson uses many geometric design features such as curb extensions, smaller curb radii, and median crossing islands to improve pedestrian access and enhance the comfort and safety of the pedestrian environment
