This kind of ties in to the conversation we’ve been having about the Blue Ridge Corridor. Hopefully something is happening behind the scenes to turn this area into something a little less sprawly. Should the Wake Transit Plan come to full fruition, you’ll eventually have all of the following routes converging on the Fairgrounds/Arena area:
GoCary 9A, 9B
GoRaleigh 9, 11L, 26, 27
GoTriangle 100, 301, 305, CRX
Wolfline 6
Western Blvd BRT
Durham-Clayton Commuter Rail
All of those routes will have stops at one of the two pinpointed transfer points below except for GoRaleigh 26, GoTriangle CRX, and Wolfline 6 (unless their routing changes). The GoTriangle 300 and DRX will have been replaced by BRT and commuter rail, respectively.
All that to say, that’s a lot of transit converging on a single area to not have more density, especially considering that three of these routes will be coming every fifteen minutes or less. For context, the second-densest area in Raleigh city limits (North Hills/Midtown) is currently only slotted for like five or six routes total (with potential for both BRT and regional rail further down the road).
It’d be such a shame to let the Fairgrounds/Arena area remain a series of parking lots. Build a garage or two on the arena property and let’s get that area activated. Give folks a reason to get to games early and hang around after. Give them a reason to visit during the day, even when there’s nothing on the schedule. Take advantage of the space!