MEMORANDUM
November 20, 2018

To:

John Tallmadge, GoTriangle

From:

Dave Charters, GoTriangle

Subject:

Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project
Responses to Nov 19, 2018 Duke Univ Letter

First Bullet – access to Emergency Dept
Changing from median at-grade running LRT as was in the preliminary design to an elevated guideway
was done per direction from Duke University’s hospital representatives in the Erwin Road Partnership
meetings in 2017. GoTriangle selected the bridge type to minimize traffic disruptions during
construction, opting for a segmental box girder bridge that can be erected using equipment on top of the
structure and not in the roadway. The piers supporting the elevated guideway are located to maximize
the roadway width available to emergency vehicles after construction. This includes two lanes in each
direction and additional space between the travel lanes and the median barriers for emergency vehicles
to access the Emergency Dept.
Currently, none of the signalized intersections within Erwin Road utilize Emergency Vehicle Pre-emption
(EVP). The D-O LRT Project will be upgrading the signalized intersections on Erwin Road with GPS-based
EVP. Signal pre-emption allows emergency vehicles to disrupt a normal signal cycle in order to proceed
through the intersection more quickly and under safer conditions. For this system to be successful, Duke
University/Hospital will need to participate in the signal pre-emption program.
During construction, the length of the contractor’s work area will be limited to a length of less than 400’
when installing bridge foundations in the center of Erwin Road. This will allow phased construction of 3
piers simultaneously without unnecessarily restricting traffic or emergency vehicles use of available lanes
prior to the installation of the EVP system.
GoTriangle met with Durham County EMS on November 19, 2018 to discuss the current design along
Erwin Road, including proposed medians and turn lanes. Staff present at the meeting included Interim
Director, Kevin Underhill, and System Medical Director, Anini Joiner. GoTriangle pointed out that
vehicles would no longer have the ability to use a median turn lane during emergency situations.
GoTriangle then explained proposed signal priority for emergency vehicles on Erwin Road, which would
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help emergency vehicles safely navigate traffic. After GoTriangle finished explaining the details of the
design along Erwin Road, EMS staff were asked if they had any concerns about the safety of the design
or about emergency access to Duke Hospital. Durham County staff indicated no concern about the
safety of the design or emergency access, specifically stating that they did not anticipate medians or pier
locations causing an adverse impact to safety or emergency access at Duke Hospital.
GoTriangle has always planned to coordinate closely with Duke University/Hospital as the design of the
work along Erwin Road progressed, so as to address the concerns to maintain the access for emergency
vehicles 24/7. We look forward to being given that opportunity.
Second Bullet – disruptive interference with sensitive lab and clinical activities
As part of this most recent Supplemental Environmental Assessment, GoTriangle conducted extensive
noise and vibration analysis for the entire corridor, which can be found in Appendix J of the Assessment
here: https://gotriangle.org/sites/default/files/0637b_rpt_sea-app-j-noise-and-vibration.pdf.
GoTriangle’s analysis found no noise impacts to Duke University facilities on Erwin Road and no vibration
impacts of any kind anywhere in the light rail corridor. A summary of vibration analysis (section 1.3)
states that:

“No vibration impacts were identified along the D-O LRT Project Corridor, due to the vibration
propagation characteristics of the soil along the proposed alignment. The vibration propagation testing
described in section 4.3 showed that vibration is not transmitted efficiently through the soil in the
project area, thus the resulting vibration levels are projected to be well below the impact criteria. Along
Erwin Road, where the tracks will be on an elevated structure, the vibration levels are projected to be
below the most stringent thresholds for impacts to sensitive equipment.”

Noise analysis along Erwin Road indicated that the dominant source of noise is traffic and that light rail
operations would have no impacts to Duke University facilities along Erwin Road. Noise measurement
locations included a site immediately adjacent to the Duke Children’s Clinic on Erwin Road. Readings
from this location indicated an hourly Leq of 67 dBA and an Ldn of 65 dBA. LRT-based noise levels were
estimated to be roughly 57 dBA, well below the impact criteria found in FTA guidance.
GoTriangle will be glad to meet with Duke University/Hospital staff to discuss the findings of the report,
and to obtain information from Duke University/Hospital staff so GoTriangle can address concerns that
may not be explicitly covered in the report.
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Further, construction activities will be monitored for noise and vibration against established acceptable
baseline conditions. Contractor construction activities will be held within the allowable noise and
vibration levels.
Third Bullet – critical research at the Global Health Research Bldg (GHRB)
GoTriangle has strived to keep the work for the light rail project as far as possible from the GHRB, based
on information previously obtained regarding the 100-foot minimum horizontal clearance requirement.
The closes LRT infrastructure to the GHRB is a retaining wall that is 106 feet away from the building. As a
result, the LRT project clearly meets the clearance requirement.
Of note is that the LRT aerial guideway was moved into the median of Erwin Road, north of the GHRB, in
an effort to maintain the maximum horizontal clearance possible.
In addition, GoTriangle has repeatedly requested additional information from Dr. Monte Brown to better
understand the GHRB buffer requirements, and he has not shared any written documentation of the NIH
requirements with the GoTriangle team.
Fourth Bullet – circular entrance at Duke Eye Care
GoTriangle has a 50% level design of the entrance at Duke Eye Care, being sensitive to the impacts to the
circular entrance as much as possible. The current design has minimal impacts on the circular entrance
to the Eye Center. However, out of respect for Duke’s concerns for access to this critical and specialized
facility, GoTriangle would be happy to engage with a design consultant that specializes in design for
vision-impaired populations to inform the site design. Further, if the original site designer for the Eye
Center drive is available, GoTriangle would be happy to engage with that individual/firm for input on the
current design.
Regarding the maintenance of traffic at the Duke Eye Care entrance, GoTriangle has not finalized the
details of the construction staging or duration at this time. Our design and construction management
staff are prepared to work closely with Duke University/Hospital staff to accommodate traffic to meet
the hospital’s needs, once we understand that those meetings can be scheduled.
Fifth Bullet – closure of Trent Drive during construction
To date, Duke University and medical center staff have not engaged meaningfully with GoTriangle staff
to coordinate on access requirements during construction. If Duke University is willing to be a
collaborative partner and provide access to staff that are familiar with the unique operational needs of
each facility, GoTriangle is committed to working together with Duke University, the City of Durham, and
the North Carolina Department of Transportation to develop construction staging strategies to minimize
access impacts to critical patient care facilities during construction. Common strategies that can be

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deployed in this area include work hour restrictions and staged construction to maintain access to critical
facilities.
Regarding the maintenance of traffic at the Duke clinics, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke Medical Pavilion,
and School of Nursing near Trent Drive, GoTriangle has not finalized the details of the construction
staging or duration at this time. Our design and construction management staff are prepared to work
closely with Duke University/Hospital staff to accommodate traffic to meet the needs of those facilities,
once we understand that those meetings can be scheduled.
Sixth Bullet – a plan approved and indemnified by Duke Energy guaranteeing uninterrupted power to the
hospitals from the 44 kV lines and their eventual replacement
To our knowledge GoTriangle has not received a request from Duke University for a plan that guarantees
continuous, interruption-free operation of the Duke University power system. GoTriangle is not familiar
with the present contractual arrangement between Duke Energy and Duke University/Hospital, to
understand the guarantees that are presently in place. In any case, GoTriangle has met extensively with
Duke Energy to coordinate the alignment of the aerial guideway so that the supports for the guideway
and other subsurface LRT project elements are at least 15 feet horizontally away from the 44 kV lines as
required by Duke Energy. The locations of the LRT project elements have been discussed with Duke
Energy in our coordination meetings and met with Duke Energy’s approval. GoTriangle has expended a
significant effort and cost to nonintrusively investigate the location of these subsurface lines, working
closely with Duke University staff during these investigations.
Guarantees of electrical power will need to be coordinated with Duke Energy by Duke
University/Hospital, and GoTriangle will be glad to facilitate that discussion during one of the regularly
scheduled coordination meetings that GoTriangle has with Duke Energy.
In past meetings with Duke University utility staff, it was noted that there are multiple power feeds to
the hospital complex as back-up systems.
As for the eventual replacement of the 44 kV lines, that is clearly not within the scope of the light rail
project, but GoTriangle will be glad to facilitate that discussion between Duke Energy by Duke
University/Hospital.
Seventh Bullet – elevating the light rail tracks over NC 751 (Cameron Blvd)
GoTriangle disagrees that the planned grade crossing presents a dangerous situation. Traffic studies have
been performed and do not substantiate the expenditure of a significant amount of public funds from
the D-O LRT Project for grade separating the light rail tracks over NC 751. The proposed refinement to
the intersection of NC 751 and Erwin Road will actually improve the functioning of that intersection. In
meetings with NCDOT, they are prepared to take traffic counts on November 27, including traffic
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to/from a Duke University men’s basketball game that night, and are looking into the possible use of
GoTriangle’s proposed intersection design prior to the light rail project being constructed.
To address concerns during construction, the at-grade crossing of Cameron Boulevard at Erwin Road can
be accomplished with night operations that would restore the intersection to full service prior to the
morning peak traffic period. The construction would be accompanied by a well signed detour or
alternate route to either Morreene Road or Fulton Street and a pre-event meeting would be held with
Durham County EMS to coordinate alternative routes for emergency vehicles accessing either Duke
University Medical Center or the Durham VA Hospital.

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