Plan for Regional Transit in the Triangle

Download David King's "Transit Options for the Triange" presentation to the Institute for Emerging Issues [Adobe Acrobat Reader is required: Click here to download]

In 2007, a group of civic leaders and transportation experts from Wake, Durham and Orange Counties were appointed to the Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC).  They were charged with developing a regional, multi-modal transit plan, based on a thorough analysis of future growth, land use, travel patterns and cost.  In May, 2008, the STAC released a vision for regional transit with a set of recommended transit investments and investment priorities. 

This plan connecting the Triangle counties with expanded bus service, light rail and circulators, was adopted by the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO), by the two transportation governing bodies.  These MPOs  incorporated the STAC Plan into the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plans in May 2009.  This was a milestone for regional growth planning!

Since 2009, counties, Triangle Transit and elected officials are working to develop plan specifics, and assess financing.   Draft county plans will be released for public review in mid 2010.  Public hearings on the draft plans will be held.  You will have an opportunity to comment, so stay tuned!

Sales Tax Referendum is Key to Transit Plan

The transit plan cannot be implemented without a funding source.  Ultimately, Triangle voters must decide via referendum to support a half-cent sales tax to fund the transit system.  Go to ‘Funding Transit’ to learn more.

The Regional Transit Plan (Spring 2010 Draft) includes:

• Expanded Bus Service - new buses and better service in first two years
• Express/Commuter Rail -  Miles of new Commuter Rail service to maximize the use of Amtrak, High Speed Rail and NC Commuter Rail.  Express Rail links commuters with job centers, pulling two sides of region closer together
• Light Rail - Miles of new Light Rail service.  Light rail links neighborhoods for intra-city travel, short trips.

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The 2035 Regional Long Range Transportation Plan provides:

Expanded and enhanced local and regional bus service providing service in and between communities throughout the region by:

• Expanded bus service in core areas to support the rail and circulator investments, including increased frequency of service on heavily traveled routes with more weekend bus service
• High frequency, express service between RDU and downtown Durham,  Raleigh and the Cary
• Rush hour bus service to outlying communities
• Park-and-ride facilities on principal commuter routes connected by bus service

Regional rail service will anchor the system connecting the region’s principal centers of activity by:

• Rail investment in corridors projected to have our heaviest trip volumes with opportunities to shape future land use including 56 miles of rail transit connecting Chapel Hill, Durham, Research Triangle Park, Morrisville, Cary, Raleigh, Apex, Wake Forest and Clayton. 
• Electric light rail transit will be used to depart from rail corridors and operate closer to transit oriented development along roadways saving energy costs and operating without dependence on foreign oil. 
• Commuter rail service will operate at relatively higher speeds in mainline rail corridors, serving stations that are further apart and only providing service during the peak and noon hours.

Transit circulators will create connections with expanded local and regional bus and rail services by:

• Operating inside the principal centers of activity to provide high quality, high frequency connections including RTP/RDU Airport, Raleigh, Cary, Durham and Chapel Hill/Carrboro
• Providing a seamless connection for major educational, medical, economic, and research facilities, park and ride lots and multimodal transit connections facilitating connections on the regional system

High Speed Rail

Express rail in the Triangle will be enhanced thanks to $545 million in federal high-speed rail money for North Carolina.  The funds will be used to get trains running faster and more often between Raleigh and Charlotte -- with top speed of 90 mph by 2015.  The high speed rail effort will be coordinated with the Triangle Regional Transit Plan, and will mean that local commuters will have more options to travel by train between Durham and Raleigh.  Funds also will be used to build important rail crossings in the Triangle.  These funds are a portion of $8 billion in stimulus funds given to several states to increase inter-city rail travel.  The proposed Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor would run between Washington-Richmond-Raleigh-Charlotte. Some funds will be used to develop the line between Raleigh and Washington, with top speeds of 110 mph and a later implementation date.
Click here to read more about the proposal. 

What people are saying about transit

According to recent polls by the Regional Transportation Alliance, Triangle voters support a regional transit system, including light rail, buses, along with dedicated lanes for circulators in downtown areas.  Voters identified travel to Research Triangle Park as their highest priority, with travel between counties also important to many respondents.  58% of voters support a half cent sales tax for financing a regional transit plan.  http://www.letsgetmoving.org/