Does anyone have direct experience with converting public streets to private streets in a neighborhood?

Question

My community has a serious cut through traffic problem. The traffic volume is way too high for our small neighborhood and most cut through traffic is speeding. North Carolina is currently responsible for our roads and so we have very few options to slow the traffic. I think our community will support privatizing the roads so we can gate in the community, but what will it cost? Is there a way to estimate based on the square feet of road and traffic volume? Are there any studies that show the affect on property values when a community goes private? Thank you.

Answer 1

if you can buy the road they will charge you for the cost that they spent making the road so figure about $75,000 dollars for 1 mile in lenght and 8 feet wide and then when you take over the road you are responsable for all up keep on the road (i.e plowing when it snows , fixing pot holes , resurfacing the road, ) there is more cost to it then you think it is not as semple as just buying the road her are some figures for you
Cost of Asphalt : $100 to $200 a ton and a dump truck can carry about 8 to 10 tons of asphalt and a single truck load goes about 40 feet long by 8 feet wide by 4 inches think plus the cost of the crew to come in and put it down .
but the cost of buying the road depend on how long it is how long the state has maintained it and how much money they spend on it in a year .

Answer 2

Once a road has been dedicated public it will not be changed back. There are several agencies with rights of way in that street. Consider all the utilities, maintence etc. The water and sewer lines under the street most likely pass through to the other side so portions can't be made private. Same thing for electric, gas, phone and cable TV. The best possible solution is to contact the agency responsible for your street and discuss traffic calming solutions, speed bumps, medians, etc. Throwing things in the street as someone else mentioned will most likely not solve the problem and could get someone hurt. Another choice is to contact your local police department. If this is indeed as bad as you say I'm sure they'd send an officer out to collect $100 or whatever the fine is in your state from each person speeding through.

Answer 3

well the only way i can help you with the speeders is what we did on my small street
when ever we saw someone speeding down the street we would accidentally throw some thing in the street like a barrel or a bike ,nails, tree branches ,or what ever it would take to slow them down after a while the word got out if you speed in 'main' street your car will get damaged so now there are no speeders on the street and things are safe again
but you might want to go to the city council with petitions and costs that the neighbor hood would pat to convert to a gated community or at least put in speed bumps

Answer 4

You need to realize that maintenance including paving the road, repairing street lights, fixing sewers, and more will cost you and the city will not do it if your street is private.

Answer 5

Then you'll have to pay a fat tax on the roads. They get you coming and going (no pun intended)

Answer 6

Talk to the mayor of your state.