East Main Street Re-Striping

PROJECT SUMMARY

Location: E Main St, Elizabeth St to Alston Ave

Bike Facility: parking protected bike lanes, buffered bike lanes, 5’ bike lanes

Length: ~1,600 feet

Scope: East Main Street will be re-striped for bike lanes, parking and crosswalks between Elizabeth Street and Alston Avenue in coordination with a road resurfacing project. Driving lanes will be narrowed but turning lanes will remain at intersections with Elizabeth Street and Alston Avenue. Roadway designs that improve the convenience of bus service along the street may also be considered. All bus stops will remain at existing locations.

Timeline: A final street re-striping design for E Main Street will be selected in 2020.  The re-striping and resurfacing will take place in 2021.

Purpose: Within East Main Street’s existing 40-foot cross section there is opportunity to reallocate space to improve access along the corridor for all users. The planned bike lanes on East Main Street will provide safe bicycling connections between East Durham neighborhoods and downtown Durham by linking several existing and proposed bike lanes. On-street parking will be preserved along one side of the street.  Pedestrian and bus rider safety will also be improved by narrowing driving lanes to discourage speeding and marking crosswalks. Two preliminary designs have been drafted for public comment.

Public Engagement: Two preliminary designs have been drafted for public comment. The Transportation Department would like to know whether people prefer a parking protected bike lane on the north or south side of East Main Street. Cross sections of the two design alternatives are illustrated in the graphic below. Preliminary designs can be viewed at the following links.

Option 1: A parking protected bike lane on the south side of East Main Street

• Provides on-street parking on the south side of East Main Street in front of Calvert Place Apartments and Durham Convenient Tobacco
• Provides more protection for eastbound cyclists headed away from downtown

Option 2: A parking protected bike lane on the north side of East Main Street

• Provides on-street parking on the north side of East Main Street in front of several small businesses
• Provides more protection for westbound cyclists headed towards downtown

We are also collecting other ideas about how to make East Main Street safer and more convenient for people who walk, bike and ride the bus. This input will help us refine our re-striping plan. Feedback we collect from the meeting and surveys will also help us identify future projects on East Main Street.

An open house for residents and property owners was held on February 12th. If you were unable to attend the meeting, you can provide input through our online survey, in English or in Spanish.

Project Map

Existing and Proposed Cross-Sections