It takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a Triangle to build a light rail.
As Triangle Transit moves into a 30-month planning period for the recently approved rail line — which is projected to debut in 2026 — the importance of transparency and inclusion of residents is paramount to the creation of a successful and equitable plan.
A project of this scale creates polarizing positions of varying degrees. The geographic and financial scope of the project means there are a lot of stakeholders involved.
In 2008, Triangle Transit incorporated in its planning the Special Transit Advisory Commission, a group of 29 residents dedicated to crafting a vision for the future of public transportation in the Triangle.
Though this inclusion is welcome, Triangle Transit needs to continue this spirit of community involvement as the system moves forward with planning.
Therefore, it is of utmost importance that citizens attend the multiple public meetings and open house forums that will be held during this planning period.
A project as controversial as the light rail construction needs to have full, productive meetings with a variety of stakeholders.
Triangle Transit has demonstrated that it is more than capable of collecting the opinions and needs of its users.
In 2009 it conducted a comprehensive survey of people who rode the buses over a weeklong period.
