I like this sentence, "Pilots use the numbers to navigate, so it's critical that they be accurate." I really do not think the actual runway numbers are "critical." Pilots care about the actual degrees, not the number designation.
For example at KORD; 9R, 9L, 10L, 10C are 93.2, 93.2, 93.1, 93.0 respectively. I sure the when 10R finally opens in a year or so, it will also be 93.1 or 93.0. All four and eventually all five runways are within two-tenths of a degree, but have number designations separated by ten degrees.