With no sidewalks and no crosswalks, students that live in housing along N.C. 54 are forced to cross the highway dangerously just to make it to class on time. NCDOT plans to implement infrastructure to prevent this and make accessing transportation in this area easier.
“Cutting funds devoted to transit is taking us in exactly the wrong direction."
NEXT, an interest group of community leaders and residents, is seeking alternative public transportation options for Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents now that the light rail project is dead.
Hillsborough has secured over eight million dollars in funding for a new train station. Amtrak plans to offer two passenger routes that would connect Orange County to major metro areas.
![Mark Marcoplos, a member of the Board of County Commissioners for Orange County, discusses reasons for the failure of the light rail initiative at Graham Memorial on Wednesday, April 10, 2019. Marcoplos cites "high cost, bad faith partners... [and] outright animosity from the legislature that put all these hurdles" before the Board. He was hopeful that the light rail could generate tax revenue, help in subsidizing affordable housing, creating jobs, relieving congestion and help lower emissions to combat climate change. "A lot of people that didn't pay attention to what we could have had will never know what we missed."](https://snworksceo.imgix.net/dth/9984bd30-26b3-47a8-9f7c-b062950d8017.sized-1000x1000.JPG?w=800)
“We can blame Duke today, but I think our problems started back three years ago."
Duke announced on Feb. 27 its withdrawal from the light rail project, virtually ending any chance of continuing the construction of the project. The university cited the risk the construction posed to research and patients, referring to Duke’s Medical Center on Erwin road.
"I think that we're going to continue working to find another solution," Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger said. "This is not the end."
He said GoTriangle will continue to work with its partners to repurpose what has already been invested.
Following recent complaints by Duke and local residents, the future of the light rail is looking uncertain. Here's a look at the history of the project.
“I think if we’re not going be managing the content, then I think we want to make sure that we’re not putting on things that could be offensive or derisive to different groups."
As part of the University's Five-Year Plan, new parking regulations are coming in August 2019 for the weeknights.
The Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project has received several updates in the past two weeks, including a draft of a Federal Transit Administration risk report and refusal from Duke to join the project.
Carolina Urbanists held a meeting on Wednesday with GoTriangle speakers to discuss local transit plans and the Orange-Durham light rail project.
After more than $130 million in Orange-Durham tax dollars was spent designing a new light rail transit system, Duke University informed GoTriangle that it will not permit construction on Erwin Road.
Wegmans' special use permit included a stipulation that detailed what must be done to address the potential for increased traffic on nearby residential streets.
At the council’s Feb. 19 meeting, members reviewed Gov. Roy Cooper's Executive Order 80, which asserts North Carolina’s commitment to address climate change and transition to a clean energy economy.
The iconic unicycling student that cruises across campus is dedicated to their craft.
Despite the benefits the Durham-Orange Light Rail will provide on paper, local citizens and groups like Affordable Transit for All have voiced concern over the project's funding.
The Town of Chapel Hill is attempting to meet the needs of the downtown scene by expanding parking.
Orange County is working to address persistent climate change issues through forming a specialized committee to push energy efficient initiatives.
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