Comments for “Central Durham Bus Rapid Transit Interactive Map”
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This intersection has always felt confusing to me, especially if I'm getting off of westbound Durham Freeway and turning onto Trent Dr. If BRT is also going that route, this might be a good opportunity to turn this weird crossroad into a roundabout or something that:
A. makes it easier to orient yourself to what part of Duke's medical center you're going to/leaving from, and;
B. makes right-of-way rules more predictable so that, if BRT will go through this intersection, it can operate more safely.
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I've always wondered if people who go to the hospital get confused by Duke Pavilion, the VA Hospital, the Eye Center, and the many other buildings/entrances that the Duke medical center have. Are there ways that BRT can avoid adding to that confusion (or even help fight against that - both for its own passengers and for riders of other buses)? This feels like an opportunity to really rethink the bus-riding experience in Durham.
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Duke Gardens is an amazing part of Duke - and even a potential tourist draw! It's a shame that it's not clear that people can walk to it, instead of fighting for parking at the front entrance. Could the BRT designers coordinate with Duke to have a second entrance to make that more of a welcoming experience?
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The way that the 11 bus goes up to Green St. before turning onto Markham Av. feels like a waste of time, especially since it doesn't make it any easier or safer to walk between bus stops and Ninth Street. I hope that the walking experience on BRT will be better than this!
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This may be unpopular, but it's probably okay to not have a BRT station that only serves Duke East Campus - as long as Duke's buses let you transfer onto BRT at a convenient place.
The main quad of East Campus is insulated from the rest of the city, so a stop at Campus Dr. would just feel like a cheap photo op, not something that's actually practical.
On the other hand, everyone walks from campus to Broad Street, anyways. Having BRT here just makes sense, as long as sidewalks and crosswalks are kept up so that it's safe to get on and off it.
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Are there ideas for taking advantage of the Durham Freeway to speed up bus and BRT service?
The Regional Transportation Alliance's FAST bus proposal (see https://letsgetmoving.org/priorities/fasttransitstudy/) talks about how stations could be built on highway shoulders to be convenient and safe, if done correctly (see Los Angeles' BRT lines).
Although it could get expensive, a station here (paired with the correct infrastructure - for example, a pedestrian bridge above Durham Freeway and train tracks) could make Ninth/Broad Street and Duke's central campus more accessible - especially for people who find the last turn of Erwin Rd. too steep.
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I've seen a lot of buses (particularly the GoDurham 11) having to turn awkwardly from Duke St. onto Main St., leading to lots of angry drivers, scared and confused bikers/pedestrians, and near-accidents. If possible, BRT should avoid having to deal with that dangerous and time-consuming maneuver.
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Durham Station is obviously an important transfer point for GoTriangle and GoDurham buses, but it feels very disconnected from the rest of downtown.
1. The Amtrak station was never directly connected to the bus terminal like it was originally proposed. Instead, passengers need to transfer by crossing traffic-filled Chapel Hill St., going under a loud, graffiti/trash-filled bridge, and hoping that they're on the correct side of the Downtown Loop where there is a sidewalk - all the while being exposed to the elements. This makes it cumbersome to transfer between local buses, intercity coaches, and Amtrak - to the point where I'm skeptical if anyone even does that, in the first place. Put another way: this makes it feel like we have two places called "Durham Station" in a "Tale of Two Cities" sense.
2. The bus station itself doesn't have any embedded businesses (kiosks, cafes etc.) like Raleigh Union Station. This also makes it awkward to wait for bus transfers (especially for people who don't want to loiter around near individual bus bays), negatively impacts the social safety that bus riders might perceive, and simply seems like a missed opportunity to activate the Durham bus station.
3. The lack of wayfinding, architectural integration with nearby buildings etc. create the feeling that the Durham bus station is supposed to be insular - almost as if it's segregating bus riders from the rest of downtown, telling them to "stay in their area" while keeping them apart from the culture, events, and businesses that surround it.
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In addition to continuing the reconversion of Roxboro-Mangum back to two way (given that the current configuration shows that we apparently do not care if those who are outside of cars get hurt or die, and honestly even those in cars), a BRT only lane would also be a great way to reduce the number of private motor traffic lanes to increase safety.
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While the Durham Bus Station is a nice building, it is also a wasted opportunity. Right now, there are very few amenities available at the station. I know that downtown shops / restaurants are about a five minute walk or so away, but it makes no sense to spend millions of dollars on a station that does not also have restaurants and shops present as soon as you exit the bus. Furthermore, the city should offer more bus options that allow people to avoid having to make a transfer at the bus station, which greatly adds inconvenience and times for those who need to take a bus. Public transit should not just be an afterthought of the city for those cannot afford a car. It should be the preferred mode of transportation for the majority of a city (along with walking and biking), if we are ever to live up to our purported goals about climate and environmental friendliness.
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It is really pathetic that Durham does not have multiple grocery stores downtown, so that people living downtown can go grocery shopping via bicycle or walking, without the need for a car. Having a BRT offer rapid and frequent connections from downtown to 9th street Harris Teether / Whole Foods would at least be an intermediary solution as people wouldn't need to drive. Despite what people think, it is perfectly possible to go grocery shopping without a car on many occasions.
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VA Hospital
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Holton Career and Resource Center
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This is the main entrance to the Durham County Library