It’s not super robust, but here’s the overall summary for why Cary picked the Western Ext/Cary Towne Blvd route. Below is the summary table, which does mention travel times.
And for what it is worth, they are currently clearing the land for Phase I of Fenton (Wegman’s + Retail + Housing). Image from the (very helpful) Town of Cary online plan review portal
Isn’t the Fenton development eventually going to extend into the WakeMed soccer park land to Chatham Street anyway? Also, I’m hoping that one day BRT is so successful we can have both of these streets as BRT.
Trinity Rd will continue on through to Cary Towne Blvd, but Fenton will not go to Chatham St as the Soccer Park is in the way,
There are actually 70 acres of trailer park on either side of Maynard directly adjacent to the Soccer Park, which is pretty astounding if you think about it. If Fenton and CTC go all North Hills on us you’re looking at a total of around 200 acres of mixed use redevelopment potential on this corridor.
With the width of the existing R/W’s, and given that Western hasn’t been built yet, I think this corridor could be the prototypical BRT corridor with very few compromises. I think it will help the overall system to have some large portions of the line that are super efficient.
I take the current bus route between DTC and DTR, GoTriangle 300, to work. It operates on Chatham, and there just isn’t a lot of demand. The bus is rarely more than half-full, and I’m traveling at rush hour. Just speaking as a transit user, I wouldn’t mind going a little out of the way to CTC/Fenton in order to get some more riders.
They can’t force the issue too much, or else it’s going to seem like the city is building these BRT corridors as a real-estate play rather than a mobility project. It’s a very charged subject, as we all know.
Great Video by Jared Walker who advised Raleigh on doing BRT. Great watch on what makes transit work ← and what does that mean. Good stuff on Freedom in there.
That was great - inspiring even. Thanks for sharing. This idea really resonated:
In the city freedom (mobility) must be shared and to deny it for some constrains it for all.
Did anybody make it to the this Western Blvd BRT meeting last night?
They cancelled it due to the hurricane.
Guys, I find myself waking up in the middle of the night lately worrying about whether they will do it right and have dedicated lanes with proper enforcement and good frequency for the BRT- or if they will take the easy way out with fancy shelters, arrival time screens, USB charging ports, WiFi, no dedicated lanes or just painted, unenforced lanes - and terrible bus service.
Especially about Western Boulevard, maybe because that’s the one I would use the most, but really for every line.
Anybody else having BRT Creep anxiety like me? I find all this waiting around before the inevitable battle over street space begins to be very stressful.
Similarly I am worrying about the outcome of the election. One of the NO crew (Cox, Mendell, Stevenson, Crowder) has to get flipped, and a good candidate like MAB has to be mayor.
First World Problems, I know…
They will probably install a dedicated lane. And then rip it out 2 months later after someone complains.
I almost want to wait until after the election to make any decisions at all. If the Council of No gets reelected and it becomes evident that they are not willing to do dedicated lanes, I might say forget the BRT altogether and put all that money toward frequency and a faster rollout of the frequent network instead.
I went to a Caroline Sullivan event recently and transit was discussed. Apparently she was on the County Commission when they were enacting the whole transit tax thing.
I came away thinking she has a clear vision of what it would take to do BRT the right way. She was talking about elevated platforms, the route and stop priorities, development around TOD nodes, mistakes other cities had made with their light rail and BRT systems, etc.
I haven’t heard MAB in person since she was a council member, so I don’t know her thoughts on it, but I think Sullivan has a good vision.
For the Western connection I think the big issue is the section between Gorman and Method. The buildings are just so close to the road. I believe they have adequate ROW for most of the rest of that route, and that NCSU could be a great partner for their section since it could be a game changer in getting people to campus.
Totally agreed on all points.
Actually the right of way even between Gorman and Method is wider than what’s being used today (125 feet) so there is some wiggle room.
The options are, as I see them, in order of descending preference:
More BRT public meetings this month:
- Equitable Development around Transit: Equity and Affordability
How do we ensure the benefits of BRT are shared broadly? What is the best way to address affordability near transit stations? We’ll explore these topics at this workshop.Date: Saturday, Oct. 12, 10 a.m. - noon
Location: Southeast YMCA
GoRaleigh bus routes 5 and 17
- Equitable Development around Transit: Growing around Transit
Growing around transit can provide more housing and bring environmental benefits. This workshop explores different scenarios and what they would mean for the city’s future.Date: Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. - noon
Location: Martin Street Baptist Church, 1001 E Martin St, Raleigh, NC 27601
GoRaleigh bus routes 17, 18, and 15
- Wake BRT: New Bern Avenue Design Phase
New Bern Avenue is one of four BRT corridors identified in the Wake Transit Plan. This corridor will connect the central business district in downtown Raleigh with the WakeMed Raleigh Campus and New Hope Road. Learn how the BRT is planned to operate on New Bern Ave.Date: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. (drop-in) with a presentation at 5:30 p.m.
Location: Martin Street Baptist Church, 1001 E Martin St, Raleigh, NC 27601
GoRaleigh bus routes 17, 18, and 15
https://www.raleighnc.gov/home/content/CorNews/Articles/BusRapidTransitOctober.html
These topics seem to really be off base.
If you only care about transit for the sake of having transit, then yeah (only because these events aren’t going into hardcore engineering or ridership studies).
But isn’t there a bigger purpose to BRT beyond just having a way to get around? Like addressing how difficult it is to afford to survive in Raleigh if you’re in the working class (remember, someone has to be working at these restaurants and stores), how to make sure you’re getting the best out of the environmental benefits of transit (it doesn’t just magically happen), etc…
If you care about the bigger picture, I feel like the events make sense. I’m looking forward to what they have to show off and discuss.
Eugene, Oregon has a good way to prevent BRT Creep, a bus lane with a grass strip to discourage non-BRT vehicles from using the lane and protected flanks.:
Below is information about a workshop the city’s Department of City Planning is holding. If you can not attend, there is a survey at the bottom where you can voice your opinions.
Raleigh BRT: Equitable Development Around Transit
How should Raleigh grow?
Should Raleigh grow more around transit in the future? Or should it grow more around driving? Let us know at a workshop this Saturday and help create a vision for Equitable Development Around Transit!
Bus Rapid Transit service will serve existing neighborhoods and shape future growth. The Equitable Development Around Transit plan is an effort to consider future growth and ensure that the benefits created by transit investment are shared broadly. Please join us at an upcoming meeting for discussion, coffee, doughnuts, and community.
This hands-on workshop will examine different scenarios for growing around transit and what that would mean for the city’s future. It also will explore questions of equity and housing affordability around BRT stations.
Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. - noon
Martin Street Baptist Church
1001 E. Martin St. 27601
GoRaleigh Bus Routes 15, 17, and 18Can’t make it to the meeting? You can still participate in our online survey! https://publicinput.com/5603/
