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The state of Raleigh's leadership


RALBOI

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I'm so sick of this same old back and forth about this rail project between local politicians. Everyone says they like it, but none of these guys are getting involved.

I just don't understand why Raleigh doesn't start small with a freaking streetcar. This would introduce the success of transportation other than a car. Charlotte is doing this already, so why doesn't Raleigh try it. Raleigh has a lot more cooler corridors for streetcars to serve.

Raleigh is so behind, it really is sad. The fact that they aren't even entertaining this idea just shows how naive they are.

And this my friend is were we need strong leadership on key issues ,imagine that street car with a route from the fairgrounds to hillsboro street all the way down to Fayettville street or along that street man what vision!!!
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IF the current rail plan fails, Raleigh and Wake County should go at it alone.

Please explain the political calculus in which Raleigh, home base of the Wake County Taxpayers Association, the John Locke Foundation, whose planning commission is pretty much owned by the NC Homebuilders Association, builds rail transit by taxing itself to do so.

Then explain how NCDOT, which has been trying to encourage regional cooperation and coordination all across the state, contributes a dime to the effort without undercutting its entire program across the state to support regional cooperation.

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Please explain the political calculus in which Raleigh, home base of the Wake County Taxpayers Association, the John Locke Foundation, whose planning commission is pretty much owned by the NC Homebuilders Association, builds rail transit by taxing itself to do so.

Then explain how NCDOT, which has been trying to encourage regional cooperation and coordination all across the state, contributes a dime to the effort without undercutting its entire program across the state to support regional cooperation.

IF the current rail plan fails, Raleigh and Wake County should go at it alone.

Raleigh and Wake County, not the TTA, and not anyone else need to decide how they want to grow. Then, THEY must plan accordingly. If suburbia is the way, then more roads it is..... that is, until the Feds cut back funds to build roads due to air quality. If Some form of urbanism is the way to go, then they must plan for that.

The TTA rail right now doesn't even come close to most of the Raleigh population. Nor does it come close (within the 1/4 mi.) to some of DT Raleighs most important places, Fayetteville St., Convention Center, Moore Square, Moore Square Transit Station.

So RALEIGH had better find a good way for people to get there, or they will not take the train, and will take a car, or not go at all.

Now, as far as regionalism goes, how is it that Winston is planning a Street Car? That doesn't hit the other Triad Cities. Why Can't The Triangle cities get some street cars? Seems like a number of small systems first then connecting them later could be better than the reverse. A successful systems in Raleigh, Durham, and Cary could get people looking at the benefit of regionality.

The cost of a real Raleigh Trolley would probably be ~$50 mil. It could probably be up and running in a much shorter time than the TTA. If the City pushed it, especially as an alternative to the TTAs rail, I'm betting theres a good chance it would get built.

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IF the current rail plan fails, Raleigh and Wake County should go at it alone.

Raleigh and Wake County, not the TTA, and not anyone else need to decide how they want to grow. Then, THEY must plan accordingly. If suburbia is the way, then more roads it is..... that is, until the Feds cut back funds to build roads due to air quality. If Some form of urbanism is the way to go, then they must plan for that.

The TTA rail right now doesn't even come close to most of the Raleigh population. Nor does it come close (within the 1/4 mi.) to some of DT Raleighs most important places, Fayetteville St., Convention Center, Moore Square, Moore Square Transit Station.

So RALEIGH had better find a good way for people to get there, or they will not take the train, and will take a car, or not go at all.

Now, as far as regionalism goes, how is it that Winston is planning a Street Car? That doesn't hit the other Triad Cities. Why Can't The Triangle cities get some street cars? Seems like a number of small systems first then connecting them later could be better than the reverse. A successful systems in Raleigh, Durham, and Cary could get people looking at the benefit of regionality.

The cost of a real Raleigh Trolley would probably be ~$50 mil. It could probably be up and running in a much shorter time than the TTA. If the City pushed it, especially as an alternative to the TTAs rail, I'm betting theres a good chance it would get built.

Where would a trolley run in Raleigh ?

I don't see a track down Hillsborough really helping with transit needs.

I'm not sure there is a good corridor.

JB

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post-8785-1141164162_thumb.jpg

Not like this is final, but there needs to be a place to start.

Red Line is the DT Raleigh Trolley. (clock wise path, 1 trolley could do it every 12 min) Black boxes are stops. the rings are about 1/4 miles from the proposed stops. This would be useful to all the Glenwood South Development, as it would move them around the city easily. Plus, it would take them to the Moore Square Station where they could get to RTP, Durham, etc via express bus.

If the Red line succeeds, Purple line is to start as a east west connection, RBC Center/Arena to East Raleigh

Blue would be the Glenwood route (it would pick up glenwood near five points)

Brown goes up to Six forks, and North Hills.

Black is the TTA

I think the ball needs to start small, and get bigger. If the Red line was successful, building the future lines would not be a problem.

post-8785-1141164162_thumb.jpg

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I'm so sick of this same old back and forth about this rail project between local politicians. Everyone says they like it, but none of these guys are getting involved.

I just don't understand why Raleigh doesn't start small with a freaking streetcar. This would introduce the success of transportation other than a car. Charlotte is doing this already, so why doesn't Raleigh try it. Raleigh has a lot more cooler corridors for streetcars to serve.

Raleigh is so behind, it really is sad. The fact that they aren't even entertaining this idea just shows how naive they are.

I think it is going to be like a lot of things. Charlotte is building their LRT and once people start to see it and maybe ride it, they will come around but it will take at least 10 years. The streetcar idea sounds good but could be more expensive with roadwork and integration with the stoplights. I think it is one or another (streetcar or LRT).

I don't think Raleigh can go this alone. I believe you have to tie in RTP and the airport. Running a train on the street into DT Raleigh from Wake Forest/Falls of Nuese will not make a good impression when you have quarter-filled buses today at best and take up 2 current lanes to run the streetcar. Just my humble opinion.

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Subway, you bring up good points. my thinking on the streetcar/LR is that it is built in The right Turn lanes (shared with autos) or in onstreet parking spots in DT. Traffic Lights already are, or will be computer controlled, so integrating the fixed rail systems shouldn't be too much to ask.

I agree that RTP and Durham need to be served, but in Raleigh;s long term interests, it should work on getting people downtown. Busses, or the TTA rail would best serve other areas.

I don't see the airport as a place that will ever be connected directly to fixed rail. RDU makes too much money off the parking decks.

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post-8785-1141164162_thumb.jpg

Not like this is final, but there needs to be a place to start.

Red Line is the DT Raleigh Trolley. (clock wise path, 1 trolley could do it every 12 min) Black boxes are stops. the rings are about 1/4 miles from the proposed stops. This would be useful to all the Glenwood South Development, as it would move them around the city easily. Plus, it would take them to the Moore Square Station where they could get to RTP, Durham, etc via express bus.

If the Red line succeeds, Purple line is to start as a east west connection, RBC Center/Arena to East Raleigh

Blue would be the Glenwood route (it would pick up glenwood near five points)

Brown goes up to Six forks, and North Hills.

Black is the TTA

I think the ball needs to start small, and get bigger. If the Red line was successful, building the future lines would not be a problem.

Isn't there a bus that loops around Raleigh on weekends ?

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Isn't there a bus that loops around Raleigh on weekends ?

I seem to remember a Trolley (bus) going through Glenwood South, but could not find any info on it.

Raleigh Trolley Weekends is the only thing I've found. The problems with this, is that this only runs on weekends and must travel in traffic lanes.

I am sorry for taking the Meeker post on a tangent.

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The Raleigh Entertainment Trolley was discontinued over a year ago for lack of use. It was a novelty....you still need 10,000 people living downtown for something like that to really get used.....my mind thinks in terms of get me from home to out somewhere and back...not drive downtown to drinking spot #1, then take a trolley to drinking spot #2...waiting for it to arrive...losing my buzz....wait again to get back to #1 where my car is....the concept was all wrong...

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The problem with the Raleigh Entertainment Trolley was that it was used as a babysitter. Little kids would get on it and make shooting noises at everyone within eyesight with no parental supervision. Who wants to deal with that? It would be cost prohibitive to staff it with a driver and security, but I think one of those yellow/purple shirt people could handle it...

Another problem was that the trolley looped down to Raleigh Memorial, and there is nothing down there, so it increased the trip time to get between city market, the warehouse district and glenwood south. Also, it stopped running at 11, which is right when downtown starts picking up. I don't know if this is for alcohol-related liablity issues or the people in charge in denial that there is nightlife in raleigh. It also didn't play up the fact that it was *free*. It looked it would cost money, and a lot of people don't carry spare change.

The trolley should go by memorial auditorium during the show and after, but change to a "night owl" route after that till 2:30 am. The "owl" would go from city market to the warehouse district (white collar/nanas/office/jillians) right down glenwood south with big "free trolley" signs so people would know the service exists and they could jump on.

Mayor Meeker has had good plans like this, but when they're only half implimented and/or watered down by an ineffective council, they fail and give nay sayers more ammunition. Theses naysayers know they can't do a better job -- there were only two other candidates in the last election, and neither of them were embraced by the Republican party. Fayetville Street, the convention center, TTA, etc. can *not* fail or downtown will go back to the bad old days, the dark ages. Downtown "spending" would consist only of putting hand rails on public benches and a half hearted convention center/fayetville street makeover. Priority number one would be completing 540 and providing free infrastructure to Brier Creek and Wakefield.

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Well, today's a good day to assess Meeker. Isley has proposed cutting funds to TTA. Will Meeker say "well, we should at least wait until October to see what the Feds say" or will he say "we're going to build this project even if we have to dig in our own pockets. It is necessary for the region's future and Councilor Isley is off his rocker."

One of these messages is timid triangulation to not piss off North Raleigh anti-tax zealots. One of these messages is actual leadership on an issue.

Which way will Meeker go? Read tomorrow's N&O to find out!

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Isley's point is not quite being represented here. The point is that if we started a new commission, it would need to have a reasonable chance of success to get public funding. At this point the TTA's current plan is such a long shot to get done, there isn't any point holding a gun to citizens heads to give the TTA train fund money to sit on. If the TTA shows some chance of floating, then Isley would certainly be willing to continue diverting funds to it.

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Isley's point is not quite being represented here. The point is that if we started a new commission, it would need to have a reasonable chance of success to get public funding. At this point the TTA's current plan is such a long shot to get done, there isn't any point holding a gun to citizens heads to give the TTA train fund money to sit on. If the TTA shows some chance of floating, then Isley would certainly be willing to continue diverting funds to it.

One of the reasons for TTA's low rating is the relative lack of local financing. And again, the "long shot" verbage was created by senators Dole and Burr, not by FTA or TTA. Low rating at this point does not, repeat DOES NOT translate to not likely to be A) federally funded or B) built at all. IMO most folks are reading way too much into the current status of the project at the FTA. They have provided very limited information to this point.

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Isley's point is not quite being represented here. The point is that if we started a new commission, it would need to have a reasonable chance of success to get public funding. At this point the TTA's current plan is such a long shot to get done, there isn't any point holding a gun to citizens heads to give the TTA train fund money to sit on. If the TTA shows some chance of floating, then Isley would certainly be willing to continue diverting funds to it.

True but the goal is provide his "Art Pope" backers a

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Why would Isley try to simply impress those to the right of him? He already has their vote and there doesn't seem to be a more conservative challenger in the wings. His wife said she won't let him run for bigger offices, BTW. :P

There is rumor that Meeker will not seek reelection. Maybe Isley is trying to shore up support to run on the Republican ticket. (against Crowder?)

Also, this might explain Meeker's somewhat lackluster support for TTA. Seeing as he would be long gone by the time it makes any difference, not to mention the fact that he has clearly hitched his political wagon to the Convention Center and Fayetteville Street.

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There is rumor that Meeker will not seek reelection. Maybe Isley is trying to shore up support to run on the Republican ticket. (against Crowder?)

I agree that, if Meeker doesn't run, Crowder is likely to run. However, I would rather see Jessie Taliaferro run on the democrat ticket - she is more of a consensus builder (along the same lines as Meeker) and everything that she says in council meetings makes sense - which can't always be said of Crowder. I am not sure if Taliaferro would want to be mayor, however.

But I'd rather see Meeker stick around for a few more years. I think he's done a good job.

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I agree that, if Meeker doesn't run, Crowder is likely to run. However, I would rather see Jessie Taliaferro run on the democrat ticket - she is more of a consensus builder (along the same lines as Meeker) and everything that she says in council meetings makes sense - which can't always be said of Crowder. I am not sure if Taliaferro would want to be mayor, however.

But I'd rather see Meeker stick around for a few more years. I think he's done a good job.

You're kidding right? The times that I have caught the City Council meetings on the public gov cable channel, she seems at a total loss for intelligent comments, other than to ask questions about something that was already addressed or not at all relevant to the situation. Plus, I may be wrong, but isn't she a shill for the N. Raleigh "no new taxes and build more roads" agenda pushers.

I think Crowder's biggest problem is that he seems very stubborn, as illustrated by his refusal to allow any EIFS on the hotel project. I guess that makes him the opposite of a "consensus builder".

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I agree that, if Meeker doesn't run, Crowder is likely to run. However, I would rather see Jessie Taliaferro run on the democrat ticket - she is more of a consensus builder (along the same lines as Meeker) and everything that she says in council meetings makes sense - which can't always be said of Crowder. I am not sure if Taliaferro would want to be mayor, however.

But I'd rather see Meeker stick around for a few more years. I think he's done a good job.

Taliaferro is a pawn of big real estate. She does what the tract developers and commercial real estate firms who bring in big-box retailers her to do.

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