Imagine yourself living in North Raleigh a decade from now. It’s early morning and you want to take the kids to Washington, so you park your car at the light rail station, jump on the light rail into Union Station in Downtown Raleigh, and board the high speed train, arriving in DC in time for lunch.
Traffic congestion could choke off city’s growthSeem like a fantasy? It’s not. City officials are working hard to share this vision with citizens, as they find their way through the maze of transportation options. Mass transportation, including commuter rail between Raleigh, RTP, Cary, Chapel Hill, and the airport (among other regional destinations), is seen across local government agencies as “one of the most important issues facing the Triangle Region.”
Confused? Even skeptical?
I’m starting to appreciate that while the big changes are 10+ years away, our city has truly embarked on this journey, one that will fundamentally alter the way we get around. But given the variety of agencies involved and the scale of capital investment, the process requires an incredibly complex amount of planning on the part of officials, what Mitchell Silver, the City Planning Director, refers to as “a lot of moving parts”, but perhaps more importantly, an even more daunting effort to get citizens on board.
Transit covers various modes of public transportation, and can get very complicated, so I’ve collected information here that will hopefully help explain the key components of our transit process, and what is happening now.
- Regional Transit System
- High Speed Rail
- Union Station / Transit Oriented Development
Regional Transit System:
What is it? A multi-county (Wake, Durham, Orange) effort focused on future transit improvements that includes buses, commuter rail and light rail.
When? Ongoing, for example, additional train service was recently added between Raleigh and Charlotte. A new route from Downtown Raleigh to RDU has also been recently proposed.
Key issues? An ambitious transit system plan covering an expansion of bus service and the addition of commuter and light rail is being developed. The plan is a first step to secure needed funding through a 1/2 cent sales tax to be voted on by referendum – date not set, but likely next fall.
What’s happening now? A Public Meeting is schedule for June 28th, as part of a Federally prescribed alternatives analysis needed to support federal funding of major capital investments. See a preview of the presentation here.
High Speed Rail:
What is it? The Southeast High Speed Rail (SEHSR) is part of a project to extend high speed rail from the Northeast (Boston / Washington D.C.) through Virginia (Richmond / Petersburg) and North Carolina (Raleigh / Charlotte).
When? That’s the big question, and most people think we’re still 10-15 years away. But, there is a federal push for this project, and NC was recently awarded $520 million in federal recovery funds for the section between Raleigh and Charlotte.
Key issues? A study is underway that reviews two alternatives for the project corridor that could have major implications on the Downtown area. A recent article from the Raleigh Connoisseur blog provides a good understanding of the alternatives for having the corridor follow the existing Norfolk Southern (NS) line, or the Eastern Branch following the existing CSX line.
What’s happening now? The City Council appointed an 11-member Passenger Rail Task Force to advise the Council on issues related to the passenger rail service. A Public Hearing is schedule for July 26th to review the recently completed draft environmental statement, a key step towards implementing the service.
What is it? Union Station is the name given to a Multi-Modal Transit Center, sometimes referred to as Raleigh’s “Grand Central Station”. In addition to serving as a rail station for high-speed, commuter and light rail, ‘Union Station’ would provide bus platforms for Greyhound, Triangle Transit and Capital Area Transit.
The 2030 Comprehensive Plan provides guidelines to encourage integrated mixed use transit oriented development which can be served by and support a regional transit system, including the development of and around Union Station and the rail corridor.
When? Probably a decade away, but as the station is being designed as a hub for retail, commercial and residential growth, there’s a need to finalize the design parameters that can start to attract the needed private investments.
Key issues? The proposed location along the intersecting tracks west of Downtown is described as the most complicated section of rail crossings and junctions in the state. A phased approach is planned, but the overall price tag of Union Station is estimated to be in the range of $200 million, with the expectation that federal funding will cover 80% of the cost.
What’s happening now? A draft report on the Multi-Modal Transit Center was released in April, followed by a public review meeting on May 12th. There is an excellent summary of the report written by the Raleigh Connoisseur.
A public workshop has been scheduled for June 24th, to study Capital Boulevard’s unused land along the rail corridor, and how best to to transform Capital Boulevard into a vibrant mixed-use northern gateway into Downtown Raleigh. The vision even includes a riverwalk.
I appreciate living in one of the fastest growing cities in the US. It takes foresight and imagination on the part of our city officials to manage this growth. Join me in letting them know, if they build it, we will come!