Site work and paving for a sidewalk / parking lot in Durham, North Carolina. Working plans call for site work for a sidewalk / parking lot; and for paving for a sidewalk / parking lot.

https://www.wral.com/news/local/772-million-durham-city-budget-proposal-may-2025/ It’s budget season, and Durham city and county leaders are looking at how to keep up with a growing population. Both municipalities have new mangers at the helm, but both City Manager Bo Ferguson and County Manager Claudia Hager have been with their employers for years in other roles. 0:50 / 1:00 Climate swings squeeze farmers Watch More In his budget proposal, Ferguson outlined four key areas of focus: community safety, employee pay, service delivery and infrastructure. The $772 million proposed budget is 8% higher than last year. Community Safety HEART Program The proposed budget funds 17 new positions for Durham’s widely-beloved HEART program. Community members have called for its expansion since its inception. The new roles would allow the team to cover more calls during the day, with an eye toward further expanded hours down the line. "We have all heard the community's strong support for 24/7 HEART services, but this budget proposal responds to an important fact,” Ferguson said. “There are significantly more HEART eligible calls that we currently don't respond to during daylight hours, than during calls that we miss in overnight hours.” The city also wants to invest in Eviction Diversion Program Durham Expunction and Restoration (DEAR) Program a new homeless prevention plan Employee Pay Minimum livable wage Durham’s minimum livable wage will increase to $21.90 under this budget, for an annual salary of $45,560. It’s a step up from the FY24-25 minimum livable wage of $19.58. The city would also create 42 new positions. Service Delivery Stormwater projects South Ellerbe Stormwater Restoration: $17.5 million Major infrastructure projects: $4.5 million Retrofitting, drainage repair, other needs: $3.68 million Water and sewer projects Jordan Lake Water Treatment Plant: $158.8 million Water Facilities Rehabilitation: $70.5 million Fare free buses Keeping Durham’s buses fare-free was a priority for city leaders. GoDurham will remain fare free through June 30, 2026. The budget also provides funding for three new positions for bus rapid transit planning, and $17.2 million for upcoming bus service expansions. “I just want to pull out one item that I am extremely excited about which is fare free transit,” Council Member Nate Baker said. “We've seen GoTriangle reinstitute fares. We've seen Raleigh reinstitute fares, and for Durham, and for a city of our size to show the value that we place on fair free transit is so incredibly important.” Infrastructure Parks clean-up The budget includes another $7 million to deal with the issue of lead in parks. Five Durham parks have been closed for years; City Council has previously allocated $5 million to the issue in the most recent budget. “We are anxious to reopen these parks to the communities they serve,” Ferguson said. 70 total new and existing projects Emergency Operations Center Project Support: $23 million Durham Fire and Emergency Services Station #19: $18 million Durham Rail Trail: $13 million Streets and sidewalks Design of two-way conversion for North Roxboro & Mangum Streets: $1.2 million Signalized pedestrian upgrades: $875,000 Vision Zero Safety Initiatives: $500,000 The City of Durham’s budget is not a done deal. Work sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, May 28, and Thursday, May 29, ahead of a public hearing on June 2. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pettigrew Street to Avondale Street in Durham, Construct a Multi-use Trail on Former Rail Corridor County : Durham Route : Duke Belt Line Trail Length (miles) : 1.75 As of March 25, 2026 , the project is in Final Planning status. Anticipated letting date is 2026. NC DOT - Construct a Multi-use Trail on Former Rail Corridor *Project information has been obtained through a public state transportation improvement plan (STIP). A STIP is a financial schedule for short- and long-range projects which is updated regularly. Information listed in the STIP often evolves based on funding availability. The project details, including timeline and value, are subject to change. The content management team will continue to pursue additional details as they become available.