Durham County planners present draft summary for 18‑mile Durham–Roxboro rail‑trail; county to supply small share for corridor acquisition

Durham County transportation staff and consultants presented a draft final plan summary for the Durham‑to‑Roxboro rail‑trail, a study of an 18.2‑mile inactive Norfolk Southern corridor that county and city partners aim to convert into a multi‑use greenway. The presentation described public outreach, conceptual design recommendations, phasing, preliminary cost estimates and the next steps for acquisition and funding.

The key near‑term step is corridor acquisition: the Conservation Fund and NCDOT are coordinating purchase of the rail right‑of‑way, and NCDOT is expected to own the corridor after acquisition. County staff said no eminent domain will be used. County staff reported two state parks grants that support acquisition: $500,000 awarded directly to Durham County and roughly $1 million awarded to the East Coast Greenway Alliance to be shared among Person County, Durham County and the City of Durham. With those funding commitments, Durham County’s net acquisition cost was presented at about $223,000 (approximately 1.7% of the expected local share), with county staff noting the figure depends on final acquisition accounting.

Why it matters: presenters described the corridor as a major connectivity and recreation opportunity that links neighborhoods, parks, schools and existing trails (including the American Tobacco Trail) and could serve as part of the East Coast Greenway and the Mountains‑to‑Sea Trail. Planners emphasized using publicly owned parcels and trailheads to avoid eminent domain and said design and construction will likely occur in phases over 10–20 years.

Public engagement and technical recommendations: the team ran two engagement phases and said nearly 3,000 people participated in the first survey; the second survey had roughly 453 respondents. The plan recommends a 12–14‑foot asphalt trail with crushed‑stone shoulders, trailheads at publicly owned parcels, lighting and artistic treatments at several underpasses, and a toolkit of crossing treatments (unsignalized/signalized, rumble strips, speed cushions) tailored to roadway speed and volumes. Of 21 road crossings identified, two grade separations already exist (I‑85 and Camden Avenue); staff recommended signalized crossings at East Club Boulevard and Dearborn Drive and identified other crossings as “A” or “B” priorities for engineers to refine.

Costs, phasing and next steps: planners gave a preliminary construction cost range of $46–57 million for the full corridor and recommended breaking the corridor into six segments to make funding and construction manageable. Staff said they will return with a funding agreement for Durham County’s portion of the acquisition and then later bring the final plan for formal adoption; county staff said acquisition by NCDOT is anticipated by the end of the year.

Community concerns: engagement summarized recurring concerns about crime, gentrification, environmental impacts (including flooding and wetlands) and parking at trailheads, and supporters emphasized connections to schools, neighborhoods and existing trails. Commissioners praised the outreach and asked staff for a written plan document with clearer asset maps, cost breakdowns for each segment and more detail on phasing and trailhead parking and safety treatments.

Ending: staff said they will return with a funding agreement and a final plan for adoption; commissioners endorsed rapid action to protect the corridor from private sale and urged staff to continue outreach while advancing acquisition and more detailed cost estimates.