'Reckless Roxboro' Street in Durham a haven for speeding drivers and near-miss crashes

A photo from the Durham County Library gives a 1920s-era look at North Mangum Street. A look at the same road today shows that spot looks quite different with all of the development in downtown Durham.

Another big change being that the road is now a one-way road. The city is considering changes there and on Roxboro Street because of speeding.

"Reckless Roxboro" is how some would describe the street. It's also the name of a social media account holding those drivers accountable.

Chris Perelstein is the man behind the data, using coding and a camera to determine just how fast some of these drivers are going. The speed limit for one stretch of the road is 35 mph.

"It's about 70% of drivers are speeding," Perelstein said. "The top speed we've ever seen is 97 miles an hour, and we've actually had multiple people in the 90s."

"Excepting lane closures and road closures, we've never had a day when the top speed was below 66 miles an hour," Perelstein said.

Perelstein lives on North Roxboro Street. He's seen some close calls.

"A speeding car actually came up onto the curb and was a couple of inches away from hitting my dog," Perelstein said.

The City of Durham's Transportation Department is studying the feasibility of converting Roxboro and Mangum streets to two-way roads. Data shows that could slow down drivers.

"The conditions are so bad, I will take anything, anything to calm speeds down," Perelstein said.

Engagement on the street design with Durham residents goes through May. Coordination with North Carolina Department of Transportation will begin summer of 2024.