In advance of the 2021 elections, Bike Durham asked City Council and Mayoral candidates for their views on local transportation issues. Below, we have listed their responses.
Important dates
One-stop early voting for primary : Thursday, September 16–Saturday, October 2
Municipal Primary and Election: Tuesday, October 5
One-stop early voting for municipal election: Thursday, October 14–Saturday, October 30
Municipal Election: Tuesday, November 2
See Durham County Board of Elections for more information.
Click the names to jump to each candidate
Mayor
City Council
Ward 1 - DeDreana Freeman
Ward 1 - Marion T. Johnson
Ward 2 - Sylvester Williams
Ward 3 - AJ Williams
Ward 3 - Leonardo Williams
2021 Candidate Questionnaire
About Bike Durham
Bike Durham (BD) was created as a membership organization in 2012 by a group of Durham residents who wanted city streets that were safer and friendlier for bike riders to increase the number of riders in the County. Over time, the organization’s lens widened and its focus sharpened. The organization is no longer just about biking. We are an organization of more than 300 individuals and households that supports people who are walking, biking, riding transit, using electric wheelchairs, e-scooters, or other emerging light individual transportation (LIT) devices by calling for safe designs and improved services for all.
We are motivated to achieve three goals:
Zero Disparity of Access
We acknowledge that the current transportation system is inequitable and compounds the disadvantages of Durham’s lowest-income residents, predominantly people of color. Those using our bus system, walking, or biking have access to far fewer jobs and other destinations within 30 minutes. This results from a long history of under-investment in neighborhoods where concentrations of Black and Brown residents live, and more recently displacement due to spiraling housing prices in central Durham neighborhoods with the best access.
Zero traffic deaths
We want an acceleration of changes to the designs of streets and intersections to make the system safe for all users. We will continue to raise awareness of the traffic violence that exists on our streets. We will build on the success we’ve had activating our members and community partners to support road diets and a new City staff position dedicated to walking and biking infrastructure.
Zero Carbon Emissions
We believe that our transportation system must transition to be emissions-free by 2050, and to that end, we should prioritize a significant shift to travel by walking, biking, riding transit, and using other zero-emission transportation.
Questions
1) How often do you currently walk, bike, and/or ride transit in Durham? If you do not use one or more of these ways to travel, what prevents you from doing so?
2) If you walk, bike, and/or ride transit, do you feel safe? Can you get where you need to go?
3) According to data for Durham County from the NCDOT Pedestrian and Bicyclist Crash Data Tool, in the five-year period between 2015 and 2019, there were 1,113 crashes between cars and people walking (869) or biking (244), resulting in 36 deaths and 53 suspected serious injuries. More than three-quarters of the people seriously injured or killed were people of color, and more than half of those seriously injured or killed while walking were Black.
On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to support funding City-wide networks of sidewalks and protected bike lanes through the Durham Transit Plan and additional local funding through the Capital Improvement Program and an Equitable Green Infrastructure bond. Below the scale, justify your response.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
4) Too many people with low-incomes, predominantly people of color, but also many people living with disabilities, have inadequate access to jobs, healthcare, groceries and services because, for decades, our transportation system and land use has been designed around the use of private cars.
With the updates to the Durham Transit Plan and the Comprehensive Plan, will you agree to establish as a first priority increasing the number of jobs that Durham residents with low-incomes, people of color, and people living with disabilities can access with sustainable transportation within 30 and 45 minutes? Why or why not?
5) There is no denying that we are in a climate crisis. With the updates to the Durham Transit Plan, the Comprehensive Plan, and the region’s long-range transportation plan, will you agree to establish a goal of a zero emission public transit system in Durham by 2035, and a complete net-zero transportation system in Durham by 2050?
On the following scale, indicate how much you agree with this idea. Below the scale, explain the first step you would take toward zero emissions or justify why zero emissions is not a first priority for you.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
6) What else can you tell us about your commitment to and experience with bringing safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation to Durham?
Mayoral Candidates
Rebecca Barnes
1) How often do you currently walk, bike, and/or ride transit in Durham? If you do not use one or more of these ways to travel, what prevents you from doing so?
I currently live on Chapel Hill Rd. not too far from the Lakewood shopping center and so I am able to get to many places that I need to by foot. I often walk to the grocery store at Lakewood, I also walk in the other direction toward University Rd. to get to establishments there that I frequent. The walks are difficult in this area for a couple of reasons. First, motorists often drive at speeds in excess of the limit and I see about 3 in 5 people in their cars on their cell phones. It’s very distressing and part of the reason that I would never bike in this area to get somewhere. I bike often but I usually take my bike to the ATT or over to Duke if I’m going to ride safely. I also take my bike to the beach a lot—but that’s just a side note. My home is directly behind a GoDurham bus stop. I could easily use the bus transit system but I admit that I do not because of the fact that I have the means to utilize my car and often am deluded into believing that I need to be where I am going faster than the bus transit could get me there. Also, ‘my’ bus stop is not covered nor has a place to sit and so despite the fact that there are often people waiting there they do so in the elements. I am often distressed by this and talk to the bus riders about this. They all would be thrilled to have a covered stop and if I am elected Mayor of Durham I am going to make bus stops more comfortable and inviting as a priority. I am aware of the expense but believe it would encourage more people to utilize GoDurham and so it is worth the investment.
2) If you walk, bike, and/or ride transit, do you feel safe? Can you get where you need to go?
The times that I have taken the local bus, typically the connector, when I used to work in downtown Durham at Habitat for Humanity, were the times I felt most safe in regards to any other form of transit in Durham. Walking and riding a bike, near where I live in the Lakewood area, often feels dangerous because of motorists, lack of bike lanes and although the street I live on has a sidewalk it is often littered with so much trash and overgrown brush that it makes walking uncomfortable. I have, at times, taken the trash and overgrowth issues into my own hands outside my home and picked up the trash and cut back areas seemingly ignored by the city or neighbors (apparently there is some ‘no-man's land’ beside my home and that is why the lot is completely overgrown). I used to live in Colonial Village and that area of Durham, in particular Roxboro Rd., was even scarier. I used to call it the ‘wild wild west’ but I do believe that Chapel Hill Rd. near where I live now is another version of the ‘wild wild west’ too.
3) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to support funding City-wide networks of sidewalks and protected bike lanes through the Durham Transit Plan and additional local funding through the Capital Improvement Program and an Equitable Green Infrastructure bond.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
I absolutely AGREE to support funding city-wide with the Durham Transit Plan. I also do not plan to support residential development in Durham that doesn’t have access to local transit, understanding that there are many areas now that lack access and so these areas need to be addressed as soon as possible. With my focus on the environment and climate change as a focus of my mayoral platform I also want to say that transit plans will take priority acknowledging that we need to get more people (myself included) out of their cars and utilizing other forms of transportation.
4) With the updates to the Durham Transit Plan and the Comprehensive Plan, will you agree to establish as a first priority increasing the number of jobs that Durham residents with low-incomes, people of color, and people living with disabilities can access with sustainable transportation within 30 and 45 minutes? Why or why not?
Understanding that poverty is the root of many of the issues that Durham is currently facing such as violent crimes, a lack of affordable housing, food insecurity and adequate health care, creating jobs and a transit system able to fully support people to work those jobs is a priority that the Durham Transit Plan and the Comprehensive Plan are attempting to address. So, yes, I will support this and make it a priority in my tenure as Mayor of Durham.
5) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to establish a goal of a zero emission public transit system in Durham by 2035, and a complete net-zero transportation system in Durham by 2050.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
AGREE, climate change and the environment is one of my main campaign platforms. I would like to see all of the current goals of our city increased to the extent in which you are suggesting here, or better. Our future depends on it and the fact that we are not doing everything that we are able to is a huge motivator.
6) What else can you tell us about your commitment to and experience with bringing safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation to Durham?
The three goals of the Bike Durham agenda are my goals as the future mayor of Durham. Thank you for all of your hard work and collaboration with the City, the County and many other agencies in Durham.
Javiera Caballero
1) How often do you currently walk, bike, and/or ride transit in Durham? If you do not use one or more of these ways to travel, what prevents you from doing so?
My family walks or bikes a fair amount. One of my children is still able to walk to school and my husband/partner can ride his bike to work when he doesn’t have site visits for his job. I had made the commitment to ride my bike to City Hall more often but since the Covid pandemic I have not needed to go to City Hall often. Transit is not really an option where we live because it is not convenient. It would take significantly longer than driving or in many cases even walking to go where we need to go. I was disappointed when I realized letting my kids take the city bus to their high school was not an option. Though bus route 9A stops in front of their school it does not come close enough to where we live. Bus route 1 comes closer to our house but doesn’t go to their high school. In previous discussions with Bike Durham, I have talked about how creating safe and better access to schools, specifically our high schools is something I know the city needs to improve.
2) If you walk, bike, and/or ride transit, do you feel safe? Can you get where you need to go?
When our kids ride their bikes to further away destinations, we have worked with them to find safer routes on neighborhood streets with less traffic. The Durham Hike and Bike map has been a great resource for us. We are fortunate because we live near the N. Ellerbee Creek trail, and it makes biking and walking easier and safer for us. I regularly see cyclists on streets in Durham that I do not allow our kids to ride on and I do not ride on because it is not safe. I am a big fan of the city’s recently launched Safe Streets Pilot program and I want to continue to expand it and build out our Neighborhood Bike Routes. Our increased budget allocation for green and equitable infrastructure which adds $6 million annually to the city’s CIP is going help the city accomplish more with bike and ped projects.
3) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to support funding City-wide networks of sidewalks and protected bike lanes through the Durham Transit Plan and additional local funding through the Capital Improvement Program and an Equitable Green Infrastructure bond.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
Agree. I spoke to this some in my response to question #2. I think our increased CIP money for green and equitable infrastructure was a critical and important first step in improving bike and pedestrian infrastructure in Durham. Adding a bond on the ballot for green and equitable infrastructure in an upcoming election is something I am also very interested in pursuing. I think the affordable housing bond provides a good template for how to build robust community support for a potential bond. The updated Durham transit plan is also another extremely important opportunity to add more local funding for sidewalks that connect to transit and protected bike lanes. Historically the city has not had a direct say in the county’s transit funding priorities even though we own the largest provider of transit, GoDurham. We have had adjacent negotiating power through representation on the GoTriangle board and the MPO. I am glad there is going to be a new Transit Plan Governance Study conducted so there can be clearer roles and responsibilities especially regarding spending priorities.
4) With the updates to the Durham Transit Plan and the Comprehensive Plan, will you agree to establish as a first priority increasing the number of jobs that Durham residents with low-incomes, people of color, and people living with disabilities can access with sustainable transportation within 30 and 45 minutes? Why or why not?
Yes, to the best of my ability. We know that there needs to be more density to extend transit to some areas of Durham. In some cases, this is where our more affordable housing is getting built. I think within our resource-constrained reality we will have to continue to improve transit closer to our urban core. We will then have to expand out to some of our newer development. I think prioritizing our historically underserved neighborhoods many of which are closer to our urban core is critically important. I also think providing reliable transit near much of our dedicated affordable housing is important.
5) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to establish a goal of a zero emission public transit system in Durham by 2035, and a complete net-zero transportation system in Durham by 2050.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
Somewhat Agree–Agree. I agree with the goal. My hesitancy is based on the lack of support we’ve gotten from the state and until recently the federal government. I believe at the last MPO meeting, where Bike Durham gave public comment there was clear indication that elected leaders want our 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan to be aspirational and that our current three scenarios don’t get us where we need to be. I think establishing “a goal of a zero emission public transit system in Durham by 2035, and a complete net-zero transportation system in Durham by 2050” is only possible with substantive support from both the NC state and federal government. We are not moving fast enough on climate change. We need real partners. We are not going to be able to create a net-zero transportation system with only local funding. Whether I am elected mayor or remain in my council seat I will work towards ensuring all our plans are pushing us forward in regard to climate change.
6) What else can you tell us about your commitment to and experience with bringing safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation to Durham?
Since the summer of 2020 I have been serving as the City Council alternate on the MPO. This has been an important experience for me and has helped me gain a deeper understanding of the complex world of transit. I think we need both an excellent local transit system and an excellent regional transit system. We know the residents who use our local bus system, GoDurham, rely on it because they are often our lowest-earning households. These households are often no-car households. We also know if we’re going to get serious about climate change, we need people to have a regional transit system that gets folks out of their cars. I was glad to see the TJCOG study on commuter rail that indicated we have a lot of affordable housing on the proposed rail route, especially in Durham County. I think there needs to be robust dialogue around all our potential transit options though. I was glad to see such honest discussion occur at the most recent MPO meeting. It is going to take a lot more of those types of discussions, consistent advocacy, adequate funding, and smart strategic decision-making for Durham and the region to really implement the type of transit system we need.
Elaine O'Neal
1) How often do you currently walk, bike, and/or ride transit in Durham? If you do not use one or more of these ways to travel, what prevents you from doing so?
I walk five miles at least, four or five times a week. I walk the Duke wall, the Al Buehler trail, through my neighborhood- I’m a walker.
What prevents me from biking is that my sight and equilibrium have worsened. I bike in low-traffic areas like the beach but not locally on streets. My son is a biker, though—he bikes in Durham but the traffic worries me.
2) If you walk, bike, and/or ride transit, do you feel safe? Can you get where you need to go?
If I walk, yes, I feel safe. I would love to ride transit but there’s no bus that runs out where I am, and service doesn’t serve my neighborhood or anywhere close by.
3) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to support funding City-wide networks of sidewalks and protected bike lanes through the Durham Transit Plan and additional local funding through the Capital Improvement Program and an Equitable Green Infrastructure bond.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
I completely agree and support funding for sidewalks and protected bike lanes—this is deeply personal to me as there’s not one sidewalk in my neighborhood. My neighborhood is used as a shortcut for many trucks. As RTP has grown, companies like GlaxoSmithKline have created exits near us, augmenting the traffic in my neighborhood—we are like a vein, getting people from Highway 70 to Ellis Road. In the last year, the traffic has almost tripled with trucks. I walk in the neighborhood, and I always see a dozen or so trucks speeding down my neighborhood streets. I’m worried about the vulnerable populations like elderly walkers and the kids who ride bikes. It’s become dangerous. I also live in a stop-light desert. There are a ton of new developments without the infrastructure to support them. No sidewalks or stop lights—it’s dangerous. Additionally, sidewalks are really important for folks with mobility or vision issues. I have family members impacted by this, and so I am conscious of this and how we have fallen short. Letting folks live with dignity is so important, and so many Durhamites are hindered by this.
Durham’s streets should be safe for everyone on them, regardless if they are driving, walking, cycling, or using public transit. I share the concerns of cyclists who worry about their safety. It is devastating that so many cyclists and pedestrians have died in Durham in recent years in crashes, and, noting that over half the deaths were people of color, the racialized outcomes are clear. Initiatives like the “low-stress network” are critical to mitigate this crisis.
Truthfully, in upholding our status quo we are perpetuating a racist and environmentally insensitive system. I absolutely think we can and should champion policies that support non-automotive transportation; we have to disrupt this unsustainable and inequitable transportation system and land use being designed around the use of private cars. Our transportation-dependent residents—and those whose homes and neighborhoods are impacted—need to be involved in this decision-making, including efforts like ENGAGEDurham. It is critical to prioritize and allocate funds to ensure safe streets, sidewalks, bus stops, and bus shelters in minority neighborhoods, including our immigrant communities. Overall, transportation equity is a key ingredient in pursuing racial and economic justice.
4) With the updates to the Durham Transit Plan and the Comprehensive Plan, will you agree to establish as a first priority increasing the number of jobs that Durham residents with low-incomes, people of color, and people living with disabilities can access with sustainable transportation within 30 and 45 minutes? Why or why not?
Yes, I agree to prioritize this. I also want to foster engagement with the directly impacted folks you mentioned to understand how this impacts them and how they prioritize it among other urgent matters, using tools like ENGAGEDurham or the Neighborhood Improvement Services equitable-engagement blueprint.
One of the central tenets of my campaign is addressing economic relief and recovery, and I center this in the context of our twin pandemics: COVID and racism. Some of the ways I plan to address this include establishing a community-based, paid workforce to gather information about the lived experiences of our residents rather than paying outside vendors; establishing a job pipeline that leverages connections between high schools, Durham Tech Community College, NCCU, and Duke to expand opportunities for well-paying jobs, particularly for youth; and support efforts to remove barriers from Black, Latinx, and other underrepresented communities to receive funding, mentorship, and other resources for their business. Jobs are one integral step in addressing the racial wealth gap; economic mobility and transit access and their intersection are key priorities for me.
5) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to establish a goal of a zero emission public transit system in Durham by 2035, and a complete net-zero transportation system in Durham by 2050.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
We need to provide a livable world for our future generations. The youth inform so much of my policy. I want to create a livable, united Durham because I want them to thrive. But that means environmental stewardship needs to be a top priority. I support the City’s current sustainability initiatives, and my first steps would include working alongside our City’s experts that are creating its strategies, as well as our community members to understand how these steps would impact them. I am glad the City has taken action already, including passing a renewable energy resolution and aiming for the goal of carbon neutrality by 2040, and 100% renewable energy reliance by 2050. I would support initiatives like increasing our reliance on solar, wind, and hydroelectric power; offsetting greenhouse gas emissions by planting trees (which would also help create cooler homes and lower energy bills for some of our low-income residents); and working with Duke Energy to make these goals truly feasible. And because racial equity drives my work, I would want to ensure environmental justice and a race equity lens was applied to all goals, strategies, and policies.
6) What else can you tell us about your commitment to and experience with bringing safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation to Durham?
I share your commitment to bring safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation to Durham—in fact, it is one of the top priorities of my campaign! You can see on my website that I center housing and transit issues (as they are deeply connected) in some really important ways, including these:
Prioritize veterans and military-connected families in terms of housing stability and security, including access to transit that is ADA compliant, with room to enhance access for all disabled individuals based on their needs
Work to keep Durham’s middle and low-income residents in their homes; improving access to affordable or free transit to ensure people can reach their employment, training, and schooling is key
Seek public-private partnerships to supplement transit options and improve access by engaging with ride-share companies to leverage existing community assets like religious-organization vehicles to form a community-based expansion of transit services
Prioritize and allocate funds to ensure safe streets, sidewalks, bus stops, and bus shelters that are also ADA compliant
Transportation not only serves as a connector to communities and jobs but also to polling places. At a time when the voting rights of Black Americans are directly under attack, Durham must be at the forefront of ensuring all residents have equal access to the polls. Further, as we think about the future of Durham's transit improvements, it concerns me that out of the 945 bus stops in Durham, more than 800 of those stops are not ADA compliant. This impacts all of us—we need to be prioritizing this. Being ADA compliant is a low bar to meet, and we have so many who would benefit—folks with disabilities, the elderly, people with children, and more. Our transit should serve us all and meet the needs of all Durhamites.
Finally, in my work as Chair of the City of Durham’s Racial Equity Task Force, I championed environmental justice with attention to local recommendations that can have a broad impact. While climate change is a real and present danger that often feels overwhelming, I believe we can do more to protect our city, planet, and future generations. My many conversations with young people have informed my own energy around this issue and the urgent task that lies ahead. Under my leadership, we recommended the following:
Resources and funds should be prioritized to Black and Latin(a)(o)(x) families and other communities that have historically been excluded and marginalized; this would include investment in equitable transit
Repair damaged City infrastructure such as street lights and potholes in underserved communities; create a plan that shifts the responsibility of fixing infrastructure from community members to the City; using community member input, focus on quality improvement measurements that guarantee that metrics such as street light function and road utility are equitably met in each zip code and district
Improve, expand, and beautify parks and open spaces in underserved areas
Prioritize the increase of green infrastructure in Black and underserved communities in Durham by reducing regulatory barriers
Prioritize studies of air quality and use existing reports to address environmental hazards in an effort to improve overall environmental health; improve and monitor data to ensure air, water, and soil quality in low-income communities are improved and equitable
I will continue to champion these efforts, in addition to the numerous other critical infrastructure needs, as mayor. It is critical that all of our residents are able to thrive in Durham, and that includes access to safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation with an understanding that it is part of intersecting systems that all address a healthy and equitable future for all of us.
Daryl Quick
1) How often do you currently walk, bike, and/or ride transit in Durham? If you do not use one or more of these ways to travel, what prevents you from doing so?
I walk daily. Not often do I bike. I drive so I rarely use transit.
2) If you walk, bike, and/or ride transit, do you feel safe? Can you get where you need to go?
Unfortunately, not entirely. As I am a driver I see the dangers of riding bikes on our streets. It’s not the bike lanes or lack thereof. It’s the lack of pedestrian laws and courtesy.
3) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to support funding City-wide networks of sidewalks and protected bike lanes through the Durham Transit Plan and additional local funding through the Capital Improvement Program and an Equitable Green Infrastructure bond.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
I do agree. As I stated while on the Zoom call, we need safer streets and less drug addiction. These threats to our communities and pedestrians need to be addressed. I do believe that under my leadership we can find a way to make our streets safer for our citizens, adult bikers, and even our young children.
4) With the updates to the Durham Transit Plan and the Comprehensive Plan, will you agree to establish as a first priority increasing the number of jobs that Durham residents with low-incomes, people of color, and people living with disabilities can access with sustainable transportation within 30 and 45 minutes? Why or why not?
That is an astounding yes! We have seen a bigger part of our society as a whole dealing with autism and especially here in Durham. There is a kid named Rashaad who loves his navigation on his phone. Due to his autism he may not be able to drive from one end of Durham to the other. We want our young people with disabilities to be a part of our workforce and local society. So transportation to a good job will not even be a chore but my honor and duty. Great question!
5) There is no denying that we are in a climate crisis. With the updates to the Durham Transit Plan, the Comprehensive Plan, and the region’s long-range transportation plan, will you agree to establish a goal of a zero emission public transit system in Durham by 2035, and a complete net-zero transportation system in Durham by 2050?
I remember hearing the boos at Joe Biden when he spoke about this. It is an aggressive plan. I do want Durham to start the trend of going green. We can do this by adding electric buses to our fleet. Adding rail to our infrastructure. We can also use solar power to help serve our business and residential services. This can be done. We must not bully our way to this but bring everyone on in stages. It can and should be done.
On the following scale, indicate how much you agree with this idea. Below the scale, explain the first step you would take toward zero emissions or justify why zero emissions is not a first priority for you.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
I agree 1st and foremost. As I stated in the above answer we can surely add electric buses to our fleet, promote the use and sale of electric vehicles, add more charging stations, connect Durham with rail, and use of solar energy. I apologize for being redundant with my answer but it surely is the way to moving towards this goal in Durham.
6) What else can you tell us about your commitment to and experience with bringing safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation to Durham?
Growing up in the underserved community there is a lack of resources. Our communities are spread out and private transportation is our most-used way of travel and then buses. If we can look forward we can make Durham more economically friendly and carbon-free. It will take more than a term of a Mayor but a commitment of Mayors and the community. We all desire to be on and sharing safe streets. This will be a goal that can be achieved with support from all of Durham.
City Council Candidates
DeDreana Freeman
1) How often do you currently walk, bike, and/or ride transit in Durham? If you do not use one or more of these ways to travel, what prevents you from doing so?
I walk, bike and ride the bus when time allows. That said, I would ride my bike even more with a better biking grid like bike boulevards. Unfortunately, I recently fell off my bike while riding with my husband and 3 children. I will likely not be riding for a while.
2) If you walk, bike, and/or ride transit, do you feel safe? Can you get where you need to go?
YES, I feel safe riding transit and walking out around downtown and in the newer developed section of the city. These are areas that have had more funding invested in sidewalks and crosswalks. We have a ways to go on creating pedestrian crosswalks throughout the entire city. I do not feel safe biking in smaller subsections of the city like Main St. from Fayetteville/Elizabeth to Roxboro Rd because of the lack of infrastructure.
In the City of Durham 2017 Bike+Walk Plan, 25 of the 76 projects are still unfunded. That doesn’t even include the projects residents in communities like Merrick Moore and Bragtown have been requesting. Three projects in the current plan that were supposed to move forward this fiscal year have not been funded in the budget. Three additional projects need to be included in the upcoming budget for next fiscal year.
3) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to support funding City-wide networks of sidewalks and protected bike lanes through the Durham Transit Plan and additional local funding through the Capital Improvement Program and an Equitable Green Infrastructure bond.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
I support funding city-wide networks of sidewalks and protected bike lanes and an Equitable Green Infrastructure bond. The story of our urban design becomes clear when you look at the statistics related to those who are harmed by our unsafe roadways. Roadways that barely allow pedestrian and bike ways. Our disconnected city continues to be planned around automobiles, and the long-term cost is serious injury and lost lives in the black community. Last year, the Brookings Institute published an article entitled “To build safe streets, we need to address the racism in urban design.”
I agree that our lack of sidewalks and protected bike lanes have created dangerous situations for people, and that Black people in particular are in danger from lack of sidewalks. When we disaggregate our pedestrian data by race, POC and/or people of low material wealth are overwhelmingly in danger. This tells the story of how our community street grids are as racist as the system it operates in. It was not until gentrification started that cross streets like Maple and Main St. or Ash/Briggs/Harvard all started to receive the attention they needed and become safer for pedestrians.
Highway 70 and 98 on Holloway street have the most pedestrian accidents in the city, and the sidewalks and crosswalks are dismal. Knowing that we need to address our streets and sidewalk infrastructure is why I often vote no on development that would put more stress on the already stretched CIP to complete projects to make our streets safe.
Vision Zero is a national coordination of city, towns, and villages focused on making streets safe for pedestrians.
4) With the updates to the Durham Transit Plan and the Comprehensive Plan, will you agree to establish as a first priority increasing the number of jobs that Durham residents with low-incomes, people of color, and people living with disabilities can access with sustainable transportation within 30 and 45 minutes? Why or why not?
When I first ran for office in 2017, I noted that the Piedmont Triad Region had taken the lead in North Carolina in developing an Equitable Growth Profile for ensuring diverse residents can participate in the regional economy and contribute to stronger job growth and broadly shared prosperity. The profile included an approach to building equity and inclusion through coordinated transportation, housing, and economic development investments, which are important for more equitable development patterns. Since being elected I have pushed to center equity. Currently, as we discuss the Aging Durham Plan, we need to factor in equity as the “Grey Tsunami” (greying of our country with the baby boomer generation) means we need to overhaul our safety infrastructure to account for more people needing a rail at a crosswalk or a ramp access to buildings, sidewalks and other accessways. I believe that we should adopt a similar equitable growth profile in Durham since all of these components are critical to a Durham that is fair and inclusive and works for all. As a city, if we broaden the collaboration to develop an Equitable Durham, there are endless possibilities in building shared prosperity. I have supported and will continue to support increasing access to job opportunities for marginalized populations, including residents with low incomes, people of color and people living with disabilities through sustainable transportation.
5) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to establish a goal of a zero emission public transit system in Durham by 2035, and a complete net-zero transportation system in Durham by 2050.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
We are due for an update to all of our plans. As we move towards electric vehicles and more sustainable energy models, our city has to adapt to make the move efficient and effective. We should continue to engage our residents in plans around developing projects for Vision Zero, Complete & Green Streets and Open & Play Streets.
As we move forward, we have work to build equity into infrastructure plans and funding for pedestrian and bike-safe communities that include autonomous vehicles, and more resilient transit systems that include freight and passenger rail.
6) What else can you tell us about your commitment to and experience with bringing safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation to Durham?
I am committed to making our city, county and regional planning staff and developers understand the severity of the need for the zoning changes to improve walking, bicycling, and more sustainable transportation projects like “Safe Streets” that incorporate green streets and VisionZero work. We have to continue to identify and turn our parking and vacant lots into community spaces during off-hours and weekends. We have to incorporate more green spaces into our transportation infrastructure to reduce the heat from the asphalt and concrete. We also have to imagine the future as we prepare for what's next, like drone traffic and airways. We have to look at the workforce development opportunities and be intentional about building equity into our plans as well. Our current 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan will continue to shift with technological advancements, so we must be prepared.
I began this work with Clean Energy Durham, developing a Bus Buddy Program with Triangle Transit. I have served on several boards, committees and commissions focused on addressing racism, poverty and gun violence. My most notable experience in transportation is the work to develop a Municipal Transportation 101 training for the InterNeighborhood Council of Durham. In this training, I described the transportation landscape for community and neighborhood associations across the city and county of Durham. I continue this work today as I currently serve on the National League of Cities (NLC) Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. As part of this Committee, municipal leaders across the country worked closely over the last three years with the US House and Senate Transportation Committee to offer feedback and comments on all transportation and infrastructure. We have successfully lobbied to pass the HR 3684 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the first $1 trillion-dollar infrastructure bill, including $60 billion in requests for cities directly. This bill will to come forward in the US House for a vote with bipartisan support on September 27, 2021.
Marion T. Johnson
1) How often do you currently walk, bike, and/or ride transit in Durham? If you do not use one or more of these ways to travel, what prevents you from doing so?
When I lived in West End, I walked regularly. I lived a five-minute walk from a grocery store and a twenty-minute walk from downtown. I now live in Stokesdale, and am a twenty-minute walk from a grocery store and forty-minute walk—across 147—from downtown. When I start going back to my downtown office regularly, I’ll be taking the 5 bus down Fayetteville Street or the 12 bus down Alston; but this is a sidewalk-poor part of town and I just don’t feel as safe walking.
2) If you walk, bike, and/or ride transit, do you feel safe? Can you get where you need to go?
My neighborhood is pretty sidewalk-poor, and doesn’t have bike lanes. Not all of the bus stops have shelters, or nearby crosswalks. It’s my understanding that Fayetteville Street is getting restriped for buffered bike lanes this year, which should really help it become more transit- and pedestrian-friendly, and cut down on the number of accidents we see on that street.
3) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to support funding City-wide networks of sidewalks and protected bike lanes through the Durham Transit Plan and additional local funding through the Capital Improvement Program and an Equitable Green Infrastructure bond.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
I absolutely agree to support this funding. Accessibility and transportation justice is bound up in racial and economic justice. Thanks to the environmental racism that is built into our city planning and infrastructure, Black and brown people are extremely vulnerable in a city that is so car-friendly and not at all transit- or pedestrian-friendly. Better connecting our city through sidewalks and protected bike lanes is critical to making Durham more accessible, equitable, and livable.
4) With the updates to the Durham Transit Plan and the Comprehensive Plan, will you agree to establish as a first priority increasing the number of jobs that Durham residents with low-incomes, people of color, and people living with disabilities can access with sustainable transportation within 30 and 45 minutes? Why or why not?
Absolutely. Having a job that you can’t easily access through public transportation is inequitable, because it places a huge accessibility burden on you that your city infrastructure is not designed to alleviate. In order to make Durham truly accessible, affordable, and livable for all, we need to think about economic justice, accessibility justice, and transportation justice as interrelated and interdependent.
5) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to establish a goal of a zero emission public transit system in Durham by 2035, and a complete net-zero transportation system in Durham by 2050.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
Agree. We are in a climate crisis, and that will take commitment at every level—the city, county, state, and ultimately nation—to truly address. To that end, we have to stop allowing the narrative about personal responsibility to warp our conversations about environmental justice. We’re not going to compost our way out of a climate crisis.
I was extremely excited to see GoDurham add two electric buses to its fleet, and I believe expanding the electric buses would be a fantastic first step towards zero emissions.
6) What else can you tell us about your commitment to and experience with bringing safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation to Durham?
I’m really committed to making Durham more friendly towards people who aren’t driving cars—people who are walking, biking, using wheelchairs, or taking the bus. Making Durham a transit- and pedestrian-friendly city will make us a more accessible city, as well as a more environmentally-conscious one. This can include expanding bike lanes and making them more consistent, implementing dedicated bus lanes on busier thoroughfares, increasing bus routes beyond the city center, co-creating a commuter rail throughout the Triangle, and investing in green transit like GoDurham’s two electric buses. I’ve also been excited to see the success of the Streetery, and am interested in how we could make some downtown streets permanently closed to cars so that we can increase pedestrian traffic and free up some space.
AJ Williams
1) How often do you currently walk, bike, and/or ride transit in Durham? If you do not use one or more of these ways to travel, what prevents you from doing so?
I walk daily! I bike occasionally, not due to an unwillingness, but being a parent of small children, the lack of widely accessible and connective protected bike lanes makes it challenging to choose biking as a primary or even frequent secondary option. In periods when I haven’t been able to afford a car, I have relied on public transit. Many of Durham’s residents are choosing alternative options to driving, but for too many others, alternative transportation options are not accessible. I would love to see zero-emission transportation be more widely accessible across Durham, so that all Durham residents have transportation options that are safe, affordable, sustainable and enjoyable.
2) If you walk, bike, and/or ride transit, do you feel safe? Can you get where you need to go?
When I walk, bike, or push a stroller on our streets, particular intersections feel quite unsafe. And I’m not alone. As a member of the Durham Participatory Budgeting steering committee since 2018, I heard many Durham residents express a desire to see more sidewalks, bus shelters, and tree canopies along streets. Also, the alternative transportation infrastructure that does exist too often doesn’t connect, creating gaps in safe or accessible pathways. For example, the bike lane nearest my house has breaks and ends without connecting to another lane or pathway, so in order to use it, it would require riding unprotected along a busy road.
3) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to support funding City-wide networks of sidewalks and protected bike lanes through the Durham Transit Plan and additional local funding through the Capital Improvement Program and an Equitable Green Infrastructure bond.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
Expanding public transit, including reinstating discontinued bus routes, increasing options for multi-modal transportation, city-wide networks of sidewalks, and protected bike lanes are all ways our city can reduce the number of cars on the road and make it safer for all travellers.
I wholeheartedly agree that funding a city-wide network of sidewalks and protected bike lanes through the Durham Transit Plan and additional local funding through the Capital Improvement Program and an Equitable Green Infrastructure bond would be an excellent use of public dollars.
As a City Council member, I will continue to support projects already in motion, such as the Bicycle Boulevards plan, using existing calm streets to create connected pathways that prioritize the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. Our city’s adoption of the Vision Zero program seeks to eliminate traffic fatalities and create safer roadways for all travellers, including cyclists.
The city has received federal funding for the $645,000 project to create 7 miles of bike boulevards. The routes will include signage, speed limit reduction and wayfinding to assist bikers and to signal to all travellers that they are on a bike route. The rate of fatalities for Black and people of color only highlights the racial and socio-economic disparities in our city. The relative lack of sidewalks and safe streets in lower-income and predominantly Black and Brown areas, combined with many people relying on public transit to get from home, work and school, disproportionately exposes Black and Brown community members to unsafe street conditions.
4) With the updates to the Durham Transit Plan and the Comprehensive Plan, will you agree to establish as a first priority increasing the number of jobs that Durham residents with low-incomes, people of color, and people living with disabilities can access with sustainable transportation within 30 and 45 minutes? Why or why not?
I will gladly agree to establish as a top priority increasing the number of jobs that Durham residents with low incomes, people of color, and people living with disabilities can access with sustainable transportation within 30 and 45 minutes. Concerned residents have shared with me that particularly in areas such as Braggtown many residents who are elders and/or have disabilities have to walk over a mile to get to bus stops, often to get to medical appointments, jobs, or homes—in the unrelenting heat, without the protection of tree canopies.
In the Equitable Economic Growth and Cooperation as well as the City-Wide Access and Mobility portions of my policy platform, I share ideas for how we can move in this important direction. I believe job quality matters, too. In my community organizing work, I hear many Durham residents name the widespread job loss and related housing instability our neighbors are surviving. As City Councilmember, I would invest in job training, and would propose a City-funded initiative to provide low-income residents with free trade and tech certifications. I support the growth of small businesses in Durham and I believe in cultivating worker-owned cooperative workplace models. I agree with the Green New Deal for Durham policy agenda that proposes training local residents for green construction jobs. I have a vision for Durham’s Department of Community Safety partnering with Durham Tech to create a training program for skilled, unarmed crisis care responders.
5) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to establish a goal of a zero emission public transit system in Durham by 2035, and a complete net-zero transportation system in Durham by 2050.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
I wholeheartedly agree. I am committed to the goal of a zero-emission public transit system in Durham by 2035 and a complete net-zero transportation system in Durham by 2050.
The creation of publicly-funded, community-controlled, high-quality housing solutions, where residents can actually afford to live in sustainable homes within Durham’s city center, would reduce the need for cars. Therefore, the first step towards zero emissions is following through with the commitments of our City’s Affordable Housing Investment Plan which rolled out following the approval of the $95 million dollar Affordable Housing Bond Referendum—which was overwhelmingly supported by Durham voters.
Secondly, the most pressing infrastructure need is the continuation of fare-free public transportation. Durham’s Transportation Department Director, Sean Egan, has made a commitment to provide fare-free bus “service for essential trips in our community—for as long as it is safe and appropriate to do so.” Fare-free public transit has significantly increased ridership and will continue to do so. I would also work to reactivate the routes that were paused and expand bus routes to make it easier to get across town efficiently. I support GoDurham’s Better Bus project.
Lastly, I would like to see a city-wide sidewalk system to support walkability, including pushing a stroller, and prioritizing ADA-compliant use for those traveling by wheelchairs, and would like to see this funded with an Equitable Green Infrastructure Bond. I would prioritize these green shifts over more parking decks, wider roadways, or other automobile-oriented development.
6) What else can you tell us about your commitment to and experience with bringing safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation to Durham?
As a City Councilmember, I am committed to creating more opportunities for multi-modal transportation and ensuring there is an equitable distribution of resources across the city, particularly sidewalks. The $2.9 million allocated for sidewalks in our City’s FY21–22 budget is a good start, but given how high a priority sidewalks are every year in the annual resident survey, it is clear that access and mobility are important to Durham residents across race, class, and geography and need increased investment. I would support an Equitable Green Infrastructure Bond to make these critical changes possible. According to the Durham Annual Survey 2020, our lack of sidewalks in good condition deserves significant attention (37% of residents surveyed are dissatisfied with the condition of neighborhood sidewalks). In addition, 40% indicated they don’t access public transit because they feel worried the bus would take too long. Over the years, responses to the survey have gradually improved regarding “ability in your neighborhood to run, walk, bike, and exercise outdoors” (69% of respondents expressed satisfaction in 2020, compared to 60% in 2018). We have a long way to go before we achieve the zero disparity of access, zero traffic deaths, and zero carbon emissions that Bike Durham rightfully lifts as a set of key goals. As a City Councilmember, I will join Bike Durham in striving towards this vision.
Leonardo Williams
1) How often do you currently walk, bike, and/or ride transit in Durham? If you do not use one or more of these ways to travel, what prevents you from doing so?
Currently, I use biking and walking as a form of transit for my personal affairs when home. We live less than a mile from a grocery store and other convenience resources. However, I also live in a neighborhood where sidewalks run out less than a mile toward my job. I’ve personally walked this route and feared for my life as I was nearly hit several times by vehicles.
I’m a small business owner with two locations. This requires a high volume of daily travel between each location. I employ over 30 people, and we have proudly incorporated a rideshare concept to reduce reliance on multiple staff members needing to find parking. This program is sponsored by our small business. In addition to biking and walking, this too is a benefactor for my personal health. My family suffers from several chronic illnesses that could be prevented if they were more physically active.
Due to the climate of Duke University’s campus, walking is and must be used as a form of transit. Considering the extreme high volume of people commuting via walking, scooters, and buses, the less use or reliance on cars, the better. We encourage and partake in these practices.
As a small business owner, these concepts are vital to our public safety. I proudly support, encourage, and create opportunities for other small businesses to join me in these practices where appropriate.
2) If you walk, bike, and/or ride transit, do you feel safe? Can you get where you need to go?
I believe we best understand and can advocate for issues when they impact our lived experiences. I don’t always feel safe when I’m walking or biking. A quarter mile from my neighborhood, the sidewalks end abruptly on both sides of a very busy two-lane road. Unfortunately, when I’m walking or running, I can’t access that part of my community. I am just one person who lives in a very residential area, but I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t feel safe getting around. Connecting our neighborhoods and providing alternative means to move would serve multiple benefits; including health, access, and community engagement.
3) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to support funding City-wide networks of sidewalks and protected bike lanes through the Durham Transit Plan and additional local funding through the Capital Improvement Program and an Equitable Green Infrastructure bond.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
Agree. In order to have a bike-friendly community, one that includes everyone, there are a few actions we must take as a city. We have to develop a bike-pathway infrastructure that connects to greenways, major routes, and safe crossing points. Additionally, some of our roads can be outfitted to include bike lanes if they are wide enough; studies have shown that narrower car lanes can also decrease the rate of speeding in many areas. We also have to evaluate major crossing locations. The Durham Transportation Department has over a year-long backlog of intersections that require traffic calming measures because of their risk to pedestrians. We would also benefit from a pilot program of separated on-street bike facilities by installing flexible delineators and buffer zones for cyclists. I would rely much on the advice of our advisory councils and commissions who have already facilitated community conversations and planning around this topic like the Environmental Affairs Board (EAB), Durham Open Space and Trails (DOST), and Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Council (BPAC) as well as Bike Durham.
4) With the updates to the Durham Transit Plan and the Comprehensive Plan, will you agree to establish as a first priority increasing the number of jobs that Durham residents with low-incomes, people of color, and people living with disabilities can access with sustainable transportation within 30 and 45 minutes? Why or why not?
Yes, Durham’s most pressing transit need currently is the need for diversification of transit options. I’m a major proponent of our city’s resources directly reflecting the needs of her residents.
I personally own a small business that requires employees to sometimes stay late. However, those who do not own a vehicle rely on the frequency of the bus routes which leave them having to hike rides home. This is an issue of safety. There are several people who’d rather rely on two wheels than four. This is obviously more environmentally-friendly, but Durham has yet to truly and wholesomely embrace cycling as a formal means of transportation, and it is not always an accessible option for people with disabilities. Accessible transit is key to our city’s success, where every resident is able to meet their needs. We’ve yet to stabilize the ability for families to maintain access to fundamental resources such as housing, jobs that pay a living wage, and proximity to community resources like jobs, healthcare, and groceries. Lack of access to these commodities becomes a daily expense in a city where it is already expensive to live. Many community members who rely on our bus system struggle to maintain jobs because of the inefficiency in our current routes. Fast, frequent, and free buses across the city would reduce the inequities we see in access to transportation. Our city has to ensure barriers are removed so that our residents can thrive here.
5) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to establish a goal of a zero emission public transit system in Durham by 2035, and a complete net-zero transportation system in Durham by 2050.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
Agree. Durham faces three primary risks from climate change which include more intense flooding, longer periods of drought, and severe heat. We have seen this every year, devastating our communities. Climate change is already impacting Durham and disproportionately impacting BIPOC communities. In order to address climate change we must look at what we can do to slow its progress and how to lessen its impacts on our city. Establishing a net-zero transportation system is a priority in doing so.
Even the most well designed, multimodal transit network will not eliminate the need for individual vehicles. This is where the switch from the internal combustion engine to electric motors will make the climate difference. Non-emitting vehicles will greatly improve health as living next to high traffic roads increases public health risks. This is again an environmental justice issue as BIPOC are more likely to live next to highways. As technology advances we will be able to use electric vehicles to achieve the same amount of work as a regular truck; we can continue to change our fleet to more non-emitting vehicles.
6) What else can you tell us about your commitment to and experience with bringing safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation to Durham?
We need to address environmental concerns while providing equitable and affordable transit. The 20th century was built around the idea that the more roads we build, the better. This has led to unprecedented traffic. Additionally, the space required to park vehicles is substantial, especially given the lack of availability of affordable housing in the city. Every two parking spaces requires the same square footage as a 600-sq. ft. apartment. And the climate impacts are tremendous with transportation accounting for the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country. It is time to look at a 21st-century way of moving that prioritizes people. We need better pedestrian infrastructure, including sidewalks, greenways, and safe crossing points.
Durham has small, dispersed greenway systems. While the American Tobacco Trail is utilized by all demographics, it does not connect into other transportation options with enough frequency to make it a viable option for daily commuting.
Mass transit must be a part of the equation and an area where Durham has tremendous opportunity. Funding through property taxes or bond measures could achieve our needs for free bus fare. There is currently a transportation bond under discussion that could be placed on the ballot as early as 2022. We can also utilize the funds from the American Rescue Plan.
Trains are also an important piece of the transit puzzle. While the proposed light rail line connecting Durham and Chapel Hill fell through, Charlotte has proven that light rail is effective for North Carolina cities. With an average daily ridership of 27,700 people, the Lynx Blue Line is a great example of how light rail can reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled, reduce traffic congestion and increase equitable access across the city.
The current infrastructure bill in the Senate will dedicate 66 billion dollars to Amtrak and Amtrak intends to increase service between Raleigh and Charlotte with commuter options between Durham, Cary, and Raleigh. However, it will take several years before Durham benefits from these changes. By integrating trains, buses, and greenways we can create a transportation network that is fast, effective and cheaper than our current single-occupancy vehicle model.
Sylvester Williams
1) How often do you currently walk, bike, and/or ride transit in Durham? If you do not use one or more of these ways to travel, what prevents you from doing so?
I walk daily.
2) If you walk, bike, and/or ride transit, do you feel safe? Can you get where you need to go?
Yes. I feel safe.
3) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to support funding City-wide networks of sidewalks and protected bike lanes through the Durham Transit Plan and additional local funding through the Capital Improvement Program and an Equitable Green Infrastructure bond.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
I agree, especially in the poorer more deprived areas of Durham.
4) With the updates to the Durham Transit Plan and the Comprehensive Plan, will you agree to establish as a first priority increasing the number of jobs that Durham residents with low-incomes, people of color, and people living with disabilities can access with sustainable transportation within 30 and 45 minutes? Why or why not?
Put money left over from the failed light rail project into busing.
5) On the following scale, indicate how much you agree to establish a goal of a zero emission public transit system in Durham by 2035, and a complete net-zero transportation system in Durham by 2050.
Disagree — Somewhat Disagree — Neutral — Somewhat Agree —Agree
Neutral. Climate is universal and one city will not change the dynamics. On a national level you need to speak to major corporations about the pollutants they emit that affect the atmosphere.
6) What else can you tell us about your commitment to and experience with bringing safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation to Durham?
Instead of the failed light rail project I was for putting more money into busing and sidewalks.