So I don’t know by other NC Mayor has been advertising on the Raleigh TV Market, begging Raleigh to fund transit for that city, I think mayor Baldwin should do the same. The state really hasn’t funded transit for Raleigh or that other city. Mayor Baldwin should put a add telling the state to push for funding for BRT, Commuter Rail, and a Tram, Bike Lanes, Buses, etc. This is why I been against Raleigh being associated with the state it’s horrible business we should have nothing to do with them.
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I mean, we’re the state capital… we’re kind of always going to be tied to the state…
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Raleigh being the State capital, you sort of lead by example as far as Transit goes, but it looks like Charlotte has been doing that.
Just saying 
.
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We definitely haven’t lead by example, but we should be asking for funding all I’m just saying the mayor should do an ad too, since it appears here job is under attack by livable Raleigh and folks like Kristen Hamervil, and others.
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Well, Charlotte is arguing that all the funds given to the state from the DOT in public transit funds were given to Raleigh’s transit system, so they’re arguing for more money. Not sure why though. They have a larger system and still force riders to pay
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Raleigh has a hard time getting funding not sure I we get any money.
charlotte usa also complained back in the 2000’s that 'Raleigh got more funding for streetlights"…so much so that a TV station literally drove all the way up to ride around the Beltline…only to discover the claim was baseless…but moreover that the city in which they reside was so hopelessly insecure that the most competent psychiatrist would consider it hopeless…
I kid you not…
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$2.8 to $3.2 billion for commuter rail.
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It’s inflation, if this fails I’m gonna ramp up debate for Raleigh to have some trams. This area needs trains, if bus aren’t sexy and I disagree with transit isn’t supposed to be sexy argument. We need a tram in several corridors in Raleigh. Raleigh can take over it’s own transit system. This is ridiculous taxpayers don’t wanna hear this, and with no funding from the state you see that other NC city begging for support. I just don’t understand the south and it’s deal with mass transit. This is happening in Nashville. And other southern cities this NIMBY stuff has to go.
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Compared to 2.2 billion for 28 miles of ‘complete 540’ this is a deal. No one bats an eye at the cost to build freeways for carbon spewing vehicles, but a similar investment in mass transit gets a stink eye.
SMDH.
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Oh I agree. I feel like the cost of highway projects isn’t discussed near as much as rail projects. If people think a highway needs to be built, the money will be found. Not so for rail.
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Different funding pots. It’ll always be like that until Transportation funds are actually used for all transportation instead of just roads.
I think we’re getting close to that inflection point thankfully. There’s momentum and realization even within DOTs, that just roads are not the future. Has to be a balance of all modes.
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I often find myself feeling super pessimistic about this, so it’s nice to hear those who are much closer to the process than I am show optimism. As always, super grateful for your insight.
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Thanks! We’ve seen a lot of DOTs cancel urban highway plans in the last few months. Probably more in this year alone than in the previous decade combined. I think the days of urban freeway expansions are pretty much over.
Interchanges will probably still need to be upgraded and such but as far as new and widened urban sections, even the biggest roadway people are understanding that it’s just not feasible, smart, or right any more.
My belief, which I touched on briefly yesterday is that most highways don’t suffer from capacity issues, it’s poor interchange design, merging, weaving, grades, and angles that actually slow things down.
As far as the future of funding, we have to get to the point where either DOTs are also responsible for the funding and design of off road transit projects, or at least the bucket is the same. Unfortunately right now everything is us vs them almost as far as transit and road funding and nobody will win that way. At the end of the day though, can DOTs be faulted when their job is still to move cars?
Not sure why we aren’t at a point yet where all transportation departments aren’t funded to approach transportation from all angles.
Cities are doing a better job at this but even there it’s not perfect. There’s a lot of fear of change at the upper levels of many agencies but the new age is starting to take over.
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Unless you’re TxDOT, of course. 
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My head is going to explode.
Can we please retire this crap. Or at least address why it doesn’t make sense in this article?
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Come on down to Raleigh-Durham, NC, where you can take a train to the bus stop to take the bus to the airport!
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I still do not understand the value of commuter rail . Seems like job dispersement is all over the place in the Triangle. If it just dumps out at a few places what is the good of that. If lived in Garner, rode the train to Union Station but worked all the way across downtown, that’s a no go. Especially in bad weather. Who would ride it other than the occasional trip?
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so like 4 blocks? 
I kid, but really a train from Garner to Union, then a short bus ride to your destination still keeps you out of your car and away from the elements.
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& without rail, there’s no reason for dispersal not to carry on unabated. It’s a vicious cycle, and the way to get out of it is for the public sector to throw down the gauntlet, build the transit, and do everything in its power (zoning, incentives) to get as many people and things right next to it.
Even if only 10% of people use it at first, businesses will eventually realize that 10% is the margin they need, and they’ll flock to it… creating a virtuous cycle.
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