Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Protected Bike Lanes

See It! Tar Heel Cyclists Give Themselves the Xmas Gift of Safety

All that the activists of Bike Durham wanted for Christmas was a safe, bikeable city. And for an hour, they got it. Well, a little.

Photo: Marc Maximov|

Has West Chapel Hill Street ever looked better?

All that the activists of Bike Durham wanted for Christmas was a safe, walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly city.

So this year, in a bit of holiday-themed tactical urbanism, they granted their own wish — if only on one block, for one hour — by buffering a downtown bike lane with a merry row of gift-wrapped boxes.

The ultimate Christmas gift is safe space from drivers.Photo: Marc Maximov

On a sunny late afternoon, cyclists could ride a block of downtown — West Chapel Hill Street between Duke and Gregson — with confidence, thanks to seasonally appropriate vertical lane separation. City officials caused no interference and no boxes were harmed by Grinchy drivers — though one motorist pulled over to steal a gift and drive away. (He soon learned two things: petty larceny lands you on Santa’s naughty list and that the box was in fact filled with sand — the ultimate lump of coal.)

The Xmas Present-Protected Bike Lane echoed a similar stunt five years ago, when activists buffered a bike lane on Halloween with a row of jack-o-lanterns (as detailed on Streetsblog). At that time, Bike Durham was a small, scrappy, all-volunteer crew; since then, it has grown into a much more formidable organization, with an executive director, more paid staff, and expanded programs.

The group was even named “Advocacy Organization of the Year” by the League of American Bicyclists in 2022. 

But success, defined as fostering visible change on the streets, has been a challenge. Larger peer cities such as Raleigh and Charlotte have installed many miles of new, protected bike lanes, while Durham's streets have barely changed. A big stumbling block has been coordination with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, which controls many of the larger streets and prioritizes car travel.

Photo: Marc Maximov

In 2013, the state Legislature passed a law barring state funds from being used for standalone bicycle or pedestrian improvements; such infrastructure can only be tacked on to car upgrades.

In light of these challenges, Bike Durham has focused on staying local and working with city government. In November, the group released a report, Delivering Durham, with 10 recommendations for speeding up project delivery. That same month, cyclists got help from Durham voters, who approved a $115-million bond for street and sidewalk improvements.

But for now in the Bull City, bike riders still have to give themselves their yuletide gifts.

Here's a video to show how much fun safety can be:

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Krakow is a Polish Pedestrian Paradise

Check out how car drivers simply stop for pedestrians — and not just pedestrians in a crosswalk, but also pedestrians about to enter a crosswalk or even just thinking about maybe entering a crosswalk.

July 25, 2025

Friday Video: The Secret to Getting People Biking In a Hilly City

Steep streets don't have to put a stop to your city's cycling future.

July 25, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Look to the Future

Despite some minor reforms around the edges under President Biden, U.S. transportation remains a car-centric anachronism.

July 25, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Measuring Transportation System Success

Karel Martens on how transportation engineering is good at finding problems but not solving them — and a new tool to measure policy success.

July 24, 2025

What Will It Take to Automatically Brick Drivers’ Cell Phones Behind the Wheel?

The technology to stop cell phone use behind the wheel has existed for years. Why are so few drivers using it – and why aren't lawmakers making them?

July 24, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines See Mixed Results

It's easier to commit to Vision Zero as a concept than it is to actually implement its principles.

July 24, 2025
See all posts