From that link, it looks like they’re also removing the bus stop directly in front of Taz’s from all routes for safety reasons.
How hard would it be to route the 300/305/WRX into the actual bus station? It would improve connectivity for one.
1 Like
After watching commuter rail crash and burn I doubt that GoTriangle will ever get anything done in this region regarding rail transportation. It would be better for Raliegh/Wake County to invest in rail independently until the rest of the triangle gets serious about public transit. I also agree that the BRT plan is not aggressive enough; people are not going to stop moving here and in 10 years the BRT lines are not going to be enough to support the growing population. Here is an example of a smaller project I think Raliegh would realistically pull off that would dramatically transform the region and spur additional development and investment.
This would be a short light rail similar to the REM, let’s call it the Oakline! The yard and first station would be located in the field north of the AutoZone at the intersection of Chapanoke and Wilmington. From there it would run elevated to a stop at pecan road and then over the 40 to Downtown South. From here the line would continue elevated in the median of Saunders St. with a stop around Maywood Street and a station at Dix Park right in front of City Park South and the Weld. The line would go below grade and terminate at RUS with a station underneath the tracks where the west street extension is planned. This would be constructed using cut and cover(shown in purple).
Even though this line would be short it would be completely grade separated and support frequent all-day service through the fastest developing corridor in Raliegh.
17 Likes
Welcome to the community and wonderful first post 
Thank you 
Do you have any thoughts about potential costs for a project like this?
Or ideas of where monies would come from?
2 Likes
Looks great. I’d have another BRT line on Western/Gorman/W Hillsborough to serve NCSU and the fairgrounds and possibly link to Cary. Another northern route on 401/Wake Forest to connect North Hills and Ironworks.
To me this looks like a solid start. Maybe GoTriangle can look into doing BRT lanes on I-40 and between Chapel Hill and Durham.
I think a coherent transit plan can be done this way but ultimately in the long term reinforcing that backbone with rail will have to happen.
5 Likes
The Western BRT will serve NCSU and also go to Cary!
Hah, I wrote a big Twitter (er, X) rant about how we will really need a REM-like service here by the time the BRT system is even built. Montreal is doing 26 stations w/ 4 minute headways on electrified trains for $6B; let’s take our $3B and do something half as robust and it’d be a huge win.
My crayon map for an automated light metro was pretty much exactly what you posted, but extended north to Midtown & NH along Capital, then following US70 to RDU. Further extensions could be to the new RTC, Downtown Durham, etc.
2 Likes
Rough sketch, and obviously this would take forever and cost an enormous amount of money, but such a thing would probably already be in the works if we took transit seriously in this country:
Trains can run elevated in the medians of S Saunders, Capital, US70, NC54; do some giga-upzoning along Glenwood/US70 and S Saunders; find a way to get the train through to RUS and RDU, then you’ve got yourself a world-class system (which should be completely appropriate for the population density in 2050, or whenever).
7 Likes
Sadly, I would bet the cost would be around 1 Billion dollars. 500 mil for cut and cover portion +500 mil for the rest. The city could come up with some creative financing approach like buying up land around the stations and selling it to developers for a markup once the line is finished, like brightline is doing in Florida. Although Im not sure the city can legally do this 
4 Likes
This is probably the best corridor in the triangle for potential. I could see Glenwood between Crabtree and RDU being full of TOD rezonings where all the massive commercial centers are plus the whole industrial dead zone of capital blvd north of downtown. Those areas would also probably have little push back from NIMBY’s because there aren’t established neighborhoods in the same spot.
4 Likes
My crazy idea was to calculate the estimated carbon emissions saved by the system and then sell carbon credits to help finance it. Get some national attention by marketing correctly. Many carbon credit companies/organizations right now are kind of a scam, but quite popular.
3 Likes
This is needed we can afford and LRT or tram. We can do it GoRaleigh isn’t dysfunctional like Go Triangle.
1 Like
GoRaleigh can’t figure out how to move a bus out of the bike lane on Blount Street.
14 Likes
Would not a more cost effective BRT route from DTR to RDU be to leverage the future Western BRT infrastructure and just fork at Blue Ridge Rd.
Add a stop on Blue Ridge and Trinity that serves PNC Arena / Carter Finley / Fairgrounds / NCSU Vet School before going into next stop RDU via Wade Ave/I40 BRT adjustments.
You gain a BRT to RDU route and BRT to Arena district in one, while minimizing cost and taking advantage of the work already being done on Western, while also tying it into the broader system.
14 Likes
That is a good idea because the airport is surrounded by highways the and roads in between. it a crucial line for specific lanes and bus routes, and shelters with the most advanced technology. Thinking about it would have to go on Western Blvd they can go then Blue Ridge but then I’ll either have to go to Glenwood and use that airport back road. Or go on the 40, I think BRT on the highways kills the purpose.
Depends on the primary goal of BRT to RDU.
It takes 15-20 minutes to get from RDU to DTR by car. If a bus route adds much time to that trip through longer routing (e.g. taking Glenwood Ave instead of Wade/40) or adding a substantial amount of stops, it’s unlikely visitors or the Downtown population will forego the convenience of the short drive. This is why so few people take the 100 bus that currently serves RDU - it takes too long to make it worth it.
Visitors having a near direct route to several places they’re likely to be staying (PNC Arena area, NCSU, Downtown) would certainly benefit from the route being somewhat more direct as well.
5 Likes
I always thought a good stopgap solution would be to set up some express buses that run to from RUS and North Hills to RDU and back every 30-60m. Think the long-distance commuter buses used by MTA, CTA, etc.
A fare of like $3 would probably beat out some of the nearby park & rides, and those buses can be super comfy.
(I think the DRX/CRX/other “express” buses should be of this type anyway)
Going via North Hills from Downtown to head west (whether towards RTP or RDU or both) is just a non starter to me, NH is too far out of the way. As tempting as it feels to put all our major urban nodes on a single line like that, it just doesn’t make sense.
1 Like
I meant more like 2 separate, concurrent lines. Once NH has its bus terminal and all that. Otherwise agreed.
(Or otherwise just direct from RUS – maybe NH area will never have the pop density up there)
NIMBYs killed the NH bus terminal. At least the part where Kane was going to pay for it as part getting his rezoning.
A bus station would have ruined the character of the neighborhood. And brought all kinds of questionable folks to the area.
5 Likes