Setting aside the suggestion to walk in the middle of oncoming traffic on Roxboro, even crossing these two lanes the sensible way is a huge problem. Again, traffic is only coming from one direction, but here it is either turning right from Roxboro, or coming straight from Duke. Which is to say, there is *always* car traffic with the right of way here.

For a pedestrian, crossing here is suicidal. (6/12)

1) It’s worth pointing out that I have lived here many years and driven through this intersection thousands of times, and I didn’t know the way to do this without scouting it out on Google Maps first.

2) People who rely on public transit have to make these calculations every day of their lives. (10/12)

A 900-ft (approximately 5-min) detour is not a big deal for me. I’m able-bodied, and I only need to do this once. And frankly, I have the means to just call an Uber if I don’t feel like it (which I may!)

This is a position of enormous privilege. (11/12)

For someone who does this every day, these detours add up. If they’re late for work and the next bus doesn’t come for an hour, they are going to take otherwise unnecessary risks.

Effectively, this is a tax on poverty, extracted in time, energy, health, and safety. (fin)

Coda: I realize this framing could be seen as equating "transit users" with "poor people." Not my intention. Everyone should use transit if they can! (And I certainly have, though admittedly not regularly, in Durham.)

My point is that a lot of transit users do not have the luxury of choosing it.