Durham Driving Issue

Durham has been in talks to bring a light rail system to the triangle and I am all for that, reducing our need on cars is a good thing, but until we get that alternative we need to keep the roads we have.

If you live in the Hope Valley area and have tried to drive downtown in the last few years you probably encountered the “Forest Hills back up” on University when a transportation expert changed a two lane straight option into a one lane straight and one lane right turn only at the light East East Forest Hills Boulevard. Losing the second lane that could drive straight to a two lane road running in front of the Compare Foods shopping center meant that many times during the day and night traffic is backed up to Thai Café.

Experts want to further reduce the lanes that enable us to get to downtown, but this time on the Boulevard -15/501 business. The proposed plan is to reduce the two lanes running both directions from the Thai Café intersection up past Fosters to the Academy road on/off ramps to one lane and add parallel parking in front of those businesses. I can only imagine the back ups we will have on the boulevard when the feeding road is two lanes at 45 miles per hour and once you pass under the overpass of Academy Road forcing two lanes to merge into one and slow down.

One business that does not have enough parking on the property they own is in favor of this. Sure, they are taking our roads to add to their parking. I am not for reducing the lanes to add parallel parking. Most people are not good at that kind of parking to start so having them stop on the only lane we have to drive to try and park will be a nightmare.

If you are a Hope Valley or South Durham resident and ever try and travel on the Boulevard you need to come out to the Rogers-Herr middle school tomorrow night at 6:30 to 8 PM to make your voices heard.

The entire South Square area needs better city planning. Just changing the roads to reduce traffic is the tail of the dog. It will not reduce the traffic, just back it up where it is not backed up now!