2035 Triangle Regional Transit Vision Plan

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

I drove by the US project today and noticed that they had a fence up and one loan excavator sitting idle, nothing more. And this project is supposed to open in 2017?  Is there a real start date?

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

If, and I really mean a big if here, the State of NC goes along with CSX's new idea of a big new freight-train facility in Johnston Couny, (story in today's N&O), will this be an okay, good, or very good thing for Raleigh? I remember back in the day when Fed Ex wanted to locate at RDU but got so much push back from Cary/Morrisville that Fed Ex had to reconsider and then moved to Memphis. 

[orulz]

I was scanning CAMPO's UPWP for FY2017 and noticed an interesting item, $400k budgeted over FY2017 and 2018 for a feasibility study of commuter rail on CSX's old Durham & Southern right-of-way.

I don't figure this will result in any actual proposals right away, clearly the NCRR and CSX S-Line corridors are a higher priority. Still, it will be interesting to read the report.

[kermit]

23 hours ago, orulz said:

$400k budgeted over FY2017 and 2018 for a feasibility study of commuter rail on CSX's old Durham & Southern right-of-way.

Wow, what a nice surprise.  Service to Apex seems like a solid idea, I have heard that CSX is down to about one train per week on the line. A longer term possibility of connecting the Apex commuter line via a short jog up the CSX to join the NCRR commuter line in Cary would create a nice network.

Edited January 15, 2016 by kermit

[Third Strike]

I know the NCDOT is going to restore most of CSX's S-Line for the high-speed rail, but are they going to out-right purchase it from CSX? Likewise, is the VDOT going to do the same with the S-Line in VA, or are the two states simply going to lease the line from CSX?

If the NCDOT is going to purchase the line, then maybe this could open up the doors to a commuter rail to northeast Wake, and Franklin County. I also hope something happens with the Durham & Southern line.

I'm from Charlotte, so I've always believed that the NCRR should be utilize by the three major metros for commuter rail. With much of the line being double-tracked throughout the state, it only makes sense to use it for more than just Amtrak. The Triangle has an advantage that the NCRR bisects the metro from east to west, traveling through most of the major cities in the Triangle (including the RTP). It might be a more feasible goal to move towards, since the infrastructure is already in place (or will be).

[ctl]

NCDOT definitely has the desire for the SEHSR project that would rehab or reinstall the S-line between Raleigh and Petersburg, but there is no funding for it. We're talking over a billion dollars for 110 mph and hundreds of millions for 79 mph. NCDOT has recently proposed to acquire the NC portion of the S-line and -- here's the interesting part -- an abandoned line between Norlina and Roanoke Rapids. This is a fallback in case SEHSR never happens. Passenger trains would run Raleigh-Norlina on the S-line and then Norlina-Weldon. At Weldon they would rejoin the CSX A-line into Virginia. There would be a significant improvement in passenger service without waiting years (decades) for federal or Virginia funding for the Virginia portion of the SEHSR project. 

 

[ctl]

Supporters of Wake transit must be feeling better today. The statewide bond referendum got 70% approval in Wake, even though Republican turnout as a percentage of registered Republicans in Wake was slightly higher than the corresponding number for Democrats. Clearly a lot of people who voted in the Republican primary (some of whom could be unaffiliated's) also voted for the statewide bond. 

Not a guarantee of success for the Wake transit referendum, but far better than having the county reject the statewide referendum.

[staffer]

The first formal step to levy the 1/2% transit tax in Wake County (joining Durham and Orange in a special tax district) took place Wednesday night May 18. After a joint public hearing of CAMPO (Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) and the GO Triangle (formerly TTA) regional transit board of trustees, CAMPO approved the transit plan unanimously. 

At the GoTriangle board meeting May 25, on the agenda will be approval of the transit plan PLUS a resolution calling the referendum for November 8.  The Wake County commissioners take up the same two items at their June 6 meeting.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article78516792.html

 

[staffer]

Wake transit plan and referendum approved unanimously Wednesday by the GoTriangle (formerly TTA) Board of Trustees.  Final vote will be by the Wake County Board of Commissioners June 6, then on the ballot November 8

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article79880232.html

 

[DPK]

I thought we were past this ridiculousness:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article81673352.html

[ctl]

The ridiculousness won't stop until either (a) there's regime change or (b) the 2020 census causes the NCGA to be reapportioned in 2021, with metro Charlotte and the Triangle gaining representation. 

[Reverie39]

So what's the current deal with it? Did the issue with the Senate get worked out? Searches only provide me with articles from all over the place time-wise. I'd really like to see this go through.

[RiverwoodCLT]

Inbound Raleigh pod cast  Ep. 1 – Transit Roundup

http://inboundraleigh.com/2016/09/13/ep-1-transit-roundup-links-and-show-notes/

Edited October 6, 2016 by RiverwoodCLT

[Merthecat]

I don't wish to be too political here, but I imagine that most users here want to see the Wake Transit plan implemented.  If so, please remember to vote FOR the 1/2 cent sales tax on your ballot this election.  This would be a big step forward for Wake County.

[Merthecat]

It appears that the 1/2 cent sales tax increase in Wake County has passed, by a narrow margin of around 53-47!

Great news for the Triangle!

[ctl]

See the map at http://er.ncsbe.gov/contest_details.html?election_dt=11/08/2016&county_id=92&contest_id=18. 

[RiverwoodCLT]

Wake County needed this, and glad it passed.

[staffer]

13 hours ago, ctl said:

See the map at http://er.ncsbe.gov/contest_details.html?election_dt=11/08/2016&county_id=92&contest_id=18. 

This map only includes the 200,000 votes cast on election day. Election day voters rejected the tax. It does not include the 300,000 who voted early and were strongly in favor.  The map will be redone when they integrate early vote with election day probably early January. I expect that will show big margins in favor in Cary

[InitialD]

I didn't see a specific thread for the Moore Square bus terminal renovations but anyway I didn't realize until today that they have a construction cam:

Source

[Jones_]

A lot of the new stuff looks really nice. I am wondering why it was necessary to build bus shelter awnings under the parking deck (seen from the Martin St side). 

[InitialD]

On 11/18/2016 at 2:55 PM, Jones_ said:

A lot of the new stuff looks really nice. I am wondering why it was necessary to build bus shelter awnings under the parking deck (seen from the Martin St side). 

I'm not sure. As I don't remember all the design elements and don't know if plans include it, but it could be to hold digital signage. I hope plans include digital signs that show the route number and estimated time of arrival of the next bus. Compared with my experience as a frequent rider of CATS in Charlotte, the Raleigh terminal was terrible as there were no signs showing which bay which route was using and when the next bus should arrive. 

[Jones_]

Ah, that would make sense. Agreed, our bus terminal is/was crap. All this money just to 'open it up' without some major additional functional upgrades, especially in light of many additional routes, would be a huge mistake. 

[kdub1]

Now that the transit plan is reality, some points:
1.    Perhaps the entire Go Raleigh bus system is in need of an overhaul—maybe a renumbering/renaming of routes or a mere separation of the Frequent Network Corridor from the basic network
2.    To my knowledge, #13 and #22 have had 30 minute frequencies since at least the ‘90s and neither has seen an increase while #1 and #7 (both up from 30 minute peak and 30 or 60 minute off-peak frequencies) have in addition to #15 (I still remember then-mayor Meeker saying back in 2002 that #13 was one of the city’s busiest routes in addition to #15). Perhaps, a tweak is in order for some South and Southeast Raleigh routes so that residents’ concerns are alleviated
3.    Right now, the busiest route in the state is Charlotte’s North Tryon Street that runs every 10 minutes all day. Both the BRT FNC routes must contain routes that run every 5 or 7-8 minutes during peak hours. Radial routes outside of the FNC need to be increased to 30 minute headways outside of rush hours
4.    Some FNC routes—like the Glenwood Corridor with #6 to Townridge S/C and #16 to Rex Hospital--will have segments that continue on to other parts of town 
5.    The biggest question: Once the BRT and Frequent Network routes are up and running, where should these routes originate: Moore Square or Union Station?
6.    The second biggest question: Should FNC routes interline with each other, with less frequent Go Raleigh routes, or not interline at all (the BRT routes may naturally interline with each other)?
 

Edited December 14, 2016 by kdub1

[InitialD]

On 11/21/2016 at 11:28 PM, Jones_ said:

Ah, that would make sense. Agreed, our bus terminal is/was crap. All this money just to 'open it up' without some major additional functional upgrades, especially in light of many additional routes, would be a huge mistake. 

I asked them: "Monitors will be spread throughout GoRaleigh Station depicting arrival/departures and other information. Those roll out w full opening."

 

Part of the station is set to open Monday.

[ctl]

Wake County has now mapped absentee and early votes from November 2016 into precinct totals. The full dataset is available at http://www.wakegov.com/elections/data/Past Election Results/2016-11-08 - General Election/20161108ResultsByPrecinct.htm. Here is a map with precincts in orange that voted in favor of the transit tax, courtesy of Gerry Cohen. Enough support in most Raleigh and Cary precincts to overcome opposition elsewhere in the county.