Durham County to study how to improve train crossings, ease traffic jams

Train tracks at street level throughout downtown Durham create problems that range from traffic snarls to deadly crashes.

Posted 10:29 p.m. Jun 7 — Updated 3:18 p.m. Jun 8

Sarah Krueger

, WRAL Sr. Durham reporter

DURHAM, N.C. — Train tracks at street level throughout downtown Durham create problems that range from traffic snarls to deadly crashes.

Now, the county is using a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to study solutions for three problematic crossings, at Plum, Driver and Ellis streets in the eastern part of the city.

"The solutions will either mean creating a bridge over them, tunneling under them or possibly closing some," said Wendy Jacobs, vice chair of the Durham County Board of Commissioners.

She and fellow board member Brenda Howerton say the money is sorely needed to address issues at the crossings and will better position Durham and the region to improve public transportation.

"This is the way that we are going to be able to create a regional rail system is by addressing each of the barriers," Jacobs said.

One of the concerns the study will address is easing traffic flow. When trains travel across or stop on city streets, drivers in cars either have to sit and wait or find another route. Data from the Federal Railroad Administration shows blocked crossings in the last year in Durham lasted anywhere from 16 minutes to two hours.

One report shows that at Ellis Road "traffic backed up ... for approximately 1/2 mile, including police and paramedics."

Rosemarie Baker was halfway across the tracks on Wednesday when a train approached.

"I almost had a little panic attack crossing the road," she said. "I'm really concerned. This area is growing, and this has happened several times."

Durham is eyeing improved public transportation and wants to build a commuter rail system. But before they can make large-scale change, they have to figure out the little details.

"This is the way that we are going to be able to create a regional rail system is by addressing each of the barriers, each of the pieces of the project, and going after the federal funding," Jacobs said. "This is exactly how we're going to make it happen."

Durham County and GoTriangle will also contribute about $250,000 to the study, on top of the federal dollars.

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