Triangle Transit looks into light-rail system

A light-rail system to accommodate a growing Triangle population could be in the works if officials can pinpoint the ideal location.

Triangle Transit, together with Orange, Wake and Durham counties, has identified three potential light-rail corridors within the region — the most promising connecting Durham to UNC Hospitals and the UNC campus.

The next step, officials say, is picking one to develop.

“That Chapel Hill-Durham corridor, if we are to have a rail, that would be the most viable,” said David King, general manager for Triangle Transit. “That will have to be a light-rail corridor if we do a light-rail at all.”

On Sept. 16, Triangle Transit held an open house in Carrboro to share the different corridor options with Orange County residents.

The company provides regional bus and shuttle services for the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area.
King said a more detailed examination of the different rail corridors is needed, along with a consensus on which will be developed. Officials will also discuss bus routes to improve.

He said a conclusion is expected to be reached by February or March 2011.

A referendum will then be put on ballots in Orange, Durham and Wake counties as soon as next fall for a half-cent sales tax increase to fund the transit plan.

Orange County Public Transportation is currently coordinating improvement efforts with departments in Chapel Hill, Durham, Hillsborough and Mebane to improve regional transportation, said Craig Benedict, the county’s director of planning and inspections.

The county is also working with UNC on how best to serve the campus.

“We’ve created a good team to discuss how we’ll work with the rest of the Triangle,” he said.
Jim Ward, Chapel Hill’s mayor pro tem, said the town has some major transit issues, particularly along the N.C. 54 and U.S. 15-501 highways.

“The critical need is having a system that can put commuters in a mode of transportation, whether that’s buses or light-rail,” he said.

Ward said that while Chapel Hill isn’t as urban as other areas where the infrastructure is implemented, the technology could bolster the area.

“Personally, I think that while we are not as densely populated as other areas, if we can get this infrastructure in place early, we can grow in a smarter way,” he said.

Carrboro Alderman Lydia Lavelle said though it would be nice to have a light-rail stop in Carrboro eventually, enhancing regional transit for the town is more important.

Lavelle said Carrboro needs more regional transit, which means Triangle Transit buses making stops in the town.

“Right now, if you live in Carrboro and want to get to the Raleigh-Durham area, you have to get to Franklin Street before you can take a bus to those destinations,” she said.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.