Project Overview/Background

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) proposed to widen NC 55 a busy two-lane corridor for through and local traffic along a one-mile stretch in northeast central Durham from NC 147 (Durham Freeway) to US 70 Business/NC 98 (Holloway Street). As project studies progressed, the proposed designs were revised substantially to address community-based issues and concerns for Environmental Justice. Key issues addressed by the project include supporting community connections across Alston Avenue, accommodating bicyclists and pedestrians within the corridor, and avoiding irreversible impacts to significant community resources, including a community grocery and rescue mission.

Area ContextAlston Avenue runs through a historically Black/African-American area of Durham, NC with a burgeoning Hispanic population. The area of the project is predominantly low-income and numerous vital community facilities and services are present within the area. These resources include an elementary school, several churches, two community parks, publicly assisted housing, a grocery store (Los Primos Supermarket), the Durham Rescue Mission (men’s campus), the Salvation Army/Boys and Girls Club, and multiple historic districts and individual historic properties.

When the Alston Avenue project was initiated in the early 2000’s, the area around the road was beginning to undergo a major transformation with the removal of a large housing project, the Few Gardens complex, as part of the implementation of a major HOPE VI redevelopment for the area surrounding the project. Additional community redevelopment efforts including plans undertaken by the Northeast Central Durham Livability Initiative have since been initiated.

Coordination ProcessNCDOT worked with a variety of stakeholders throughout the project development process for Alston Avenue. Key components of the outreach included:

• OngoingcoordinationwiththeCityofDurhamandFHWA• Consultationwithresourceandregulatoryagenciesincludingthe State Historic Preservation Office• Communityleader/keystakeholderinterviews• Communitysurveys• Traditionalpublicmeetings• Bilingualoutreach

Stakeholder input informed the CSS elements that were included in the final alternative and design for the project.

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ampliación de Alston Avenue

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Special Services Available

Please contact Beverly Robinson at (919)

733-7844, ext. 254 for special accomodations.

Spanish interpretation and translation services

will also be provided at the meeting. Please

contact Murtado Bustillos at (919) 949-9272.

Tuesday, October 19

Between 4:30 pm and 7:00 pm*

Holton Career & Resource Center

401 N. Driver Street

* You may attend at any time during these hours

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Servicios especiales disponibles

Por favor llame a Beverly Robinson al (919) 733

-7844, ext. 254 si requiere arreglos especiales.

También se proporcionarán servicios de

interpretación y traducción al español. Por favor

llame a Murtado Bustillos al (919) 949-9272.

Martes, 19 de octubre

Entre las 4:30 pm y las 7:00 pm*

Holton Career & Resource Center

401 N. Driver Street

*Puede asistir en cualquier momento entre estas horas

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Alston Avenue Widening

Project

Alston Avenue (NC 55) in Durham, NC

CSS to Support Environmental Justice

Community Impact StudiesThe use of CSS was first recommended in a Community Impact Assessment (CIA) prepared for the project in 2003. That CIA identified many community facilities and resources that would be impacted by the project and documented the substantial proportion of minority and low-income residents in the area. Key potential impacts included the proposed removal of Los Primos Supermarket, impacts to those traversing the corridor on foot or by bicycle, and overall effects to community cohesion.

Subsequent CIA supplemental reports and addendums analyzed specific issues in detail to support Environmental Justice evaluations. Unique data and studies reviewed as part of the project included:

• Schooldemographics• Vehiclelesshouseholds• Housingcharacteristics• Crimestatistics• Sidewalknetworkgaps• Pedshedanalysis• Potentialalternategrocerysitescomparisonanalysis• Detailedinventoryofgroceryandnon-groceryservices through local providers• Communitysurveydata(groceryuse,modeoftravel)

Technical studies provided the foundation for impact evaluations and provided direction as to CSS elements appropriate to include with the project.

CSS Elements and OutcomesThrough the preparation of follow up CIA technical studies and community outreach, NCDOT developed a range of CSS elements to incorporate in the design of the project including:

• Reductionsinwidthoftravellanesandshoulders• Removalofsomeoftheturnlanesatintersections• Pedestrianaccommodations–crosswalks,extendedcentermedians, enhanced sidewalk treatments, and curb radii reductions• Streetscaping,landscapingandlighting• AvoidanceofLosPrimosSupermarket• Provisionofcontiguouspropertytosupportcampusdevelopment and offset right of way impacts to the Durham Rescue Mission

In the final stages of project development and coordination, NCDOT prepared an updated traffic analysis and generated a new proposal to address community issues in the near term. While the project will be built with adequate width to provide future four-lane capacity, the opening phase of the project will consist of a two-lane facility with on-street parking and bicycle lanes that will support multimodal travel along the corridor.

More information on the Alston Avenue (NC 55) project can be found at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/environmental_justice/ej_and_nepa/case_studies/case04.cfm