{"id":5017,"date":"2021-02-28T11:39:18","date_gmt":"2021-02-28T11:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/?p=5017"},"modified":"2023-03-27T15:49:00","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T15:49:00","slug":"durham-residents-biggest-gripe-lousy-streets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2021\/02\/28\/durham-residents-biggest-gripe-lousy-streets\/","title":{"rendered":"Durham residents’ biggest gripe? Lousy streets"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2020, a turbulent year of disease and conversations of racial equity and police violence, residents of Durham were most unhappy with the city streets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In <\/span>the annual survey<\/span><\/a> of city residents, road maintenance had the highest rating of dissatisfaction (45% were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied), higher than the public schools (34%) and police protection, which scored remarkably well, with 53% satisfied or very satisfied.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Residents also chose city streets third to receive the \u201cMost Emphasis from City and County Leaders over the Next Two Years,\u201d behind police protection and public schools.<\/span><\/p>\n

The city conducts the survey to get feedback on its services as well as those offered by the county and Durham Public Schools. The city\u2019s news release about the survey was quite cheery (\u201cDurham Satisfaction Survey Shows Residents Pleased with Employee Service During COVID-19 Pandemic\u201d), but we decided to focus on the persistent grumpiness about the roads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe get this every year,\u201d Mayor Steve Schewel said about the road complaints. \u201cIt always amazes me.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Schewel noted that the roads that receive the most complaints aren\u2019t ones that the city maintains.<\/span><\/p>\n

He said key streets in Durham such as Hillsborough Road, Cameron Boulevard, and Fayetteville Street aren\u2019t managed or maintained by the city itself. They are actually state-owned and maintained.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One problem is money. He said that state maintenance relies on the state gas tax, but it can\u2019t keep up with the changing fleet on the roads.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have been driving less, driving hybrid vehicles, and driving more fuel efficient cars,\u201d\u00a0 said Schewel, whose wife drives a Prius. \u201cSo gas tax collections have really gone down. The state has been strapped for cash for road maintenance.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

City residents, probably unaware of nuances of road ownership and budgeting, just want better streets. When asked which government service should receive the more funding, 47% of survey recipients said street maintenance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Schewel said it\u2019s a constant challenge to balance the needs with available revenue. \u201cPart of it is that we need to continue to spend local money on street paving,\u201d he said, \u201cbut the state also needs to do its job on thoroughfares which they tend to own.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But don\u2019t be surprised if next year\u2019s survey is very similar. Said Schewel, \u201cWe are never quite where we want to be on street paving.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In photo above: Drivers have to dodge large potholes on Erwin Road between Cameron Boulevard and Morreene Road. Photo by Sho Hatakeyama | The 9th Street Journal<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2020, a turbulent year of disease and conversations of racial equity and police violence, residents of Durham were most unhappy with the city streets.\u00a0…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5019,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[276],"class_list":["post-5017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-government","tag-transportation","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nDurham residents' biggest gripe? 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