Durham County, in partnership with the City of Durham, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization, GoTriangle, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, is submitting a grant application through the Federal Railroad Administration Railroad Crossing Elimination program for a planning, community engagement, and environmental review project in East Durham. The Durham Rail-crossing Engagement, Planning, and Innovative Revitalization (Durham REPAIR) project will study opportunities for improving safety, mobility, and community near three adjacent railroad crossings, S. Plum Street, S. Driver Street, and Ellis Road. Over the past 25 years, there have been 19 crashes causing three fatalities and nine injuries at these crossings, which are located in a historically disadvantaged area of Durham.

The project will include an equitable community engagement effort to facilitate the selection of a preferred solution that is responsive to the needs of the residents and businesses of this area. Anticipated benefits include the avoidance of pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle crashes, improved air quality from reduced idling emissions, improved emergency response, and improved trip reliability, among other benefits. The application is for funding for a planning process with the intention that we will later seek funding for construction. The planning process is a critical step to evaluate the options and ensure that the needs of Durham residents and businesses are fully considered and incorporated into the selected solution.

Documents

Narrative

A. Attachment 2: Statement of Work
B. Attachment 3: Schedule
C. Attachment 4: Budget
D. Attachment 5: Performance Measures
E. Letter of Financial Commitment 
F. Letters of Support
G. Equity/EJ Analysis Tech Memo
H. Trip Purpose Tech Memo
I. Potential Benefits Tech Memo
J. FRA Incident Reports
K. Site Photos 
L. USDOT Crossing Inventory Forms
M. FRA F 251

Relevant Studies: 

N. North Carolina Department of Transportation, City of Durham Traffic Separation Study (2014)
O. City of Durham, Durham Bike+Walk Implementation Plan (2017)
P. City of Durham, Move Durham: Central Durham Transportation Study (2020)
Q. City of Durham, Draft Equitable Community Engagement Blueprint (2018) 

Greater Triangle Commuter Rail (GTCR) studies, including: 

R. GTCR Phase II Feasibility Study, Appendix I: Corridor Screening Report (2022)
S. GTCR Phase II Feasibility Study, Downtown Durham Feasibility Report (2022)
T. GTCR Phase II Feasibility Study, Appendix P: Evaluation of Norfolk Southern Infrastructure Recommendations (2022)
U. GTCR Phase II Feasibility Study, Community Evaluation Memorandum (2022)
V. GTCR Phase II Feasibility Study, GTCR Phase 2 Feasibility Study Summary Report (2022)