The final Bike Month webinar on May 27th featured City of Durham Transportation Planning Manager Ellen Beckmann. She laid out the timeline of the City’s upcoming pedestrian- and bicycling-focused projects, and talked about the various challenges to getting them implemented.
At the midpoint and at the end, attendees had the chance to ask Beckmann questions. Text from the meeting’s chat window is reproduced below the video.
Andrew Black: Apologies if this is being addressed, but I’m hoping for an answer on our safe/open streets.
John Tallmadge: Thank you, Andrew. That will be part of Ellen’s presentation.
Andrew Black: What about narrowing streets and adding bike lanes?
Craig Young: YEAH!!!
Lauren Dirgo: That’s great news
Cynthia Bland: Yes, it seems like a road-diet to add a bike lane would be a more cost-effective project, right?
Andrew Black: That’s a lot of progress, nice work!
John Tallmadge: FYI: The Neighborhood Bike Routes are an iteration on the Bike Boulevards concept.
Andrew Black: What is timing for belt line?
Carlye Gates: Question about the neighborhood bike routes project: At least one of the streets included on the map (Gray Avenue) does not currently have any sidewalks, unfortunately. Would sidewalks, in addition to bike lanes, be added to these streets? If not, it would seem concerning to have bike lanes without a safe place for pedestrians to walk, as it would not be safe (for cyclists or pedestrians) to have pedestrians walking in the bike lanes.
Dave + Renee: Would that BUILD grant help expedite the Belt Line?
Craig Young: Is the City updating their Comprehensive Transportation Plan to include the future NCDOT projects that you mentioned, so that the updated Complete Streets Policy will apply and the City will not be responsible for any cost sharing for bike & ped accommodations on these projects?
Jim Svara: How is the City examining how to preserve and expand affordable housing around trail projects, in particular the Duke Beltline?
Nate: On the planning commission, we regularly recommend approval for hundreds of acres of sprawl development. No connectivity. No street trees. What can your department do to help change that precedence?
Andrew Black: Can you provide more detail on slow streets plan? It’s embarrassing and frustrating that nearly every city in the developed world has something except us.
Lauren Dirgo: Does the cost difference between the independent and opportunistic projects have anything to do with the prohibition on using state funding for bike/ped infrastructure?
Steve Hinkle: Without sidewalks, the neighborhood bike routes might exacerbate bike/pedestrian danger.
Carlye Gates: Agreed, Steve. I'm not sure why a street without sidewalks would be included as a street in the neighborhood bike route.
John Tallmadge: The transit tax brings in $30-35 million per year and less than $10 million per year has been committed to ongoing services.
Cynthia Bland: Wow!
James Nishimuta: Is there a reason that the Transit Plan, and funding for it, only considers buses, rather than also biking and walking as forms of transit?
Andrew Black: Seems like the loop could be cut down by one lane and used for walking and biking.
Lauren Dirgo: Any chance of BRT being a part of the transit plan?
Dave + Renee: Triangle Bikeway!
Matthew Clark (he/him): Everyone that buys a candy bar pays that transit tax. As an outsider, I would love to see organizations like Bike Durham focus on what it means to spend the revenue equitably.
Alex M: Why does NCDOT (state gov?) manage city roads? Sounds like a horrible idea.
Nate: Do you think Durham is open to municipally-sanctioned pop-up urbanism projects for short term demonstration of non-automotive facilities?
James Nishimuta: I encourage everyone here also check out BikeWalkNC, an advocacy organization that focuses more on the state level. Seems like a lot of challenges here are related to NCDOT
Cynthia Bland: If biking/walking is such a high priority among residents, why is it so hard to get those funded and built? What can we do to make this happen?
Andrew Black: Love that idea!
Robert Bush: The State ownership of roadways dates back to the Great Depression. Generally the State owns major roadways and cities own the rest.
Cynthia Bland: Good stuff!
Andrew Black: Feel like Foster was closed for a year and it was fine—why not now?
Carlye Gates: Isn't there a two-bike limitation on buses though? Perhaps this is why there are fewer cyclists compared to pedestrians, going to bus stops?
Robert Bush: It’s more related to how many people walk vs bike over the short distance to access buses.
Steve Hinkle: Some buses have room for three. But other options are to bike to the bus and ride bus to destination, leaving bike locked at the stop for when you return. Some bike racks at high use stops might encourage this.
Katherine O'Brien: Bike racks are also very rare at bus stops.
Carlye Gates: Understood. Thanks, all.
Cynthia Bland: Thanks, Ellen! Great presentation!
Steve Hinkle: Thanks Ellen!
Graham Watkins: Thank you very much!