Quick roads update: Downtown, Rox/Knox, I-40, Pace Car

Lots of highway news on the plate this morning:

The stretch of Corcoran between Parrish St. and Main St. downtown will be closed for the next two weeks to through traffic due to paving work. Note that Corcoran connects up to Foster and is a major connector between the DBAP/American Tobacco area, downtown's core, and Durham Central Park.  Mangum/Roxboro or Foster St. to the Downtown Loop may be the best ways around. Main St. and Parrish St. remain open.

Speaking of Roxboro, Barry's got an update at his blog on his neighborhood's (and his) success in getting NCDOT to agree to a pedestrian crosswalk across Roxboro St. at Knox, helping walkers to cross the busy street near Duke Park. Read his full account here. A big tip of the hat to Mark Ahrendsen and Philip Loziuk on the City's transportation staff for working with NCDOT on this issue -- and to City Councilmember Mike Woodard for helping to get the City behind this issue as well.

Intriguing piece at the N&O notes that the fight over who pays for I-40's paving catastrophe (...or is that catasphaultre?) ain't over. House leaders are looking to peg some dollars for this in the state budget... or to ding NCDOT's "statewide administrative fund" for the work, instead of District Five, which includes Durham/Wake. (Readers will recall that NCDOT currently has the repaving project, which resulted primarily from NCDOT oversight errors, assigned solely to District Five -- meaning Durham is 'paying twice' for the same roadway. This keeps the re-work from impacting other districts' local road projects -- though you can bet if this had happened in Charlotte or Asheville or on one of the Eastern NC Economic Development Pork-Barrel Superfreeways, those districts would fight for statewide allocation, too.)

If you haven't signed up for the Durham Pace Car program... it's now easier than ever. Instead of filling out a brochure or PDF file and snail-mailing it back to the City, you can fill out a quick online web form at http://www.durhampolice.com/forms/form_pacecar.cfm and have your traffic-controllin' magnetic stickers mailed to your home. Kudos to Eric Hester in the Durham PD for great leadership on this. (If you're not familiar with Pace Car -- drivers who sign up agree to follow Durham's speed limits, respect bike/ped traffic, and obey red lights and stop signs. Aforementioned drivers affix magnetic stickers to their cars saying they're participating. The goal is to have more drivers obeying the speed limits, both setting an example for others as well as literally helping to keep traffic at reasonable speeds and behavior in the Bull City.)

Comments

[KeepDurhamDifferent!]

I've been tempted to sign up for the Pace Car program (since I drive like a grandma anyway), but one thing I can't figure out is what prevents people from going around you in the other lane. Most of the problem areas I drive everyday (like the N. Duke / Gregson speedways) are two lanes one way; do I need to spot someone with the sticker and drive in formation so that people can't get past us? None of the bidirectional roads I drive have a speed problem.

I must say that the magnet design is pretty cool. Has anyone encountered one in the wild?

[DTH]

"do I need to spot someone with the sticker and drive in formation so that people can't get past us?"

I'm pretty sure the sticker gives you the authority to hog the center on a two lane one way. You still have to get out of the way of emergency vehicles though.

"Has anyone encountered one in the wild?"

At least three people on my street are part of the program. The other day I was stuck behind another on a regular commute and reached my destination 18 seconds later than usual.

[barry]

"None of the bidirectional roads I drive have a speed problem."

Really? Club Blvd? Markham Ave? Duke St. north of I-85? Guess Rd? Alston Ave?

[KeepDurhamDifferent!]

I should have said "None of the *two lane* bidirectional roads I drive have a speed problem." My route is Duke/Gregson, 147, and RTP; the others you mention are four lanes in most places (though Club west of Buchanan is a speedway). When I lived on Markham I used to give people road rage with my slow-as-molasses toyota pickup truck.

I think I'll get one for my slow car (giant SUV) and try it out on the rainy days I drive it. Can't stomach it on the sports car, but I'm sure my wife will put one on her Prius.

Come to think of it, I'll get one for my motorcycle. I get enough looks with my giant white safety helmet and reflective orange vest that a yellow sticker might help explain my driving philosophy.

[barry]

The 1400 and 1500 block of Roxboro, south of I-85 but north of the Markham.Mangum split is two way, one lane in each direction. Unless you're lucky enough to get stopped behind a school bus, average speeds in this section are around 10 mph above the speed limit, or 45+ mph. This si the stretch that we've worked so hard to get a crosswalk installed on. Markham in my immediate neighborhood (between Roxboro and Avondale) is pretty amazing for a street that isn't considered high volume enough to have a centerline. 50 mph is common. I've literally seen people get airborne at the speed hump nearest my house. It's bad enoudh that no one will pick up the phone and ask the city to repair the sinkhole at Markham and Hollywood, because that will only encourage folks to drive faster.

Please do slap a yellow magnet on your car. I think that people need to see at least one every time they drive across town for it to start registering in their heads.

[Anon.]

I don't think the reckless assholes on the road really care if there is a Pace Car magnet on the car in front of them. Besides, they are too close to the rear of your bumper to even see the magnet. I suppose it can't hurt though.

[barry]

i think it's a long term process. i've said in the past that there are 3 components to getting people to moderate their driving habits.

one is road design. fewer Guess Roads will help. we can't do much about the roads that are already built, but we can work to make sure that new and modified roads are built to discourage high speeds and reckless driving.

second is enforcement. the police simply need to make writing speeding tickets in residential neighborhoods a higher priority. do they have the resources to do this? probably not right now. but if we can lower violent crime rates enough,the police can shift their resources around.

third is cultural. first time i was driving in Arizona back in the 70s, i was amazed when the cars around me stopped as soon as a pedestrian stepped off the curb. if you change people's behavior one at a time, before you know it, you've made a big difference. There will always be assholes on the road. hopefully there will be fewer of them.