Transit

There's a good case to be made for what could be called the all-the-way approach to mass transit improvements in the Triangle - load on the works, with expanded bus service plus commuter trains and light rail.

But it also can be argued that undertaking all of those transit upgrades at once would be too ambitious. Wake County Manager David Cooke's latest strategy reflects a sense that it would be better to stretch things out - better financially and better politically. He could be on the right track.

Speaking of tracks: It's the rail component of the overall improvement plan that causes heartburn here and there, especially among some of our local conservatives. But Cooke makes a distinction between commuter rail service that could be up and running fairly quickly, using existing N.C. Railroad tracks through the heart of the Triangle, and light rail between Cary and north Raleigh, which would be a new animal.

Raleigh residents can vote October 11 on a pedestrian/transit/bicycle focused transportation bond AND an affordable housing bond! WakeUP Wake County and many other local organizations have endorsed the bonds. Remember, if you can't vote on Election Day (Oct. 11), you can vote absentee or early NOW!

$40M Transportation Improvements Bond is multi-modal (i.e. not just about cars). It will:
· Fix potholes and resurface roads
· Build new sidewalks and repair damaged sidewalks
· Extend the Greenway system and add bike lines
· Widen roads, help with corridor planning and streetscape programs
· Improve transit including Moore Square, bus shelters & benches
· Implement improvements on Union Station (leverages $20M + federal funds)

Officials in Durham and Orange Counties have offered their support for a regional transit plan that will encompass bus improvements and the eventual light rail and commuter rail projects.  This is an exciting time for Durham and Orange, with a potential referendum on a half-cent sales tax to fund a portion of the project possibly set for this Fall, 2011.

DURHAM -- Officials of Durham, Chapel Hill and Carrboro unanimously endorsed this morning a plan for transit improvements and a fall referendum on a sales tax to help pay for it.

"This will mean a huge increase in the public transit services we are able to provide," said Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton. "A huge new reach deep into our county."

The plan calls for additional bus service in and between the three cities along with a light-rail line between UNC Hospitals and East Durham.

The Triangle region has recently received a number "quality of life" awards and remains a desirable region for newcomers for the time being.  However, the realities of unplanned growth are beginning to emerge.  Forbes Magazine recently ranked Raleigh-Durham as THE biggest gas-guzzler in the nation!  Raleigh-Durham residents drive and consume more gas than Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, and other cities typically associated with heavy automobile use.

Executive Director of WakeUP Wake County received the Women in Transportation (WTS) Triangle Chapter 2011 Woman of the Year Award:

North Carolina's share of federally approved high-speed rail funding is in danger! Members of the NC General Assembly have attempted to place the brakes on federally funded passenger rail projects in NC by introducing a bill (H422, sponsored by Rep. Killian and Frye) that will stall high-speed rail by requiring all federal investments in our state to go through an extensive legislative approval process. NC risks losing over $500 million for high speed rail!

Please speakUP TODAY and let Triangle legislators know that high-speed rail is critical to the Triangle communities, for our state's mobility, for future economic investment, and for job growth across our state.

Wake County Commissioners have decided to delay a voter referendum planned this fall for a half-cent sales tax that would fund new transit - light rail, commuter rail, and bus improvements throughout Wake County.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) wants to hear from you. How safe do you feel riding your bike or walking in your neighborhood?  The NCDOT recently released a survey that seeks to evaluate the need for bike lanes, sidewalks, public education and more.  Fill out the 2011 NCDOT Statewide Public Input Questionnaire on Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety below:

http://www.itre.ncsu.edu/Public/Bike-Ped-NCDOT-Survey.html

The Triangle Region continues to grow and, as of July 2010, Wake County is the LARGEST COUNTY in North and South Carolina!  As growth continues to reshape our region and transportation needs, we must work to improve regional transit services!

Driven Apart, a recent transportation report, ranks how long residents in the nation's largest 51 metropolitan areas spend in peak hour traffic.  Raleigh/Cary ranks 5th on the list of cities with the LONGEST COMMUTES.  According to the report, Triangle residents spend more time traveling to work each day than regional commuters in most other major metropolitan areas including Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.  Read the full report here.