BERMUDA RUN – Adding sidewalks and multi-use paths has been a big part of the implementation of the town’s comprehensive plan.

But while working on an extension along Yadkin Valley Road from Old Town Drive in Kinderton Village to the Sheetz on NC 801 and then across to Davie Medical Center, the town is also moving forward with traffic signals to help residents safely cross over the busy highway.

“This will allow residents on the north side of town to be able to utilize the amenities that Davie Medical Center has in place and will continue to implement with their walking trails and their bike paths,” said Lee Rollins, town manager. “Crossing over NC 801 will require signalization for safe pedestrian walking. We’re in the process of putting together technical aspects of that for DOT approval.”

The council agreed to pay the $5,000 fee to NCDOT to review the traffic signal plans and inspect the traffic signal installation during last Thursday night’s meeting at town hall.

“We have to have some protection for the pedestrians,” councilman John Guglielmi said. “There’s no way for them to enjoy crossing that street unless they’re a rabbit.”

Mayor Ken Rethmeier added, “If you think about it, doing the sidewalk out to the intersection and then not doing something across the intersection is ridiculous.”

Traffic was a dominant theme during the meeting, which was moved from its usual second Tuesday night because of a lack of a quorum.

In another item involving NC 801, Rollins said he attended a NCDOT Division 9 meeting the previous week where a 73-page document of the design build for adding an extra lane in each direction on I-40 from Harper Road to Exit 180 was discussed.

He said that the pedestrian bridge and the tunnel under I-40 in Bermuda Run were both still part of that project.

Rollins added that another area that he has addressed with NCDOT involves the exit ramp eastbound at Exit 180 and concerns over merging traffic for those traveling from Advance or Oak Valley to provide safer merging coming through the US 158 and NC 801 intersection.

“We want to see if we can include that with that project,” Rollins said. “Most of the traffic in the mornings coming through the 158-801 intersection is going to I-40 anyway.”

He said there is only one lane that goes straight, and he would like to see about the “right-turn only” lane to be altered to include the option of gong straight.

Gugliemi brought up another travel issue involving the roundabout at US 158 entering from Clemmons.

“It looks like someone ran over part of the island again in our traffic circle,” he said, adding better lighting was needed in that area and the town was looking into the cost, hoping “people will stay on the road instead of going through our shubbery.”

Rethmeier said radar signs will be arriving in the town soon in an effort to draw attention to speeding in Bermuda Run.

“We are exploring some other ideas to control speed as well,” he said.

In other business, the council:

• Heard from Rethmeier, who wanted to let those in business community know about the upcoming business breakfast on Thursday, Jan. 12, from 7:30-8:30 a.m. at The Granary at WinMock to “receive feedback on where we are as a town and the what’s ahead in the future.”

• Adopted the 2017 meeting schedule with town council meetings remaining the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. and the agenda meetings taking place the fourth Tuesday of the month at 9 a.m.

• Appointed Rethmeier to again be the town’s representative on the Transportation Advisory Committee in 2017. The TAC typically meets the third Thursday of the month at 4 p.m. in Winston-Salem.