The New Bern corridor was picked first because it was an easy win. Doesn’t take much space away from cars, has an existing high-ridership route (GoRaleigh 15), and it’s very short. Keep in mind, Raleigh applied for federal funding on this route under an administration that preferred highways over transit, so they had to go with an easy win. I get the concern, though, because question becomes whether or not it be successful enough to warrant completion of the remaining corridors (which will inevitably have greater success than New Bern in the long run).
You beat this drum a lot, and I’m glad you do, because I need to be reminded of it often. North Carolina cities have a lot going against them in the realm of state politics. NCGA does not make it easy for its most populous areas to do the things they need to do to compete with out-of-state metros. If the cities can work together to advocate for better policies on the state level, everyone wins.
And why wouldn’t I want Charlotte to do well? It’s one of the only cities in the U.S. that I can easily daytrip to. So yeah @nicholas, I get your frustration, and I’m sorry for being complicit in it on numerous occasions. We can do better.
I am glad you get the concern because, if this one doesn’t succeed future ones will not be funded, or at least will face huge headwinds for funding.
When this corridor was selected, it should have come with the expectation that major densification was going to occur around its stations. Frankly, I don’t see any of this happening.
I excepted Uptown and the South End from my criticism about a lack of density (although most of the developments in those areas are still in practice car oriented, even if they are denser); the bulk of the blue line’s stations are outside of those neighborhoods in suburban areas with few if any dense or walkable developments surrounding the stations. And with regards to NoDa, I really don’t think it’s all that impressive. And even when you do have density in places like NoDa, are those new residents actually using the LRT? The ridership numbers don’t suggest it, and given that the downward trend existed prior to the pandemic, I’m guessing the problem is with urban design (granted it could also be with mismanagement). Why take light rail when it only goes one direction and your apartment came with two free parking spaces?
Are you sure about that they’ll definitely added another line a I believe and want expansions of the current line. But also my point continues the state is not Raleigh’s amigos. Austin likes to de-associate from the state cause of the racist facist decisions of the TX state government. I don’t know if their Project Connect still partly funded by the state.
It’s primarily cause of jealousy. But we could do better by making inroads to be more competitive I don’t know when this rivalry started possibly as early as 2009. But things like upzoning Downtown is progress. Things like attraction top-level stores like Gucci and Louis Vitton Progress, a non-nimby city council progress.
I just think the constant reiteration of haves / have-nots coupled with pie in the sky ‘what we should have for urbanism-sake’ is simply not helpful. How does Gucci or Louis Vitton (sic) offer a place-making scenario? Symbiosis is the way forward. Pay attention but never copy.
Charlotte and Raleigh are siblings - consider the family - compete hard as Efffffff and then reconcile yourself to forging your own identity. Same can be said for Durm and any other competing aspect, whether larger or smaller.
In closing, I enjoy the folx here who are fostering a conversation around how Raleigh can grow better.
Also, I would really love a tinfoil hat emoji @dtraleigh…FRFR.
years back i sure did…get it from charlotteans. ridiculous stuff. i was born and lived in raleigh for about 40 years. i lived in charlotte for about 2 years. i would pick raleigh every time if it was a choice between the two. pro sports dont mean much to me but millbrook exchange tennis center would be my life. raleigh is much more comfortable to me and the cookie-ish neighborhoods in charlotte dont look as good as the cookie-looking ones in raleigh…i did medical delivery quite a bit in both. i will say that charlotte did develop a good system with discounted and on demand taxis for the visually impaired probably before and maybe better that raleigh did. a small segment i know but indicates an eye on transit and mobility for those where it can be difficult. but raleigh did get the tickets for the handicapped to use on cabs and my parents used them often and gave them great conveinience…i think they needed about 12 more hours to reserve a cab than charlotte if memory serves me correct.
You should see the back and forth between Charlotte and Raleigh on City-Data forums. Charlotte participants on that platform are definitely not innocent bystanders and are often dismissive of Raleigh as much as Raleigh participants disparage Charlotte.
You’ve made the correct decision. We have the cool kids anyways, plus almost always scoop the news on upcoming developments!
I don’t get the city rivalry thing at all. There’s things I like and don’t like about any city, Charlotte and Raleigh included. Honestly I care about the things I don’t like in Raleigh way more, since they directly impact me. I guess some people feel their identity or success or coolness is tied into where they live, which is an odd concept. Like, wow I am awesome because I’ve made it big and can live in [city]!
Screw it, I’m in. Devon Tower part II (which I’ve been to, it looks wonky in pictures and really cool in person.)
I do have to say, as a native Texan with a natural inclination to talk down on Oklahoma, I remember that before I had an account people here were trying to dunk on OKC for having a less dense/fun downtown than Raleigh. I hate to say that between Downtown OKC’s oil heyday art deco (not as great as Tulsa’s but still excellent), Automobile Alley, and Bricktown, it’s got more going on for a weekend tourist than Raleigh ¯_(ツ)_/¯
True. Their gigantic inferiority complex towards the big Texas cities means stuff like that gets approved quickly. It’s not always great - the outlying neighborhoods have the widest, straightest, least pedestrian-friendly roads you’ve ever seen, but it really doesn’t suck for a weekend.
I was up in Boone this weekend (it was cold) but one small thing to share is this skateboard parking stand. (skateboard right?) I’d never seen this and figured this probably only works on a university campus. If you’re not familiar, App State is real close to the main downtown area.
I remember they had these when I first went to school there. But funny thing was skateboarding anywhere in Boone was illegal until 2018, so it seemed always like an empty gesture to me haha
