Peace Street/Clark Avenues map it #1, #2
Another great street debacle in Raleigh is the Peace Street/Clark Aveue mess. Guess what! There are TWO Clark Avenues. (You knew I couldn’t resist pointing that one out!)
Peace Street extends westward from its Eastern terminus at N. Person Street (where Krispy Kreme is). After crossing Capital Blvd and Glenwood Ave, Peace Street makes an incredibly dangerous blind camel hump before crossing St. Mary’s Street. It becomes somewhat residential as it meanders past the 75-year-old Broughton High School. At the point where Peace meets Smallwood and Bellwood Drives, it jogs to the north for a few feet and secretly becomes "Clark Avenue". Clark borders Cameron Village to the south, crosses Oberlin Rd., and extends through a residential section to its terminus at Brooks Ave.
The Raleigh Road Silliness continues as the second Clark Avenue begins a westward jaunt from Dixie Trail. This stretch of Clark Avenue is truly residential and ends to the west at Faircloth Street.
Problems – Wouldn’t it be nice if Cameron Village drivers recognized an important East/West artery which borders the north end of downtown? Also, if some businesses in Cameron Village had a Peace St address, drivers on Captial Blvd and Glenwood Ave could find the secret Cameron Village easier.
With two identically named streets, as is in the case of Clark, emergency services might be unclear as to which street they need to seek. The Peace Street camel hump creates one of Raleigh’s most dangerous blind spots.
Solutions – Rename the long, eastern Clark Ave to "Peace Street". Regrade Peace Street’s camel hump to create a situation that is safe for drivers and pedestrians.
