Re-imagining the R-Line

Yeah - streetcar would be nice. But your trolley suggestion would be a good alternative. Cheaper and more flexible then a streetcar if the route ever needs to change.

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Please no more US streetcar projects - expensive, have to run in mixed traffic/slow, doesn’t go anywhere particular useful for the majority of people (and low ridership as a result)

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I think it’s ultimately going to be replaced by the BRT system once it’s fully built out (which means bus lanes and signal priority).

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I’ll agree with the expensive! But I’m still a believer that it could do good in Raleigh. A track spanning downtown, DTS, NC state and North Hills on shared bus / Streetcar lanes where the roads allow could really help with the mixed traffic aspect. I’d rally to find a way to have it free as well. State students alone would probably drive ridership.

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As long as there is signal priority and dedicated lanes

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How I’m envisioning it, that’d be possible everywhere except Hillsborough around NC state. Maybe if it ran only to the big roundabout.

Extend it down Six Forks to Midtown East and it would get even more ridership. Heck, run it down Six Forks to Atlantic/Wake Forest/Person and close the loop in a way. This might negate the North BRT in its current alignment and the future 8 bus.

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Nice, France L2 Street Car is mostly underground.

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I mean it’s fine to imagine it from a planning level perspective but our track record of implementation here in the US has not been good :slight_smile:

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Plan is for May of this year to bring this back. :star_struck:

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I was hoping to hear something like this when I saw that there was a new comment on this topic! Great news!

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Do we know if it’ll use the specially-branded New Flyers or a typical GR bus this time around?

Most likely a GoRaleigh bus. Didn’t they used to have a shorter one for it? I’ll ask at my next RTA meeting.

When I last rode it, they used the long one. My preference would be utilizing the shorter one, but have several for those occasional events and or break downs and of course more service as needed. :+1:

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The shorter ones would be more nimble downtown. I agree with you!

Great news. Any indication of the route?

The last time I rode it was back in 2019, it was the short one. This was also when they had the route where it went in a loop and not the upsidedown U shape. So if you rode it in the upside down U shape, then I guess that was the longer one.

I noticed this temporary bus stop by CAM this morning. Looks like it will also be a stop for the R-line. Not the most welcoming structure, but at least it’s covered!


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We make bus stops out of plywood now? The city is really cutting back. Next we will get paper maché park benches.

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I was wondering what the hell it was until I saw the sign. It looks pretty awful.

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