Friday, October 12, 2018 3:24 PM

Transit Leaders,

The Durham/Orange Light Rail Project is an exciting and important part of Durham’s transportation future.
Like many of our community’s public/private investments over the last 25+ years, the overall project has
the potential to create immense opportunity and economic growth. But in its current, and recently altered,
form the plan will undoubtedly damage our thriving city center by separating the American Tobacco
Historic District, including the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the Durham Performing Arts Center, from
the downtown core. And so, here we, as a community, should pause to seek a sharper vision, one that truly
protects and advances the downtown we’ve all worked so hard to create.

The current plan proposes closing the rail intersection at Blackwell Street to both vehicular and pedestrian
traffic, which now serves as the main artery connecting the American Tobacco Historic District with the
rest of downtown and replaces it with “a pedestrian bridge that would create a signature civic space in the
heart of Durham.” The use of the term “pedestrian bridge” is concerning as the image it conjures falls far
short of the kind of open and inviting connectivity that a truly great downtown requires. A mere “pedestrian
bridge” cannot and will not ensure the access that has helped drive downtown’s resurgence.

From a pedestrian perspective, we would be encouraged by the notion of creating “a signature civic space”
or an “aerial park” that would not only maintain but substantially advance connectivity in a transformative
way. Having participated in some of Durham’s previous transformative projects, we understand that
creating a “signature civic space” that keeps our downtown thriving will require a good deal of ideation and
design work.

From a vehicular perspective, much planning and thought needs to be put into how traffic moves in and
around downtown, and how cutting off Blackwell Street -- a central downtown access point -- effects both
sides of the tracks. It is not as simple as traffic looping around to either Roxboro or Chapel Hill Streets.
The entire flow of cars around downtown would have to be altered in order to create efficient and logical
traffic patterns.

Frankly, it is yet to be determined if any of this can be achieved given both the design challenges and the
severely compressed timeline, but it will unquestionably require significant financial resources. While we
recognize that an advisory committee is being created to consider design alternatives, we fear the time and
capital required to execute a signature solution are two things this project simply does not have.

Again, Durham has a long history of working together to create bold, imaginative and inclusive public
spaces that distinguish it from other cities. This is one of our community’s stand out traits. In that spirit,
we encourage civic and transit leaders to clarify their intentions and to robustly pursue a vision of a
“signature civic space.” We also encourage consideration of other options that would avoid bifurcating
downtown, including delaying the project if a signature solution cannot be found.

We have come too far together to settle for anything less than a complete solution that does Durham proud.

Respectfully,

Mark Stanford, American Tobacco Historic District

Mike Birling, Durham Bulls Baseball Club
Bob Klaus, Durham Performing Arts Center
Monday, October 15, 2018 5:47 PM

Dear Mark, Mike and Bob,

Thank you so much for your email of this past Friday.

I absolutely agree with you. It is totally essential that we create a "signature civic space" at the
Blackwell-Corcoran crossing. As you say, we simply cannot settle for a pedestrian bridge, as I
have said in no uncertain terms to GoTriangle staff from the time we first heard that closing the
crossing was a possibility. This must be fabulous. It must give great access across the railroad
and light rail tracks, but it must do far, far more than that. It must be a space where Durham
residents and visitors want to gather, recreate and enjoy themselves.

I have discussed your email over the weekend with County Commissioners Ellen Reckhow and
Wendy Jacobs who are, along with me, Durham's representatives on the GoTriangle Board of
Directors. I have also discussed it with Jeff Mann, GoTriangle's CEO. We are in unanimous
agreement with your email.

Currently, we have $20 million in GoTriangle funds allocated for this civic space, and if we need
more funding to do this right, we will get it.

In addition, I agree with you that we must do significant planning for traffic patterns in
downtown with the closing of the Blackwell-Corcoran crossing to cars. I hear you loud and clear
when you say that this cannot be ignored, and I appreciate your putting this issue front-and-
center.

At the end of your email, you mention the possibility of delaying the project if a signature
solution cannot be found. Delaying the light rail project is not an option. To delay it is to kill it
for many, many years and to put Durham and our region behind every other urban region in the
nation in terms of rail transportation in the next twenty years. If we are serious about preserving
and enhancing our quality of life in Durham and this region, we've got to have a rail system, and
to do that we've got to apply for a federal Full Funding Grant Agreement (and the $1.2 billion
that comes with it) in 2019. We are in line for that funding now, but failure to apply for it will
mean we are back at square one after two decades of effort.

But just as delaying our application is not an option, neither is it an option to fail to create a
signature civic space for the Blackwell-Corcoran crossing. We have the civic will and the
imagination to do this and to do it as only Durham can. This may include a design competition,
for example. But regardless of the method, we've got to do this in a first-class way that is worthy
of our city and worthy of your institutions--the DPAC, the Bulls, and American Tobacco.

We can absolutely do this, and we must.

Let's talk soon about next steps in this process. I can understand why you want to have more than
vague phrases to reassure you.
Please be in touch, and we will figure out the best way to move this forward. GoTriangle staff
stands ready to get to work on this, and our City of Durham transportation staff has much to offer
to this process as well.

I look forward to meeting with you all soon to talk more.

Best wishes,

Steve Schewel
Mayor, City of Durham

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

(919) 560-4333 (office)

steve.schewel@durhamnc.gov
Tuesday, October 16, 2018 4:15 PM

Mayor Schewel,

Thank you for your quick response. We welcome the earliest opportunity to speak with you and
other relevant stakeholders about the concerns we all share.

I think we can all agree that the potential closing of Blackwell St., from both a strategic and
tactical perspective, is one of the most complicated civic and environmental impact issues this
project faces. The possible lasting impacts on our community and businesses are far too dire to
accept anything less than certainty. We remain keenly concerned that both our time window and
the funding being discussed to maintain crucial downtown connectivity are inadequate. We are
also wary, given the extended life cycle of a project like this, of a proposed solution that is
actually subject to the whims of changing leadership and politics.

Finally, as we move expeditiously to schedule our meeting, we also want to express, as friends
and allies in our community, our recognition that leading a project of this scale, with so many
stakeholders involved, is a tough job. We appreciate your instrumental role. At the same time,
and like you, we want to move forward with one hundred percent certainty.

Please expect to hear soon from the appropriate party, who can help schedule our meeting. In the
meantime, we hope all the relevant stakeholders frame this challenge not as the creation of a
mere “pedestrian bridge,” but as the development of a sweeping vision and action plan that not
just maintains but expands the connectivity of downtown Durham.

We expect our discussions will touch on all possible solutions, including, for example, below
ground options for the light rail.

Again, thank you for your engagement.

Respectfully,
Mark Stanford, American Tobacco Historic District
Mike Birling, Durham Bulls Baseball Club
Bob Klaus, Durham Performing Arts Center