DAVENPORT served as a sub-consultant for the transportation study of a proposed $71 million Durham Police Department Headquarters facility in downtown Durham. The new facility was necessary because the current building no longer met the critical needs of the Durham Police Department or the Durham Emergency Communications Center due to size, condition, configuration, and operational needs. The proposed development includes 153,400 square feet of government office complex, along with a 484-space parking deck, surface parking for 71 vehicles. The new complex will house all police and E911 functions as well as District 5, Domestic Violence Unit, Durham Emergency Communications Center, Forensics Services Unit, Property and Evidence.
As an operational 911 call center and facility, the newly proposed Durham Police Headquarters is expected to see numerous law enforcement and general public traffic entering and exiting the facility throughout a typical day.
DAVENPORT was part of the design team and helped determine the potential traffic impacts of the development and identified transportation improvements necessary to accommodate the impacts of the new development traffic. DAVENPORT analyzed the traffic capacity of the study intersections by developing a traffic model of study network using Synchro and Sim Traffic software and analyzed intersection level of service (LOS) and queue lengths. Project traffic was estimated and distributed onto the roadway network. Future traffic volumes were projected by adding the anticipated project traffic to background traffic and thus generated accurate and effective recommendations for the proposed parking deck. DAVENPORT worked closely with NCDOT, City of Durham and the design team to help narrow down the design alternatives based on access points and the internal circulation of the site.