A renewed fight for road safety is unfolding in Durham following a harrowing crash involving a school bus on North Gregson Street near downtown. The bus collided with another vehicle on Wednesday, veering off the road and smashing into the home of Peter Callejo-Black. This latest incident has intensified calls for immediate action on what is officially Durham’s most dangerous road, with the highest rate of serious crashes in the city.
“There are a lot of people in this area who have been advocating for better traffic safety on this road for a long time,” said Callejo-Black. “Cars are constantly zipping up and down, and it’s a threat that we’ve been living with for years.”
Residents in the Gregson Street corridor echo these concerns. Mollie Flowe, a long-time neighbor, described the alarming speeds. “People are used to seeing cars going 50 miles per hour, if not faster,” she said, on a street where the speed limit is just 35 mph.
City officials are hearing the calls for change. Mayor Leonardo Williams, speaking with CBS 17, described the Gregson and Duke Street corridor as a hazard. “I personally call them interstates in the center of the city, and that’s not good for safety,” Williams said, stressing the need to make the roads safer.
A proposed plan would convert Gregson and Duke Streets into two-way roads, reducing lanes to slow down traffic. “We need to make these roads two-way, reduce the number of lanes, and get traffic to slow down, but that’s a complex process,” said Mayor Williams, who has plans to meet with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to evaluate the proposal.
Durham City Council Member Carl Rist reassured residents that steps are being taken, noting that funding has been allocated for a feasibility study. “There is money in the budget this year to begin a study for Duke and Gregson,” Rist said. “We are working on it, but I understand that change can’t come soon enough for those who live here.”
The proposed improvements extend to converting Mangum and Roxboro Streets into two-way roads as well, though these plans are still awaiting final approval from the state.
As Callejo-Black put it, “These dangers are inevitable because people are just speeding constantly.” Residents are hopeful that the renewed focus from city leaders will finally bring about meaningful change.
The Bull City Citizen will continue to follow this story and provide updates as efforts to make Durham’s streets safer progress.
