GoTriangle’s leaders are meeting tomorrow, and, among other things, will hear updates on the Regional Transit Center moving closer to Hub RTP and I-40.
This is a competitive grant program just like what made RUSbus possible, so we’re still not guaranteed to win funding to build it. But between this update and this letter of support from Durham’s MPO despite their hesitance in commuter rail, this is still a very promising sign that our application will stand a chance in getting funded!
“The right to have access to every building in the city by private motorcar in an age when everyone possesses such a vehicle is actually the right to destroy the city.” - Lewis Mumford
Not sure where else to drop this, but Came across an article I thought was frustrating on different levels:
Long story short, a bunch of states are incentivizing car use. Some states are removing gas taxes completely.
This other article talks how some states are providing rebates and tax rebates (Stimulus checks for inflation: Here are the states planning to send money to residents - CBS News). I don’t consider the tax rebates to be necessarily incentivizing car use, but California looking to send direct payments of “$400 per vehicle” is directly encouraging car ownership. I’m a bit frustrated since I used to be from CA and that CA prided itself on trying to be more environmentally friendly.
I post these because it kind of shows how we became car dependent and continue to be car dependent. It’s just a little interesting because we actually see how policies take effect.
Since we’re already car-dependent, I understand the reasoning for gas price relief. But it is strange that there hasn’t really been much push for subsidizing other means of transportation because of the high gas prices. Free bikes, electric bike subsidies, even electric car subsidies would all be better in the long run. (Though, of course, electric cars have all the urban planning problems gas cars have. At least they’re quiet.) Raleigh transportation did use gas prices in promotions as a reason to take the bus and they extended the free fares. But that’s the only thing I can think of.
It’s also a wonderful way to take your tax dollars, run them through a bureaucratic system that skims off most of them, and then give you back a little piece of them in a way that incentives having two cars, and ask you to thank the government for their generosity. Just horribly wasteful in every piece of its conception.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to lower food prices? Seems that political careers are also dependent on cars. 
I know Connecticut’s gas tax suspension also came with a suspension of bus fares statewide. Granted its somewhat easy to do with 10 agencies and it left out rail but its doable.
If you drive 12000 miles a year, and your car gets 25 mpg, you theoretically use 480 gallons of gas, or 40 gallons a month. Using these reasonable data points, a dollar a gallon increase in price is $40 more a month, or a little over a buck a day. For some, this is a huge burden, but for many others it’s not much more than an annoyance.
At some theoretical income threshold, whatever that might be, those below it, I want there to be some help there. Housing, food, gas, basically everything that’s essential affects them. If you are above this threshold, I have no sympathy for your life choices.
I’m not sure what that threshold is and it’s different for everyone I’m sure but I’d like to see relief rolled out FIRST for those below it rather than for “all car owners”.
The point of my calculation was to put some metrics around the problem, and it doesn’t look insurmountable if we prioritize those in need.
I touched on the BRT extension study survey yesterday but wanted to give my thoughts on some of the proposed route options through Morrisville and Cary.
I’m really torn on if I’d support option 2 or 3. Option 2 goes by a lot of business and future development buy option 3 follows the Davis Dr corridor which has at least 5 grocery, shopping and dining centers and would directly pass Apple.
Would it be possible to implement both lines similar to the eastern end of the Central Line in London? That way we could implement both the new businesses/growth and the existing office parks.
It’s certainly possible! I just don’t know if we’re to that point yet - or if we will be when it’s time for the extension.
It’s a great sign that they’re even looking at this before they’ve even started work on the first line though.
NCDOT is doing a survey on clean transportation. Most of the questions are about electric vehicles, but the cyclists are tearing them a new one in the comments section. Get on it.
I don’t have an issue with most of the comments. I agree there should be more focus on non-motorized transportation. That said, the survey does ask questions that have answers that include non-motorized, reducing car trips, etc.
I was a bit confused if you’re 45-49 years of age how you answer this one.
It does, but it still seems to emphasize electric cars over other options. Shows where their priorities are, in my opinion.
I’ll head back over and comment on that one. Perpetuating bad information.
I replied to it as well. Absolute nonsense.
I agree with the licenses part. I firmly believe that licenses are incredibly easy to get in America because driving is a necessity in the majority of the country.
