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Current Planning Activities
Durham Belt Line Master Plan
The City of Durham is creating a master plan for a trail and linear park on the inactive Belt Line rail corridor. The Durham Belt Line Trail Master Plan presents an opportunity to envision how the former rail corridor can be transformed into a great public space. Over the coming months residents will have numerous opportunities to learn more about the project and share ideas.
For many years there has been interest in converting the Belt Line corridor into a trail and green space connection between downtown Durham and neighborhoods to the north and east. The Belt Line corridor, which is about 2.2 miles in length, runs from Chapel Hill Street, near the Amtrak Station, to Avondale Drive.
In 2014 the City applied for and was awarded funding through the federal Tiger Grant program to develop prepare the master plan. The master plan project began in April and will be completed in 2018. The project outreach and engagement approach will include close coordination with City departments and advisory boards, adjacent property owners, downtown business representatives, and local civic and neighborhood associations.
The master plan project began in April and will be completed in 2018. The project outreach and engagement approach will include close coordination with City departments and advisory boards, adjacent property owners, downtown business representatives, and local civic and neighborhood associations. There will be numerous opportunities to participate through public workshops, by survey, community events, and online. The project website is https://durhambeltline.com/
Durham Bike Share
The City of Durham is considering whether to allow dockless bike share companies to operate as part of a year-long pilot program. City staff are currently working on ordinance and permit regulations. Read more about different bike share systems below, take our survey, and come out to a demonstration and Q&A event at City Hall on October 4th from 10am-2pm.
Bike Share: Smart Dock System versus Smart Bike System
Many cities have bike share systems, such as New York, DC, Atlanta, Nashville, and many more. Most of these cities have used a smart dock system, where people find bikes at a dock, and check them out by becoming annual or daily members, usually paying between $8 for a day, or $80 for a year. Members typically ride free for the first 30 minutes. Greensboro and Seattle are trying a new type of smart bike system, where each bike has “smart” technology and a locking mechanism - the bikes do not need to be picked up or left at a dock. The bikes can be found using an app, and when the person is done, locked up anywhere. Anyone can ride the bikes and you pay per ride, usually $1 for 30 minutes. As opposed to dock stations, these systems do not require a substantial upfront investment by the City.
However, there are pros and cons with each type of system. For example, with a dock system the bikes are in a set location. With smart bikes, the bike location is never guaranteed. As the City considers what system will be best for the long-term, we are developing a pilot program for smart bikes and drafting an ordinance that would require a permit to operate a bike share. As we do this, we want to hear what people think about both bike share generally and more specifically the new “smart bike” system. Please take our survey!