TOP 10 REASONS TO SUPPORT THE MODIFIED VERSION OF THE NORTHERN DURHAM PARKWAY 1) The proposal submitted by the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, to the Transportation Advisory Committee, is NOT Eno Drive, but a modification of Northern Durham Parkway alternative jointly supported by the Chamber of Commerce, Eno River Association, the Durham City Council and the Durham Board of County Commissioners. The modification occurs on the northern end of the corridor, and reflects greater environmental sensitivity to the Falls Lake watershed than the original Northern Durham Parkway. The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce ALSO supports making the East End Connector a top priority. 2) The proposal provides an alignment that minimizes impacts to environmentally sensitive areas, improves the traffic congestion on North 501 and improves the access to Northeast Durham County. Every attempt was made to steer the alignment away from residentially zoned land in the Falls Lake critical watershed to maximize the impact of the road upon established non-residentially zoned land and industrial areas (upon the advice of NC DOT) and not spur additional rezoning requests. 3) The modified Northern Durham Parkway is needed to remedy traffic problems on North501 (Roxboro Street), both existing and projected traffic problems. It will not be built for ten years, when traffic in North Durham has increased due to approved residential development and the development of the approved industrial areas in North Durham. Traffic issues need to be addressed. 4) With very little developable land remaining in the Durham County portion of RTP, and land around the Park being developed rapidly, Durham County needs new areas for economic development. This economic development will create quality jobs and tax base. 5) The Chamber strongly supports project such as American Tobacco and the revitalization of Northeast Central Durham. Our community needs quality economic development options in addition to these areas! 6) Durham has critical needs that require a continually growing tax base. Without quality economic development, Durham will not have the revenue base it needs to provide for the community service projects and services many of its citizens’ need. Without revenue growth, elected officials have to raise taxes. 7) Responsible transportation planning for northern and eastern Durham County requires local officials to adopt a plan that reflects adopted land use plans, and to address the local long-term transportation needs of those plans. This requires a “system” of improvements, which work as a whole. Widening existing roads alone will not adequately address the problem. Many of these roads cannot be reasonably expanded without tremendous costs - financial, environmental and social. 8) Lack of access to Northern Durham was an important factor in Durham to losing a $400 million Eli Lilly project to northern Virginia, which would have created translates 700 new jobs. 9) Without the “modified” Northern Durham Parkway option, Durham will not have a reasonable long-range transportation plan for northern and eastern Durham and making it more difficult to comply with more stringent air-quality standards of 2004. 10) The model includes US70 as a 6 lane freeway, which attracts traffic away from the new loop. There are a minimum of 27,000 vehicles using the new loop that would otherwise have to travel on other roads. Therefore, the modified version of the Northern Durham Parkway helps not hurts and congestion will likely be worse without a project of this magnitude. Please join our campaign by signing this electronic petition, asking our elected officials to rescind the Transportation Advisory Committee\'s \"No Build\" vote.

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