What's in the Budget this Year?

Safe Streets Investments and Fare-Free Transit

On Monday, June 17, the Durham City Council will take two important votes toward continuing the investment in Safe & Healthy Streets for Durham: 1) the FY2025 Budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP), and 2) a $115 million General Obligation (GO) Bond for Sidewalks and Street Resurfacings.  There are a lot of projects that would be funded through both of these packages, so we’re going to take the time here to describe all of the projects.  [NOTE: This Summer and Fall, Bike Durham will be working with partners across the City to share stories about the benefits of many of the projects so that Durham voters are well-informed before going to the polls in November to vote on the bond referendum.]

Before we get to the details, it’s important to keep in mind that the City’s staff and elected leadership are demonstrating through these actions that: 1) they hear the demand for infrastructure that will make our streets safer and healthier for everyone, and 2) they understand the need to make investments in the projects and the people to deliver this vision.

We encourage you to sign the petition thanking the City’s staff and elected leadership.

Fare-Free Transit Service

The proposed city budget for the coming year will keep GoDurham service free for all riders for another year.

List of Sidewalk and Street Resurfacing Bond Projects

$60 million to construct approximately 12.4 miles of new sidewalks

Map of Sidewalk Projects Included in the Sidewalk & Streets bond package (orange lines)

The information below is the most current available information from the City of Durham material presented during the budget retreats and available online.  We are planning further discussions with staff to get further details and we will update this post as we learn more.  

These are projects that have already been in development (design and right-of-way acquisition is complete or nearly so) and will be ready to move to construction in the next 2-3 years (link to staff presentation from April 18).   In addition to the sidewalk projects below, the bond referendum would also fund:

• $15 million to repair existing sidewalks and ADA curb ramps;

• $10 million to pave dirt and gravel streets within City limits

• $30 million to fund street paving and maintenance on city streets (We are seeking information from the Public Works department on the city streets that would be included to know more about opportunities to add traffic calming, safer crossings, and bicycle facilities);  

Some of the funding for these projects was previously identified in the city’s Capital Improvement Program.  This can be confusing, but by funding the completion of these projects with voter-approved bonds, the City frees up additional capacity to add new projects to next year’s Capital Improvement Program. 

East Club Boulevard Sidewalks (LC770): 

• Both sides of East Club Boulevard from Stephenson to Glenbrook (filling gaps/building new sidewalks along ~0.4 miles on each side)

• This is a project that the Bragtown Community Association has been advocating for many years.

• It will improve access to GoDurham bus routes 9A/9B and connect to the Club Boulevard Housing community.

Hillandale Road Bicycle and Ped (U-4726HN, LCH85):

• Both sides of Hillandale Road from I-85 to NC-147 (filling gaps/building/widening sidewalks, building bike paths along ~1 mile on each side)

• This stretch of Hillandale Road is an important north-south connection and the site where Seth Vidal was killed while riding his bike in 2013.

• It will improve access to a new bus route that is expected to begin operation in August of 2024.

Morreene Road Bicycle and Ped (C-4928, LCM83)

• Both sides of Morreene Road from Erwin Road to Neal Road (filling gaps/building/widening sidewalks, building bike paths along ~1.5 miles on each side)

• This project will improve access to GoDurham bus route 11B and is an important connection to Duke’s West Campus and Erwin Road from many residential communities, including Morreene Road Housing Community, Damar Court, and American Village. 

LaSalle Street Sidewalk (EB-5703, LC187):

• Both sides of LaSalle Street from Kangaroo Drive to Hillsborough Road and on west side from Hillsborough Rd. to Sprunt Ave (building new sidewalks along ~0.5 miles on east side and ~0.7 miles on west side)

• This project will improve access to GoDurham bus route 11 and Duke bus route LL and is an important connection from the residential communities on LaSalle to Duke and Erwin Road to the south, and the businesses on Hillsborough Road to the north.

Cornwallis Rd Sidewalks/Bike Lanes (U-4724, LCC84):

• Both sides of Cornwallis Road from Old Chapel Hill Road to South Roxboro Street (building new sidewalks and bike paths along ~1.2 miles on each side)

• This project will close an important gap in east-west access including a connection to Rogers-Herr Middle School.

N. Duke Street Sidewalk (EB-5715, LC189):

• East side of N. Duke Street from Murray Avenue to N. Roxboro Road (building new sidewalks along ~1.8 miles)

• This project will improve access to GoDurham bus routes 4 and 9A and the residences and businesses along this busy stretch of North Duke Street.

NC 54 Sidewalk (EB-5708, LC190):

• South side of NC-54 from NC HWY-55 east to the RTP western limit (building new sidewalks along ~0.4 miles)

• This project will iimprove access to GoDurham bus route 12B and GoTriangle bus route 805.

Raynor Street Sidewalks (EB-5704, LC188):

• North side of Raynor Street from N. Miami Boulevard to Hardee Street (building new sidewalks along ~0.3 miles)

• This project will improve walking access to GoDurham Route 3 and to the second busiest bus stop in the city at Raynor St. and North Miami Blvd.

Five Bike+Walk Corridors 1 (SW-66, LC501):

Five street segments will get sidewalks on this project.  

• West side of Clayton Road from Chandler Road to Freeman Road; north side of Freeman Road from Clayton Road to Obsidian way (building new sidewalk along ~0.5 miles) (improving access to GoDurham bus route 3B)

• Both sides of the Hillsborough Road from 3800 Hillsborough Road (Hilton) to 3414 Hillsborough Road (Sheetz) (filling gaps/building new sidewalks along ~0.7 miles on each side) (improving access to GoDurham bus route 11)

• Both sides of Holloway Street from the intersection of N. Guthrie Avenue to N. Miami Boulevard (filling gaps/building new sidewalks along ~0.3 miles on each side) (improving access to GoDurham bus routes 3, 3B, and 3C)

• Both sides of Old Oxford Road from 204 Old Oxford Road to 429 Old Oxford Road (filling gaps/building new sidewalks along ~0.4 miles on each side) (improving access to  GoDurham bus routes 9A and 9B)

• Both sides of W. Corporation Street from N. Duke Street to N. Mangum Street (filling gaps/building new sidewalks along ~0.6 miles on each side) (improving access to GoDurham bus routes 1, 4, and 9A/9B)

Eight Bike+Sidewalk Projects (SW-68, LC504):

Eight street segments will get sidewalks on this project.  

• West side of Broad Street from the rear side of Walgreens parking lot to Forest Road (building new sidewalk along ~0.1 miles) (improving access to GoDurham Route 1)

• Northeast side of the roadway at 3519 Fayetteville Street (Mount Zion Christian Church) (filling sidewalk gap along ~70 feet) (improving access to a bus stop for GoDurham Routes 5 and 7) 

• East side of Fulton Street from Pratt Street to the Durham Freeway On-Ramp (widening sidewalks along ~0.2 mi) (listed on Durham's Future Pedestrian Facilities GIS site as a mixed-use path)

• Both sides of Holt School Road from 3900 Holt School Road to 4102 Holt School Road (filling gaps/building new sidewalks along ~0.1 miles on each side) (improving access to Holt Elementary School)

• Both sides of N. Pointe Drive from the intersection of Guess Road to 1915 N Pointe Drive (Red Roof Inn) (filling gaps/building new sidewalks along ~0.3 miles on each side) (improving access to GoDurham Route 1)

• West side of the Raynor Street from 611 Raynor Street to 701 Raynor Street (filling gaps/building new sidewalks along ~200 feet on each side) (improving access to GoDurham Routes 3/3B/3C)

• Both sides of the SW Durham Drive from 3705 SW Durham Drive to the intersection of Old Chapel Hill Road (filling gaps/building new sidewalks along ~0.5 miles on each side) (improving access to GoTriangle Route 400)

• Both sides of Stadium Drive from 801 Stadium Drive to Olympic Avenue (filling gaps/building new sidewalks along ~0.2 miles on each side)

Capital Improvement Program Projects  ($16,567,884)

As mentioned above, funding the completion of the above projects with voter-approved bonds, the City frees up additional capacity to add new projects to next year’s Capital Improvement Program. 

Durham Downtown Rail Trail, $3,503,126 + $2,400,00 for enhancements

• “Beltline” running from North Durham to Durham Station area downtown (~1.8 miles of new bike and pedestrian paths)

• Additional amenities including the Gateway Park at the trailhead and lighting and site furnishings along the trail.  (Video of the proposed enhancements.)

• This would also fund property acquisition at Avondale Avenue to support a future trailhead amenity and parking.

Durham-to-Roxboro Rail Trail, $2,500,000

• Planning study for a rail-to-trail conversion of the abandoned rail corridor from near Avondale Drive to Person County border (~18 miles of new bike and pedestrian paths)

• The 18-mile corridor would connect the end of the future Durham Rail Trail (Avondale Drive) to the Person County line, passing through the communities of Bragtown, Bahama, and Rougemont along the way.

Mangum-Roxboro Signals for Two-Way Conversion, $500,000

• Pavement markings and signal upgrades to convert US 15-501 Business North (Roxboro Street) and US 15-501 Business South (Mangum Street) from a one-way pair system to two-way streets. Design FY 2025, construction beginning FY2026

Guess Road Improvements for Safer Bicycling - NEW, $950,000

• Bike and pedestrian facilities on Guess Road between I-85 and Club Boulevard. (~1 mi)

Bike Lane Vertical Protection (LC522), $172,035. This is a request for local funding to replace federal funding so that project can move faster.

• Adds vertical protection to buffered bicycle lanes in Durham

New Roundabout Installation - Continuation of LC705, $1,400,000

• Roundabout at the intersection of Morreene Road and American Drive to improve safety and slow traffic. (Bike safety improvements around 1 intersection)

• This project will be comleted in conjunction with the Morreene Road project that will add sidewalks and bicycle facilities.

School Zone Speed Reductions and Trail Crossing Improvements, $1,210,000

• Flashing beacons for Rocky Creek Trail crossing at Elmira St (between Dakota St and Hemlock Ave)

• Flashing beacons for S Ellerbee Creek Trail crossing at Stadium Dr (across from Durham County stadium driveway)

• School zone flashers for Durham School of the Arts on Stadium Drive

• School zone flashers for Central Park School for Children on North Street/Hargrove Street

• School zone flashers for Hope Valley Elementary and Durham Academy Middle on University Drive

• Pedestrian signals for Club Boulevard Elementary at Roxboro/Lavender

• Flashing beacons for Fayetteville St Elementary crossing at Elmira St and Hemlock Ave

• Flashing beacons for Morehead Montessori Elementary crossing at Lakewood Ave and Shepherd St

• Flashing beacons for Clement Early College High crossing at Fayetteville St and Formosa Ave

• Curb radius reduction for Hillandale Elementary at Hillandale/Peppertree

• Crosswalk for Brogdon Middle at Leon St and Buchanon

• Bump outs for Shephard Middle along Dakota St

• Warranted traffic signal on Stadium Dr at new Durham School of the Arts (between Carver St and Shaftsbury St)

Neighborhood Bike Routes 2 and 3 (LC620), $282,723. This is a request for local funding to replace federal funding so that project can move faster.

• Englewood Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Watts Street; 

• Knox Street from Watts Street to Acadia Street 

• Bivins Street from SR 1127 (Chapel Hill Road) to Arnette Avenue

• Iredell Street from US 70 Business (Main Street) to West Club Boulevard

• Maryland Avenue from West Club Boulevard to Ellerbee Creek Trail

• Cleveland Street/Corporation Street from US 70 business/NC 98 (Holloway Street) to Rigsbee Avenue 

• Juniper Street from Spruce Street to Guthrie Avenue 

• Lincoln Street/Grant Street from Lawson Street to Lakeland Street 

• Ridgeway Avenue/Lakeland Street from Lawson Street to Mathison Street 

• Lavender Avenue from Elgin Street to Stephenson Street 

• Stephenson Street from Lavender Avenue to SR 1669 (Club Boulevard) 

• Umstead street/Lodge Street from SR 1118 (Fayetteville Street) to Fargo Street

Signal Timing Improvements - Continuation of LC259, $300,000

Trail System Repairs, $1,200,000

Proposed City Budget/CIP Includes All Our Priorities

Durham Leaders Take Next Steps Toward Our Vision for Safe & Healthy Streets

Whether long-time residents of Northeast Central Durham or new residents near Southpoint, whether working at Duke Medical Center or in a restaurant kitchen, most of us want Durham to be inclusive and vibrant, and everyone wants their friends and loved ones to come home safely.  We all deserve to get around Durham on bike, on foot, on transit, or in a car without our loved ones worrying about whether we’ll be hit by a driver on our Durham streets.

Over the past month we’ve been reminded of the risks as three men have been killed in hit-and-run crimes while walking or biking on our streets.  In response to these and too many preceding tragedies, our elected and staff leaders have been deepening their commitment to Vision Zero (see below), and they have been making steps toward greater investments in infrastructure that will slow driver speeds, make our streets safer for biking and walking, and improve access to the GoDurham bus system.  In fact, the proposed City Budget and Capital Improvement Program includes nearly everything that we asked for:

• Continuation of fare-free GoDurham and GoDurham ACCESS services

• Fund the entire list of Transportation Department infrastructure projects plus design and engagement on Duke and Gregson/Vickers

• Acceleration of the completion of projects by investing in staff (competitive wages and additional positions) and streamlining the project delivery process.

Much of the funding for these investments will require voter approval through the November 5 election.  Over the past several months, the staff and Council have been taking the series of steps required to place a bond referendum on the November ballot to fund $115 million in sidewalk and street resurfacing projects.  This is a common way for local governments to fund important community infrastructure, as in 2019 when city of Durham voters supported a $95 million affordable housing bond, and in 2022 when Durham county voters supported a $550 million bond for Durham Public schools, Durham Tech, and the Museum of Life and Science.

This November’s election is important for many reasons, but we will be focused on educating voters about the sidewalk and streets bond referendum and encouraging voters to register and turn out to vote. We know what can make Durham thrive for us all.  By working together with community members and staff and elected representatives at all levels, we can design and deliver safe and healthy streets with complete biking and walking networks and great transit that not only connect and improve our neighborhoods, but protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and this place we call home, for generations to come.

Below are details about the decisions our local leaders are making, and the work that we have to do to realize the future that most everyone wants in Durham.

Advancing Vision Zero

In 2017, Durham City Council adopted a Vision Zero Resolution becoming an early adopter among North Carolina communities.  This was an important step to set an intention to change Durham’s approach to traffic safety until we have zero deaths and serious injuries on our streets and highways.  Since that time, many more communities across the country have committed to Vision Zero and taken steps to achieve it, establishing a record of promising practices.  Three of those building blocks that have demonstrated to be necessary steps are:

• Assigning a full-time, dedicated Vision Zero Coordinator;

• Adopting a Vision Zero Action Plan that analyzes traffic data and street designs, prioritizing changes to infrastructure and policy;

• Setting a specific year for achieving zero deaths and serious injuries, as well as interim milestones.

Last Spring, through advocacy from Bike Durham and the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission, and with the leadership of Council member Javiera Caballero, the manager recommended and the Council adopted a budget funding a Vision Zero Coordinator position.  Late last year Lauren Grove was hired in that role.  You can hear from Lauren in this video interview.

Late last year transportation director Sean Egan also committed to completing a Vision Zero Action Plan by the end of 2024, and that effort is underway.  This past Monday, the City Council adopted an update to the original Vision Zero Resolution, setting targets for reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2035 and to zero by 2045.  The entire updated resolution is worth reading.  It lays out clearly the rationale for Vision Zero, and the steps that the staff is directed to take.

A Bond Referendum for Funding Safe and Healthy Streets

Following several years of discussion and preparation, the City Council is prepared to take action on June 17 to place a $115 million sidewalk and street resurfacing bond referendum on the November ballot (together with an $85 million parks and recreation bond).  If the sidewalks and streets bond referendum is passed by the voters in November, they would directly provide:

• $60 million to construct new sidewalks;  

• $30 million to fund city street paving and maintenance (each an opportunity to slow traffic, improve crossings, and add bicycle facilities);  

• $15 million to repair existing sidewalks and ADA curb ramps; and  

• $10 million to pave dirt and gravel streets within City limits.

We will share additional information in a following post about the specific projects to be constructed with these revenues, but it is important to know that these are projects that have already been in development and will be ready to move to construction in the next 2-3 years (link to staff presentation from April 18).   The $115 million in bond revenues would create a reliable source of revenue to move these projects to completion in the fastest and least expensive way available.  These new revenues would also make possible the funding of additional projects in the city’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP).

Proposed Budget and Capital Improvement Program

We had three specific asks for funding priorities that we made at the March 18 budget public hearing:

• Continuation of fare-free GoDurham and GoDurham ACCESS services

• Fund the entire list of Transportation Department infrastructure projects plus design and engagement on Duke and Gregson/Vickers

• Acceleration of the completion of projects by investing in staff (competitive wages and additional positions) and streamlining the project delivery process.  

The proposed budget (read excerpt) that City Manager Wanda Page released on May 20 includes funding to continue fare-free transit service for another year; funding for nearly every single request from the Transportation Department, including the feasibility study for Duke and Gregson/Vickers; and funding for staff salaries to make them competitive with the regional market. 

The funding of all of these capital projects was made possible because of the proposed bond referendum for $115 million in sidewalks and street resurfacing projects.  The bond referendum is also an important step in improving the project delivery process, creating a funding resource across multiple projects and several years that can be used to more flexibly respond to changes in projects costs and schedules. We can also see some of this flexibility being built into the CIP. For several projects, multiple years of funding are being made available in the upcoming fiscal year, which will allow staff to more seamlessly move from one stage of a project to another, without having to wait for another budget cycle to request additional funds.

We are excited about these decisions and steps that the city’s staff and elected leadership are taking to make our streets safe & healthy for everyone.  We encourage you to join us in thanking them for their leadership and we invite you to join us as we educate voters about the sidewalk and street resurfacing bond referendum.

Today is Transit Equity Day

Today, February 4th is Transit Equity Day in the U.S., named in memory of Rosa Parks on her birthday.  When Rosa Parks refused to yield her seat in the Whites Only section of a Montgomery bus in 1958, she sparked a 381-day boycott of the bus system, demanding equal treatment.  Today, public transit is an essential service in a transportation system that is still inequitable.  Access to reliable transportation is closely linked to educational and economic opportunity, and in regions like the Triangle, that means access to a private automobile.

In order to achieve a transportation system that provides equitable access for everyone, while also eliminating carbon emissions and traffic deaths or serious injuries, we are going to have to make the public transit system work better for today’s customers.  We have been advocating for this through the Durham County Transit Plan since 2020.  This is the plan that establishes how $1.1 billion will be spent on public transit in Durham over the next 17 years (until 2040).  The final draft plan was released in December and the County, the regional planning organization (DCHC MPO), and GoTriangle are soliciting comments on the plan now.  This will be the topic of our next Community Meeting on February 27.

Through the Transit Equity Campaign, we have been successful at getting the public agencies to invest in authentic community engagement, and to put the needs of current transit riders at the front of the plan.  More than $800 million (74%) of the recommended investments accomplish those goals. These investments include increasing bus service frequency, running service later on weekends, and new crosstown routes that will shorten travel times.  It will speed up the construction of bus stop shelters and safe access to those stops, invest in improvements to the speed and reliability of bus services, and study the possibility of bringing Bus Rapid Transit to Durham.  The Plan also funds a study of the needs of the paratransit service for those whose disability keeps them from using the bus; the costs of paying increased wages to operate and maintain a growing transit system; and provides staff resources to increase the accountability for whether these dollars are being spent effectively.

This is Not Enough

This is an important start on transforming our public transit system to one that creates more opportunities for riders as we make a transition to a clean, safe transportation system for everyone.  However, it is not enough.  For all the investments recommended in improving our bus systems, other improvements are left out:

• The plan leaves many critical bus routes unfunded (listed on page 107 of recommended plan), meaning that travel times will remain too long and services will remain too infrequent for too many people.  

• The plan doesn’t show a commitment to electrifying the entire bus fleet.  

• The plan does not make a commitment to keep zero fares.  

• The plan does not show how sidewalk connections, or the Better Bus Project recommendations on Holloway and Fayetteville Streets and other locations throughout the city, will be fully funded.  

• Finally, the plan does not show a viable option for how riders will experience fast, reliable, and frequent regional transit service between Durham and opportunities in RTP, Cary, and Raleigh, or Chapel Hill.

The Commuter Rail is Not Viable in Durham Today

Bike Durham is strongly supportive of fast, reliable, and frequent regional transit services between Durham and opportunities in RTP, Cary, and Raleigh.  And we understand the desire to bring rail service to the Triangle.  However, the Commuter Rail project that has been studied would not be reliable or frequent because it would only offer two trips in the middle of the day, two trips at night, and no service on weekends.  This would not be useful for people who work jobs other than 9-to-5'ers, nor for getting to cultural or entertainment opportunities.  We are disappointed that options for frequent all-day, all-week service have not been studied to this point in tim

GoTriangle has only been studying rail service in the existing rail corridor, and that is limited to what the North Carolina Railroad and Norfolk-Southern Railway will allow.  At this point in time, these entities have not even agreed to participate in an evaluation of the feasibility of frequent, all-day service in the corridor.  This is why GoTriangle has only been evaluating Commuter Rail service levels (eight trips in the morning, two in the middle of the day, eight in the afternoon, and two at night - weekdays only).  They have recently presented the results of their Commuter Rail Feasibility Study and are also soliciting public comments right now.

The project is estimated to cost $3.2 billion and carry about 12,000 daily person trips by 2040.  At this cost and this level of ridership, GoTriangle has determined that the project is unlikely to be eligible for the Federal funding source that often pays about 50% of major project costs.  The Durham segment of the corridor between RTP and West Durham is estimated to cost about $1.6 billion due to the need for an additional set of tracks and complicated designs for the east Durham railyard and several street crossings.  The draft final Durham County Transit Plan recommends reserving 26% of the revenues through 2040 for a regional connection, or about $290 million.  That leaves a BIG gap - upwards of $1.3 billion - to build a project that doesn’t even have the service levels that we need.  Until Durham and Wake have new robust local transit tax options available to build the full project and operate frequent service, this rail project in Durham is not viable.

Wake County has a stronger tax base and could afford to build either the leg from Garner to downtown Raleigh, or from downtown Raleigh to RTP without Federal funding.  If Wake County is inclined to commit money to the central segment, Durham leaders should not be seduced into spending any transit tax revenues to extend the service beyond RTP until we can fully fund a frequent connection all the way to West Durham.

Here’s why:

• It would not provide any new access benefits for current riders or those using transit to access the opportunities east of RTP.  For the foreseeable future, an Ellis Road station would be predominantly a park-and-ride location, not a walk-to-transit location. Current riders going to opportunities east of RTP would still make bus connections at an RTP station since GoTriangle would not relocate their regional transit center to Ellis Road.

• It would consume most, if not all, of the $290 million recommended to be reserved for regional transit connections in the draft final Durham County Transit Plan.  We still would need to raise more than $1.3 billion in order to build out a fast, frequent, and reliable regional transit connection from east Durham, downtown Durham, and west Durham.

• GoTriangle’s evaluation is that there is a significant level of risk that the project might ever get completed.  In order to build and operate the studied service, GoTriangle would need agreement from North Carolina Railroad, Norfolk Southern Railway, CSX Railway, and Amtrak.  These negotiations usually take years, are unpredictable, and sometimes fail.  Charlotte thought they had an agreement with Norfolk Southern to purchase a corridor for the proposed Red Line project, when Norfolk Southern changed their mind.  That was in 2013.

• There are other, feasible opportunities to provide fast, frequent, and reliable transit service to key regional destinations that can be accessed from more parts of Durham.

Graphic rendering of a Bus Rapid Transit station.

Another Path to Regional Transit Connections

Though a rail connection is not viable for Durham at this point in time, we must still find solutions to improve regional transit connections between Durham, RTP, Cary, and Raleigh, or Chapel Hill.  As housing prices rise in Durham, demand is growing for connections to other communities like Butner, or Graham, or even Oxford.  Bus connections should be pursued now that increase the frequency of express service to downtown Raleigh and to Chapel Hill.  We should be studying investments that make it possible for these buses to bypass traffic with wider freeway shoulders, priority at traffic signals, and bus only ramps for easy on-off at key stops.  We should also be studying high quality bus rapid transit services where buses have dedicated lanes and stops that are similar to rail stations.  This can be a progression of steps over time that starts now and improves as our communities are ready and can afford them. 

Our local leaders throughout the region should also begin working with their counterparts throughout the state on building support for greater funding options for transit.  We can only achieve our vision for excellent transit with more local and state revenues.

Our recommendations

For Durham’s elected leadership:

• Durham leaders should support Wake County in their decision about whether to pursue one of the two eastern segments with Wake County funds, but they should not support spending Durham transit tax revenues on this project.

• Durham staff should pursue state and federal funding for projects that would make at-grade crossings and rail bridges safer for everyone in Durham and make it less expensive to pursue a regional rail project in the future. 

• Durham, and the region, should evaluate transit service and infrastructure improvements that can be made in the next few years with bus service to provide more frequent access between Durham, RTP, Cary, and Raleigh, or Chapel Hill.  This includes evaluating bus rapid transit as an alternative to rail service.

• Our local elected officials need to begin working with colleagues across the state to educate NC legislators about the need for additional investment in transit infrastructure and operations.

For you.

You can support transit equity in the Triangle by taking these three steps:

• Submit comments on the Commuter Rail Feasibility Study by February 19 urging that the project not be pursued west of RTP at this time.

• Send an email to Durham elected officials on the final draft of the Durham County Transit Plan supporting the investments in improvements to our local and regional bus networks and urging study of alternative regional connections that would be fast, frequent, and reliable.

• Sign up for Bike Durham’s email list to get updates on transit and safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation in Durham.

Bike Durham Named Advocacy Organization of the Year

Last Monday, Bike Durham was named the Advocacy Organization of the Year by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) - our nation’s organization representing bicyclists in the movement to create safer roads, stronger communities, and a Bicycle Friendly America.

LAB gives this award to a bicycling and/or walking advocacy organization or club who, in the past year, made significant progress. LAB recognizes an organization whose leaders have worked tirelessly together to grow and strengthen their organization and fulfill their mission. This award is about recognizing organizations that are inclusive, welcoming, and committed to growing bicycling.

We are thrilled with this recognition for all we accomplished in 2022. We are also pleased that the League recognized our work that centers safe walking and transit equity, as well as safe bicycling. It all works together to give us the transportation system we deserve - one that is safe, affordable, and sustainable for everyone, regardless of who they are or where they live.

The League’s Executive Director, Bill Nesper, asked us to answer three questions that could be shared as part of the award announcement. I want to share our responses with you, too.

What do you hope the future holds for the bike movement? We hope that the bike movement joins forces with others to remake our communities and retake our streets so that its safe, affordable, and enjoyable for everyone to bike, walk, rolll, and use transit.

How should advocates seize this moment to shape the future?  We should all be stretching our comfort zones to invest in the relationships to build a multi-racial coalition for safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation.

What was a recent moment of bike joy in your work?  On a Saturday in early December, we held a Bike Festival for youth following four weeks of teaching bike safety skills to fifth graders at Eastway Elementary in Durham. The turnout was estupendo, and the highlight was when the school counselor got on a bike for the first time since she was a girl.

Thanks to all our volunteers, contractors, Board members, member donors, and supporters. This recognition belongs to all of us.

Below you will find video (credit to Arleigh Greenwald, @DurhamStreets) and print recaps of our 2021 accomplishments.

This award includes the Jon Graff Prize for Advancing Safe Cycling - a donation of $1,000 to our organization.

A Great Start to 2022!

We had a great kick-off event last Sunday, February 6th.  There was a great turnout for both the ride and our program where we recapped our 2021 accomplishments and shared our plans for 2022 (see below or download here).  We were sorry that we had to reschedule and change locations - we know that made it impossible for some to attend, but the weather was sunny and Locopops was a great host. (Note: 10% of February sales at Locopops will be shared between us, American Dance Festival, Meals on Wheels of Durham, and Club Boulevard Elementary PTA.)

Take a look at our work plan for 2022 below and get involved!

There are several ways that you can get involved with our work in the coming year:

1. Engage with our action alerts through email or social media (@bikedurham).

2. Volunteer at one of our events or on with a committee

3. Join the Board.  We are looking for additional board members, particularly those with experience in finance, HR, fundraising, and non-profit governance.  If you are interested, please email director@bikedurham.org to learn more.

4. Make a donation.  More than half of our budget comes from individual contributions.

Summary of Bike Durham Plans for 2022

Will the Durham Transit Plan Prioritize Improvements for Current Riders?

Durham County, the regional transportation planning organization (DCHC MPO), and GoTriangle released three options for how to invest one billion dollars in transit tax revenues over the next twenty years. All options contained some common projects and service improvements using half the money. They differed in how to spend the remaining one-half billion dollars. One option prioritized improvements in local service and sidewalks, while including additional regional bus service. A second option prioritized investments in regional Bus Rapid Transit to Raleigh and to Chapel Hill. The third option prioritized investment in commuter rail to Raleigh. Both the Bus Rapid Transit option and the Commuter Rail option included local bus service and sidewalk improvements but there are fewer of them and they occur up to 7 to 10 years later. During the period when the Durham Transit Team was collecting public input, the Transit Equity Campaign was talking to riders about their priorities.

Erik Landfried, Bike Durham board member and manager of the Transit Equity Campaign, wrote a letter on September 9 to the staff and elected officials working on the plan to share what we heard from riders and to make recommendations for evaluating the options and developing a better final plan. The content of the letter is below:

---

The Transit Equity Campaign is a partnership between Bike Durham, the Coalition for Affordable Housing and Transit, Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, Durham Congregations in Action, and People’s Alliance. The goal of the Transit Equity Campaign is to hold the public agencies in charge of updating the Durham Transit Plan accountable to make sure the needs of current transit riders, transit workers and low-wealth BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities are the first priorities in the Transit Plan.

The Campaign appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on the Durham Transit Plan update. We are encouraged to hear that over half of the comments received on the latest round of engagement came through the Engagement Ambassadors and in-person events at Durham Station and other locations. However, engagement is only the starting point. The Campaign will be watching closely to see how the final plan addresses the needs brought up by riders, transit workers, and communities of color.

When asking people to sign onto the Transit Equity Campaign, volunteers asked a single question in addition to contact information: “What’s the most important improvement to make to the transit system?” We have summarized the responses below:

Infographic summarizing priorities from riders

Many of the service and infrastructure needs should be familiar at this point - frequent, reliable service to more destinations supported by safe access to comfortable and accessible stops. These needs are addressed to varying degrees and timeframes by the three transit options that were presented to the public.

However, one-third of the responses to the question we asked were largely unrelated to service or infrastructure. Instead, they focused on driver courtesy and training, safety, cleanliness and comfort of the buses, and maintaining fare-free service. When asked how the Transit Plan would address these types of needs, the response we received from staff was:

We have communicated to GoDurham and GoTriangle the results of our stakeholder interviews and responses like this from both the Youth and Senior listening sessions.

Simply communicating these needs to the transit agencies without providing funds to address them is insufficient. If these needs supersede the need for better service or bus stops for many people in Durham, they need to be addressed with investments from the Durham Transit Plan.

The Transit Equity Campaign also has the following recommendations to better communicate the vision and projects in the final plan that is being developed:

• Be explicit about when people can expect improvements and show these improvements at a community level. The difference in implementation timelines was one of the most important tradeoffs between each of the three transit scenarios shown to the public, but this was not clearly communicated. Showing this information system-wide is important, but individual communities need to understand what improvements will directly impact their own community and when those improvements will occur. This will require more granularity to break the improvements down by geographical area, but will lead to better engagement with riders and low-wealth communities of color.

• Improve transparency by including ALL of the projects in the Durham Transit Plan public materials and the rationale for how those projects were chosen. There were assumed projects in each of the three transit options that were not shown to the public. This is unacceptable. These projects included service improvements such as increased frequency on crowded 15-minute bus routes and infrastructure improvements such as a new Bus Maintenance Facility. One of the core tenets of the Plan is transparency. Not including certain projects in the public materials does not meet that goal, especially ones that warrant public feedback. It is also important to communicate the rationale for why certain projects were or were not chosen. For example, the Braggtown Community Association is advocating for improved frequency on Route 9, which serves the heart of their neighborhood. No frequency improvements were shown for Route 9 in any of the three transit options and no rationale was provided for why other frequency improvements were prioritized above Route 9.

• Include a prioritization of projects that may require additional revenue. There are clearly more transit needs in Durham than what can be funded given the current revenue assumptions in the Durham Transit Plan. It is important to present a realistic set of projects and the Campaign supports conservative revenue forecasts. However, it is also important to continue to pursue additional funding and have a prioritized list of the projects that would be next in line so that there is not a delay between receipt of these funds and implementation.

• Measure equitable access to jobs in a more meaningful way. The Transit Equity Campaign was excited that staff followed through on our request to include measures for how job access would improve under the three transit options presented to the public. However, staff ran these measures without including any wait time and ran the analysis at 5pm on a weekday. This represents an unrealistic, best-case scenario and renders the frequency of each service moot. The results were also difficult to interpret:

The Transit Equity Campaign requests that transit staff measure access to jobs from multiple communities of color (not just Durham Housing Authority locations) using average wait time, which better reflects most riders’ experience using public transit. In addition, we recommend using the “Jane” tool to better display the access to employment improvements. Here is a before/after example using Jane:

Map of Transit Access from Oxford Manor with Existing Bus System

Transit Access from Oxford Manor with Existing Bus System

Map of Transit Access from Oxford Manor After Service Improvements

These maps are easier to understand and not only show the increase in job access, but also where people in select communities can get to by walking and using transit in increments of 15 minutes. In this example (which is not from any of the transit plan options), people living at Oxford Manor can see that not only has job access within a 30 minute commute - the medium blue color - increased significantly (from ~4,000 to ~19,000 jobs), but that these increases happen mostly along Roxboro Road, Horton Road, and downtown Durham.