I have been lurking on these boards for a while, and thought I’d share an idea I find to be (somewhat) feasible and (very) exciting.
Reading the master plan for the park, the rail road tracks that run through the property are emphasized as a natural boundary between its major sections. These tracks continue to none other than Raleigh Union Station!!
I know that proposing rail transit is controversial around these parts, so please bear with me. Why in the world would the city NOT want to utilize these tracks and run a train connection between the park and RUS?
Although there is only one set of tracks for that stretch, a single train could quite feasibly operate back-and-forth service every 15-20 minutes, and get out of the way when a freight train comes through.
BRT service to the park is planned, but the route to DTR is indirect. Passengers would also have to make their way to Western Boulevard and cross the street (yikes) While some would be willing to do this, your average person would be far more likely to appreciate the ‘signature’ experience of riding the train.
Folks could park at the farmers market (or ride in on the BRT line), and then explore Dix park in the late afternoon, take the train to DTR for dinner, and then back to Dix later.
How can we make this happen?