Raleigh should have 3 to 4 street cars or electric trolleys with tracks connecting Glenwood South, Warehouse District, Capital District, Moore Square, and Seaboard. It would help decrease car traffic and help increase walking traffic.
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Agreed but the trolley should look like light rail trams, that’ll really improve out transit mobility.
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@GavinLivesRaleigh
I’m not sure I understand. If they look like light rail trams, that will improve our mobility?
@trueurbanist
I would love old fashioned trolley cars as you described. Bring some character to the city.
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I meant something more modern like the streetcars in Charlotte @OakCityDylan @GavinLivesRaleigh
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So… something like the R-line, which is getting all-new routes and timetables this Sunday?
https://raleighnc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-05/rline-new-route.png
(Ignoring the fact that this is a bus and not a streetcar/light rail train. But Americans need to get over its prejudices against buses, anyways.)
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I would like to see the line run east on Martin over to Moore Sq.
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[Jeff Goldblum voice]
Well, there it is.
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There are prejudice against buses, for a reason there just irrelevant not modern and unclean, unsanitary and slow. I think that NIMBY and educated of you. Transit about value to the city not education that why we need a trolly/streetcar it’s cheaper than Light rail and still has it light rail like amenities, improve roads conditions, and actually it’s still like a light rail except no safety complaints I’m heavy freight trains, and runs on separate lanes in roads
Is there a map available that shows all of the stops along this new route?
The street cars are modern like Chicago, or Detroit, or the Cinnciniati streetcar. The only reason it’s better for mobility because unlike Wake County Failed light rail plan there be no safety complaints since it goes on a road instead of beside heavy frieght trains like BRT except better stations and much faster.
Yes I am not a fan of the new R-line route. It seems it is so close to a bi directional loop that they should have just completed it.
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Wish it would come further East nearer Transfer so it would fully connect the two ends of downtown.
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I’m not a fan either, but with the constraints we got, I think this is the best we could get. Back in the R-Line thread, it was mentioned that there’s a hard limit on the budget:
So this implies $900k/yr can only fund 15-minute headways in each direction with two buses on the candy cane route. In that case, a complete, bidirectional loop needs at least double the number of buses -and double the budget. Until that can happen, I think this is a good-enough compromise that we’ll just have to live with 
Besides, this is another good reason to push for more frequent GoRaleigh/GoTriangle/BRT services:
The R-Line study assumes people will use other buses to make up for that missing side of the loop -but that’s a stretch unless you can make people want to do that. There’s also some chatter about possibly petitioning for studies to make downtown bus services around Triangle downtowns free.
And honestly, even the $900k/yr price tag sounds like a bargain.
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I’ve had zero need for the R-Line but I live next door to Transfer Co. As soon as the Publix opens I will start using the R-Line at least once a week even after the grocery store opens next door to me since I suspect the grocery store at Transfer Co. is not going to be cheap.
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I’m looking forward to having a larger grocery store closer by as well, and that it’s right on the R line is ideal! From my experience the past few months, the lack of a larger grocery store is currently the biggest hindrance to living car-free in downtown.
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Do we know yet exactly how transit project funding and timelines will be impacted by budgetary changes? I’m most curious about the bus system fare strategy and technology upgrades, BRT and commuter rail. It looks like the proposed budget was submitted on the 19th Current City Budget | Raleighnc.gov
I usually scope the CAMPO site for transit project updates, since the City is only a partial contributor to some of our regional projects. The recommended FY21 plan can be found here, but here’s a quick rundown:
- The Glenwood restructuring package, East Raleigh and Midtown Transfer Facilities, and several park-and-ride updates will be put on hold due to COVID-19. This decision will be reevaluated in Fall 2020 once the full financial impact of this crisis has been realized. Worth noting that the biggest problem here is the lack of sales tax due to people staying at home, which is what is funding the Wake Transit Plan.
- Because of the federal timeline, the New Bern BRT project is moving forward as scheduled. Design is slotted to be complete by the end of the year, and they’re planning to break ground in 2021. A 30% design video was released a week or so ago.
- GoRaleigh Routes 20 and 21 are being modified to increase frequency. These changes go into effect in September if everything goes according to plan.
- Commuter rail is GoTriangle’s project and is still in early stages, but based on the board meeting today, everything is moving forward as planned… so far. If I’m not mistaken, the next step is another study to narrow down station locations, schedules, and the like. Looks like the initial route will either be Durham-Garner or Durham-Clayton, since those are most likely to land federal funding.
- GoTriangle is also tweaking several routes in August and performing a study on the Regional Transit Center relocation project.
I think that’s most of it. I’m sure @keita will get whatever I missed!
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I just want to make it clear that GoTriangle and GoRaleigh submitted requests for budgets. This is not their actual budget for FY21, since the city’s overall budget hasn’t even been passed yet. But yeah, looks like you got the gist of it; thanks for that 
Other projects put on hold until a reassessment (for now) halfway through the coming fiscal year include:
- Major Investment Study/Alternatives Analysis for BRT extensions to RTP and Clayton(!?)
- Improvements to RDU airport bus stop
- Design, land purchase, and construction of other park-and-rides and Transfer Points
Fare boxes onboard buses have, apparently, been getting upgraded since 2018 -and the newer models have the hardware for mobile ticketing, fare capping etc. The Work Plan proposal includes continued funding for a “Project Manager for Regional Technology Integration” position to help make that happen. But who this is, how this position works, how this Regional Technology Implementation Study is going etc. is a total mystery to me…
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I received this in my email this morning and some of you probably did as well. It’s an updated look at the plans for Capital Blvd North (between 440 and TTC). Not downtown strictly but interesting look at planning for adding density to some areas of the city that are very suburban now, and focus around making Capital Blvd a higher-speed multi-use transportation corridor with added density in a few spots. Worth a look. If this is already posted or there’s a better thread please dispose of this one as needed.
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I was a daily commuter on this part of Capital for almost 9 years. The construction process will be hell to deal with, but if the end result is anywhere near this plan, it will be well worth the pain. Luckily, these days I rarely ever drive on Capital anymore. But I am still eager to see this gateway into our city vastly improved.
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