Roxboro and Mangum streets are a one-way pair system that connects vehicular traffic between NC 147 and the downtown area to I-85 and North Durham.
The image below shows the 500 block of N Mangum St south-facing in the 1920s (photo courtesy Durham County Library). Mangum Street had a two-way traffic flow with a street car running down the middle.
The one-way pair system for Roxboro St. and Mangum St. was implemented in 1959, a period when downtowns across the country were being downsized in favor of suburban retail centers, and downtown streets were reconfigured to carry traffic through the city center as fast as possible.
Converting roads to one-way pair systems was popular in the 1950s as part of the urban renewal movement, which encouraged residents to move farther from the city center, and the roads through the city center were used mainly for commuting.
The one-way pair system encourages speeding because there is less friction for drivers. The Transportation Department’s study is focused on the feasibility of converting the streets to two-way traffic flow.
In the past 15 years, Downtown Durham and the neighborhoods surrounding it have become more residential-oriented, leading to a greater need to slow traffic on these streets for better multimodal access and safety for vulnerable users, such as pedestrians and bicyclists.
With the opening of the East End Connector in 2022, about 20% of the traffic that used Roxboro St. and Mangum St. was diverted, and the lower volumes now allow for changes to lane utilization along Roxboro St. and Mangum St. roads.
The two-way conversion was recommended by the Move Durham Transportation Study, which was approved by City Council in 2020.
The two-way traffic impact analysis report has been finalized and sent to NCDOT for approval in Fall 2024.
Demographic ScreeningThe Roxboro St. and Mangum St. results from the N.C. Equity & Transportation Disadvantage Screening Tool can be viewed here.
FundingThis study is City-funded through the Capital Improvements Program.
