In 2004, Triangle residents may be ditching their cars in favor of mass transit options, if the Triangle Transit Authority's plans for a $250 million, 35-mile rail system meets current goals.
Construction on phase I of the project is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2001, pending approval from the federal government.
This phase will link Durham, Raleigh and North Raleigh and will include 16 rail stations and local and feeder bus service.
The tracks will run adjacent to those currently used for freight and Amtrak service.The planning committee is currently evaluating 60-70 station sites, and will produce a shortlist of 20-30 stations Dec. 16 before narrowing the lift to 16, said John Roberson, senior transportation engineer for the TTA.
The TTA has begun considering public input from various meetings in the area. "There are still important choices to make," said Durham Mayor Nick Tennyson. "I hope that people will be involved in evaluating where the stations are."
Although no groups are publicly criticizing the proposed railway, some individual residents have expressed opposition to the development.
The sporadic opposition has not dampened the spirits of the project's proponents. "It's going to be a real growth-shaper for us over the next few years, and I'm looking forward to it," Tennyson said. "There's always some skepticism from people considering change.... The first step to making this work is to move people to try public transportation at all."
Another important step will be securing funding for the project. Roberson said the federal government has already earmarked $24 million. He added, however, that planners hope for $100 million.
To be eligible for these federal funds, the TTA must design a preliminary engineering and environmental impact statement, Roberson said.
Other money is expected to come from North Carolina, which enacted a 5-percent rental-vehicle tax in January 1998.
After the first portion of the plan is completed, the TTA will begin phase II, which will develop bus or rail service between Durham and Chapel Hill, create a connection with Raleigh-Durham International Airport and extend the North Raleigh line.
Completion is expected by 2010. By 2020, planners said, the entire system should carry about 14,000 riders daily.
Planners are optimistic about what the proposed rail system could bring to the Triangle.
"Most of us who live in the Triangle region are interested in maintaining a high quality of life and livability," said Juanita Shearer-Swink, a senior transportation planner for the TTA. "Developing a multimodal transportation system is a key mechanism to achieving that."
Planners hope the system will be more than just a transportation facility-it may alter residents' lifestyles.
"With a rail system, one of the big things you look for is increased walkable communities, more interconnection between neighborhoods," Roberson said.
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