Rail Trail Funding Update, Durham-to-Roxboro Trail and BRT Push

The council reviews a $45.3M Durham Rail Trail plan with new timelines, permitting confidence, and design features shaped by public input. Leaders also outline a five‑mile Central Durham BRT corridor, strong partner support, and a fast‑tracked schedule toward a $150M build. 8mins

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Original Meeting

Thursday, October 9th, 2025
23211.0
Full Meeting on YouTube
Video Notes

Welcome to the Durham City Council work session for October 9, 2025.

To view the meeting agenda, visit http://DurhamNC.gov/AgendaCenter

PLEASE NOTE: Comments left on this livestream will not be read or entered into the meeting record. 

For details on how to participate, visit https://www.durhamnc.gov/1345

To contact City Council members directly, visit https://www.durhamnc.gov/1323

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Bike Durham Advocacy, Old West Durham, Duke
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In This Video
  • Council Member Rist highlighted major transportation priorities, urging faster action on the Durham-to-Roxboro rail, the Durham Rail Trail, and BRT projects.
  • A project team provided a Durham Rail Trail update, reporting a $45.3 million budget funded by local capital and multiple federal and state grants, including a $9 million RAISE grant and $90,000 for stormwater services.
  • A project representative outlined an updated timeline with bidding planned around October 2026 and construction running January 2027 through June 2028, noting a 6 to 9 month delay from last summer’s schedule.
  • A project representative reviewed required permitting and approvals and reported confidence that all needed approvals would be secured before bidding.
  • Iona Thomas summarized previously approved Rail Trail enhancements, citing elevated furnishings, seating areas, connections to the Ellerbe Watershed project, lighting, and native plantings informed by public input.
  • Iona Thomas presented visual concepts for the Durham Rail Trail at Gateway Park, describing the trail’s route between Chapel Hill Street and Main Street, an upper plaza with permeable paving for stormwater treatment, use of vertical space, and a ‘front porch’ view from Main Street and the Loop.
  • Iona Thomas described Rail Trail enhancements that connected to the Ellerbe Watershed project and detailed access features including an ADA ramp and multiple stairways near Trinity.
  • A Parks and Recreation representative introduced a multi-partner effort to convert about 26 miles of unused rail from Durham to Person County into a trail, presented a feasibility study as due diligence, and previewed a forthcoming request to authorize use of previously approved CIP funds for corridor acquisition.
  • A project representative noted that the corridor spans 26 miles from downtown Durham to Roxboro, with 18 miles in Durham County, and directed viewers to durhamtoroxboroplan.com for details.
  • A project representative described typical trail widths of 12 to 14 feet, noted wider sections near road crossings, and emphasized connections from the urban core to the Durham Rail Trail.
  • The Director of Transportation presented progress on the Central Durham BRT, highlighting its five-mile corridor with bus-only lanes, signal priority, high-quality stations, and connections to major activity centers including Duke facilities, downtown, Durham Station, and the Village Shopping Center future transit hub.
  • The Director of Transportation emphasized that the BRT corridor aligned with the highest ridership routes and transit-critical areas, supporting population and employment growth alongside record ridership.
  • The Director of Transportation stated that the Central Durham BRT aligned with prior and ongoing planning studies and infrastructure investments by the city and county partners.
  • The Director of Transportation reported that a feasibility study examined corridor segments to identify alternatives that directly served key destinations, enabled faster service by avoiding rail crossings and duplicating local routes, and secured stakeholder support.
  • The Director of Transportation stated that the Central Durham BRT would complement other key city initiatives, including the Durham Rail Trail.
  • The Director of Transportation reported receiving letters of support for the Central Durham BRT from partners including the state transportation department, Duke entities, GoTriangle, the regional business alliance, and the housing authority.
  • The Director of Transportation outlined a schedule to complete preliminary engineering, NEPA reviews, final design, and construction through 2031, estimating the Central Durham BRT cost at about $150 million.
  • The Director of Transportation reported that the team had compressed a feasibility assessment into about eight months and intended to keep pursuing opportunities to accelerate project delivery.
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