Triangle still slated for light rail project

With newfound support from several community organizations, elected officials and residents, the probability of a light rail in the Triangle is increasing.

But a system is still years away, several familiar with the plans said.

The North Carolina Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has approved a regional plan for building a light rail in Durham, Orange and Wake counties, said Karen Rindge, executive director of WakeUP Wake County.

But before the project can begin, an increased sales tax or other funding option must still be approved.

Plans to build a light rail in the Triangle have been underway since the late 1980s.

In 2008, the Special Transit Advisory Commission’s proposal to add a light rail in the Triangle failed due to a lack of resident input and not enough federal funding, said Bo Glenn, a member of the steering committee for the Durham-Orange Friends of Transit.

But now, the proposal has been incorporated into the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s long-range transportation plan, enabling the two organizations to double their resources and plan for transit for the next 25 years.

Light rail advantages

Rindge said the light rail would benefit the Triangle by reducing travel time and increasing economic growth in the Triangle.

Triangle Transit is also working with officials in Wake, Durham and Orange counties to develop plans.

“When you have a rail, it’s dedicated to its passengers,” said David King, CEO and general manager of Triangle Transit. “It’s much more reliable, predictable and safe.”

George Cianciolo, a member of the Durham-Orange Friends of Transit cited Charlotte as an example of a city that benefited from the light-rail system when one opened there in 2007.

He said the installation of a light rail would also increase hospitals’ ability to bring in new employees.

 “It would expand their service network,” he said. “Say somebody has an appointment or somebody from Raleigh needs to come over to the UNC hospital. They can drive or they can just jump on a train and essentially go to the hospital’s front door.”

Raising taxes

The General Assembly passed a bill in August that will enable counties to hold a referendum to increase sales tax.

If approved, the extra revenue will finance the light rail.

The decision to hold the referendum will be made by commissioners from the three counties.

But the economy stands as the major obstacle for serious discussion on a vote. Local government officials are hesitant to ask residents for money, making the possibility of a vote in the near future unlikely, King said.

“It’s not a good time to be asking people to make an investment in infrastructure,” he said.

King said those affiliated with the proposed sales tax do not expect a vote to occur any sooner than a year or two from now.

Looking ahead

If the proposal is approved, the first track would not be completed for at least seven or eight years, leaving the entire project within a timeline of at least a decade.

“It won’t happen if we don’t get that money,” King said.

But representatives of all three county boards said they supported the idea for improved transit and were optimistic about the results the rail could produce.

“New, improved transit meets the goals of citizens to get around,” said Orange County Commissioner Bernadette Pelissier. “Businesses are behind it because they know it’s good for them. Most people recognize that there is a need for transit.”



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