I catalogued all of the legal pedestrian crossings of the Durham Freeway just for the smell of it. I used Google Streetview, so if any conditions have changed recently that I did not note, please let me know. I discuss planned improvements if I was aware of them.
I also added something I'm calling Pedestrian Comfort Level of Service for each crossing (a nod to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_of_…), with A representing safe and inviting infrastructure for pedestrians, F for dangerous or inaccessible conditions, and B-D in between (I don't use E).
I'm going west to east (I-85 to I-40), starting with Neal Road. No sidewalks on either side. No bueno.
PCLOS = F
PCLOS = F
LaSalle Street. Both sides have sidewalks, but there is no buffer from vehicles traveling at fairly high speeds, no lighting, and there are some maddening missing pieces of sidewalk at either end (last photo).
PCLOS = D
PCLOS = D
Fulton Street, our 1st interchange where pedestrians are allowed to cross. No infrastructure on west side of road. Sidewalks on east side, but two unsignalized ramps and ped signals in only one direction at signalized crossings (is that possible?!?).
PCLOS = F, for now
PCLOS = F, for now
The good news is that there is a project in design to add sidewalks and ped/crossings on the west side and a multi-use path on the east side (planned extension further south, too). Not clear yet whether signals will be added at all on/off-ramps.
Trent Drive. OK, there is no pedestrian access over the Freeway here because Trent Drive was severed, so technically this doesn't count. There should be though, so I'm mentioning it anyways (and there's a potential option for doing so: ).
PCLOS = n/a
PCLOS = n/a
Anderson Street. Similar to LaSalle, but lower traffic speeds and bike lanes (not shown on Streetview) buffer you from traffic somewhat.
PCLOS = C
PCLOS = C
Erwin Road. Because it's on a curve as it goes under the Freeway, you are in the underpass for a long time. Sidewalks are a little wider than most and bike lanes help buffer from traffic a bit.
PCLOS = D (I almost went with C, but the length of the underpass is the issue)
PCLOS = D (I almost went with C, but the length of the underpass is the issue)
Swift Avenue. A total disaster. No sidewalks on the west side. No crosswalks or ped signals on the east side and a free-flow right-turn lane to get onto the Freeway southbound. This is an urban setting and this is totally unacceptable.
PCLOS = F
PCLOS = F
The good news is that the City has identified fixes to this interchange in their Bike+Walk Plan. These can't come soon enough.
Campus Drive. Feels more open than most underpasses and nice, new wide sidewalks help. Demerits for the lack of continuous sidewalk on one side, which could be easily fixed.
PCLOS = C
PCLOS = C
Buchanan Boulevard. Once again, little things help. Wider sidewalks (this time continuous beyond the underpass), nicer fencing.
PCLOS = C
PCLOS = C
Chapel Hill Street. A hodgepodge. Continuous sidewalks and crosswalks buffered by bike lanes, but no lighting, wide turning radii, and a very tough, unsignalized crossing on the NE on/off ramps. No interchange on the SE corner is nice. City has plans for improvement.
PCLOS = C
PCLOS = C
Vickers Avenue. Sidewalks on both sides, but that's where the nice aspects end. No lighting and the lack of buffer from drivers flying around the curve trying to get to the Freeway on-ramp make you feel very exposed.
PCLOS = D
PCLOS = D
Duke Street. Free flow on AND off ramps, non-accessible crossings. Another crossing in desperate need of a re-design. No plans for improvement that I am aware of. The "Welcome to Downtown Durham" sign almost mocks you.
PCLOS = F
PCLOS = F
Blackwell Street. It needs a re-design, which the City plans to do, but as a pedestrian crossing, it's one of the better ones due to extra-wide sidewalks and on-street parking buffer. BONUS: Find the trailhead to the preeminent urban greenway in the Triangle.
PCLOS = B
PCLOS = B
Mangum Street. High speeds, wide turning radii and a complete pedestrian dead-end at the SE corner make this a very unpleasant crossing. At least there are a few ped signals. A reminder that this is downtown.
PCLOS = D (that might be generous)
PCLOS = D (that might be generous)
Roxboro Street. A mix of slip lanes, lack of accessible paths or ped signals, and high speeds. Another huge barrier to connecting the neighborhoods just south of downtown to the rest of the city.
PCLOS = F
PCLOS = F
The City has recognized the need to improve this crossing, though even these improvements would likely only bring the situation to "bearable".
Fayetteville Street. Another unmitigated disaster - the images say it all. This was the heart of the Hayti neighborhood - if anyone truly thought this would "renew" this area, they were in serious denial. The good news is that the City has identified some improvements.
PCLOS = F
PCLOS = F
Grant Street. A rare low-volume connection point in East Durham. Sidewalk on one side only. Better to have it than not, but there isn't anything pleasant about this underpass.
PCLOS = D
PCLOS = D
Alston Avenue. A little unfair to grade this since it's currently under construction, but this can serve as a point of comparison. Free-flow slip ramps, no crosswalks or ped signals, sidewalk on one side only. Can only go up from here, I suppose.
PCLOS = F
PCLOS = F
Kelly Bryant Bridge. The only pedestrian/bicycle bridge over the Freeway. I have to admit I haven't been on it in a while, so there may be some design issues I am unaware of. But there are kids riding their bikes in front of it on Streetview!!! More of this, please.
PCLOS = A
PCLOS = A
Bacon Street. The other lighter-traffic street connection in East Durham. Nice, wide sidewalks on both sides, but the lack of sidewalk connection north is a bummer.
PCLOS = C
PCLOS = C
Briggs Avenue. Sidewalk on one side only, broken up by free-flow on/off ramps.
PCLOS = F
PCLOS = F
Ellis Road (non-interchange). There is construction in the Streetview photo, but I don't recall a sidewalk project in this area. If that's still the case...
PCLOS = F
PCLOS = F
Glover Road. At least there are shoulders?
PCLOS = F
PCLOS = F
Ellis Road (interchange). In contention for the worst crossing of all. Way overbuilt interchange, no sidewalks, crosswalks, huge turning radii. I've seen people walk down the center median/turn lane.
PCLOS = F
PCLOS = F
TW Alexander Drive. A few decent features on the (one-side only) multi-use path, including No Turn on Red and ped signals (crosswalk doesn't exactly connect to MUP...). Would have gotten a better grade with vertical delineators.
PCLOS = D
PCLOS = D
Last one! Cornwallis Road. One side is buffered from vehicles and there are no ramp crossings (woo hoo!). Add vertical delineators and this would be one of the better crossings. Nice to see that someone put a LITTLE thought into the bike lane design on the other side.
PCLOS = C
PCLOS = C
So all told, by my super-subjective calculations, of the 25 legal crossings of the Durham Freeway, I give an A to one crossing, a B to one crossing, a C to six, a D to 6, and an F to 11.
Obviously, most of these crossings were done decades ago. And I'm encouraged that the City is starting to identify improvements to some of these, but it highlights what an enormous barrier the Freeway is to a connected city. /Fin
