Safe Streets Initiative in Old West Durham & Watts-Hillandale

During the spring of 2022, Bike Durham worked with the Old West Durham and Watts Hospital-Hillandale communities to develop a plan to improve local safety conditions for those who walk, bike, and roll. We facilitated conversations in both group and individual settings where nearby residents and businesses were invited to share insight, establish consensus, and vote on a set of proposals to be submitted to the City of Durham. This important work was made possible thanks to a grant from the Duke Doing Good program.

In July 2022, Bike Durham shared the final study report with local residents and board members of the Old West Durham and Watts Hospital-Hillandale neighborhood associations. The boards submitted our recommendations to City and DOT staff, City Council, and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission. Some of our proposed solutions have already been implemented, such as improving crosswalk visibility by painting piano stripes at high-traffic intersections along Broad Street. Bike Durham is continuing to engage with these and other neighborhoods to push the City to update its traffic calming guidelines and fund the implementation of strategies that protect bicyclists and pedestrians.

The Safe Streets Team:

John Tallmadge, Bike Durham’s Executive Director and Old West Durham Resident

Ali Shoenfelt, Project Coordinator and Watts Hillandale Resident

Nikola Milenkovic, Project Advisor