City of Kinston votes against removing street lights on Queen Street
The Kinston City Council voted against a proposal from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and approved by the Lenoir County Commissioners to remove several traffic signals on Queen Street. The decision was made following a public hearing where numerous community members voiced strong opposition to the plan.
City Manager Rhonda Barwick opened the discussion, noting the origins of the proposal and the intent to gather public opinion. “NCDOT asked the city and the county to consider the removal of several traffic signals along Queen Street. The council felt it was not in the best interest of Kinston but wanted to hold a public hearing to hear from citizens,” Barwick said.
During the public hearing, multiple residents and business owners expressed concerns about the potential safety hazards and negative impact on downtown traffic and pedestrian activity.
Chad Ray, a local business owner, highlighted the potential risks to pedestrian safety. “As downtown business owners, we are against the proposed removal of the stoplights. The ability to back out and walk across Queen Street safely will be negatively impacted,” Ray stated in an email read during the meeting.
Mike Chastain, speaking both as a private citizen and a member of the Downtown Kinston Revitalization Board, stressed the importance of the lights for ongoing revitalization efforts. “If we’re successful in revitalizing Queen Street, it will include additional pedestrian traffic. The traffic lights are vital to keep these pedestrians safe,” Chastain said.
Nicholas Harvey, a long-time resident and business owner, raised concerns about increased speed and potential collisions. “With the removal of the traffic lights, speed would definitely increase in this proposed zone. This could increase the possibility for vehicle collisions,” Harvey warned.
Stephen Hill, downtown business owner and member of the Downtown Kinston Revitalization board, presented a unified opposition from board. “We unanimously agreed that we do not support the proposed removal of any traffic lights on Queen Street. Removing these lights would undermine 40 years of revitalization efforts and the multimillion dollars invested to create an environment that benefits pedestrians and vehicles,” Hill read from a prepared statement.
NCDOT representative Len White acknowledged the community’s concerns but reiterated the department's position. “Our goal is to improve traffic flow through downtown Kinston. We understand the concerns and will take them into consideration,” White stated.
Ultimately, the council members sided with the community’s perspective when they made a motion and voted against the proposal by NCDOT
The motion stated, “The City Council for the City of Kinston is opposed to the proposal made by the North Carolina Department of Transportation regarding the removal of traffic lights on Queen St.”