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Council hears feasibility study plans for Duke-Grayson corridor; staff says multiple configurations will be evaluated
Summary
City transportation staff described a feasibility study for the Duke/Grayson corridor that will evaluate alternatives including two-way conversions, dedicated transit lanes and other safety-oriented designs as part of Vision Zero goals.
Durham City transportation staff told council members they will study multiple design alternatives for the Duke-Grayson corridor rather than settle on a single solution, citing safety, multimodal use and potential integration with bus rapid transit needs.
The discussion came during a presentation and council Q&A on a feasibility study the city has commissioned for the corridor. Staff said options under consideration will include two-way conversions, one-way configurations that reduce through lanes, dedicated transit alignments and other designs that introduce 'friction' to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety.
Why it matters: Council members cited a history of serious crashes in the corridor and stressed that changes to roadway configuration can change crash frequency and severity. Staff said the study will consider trade-offs including cost, schedule and how the corridor could support rapid transit services between the Durham station, central campus and other destinations.
Staff said the study will be open-minded: examples from other cities were cited, including an example in Philadelphia where wide street grids were narrowed and pedestrian space expanded. The transportation director noted that about 10% of the city's streets account for a large share of serious crashes and that the corridor is among those priorities.
Council members asked for transparency and for the study to present a range of alternatives rather than a single preferred plan. Staff agreed and said they will return with findings that include safety analysis, cost estimates and potential phasing.
Ending: Council members expressed support for moving the study forward while asking staff to maintain transparent data-sharing and community outreach; no ordinance or formal vote was taken on specific design changes at this meeting.
