Durham's stimulus dollars: Of roads and buses

We looked here yesterday at the terrific bike and pedestrian project list to be supported by Federal stimulus dollars. Today: what's in store for roads and transit?

Roads: The projects here are the most subject to change, depending on final actions by the state with the approval and distribution of funds.

The City also needs to find a way to cut back a bit given the decision to transfer back $188k of the City's allocation to Hillsborough -- avoiding a larger population-based shift that could have happened. 

In short, these aren't all likely to be funded -- but action by the MPO now puts them in line depending on the availability of funds. New LED traffic signals and the addition of turn lanes at NC 55 and Riddle Rd. look safe, but the $7.1 million in suggested road resurfacing will likely see only some of these projects accommodated for now -- with more awaiting additional stimulus dollars or more money from the state.

Among the resurfacing projects, urban core roads to make the list include Roxboro (Lakewood to I-85), Mangum (Lakewood to Roxboro), W. Chapel Hill St. (from the downtown loop to Kent), Avondale Dr. (I-85 to Geer), Geer St. (Mangum to Cheek), Lakewood/University Dr. (Roxboro to Chapel Hill Rd.), Angier Ave. (Pleasant to US 70), Holloway St. (Miami to Roxboro), Morgan St. (Mangum to Foster), and Main St. (9th St. to Morgan), among urban core projects.

In South Durham, Fayetteville Rd. would be repaved from NC 751 to Herndon; T.W. Alexander from NC 54 to Cornwallis; S. Miami Blvd. from NC 54 to Cornwallis; Archdale/S. Roxboro (MLK Jr. Pkwy. to Summit) and a southerly portion of Alston Ave.

In North Durham, Rose of Sharon Rd. (Cole Mill to Guess), Quail Roost Rd. (Bahama Rd. to US 501), Stagville Rd. (Old Oxford Hwy. to Bahama Rd.), and Carver St. (Rose of Sharon Rd. to N. Roxboro) are the listed projects.

In other news, the stimulus dollars may go to helping retailers, in a sense, by addressing as many as three nasty mall/shopping center intersections.

Renaissance Pkwy. would get a traffic signal -- probably at the abysmal turn into the Streets at Southpoint -- while North Pointe Dr. would get a signal near the Home Depot. William Penn & Ben Franklin would be signalized within the Independence Park retail and medical complex in North Durham. These funds come from the STPDA program, the same source as that of most of the sidewalk and trails projects, meaning their spending is under local control and seems assured.

Roadside trees also get an STPDA boost, with $50k going to urban forestry projects along Duke, Gregson, Rockwood, and MLK Jr. Pkwy. The Duke/Gregson project will replace aging, dying oaks along a few blocks of each road with new trees. About four trees will be installed for every removal, though the new trees will be smaller than the existing oaks so as not to conflict with Duke Power's electrical service lines.

Transit: DATA will receive $2 million towards preventative maintenance on its bus and paratransit (DATA Access) services, covering just under half of the $4.25 million it will receive in stimulus dollars.

More notable to passengers -- well, except for having more reliable buses -- may be the addition of some new passenger amenities.

Stimulus funds will support 20 new bus shelters, solar lights, benches and trashcans, a welcome addition given complaints from the community at times about the state of bus service for passengers. $230,000 is allocated towards their construction.

Also planned: $600,000 towards real-time bus arrival and locator/GPS systems to provide real-time tracking of vehicles.

$1.125 million is available for replacing fifteen and adding nine new paratransit vans.

Triangle Transit will $1.4 million, the bulk of which will go towards its own real-time bus information system and to replacement buses.

Comments

[SteveG]

I'm hoping that when they re-pave Avondale between i-85 and Geer that they include sidewalks in their plans. The info linked to from yesterdays article does not make mention - any word on this?

Maybe once they re-pave Geer all of the city trucks will start using that designated truck route to get to where they are going instead of speeding down Trinity (which is clearly marked with "no trucks" signs).

I also noticed that they are planning on installing a roundabout at Avondale and E. Geer. That could be really nice as there is a lot of space to design a roundabout that is large enough to be effective. I also hope that they design it to be aesthetically pleasing - maybe with a brick surround and nice landscaping.

[Todd P]

It makes little sense to resurface that stretch Carver Street - it was just done as part of the I-85 widening project within the past 5 years. (Carver was considered an alternative route to I-85 during construction).

Other than 3 or 4 fairly new potholes, Carver is in good shape. Rose of Sharon was also done fairly recently and is in good condition.

I can readily name other north Durham streets in much worse condition, such as Sparger Rd (US 70 to Cole Mill) or Murray Ave (Broad St. to Duke St). And then there is NC 751 thru Duke Forest. I wonder if there is any flexibility to the list.

[Rob]

It is very good to hear that W Chapel Hill St will be re-paved. The road (like many Durham roads) badly needs it. I am wondering what portion of the proposed streetscape cost ($4.5 million for W Chapel Hill St from NC147 to Kent St) was estimated for paving. If it is a majority of the funds, perhaps it would be beneficial for the city to go ahead and implement the streetscape plans for W Chapel Hill St now since a good portion of it may be covered by the stimulus funds and construction can happen all at once instead of twice in a few years' time.

Whatever the city does, I hope the re-paving and street striping sticks to what the community wants (on-street parking retained and center turn lane for the streetscape section.

[Tar Heelz]

Did the impending Fayetteville St. bottleneck between Woodcroft Parkway and MLK Blvd not make the list?