Raleigh is trying to catch with the handguns. Somebody shot out the Public Safety Center right outside my window yesterday. I could see the shells out in the street from my window.
Yeah but he was a visitor from Cary, that dangerous wild west town… 
6 Likes
People from elsewhere thinks it’s like the Twin Cities. My sister-in-law is from the midwest. They came to visit and she has a cousin in Durham that she wanted to meet up with. She was surprised to learn that it was like a 40 minute drive from Raleigh.
1 Like
Raleigh is closer to Durham than Dallas is to Fort Worth.
2 Likes
Albeit a relatively small border, Raleigh and Durham do border each other.
^Another reason why the current situation with 2 separate MSAs is asinine.
2 Likes
I believe flying into Dallas - Fort Worth Int’l Airport is a similar situation, except that most people say DFW or North Texas to refer to the region. When landing at RDU, sometimes hearing “Welcome to Raleigh” seems insufficient.
Perhaps there should be effort to get the airlines to refer to the region (The Triangle, NC Triangle, the Research Triangle) first and then individual cities.
1 Like
You don’t buy a ticket to “the Triangle” though. They’ll never get tens of thousands of flight attendants to all say that when the plane lands, either.
I do recall a gate agent helping me check in for a flight to go from DFW to “NW Ark Regl Airp.”
She greets me and asks me “Are you flying to…”
(turns around to look at digital sign behind her listing the destination she’s working the flight for)
…“whatever this place is called?”
3 Likes
They should just rename that to Walmart-Tyson Regional Airport.
I know I’m in the minority here, but I like the Research Triangle branding and think it should be used more. It works for Silicon Valley, and I think this will create more unity and inclusion between the individual cities. Because of the multiple work centers in the region, I just don’t believe that Raleigh (downtown) will ever be the dominant face economically for the region. So it might be time to start taking a different approach. The big piece that is missing is a major public transportation link between the main centers, wether that be light rail or commuter.
5 Likes
Couple of obvious names are taken
RTP = Rutland Plains, Australia
TRI = Tri-Cities Airport, Bristol, Tennessee
2 Likes
I completely agree with this. Charlotte’s MSA (wikipedia) is 2.6 million and includes Concord and Gastonia? Concord is 18.79 miles and Gastonia is about 20 miles from Charlotte.
Durham is 20 miles from Raleigh, but the MSA is different?
Raleigh’s MSA 1,390,785 and Durham is 644,367 (2,035,152 combined). Obviously not as big as Charlotte, but it’s more of an apples to apples type of deal.
Nashville’s MSA shows it includes Murfreesboro and it’s 30 miles away.
1 Like
If the airport was in Durham County, I’d bet everything I own that Durham would go on a campaign to assure that they always announced “Welcome to Durham”. So, I’m good with them saying welcome to Raleigh.
1 Like
On City-Data, Nashvillians often complain that their MSA doesn’t include Clarksville, and it’s nearly 50 miles away. Their MSA’s land area is already larger than the Triangle’s CSA.
2 Likes
The international organization IATA assigns 3 letter airport codes like RDU. No matter how much someone might want it RDU be “remarketed” as RTP Airport with a new code, etc., they don’t change “RDU” as a code just for marketing reasons. Like it or not, it’s permanent.
The RDU code is in millions of printed and online maps, reports, data, FAA funding documents, planning documents, and tons of published statistics. Only way to get a new airport code for the area is if the feds build a completely different airport to serve the region and all the commercial airlines decided to fly there instead of RDU. None of that is happening in our lifetime, and frankly isn’t even justified.
For the person saying they don’t think Raleigh witll ever be the dominant face economically for the region…Raleigh already is the dominant face economically for the region. I don’t see it switching to Cary, Durham, or Chapel Hill. It’s the freaking capital of the whole state. I don’t see the moniker “Silicon Valley” as relevant to our airport. When you fly to do biz in Silicon Valley, you land at SJC San Jose Cali, and they use their SJC code from IATA on everything the same as we use RDU or that Greensboro uses GSO. They don’t welcome you to Silicon Valley airport, but to San Jose Airport. But I agree, the regions themselves are comparable (Silcon Valley/RTP).
Interestingly, GSO is a code for an airport that serves the triad cities, but they dont even get listed in their airport code. High Point and Winston/Salem aren’t listed as letters in GSO. They market their airport as Piedmont Triad Int’l Airport. But they don’t even have interational flights at GSO, just the CAPABILITY to have int’l flights. The announcements on the planes are welcome to Greensboro because that’s the code. Maybe a local gal doing the PA on landing will add the other cities if she’s feeling especially in “tourist guide” mode.
5 Likes
I wasn’t speaking about rebranding the airport, but rebranding how we market the region. And I disagree about Downtown Raleigh being perceived as the economic face of the entire region. Right now there are 3 disjointed faces, and it’s a handicap, because it’s 3 separate entities competing against each other. It doesn’t have to be like that when the area wants to attract outside opportunities.
1 Like
Interesting, if you look at the data over time, Wake County has become more and more dominant in the region. An argument can be made that the region will increasingly revolve around Raleigh going forward. That said, the airport serves more than just Raleigh, and the identity of the region is more than just Raleigh. There is no one perfect moniker. Some people say Raleigh-Durham as if it were Winston-Salem, and that doesn’t sit well with anyone. Some people say RTP, but that’s an actual research park, and not a regional designation. Some say RDU, but we all know that’s the airport. There’s a sign that welcomes travelers to North Carolina’s Research Triangle Region in terminal 2, but that’s a huge mouthful to say, and most folks wouldn’t have patience for that many syllables.
IMO, we have to either get used to hearing Raleigh-Durham (and not be triggered), or default to the dominant city. Of course, excluding Durham is triggering itself. There are no easy answers.
9 Likes
I wish RDU can become a hub again maybe Terminal 3 will fulfill my wish, since it’s likely Raleigh-Cary MSA will become the Raleigh-Durham-Cary MSA. And then will be liked at as more viable market and metro area!!!
Sioux City, Iowa has been trying to change their airport code for decades to no avail.
4 Likes
Haha, you got me to look. Too funny. I would be trying to change that as well if I were them.
2 Likes
Wow. That SUX.
I couldn’t pass that one up. If I didn’t do it, Jeff would have.
@GucciLittlePig
4 Likes
Found this and though it’d be cool to share. Airport & Aviation professional here, as well as buff, and find this kind of stuff interesting. Old throwback pics to RDU as it was first developed. pics are from https://www.opendurham.org/buildings/raleigh-durham-international-airport
24 Likes