Can new sidewalks save a historically neglected corridor in east Durham?
Each week, over 3,290 passengers travel along Holloway Street, making it the busiest bus corridor in Durham.
Yet, many people are forced to wait for the bus in poorly-lit areas, beside simple street signs instead of covered shelters, or walk to the stop along worn gravel paths where sidewalks should be.
With the street representing nearly a fifth of GoDurham’s total ridership, this stretch of East Durham is a vital link for a historically neglected, low-income Black community to jobs, healthcare, and retail. The lack of basic safety measures has led to three deadly accidents and 46 crashes between 2017 and 2021.
On Thursday, Durham is holding an open house to showcase the GoDurham Better Bus Project. The initiative aims to improve the corridor that serves Routes 3, 3B, and 3C, and Route 16, which get riders to and from Durham Station, Southern High School, downtown and the Village Shopping Center.
The open house will be held at 6 p.m. at Antioch Baptist Church, 1415 Holloway St.
Enhancing safety and connectivity
The Better Bus Project, fueled by a $12 million federal grant and $3 million in city funds, will transform a two-mile stretch of Holloway Street. The project mostly stays between Elizabeth Street and Junction Road. The city plans to upgrade 33 intersections and fill in over a mile of missing sidewalks and upgrade Americans with Disabilities curb ramps.
In total, the Better Bus Project consists of five projects that will improve GoDurham routes: Durham Station Transit Area, Fayetteville Street Corridor, Holloway Street Corridor and Village Transit Center, and Horton Road Pedestrian Improvements Project.
Safety is a primary motivation for these designs, which also include:
- High-visibility crosswalks and improved lighting
- Bus priority signals and pavement markings to reduce travel delays
- Upgraded amenities at all 32 bus stops, including shelters, benches and bike racks
- A roundabout for bus turnaround movements at the Fidelity Drive and Raynor Street intersection
A new centerpiece of the project is the new Village Transit Center near the Village Shopping Center. The shopping center is anchored by a Maxway and Tropicana Supermarket and includes a Family Dollar, H&R Block, and Citi Trends. Based on community feedback, the center’s design will include restrooms, seating, digital information boards, and multilingual signage.
Open house at Antioch Baptist
Residents are encouraged to attend the open house to learn more about the Holloway Street proposals and land acquisition that is needed to make the improvements.
As property values rise in Durham, the open house also serves as a space for residents to ensure the designs help to revitalize the area and include them, and not speed up displacement.
Two years ago, then-U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg came to Holloway Street to meet with Mayor Leo Williams and then-Gov. Roy Cooper. He expressed concern that while the federal money would help the bus routes, the department he led was intentional about how “housing, transit and transportation all interact” so current residents are supported, not pushed out.
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 9:35 AM with the headline "Can new sidewalks save a historically neglected corridor in east Durham?."