Carrboroites want in on future transit

Growing support from community leaders has sparked discussion to open Carrboro’s public transportation system to development.

These efforts are led by Connect Carrboro, a coalition of citizens committed to bridging the transportation gap between Carrboro and the rest of the Triangle.
“Carrboro and west Chapel Hill are not seamlessly connected to the regional bus network and are not featured prominently in the plans proposed for light rail and bus rapid transit,” Connect Carrboro member Rickie White said.

The light rail and bus rapid transit are a few of the options put forth by a recent study of Alternatives Analysis. The light rail would resemble an above-ground metro system. Bus rapid transit would provide an extra lane for buses to improve efficiency.

This study is a crucial step in Triangle Transit’s Long Range Transportation Plan that evaluates different public transit options and their effects. Connect Carrboro members said being included in this study is key to extending higher-
order transit to Carrboro.

“It is especially important that Carrboro be in on the ground floor of this process as the alternatives are being introduced,” member Ben Haven said. “We believe the beginning of the process will have the greatest influence in shaping the discussion and the transit map moving forward.”

A significant change being discussed in the Alternatives Analysis is the addition of the light rail system to the area. Currently, proposed routes for a light rail do not extend into Carrboro. This exclusion is a central issue that Connect Carrboro is looking to change.

“I’m a big advocate for moving the rail west to Carrboro,” said Connect Carrboro member Allan Rosen. “It will be good in the long term and studying it now makes the most sense.”

Proponents of Connect Carrboro said there is no reason not to want expanded public transit.

“I think, once you lay out the reasons to support it, many folks in Carrboro and Chapel Hill will do so,” Haven said.

Haven said benefits of a light rail route to Carrboro include environmental friendliness and a mitigation of traffic buildup on Franklin and Main streets and U.S. 15-501.

The creation and extension of a light rail system into Carrboro hinges on the question of cost.

“For those that are upset that there are not currently plans for the light rail line to extend into Carrboro, the reason is money,” said Lydia Lavelle, a member of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen. “We cannot build everything we want at once.”
Connect Carrboro also wants to discuss other ways to improve Carrboro’s transit experience.

“We would still like to see a Triangle Transit bus line that extends directly into Carrboro or west Chapel Hill,” Haven said.

The fate of Carrboro’s public transportation rests on months of public hearings and studies. But Haven said he is still hopeful.

“Time will tell,” he said. “The more the public is involved in the process, the more likely we will get a Carrboro inclusion.”

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