Multimodal Center Meeting Coming Friday
On Friday, from 11:30am to 2:30 pm, the Raleigh City Council will meet to discuss rail transit as well as the planned Multimodal Center for the area around Five Star restaurant. The meeting will be held at the Walnut Creek Wetland Center. (map it)
Scenic Byways Site Gets Update
The NCDOT has just launched a new version of their website for the Scenic Byways program. The site is a complete guide to some of NC’s most enjoyable highways, including the Blue Ridge Parkway as well as the Outer Banks Scenic Byway. The site includes maps of the roads, a .PDF copy of the Scenic Byways book published by the state, and videos of many of the treasured roads.
Expanded Raleigh/Charlotte Train Service Begins in June.
On June 5 a new train to Charlotte (.pdf) will begin daily service from downtown Raleigh. The third pair of trains between the cities will be focused on mid-day service. It will depart just before Noon while the train from Charlotte will arrive in Raleigh just after 3:30pm. The train trips will usually run just over 3 hours each way. For more details, see the accompanying schedule entitled “Now You (Have) Got More Options” (nice grammar).
Midwest Airlines Coming to RDU
Milwaukee-based Midwest Airlines is coming to RDU on Thursday, April 1. The airline will commence with two daily non-stop flights to Milwaukee using a 76-seat Embraer-170. The flights will utilize “Gate C-24” at Terminal 2 (now, why are gates in Terminal 2 still carrying the “C” moniker – [/headbanging]?). The airlines previously ran flights into RDU in 1998-2001 and 2007-2008.
R-Line Goes Live with Real-Time GPS Reporting
The R-Line circulator bus in downtown Raleigh has gone live with their exact location data of each bus. The full website shows both buses’ locations on the fill R-Line route while the mobile version gives you the basics.
A link to the R-Line’s status page will live in the “Maps” section over to the right, and in the Mobile Tools, for easy access while you’re out and about.
R-Line Having Birthday Celebration
Raleigh’s free downtown circulator, the R-Line, will turn 1 year old on Saturday, February 13. To celebrate there will be a party from 6pm to 10pm in front of the Hibernian Restaurant & Pub.
Activities will include a live remote broadcast by G105 and an R-LINE prize wheel featuring over $1,500 in gift cards provided by Downtown Raleigh businesses. Residents and visitors can also stop by to pick up an R-LINE wristband. Many businesses will be offering specials to those wearing the wristband. There also will be a speed dating event on an R-LINE bus to be hosted by PreDating.com. There will be two sessions of the speed dating event. Various stops along the R-LINE route will be promoted, and daters will have a chance to win gift cards based on answering trivia questions about the R-LINE and Downtown Raleigh. Space on the R-LINE bus for the speed dating activity is limited; participants must register prior to the event by visiting www.PreDating.com.
The City of Raleigh’s Capital Area Transit system offers free rides on the R-LINE seven days a week. The bus connects employees, residents, conventioneers and other visitors in the central business district to retail and entertainment venues, restaurants and parking. Two environmentally friendly hybrid electric buses — both with 36 seats — are used on the R-LINE route The R-LINE runs every 10 to 12 minutes. Hours of operation for the service are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 2:15 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
NC Getting $520M Rail Upgrade
The Federal Government announced that North Carolina has won a $520M grant for rail upgrades. The stimulus money is going toward upgrading the rail corridor between Raleigh and Charlotte. Tracks will be upgraded, the number of round trips will be doubled, and top speeds will perhaps reach 90mph (though the average speed of the trip will not be dramatically affected).
No details are out yet about what these improvements specifically entail. At half a billion dollars, it is unlikely that any rail crossings will be converted to bridges. Most likely some nonessential crossings will close, but most will get upgraded signaling. It is doubtful that any of the Raleigh or Cary crossings will be affected, in contrast to the preliminary plans to improve the Raleigh to Washington corridor.
Nissan LEAF Coming to City Plaza
On Friday (1/29) the national tour displaying the Nissan LEAF will come to Raleigh’s City Plaza. The “zero-emission”, 100% electric vehicle boasts a 100 mile range between charges. The exhibit lasts from 10am to 10pm.
City Design Lecture Series Continues Tonight
Tonight the “Designing a 21st Century City” lecture city continues! The presentation is by both John Robert Smith, the former Mayor of Meridian Mississippi and full-time rail zealot, and James Corless, the Director of Transportation for America.
The session runs from 6:30 to 8:00 in the Fletcher Opera Theater and aims to answer questions such as:
- What will the new national transportation policy look like?
- How can Raleigh be ready to take advantage of national transportation policies and emerging resource?
- What examples are there of American cities that have adapted to the new transportation realities?
- How will high speed rail affect Raleigh?
MEET THE PRESENTERS:
John Robert Smith is the former Mayor of Meridian, Mississippi, and a long-time activist on behalf of passenger rail. He is co-chairman of the National Forum on the Future of Passenger Rail, is a member of Amtrak’s board, and a member of the transportation committees of the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He is a veteran of the station-centered community development movement, and led the drive to renovate the City of Meridian’s Union Station, a $7 million historic restoration project that created a new multimodal transportation center, dramatically increased use of the station, raised property values and city tax receipts, and lowered crime in the station’s neighborhood. He served on Reconnecting America’s board for five years, and was a founding partner and board member of Reconnecting America’s predecessor organization, the Great American Station Foundation, voting to expand its mission and change its name in 2004.
James Corless is the Director of Transportation for America, a coalition of over 250 organizations working to promote a new national transportation policy that’s smarter, safer, cleaner and provides more choice. Prior to Transportation for America, Mr. Corless was a senior planner for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in the San Francisco Bay Area where he managed the agency’s efforts to promote smarter growth, transit-oriented development and mobility options for low-income communities. Mr. Corless was the author of California’s groundbreaking Safe Routes to School law and legislation that paved the way for smart growth “blueprints” to become part of the regional transportation planning process throughout the state.
For more information and to pre-register to attend email or call 919.807.8480.
Find directions to the Performing Arts Center and parking locations at www.progressenergycenter.com and click on “An Evening Out.” Find information on public transportation at www.triangletransit.org
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Raleigh honors requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities. Requests can be served most effectively if notice is provided at least 48 hours before each event. Call 919-996-3000 to request special accommodations.
ALL LECTURES ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
www.raleighnc.gov
Transit Forum Coming This Month
The Institute for Emerging Issues, in conjunction with WUNC TV and Blueprint America, is holding a public education forum titled “Transit in the Triangle: the Benefits for You and the Region”. The event takes place on January 28, 2010, from 5-8 pm at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. This event is free and open to the public.
This forum will be an excellent opportunity to learn about transit in the Triangle region, how one’s life is affected by transit, what does transit look like today, and how other metro regions have adopted transit and transit-oriented development.
The schedule appears as such:
- 5:00 – 5:30 Networking
- 5:30 – 5:35 Welcome
- Anita Brown-Graham, Director, Institute for Emerging Issues
- 5:35 – 5:45 Introduction to Blueprint America
- Shannon Vickery, Director of Production, WUNC-TV
- 5:45 – 6:15 Transit and Our Quality of Life
- Nina Szlosberg, President, Circle Squared Media
- 6:15 – 6:45 Transit Options for the Triangle
- David King, CEO and General Manager, Triangle Transit
- 6:45 – 7:15 The Dallas Example: Opportunities for the Triangle
- speaker invited
- 7:15 – 7:30 Closing
- Representative Deborah Ross, NC General Assembly
- 7:30 – 8:00 Networking
Big, Busy Week Ahead
I busy week, indeed. Let’s start with sports. The long-awaited, first-ever Thursday night football game for Chapel Hill begins at 8pm tomorrow night. Florida State and Erin Andrews (not necessarily in order of importance) are in town for a game that will be featured in ESPN. Plan accordingly, as traffic in Raleigh and RTP should be horrendous.
The other reason for traffic problems is the N.C. State Fair which ends on Sunday night. Today the Wake County Public Schools have an early release day, so there should be many students invading the fairgrounds. Tomorrow is can day, where entry is free for those with 4 cans of food for the needy. The remaining music acts are Julianne Hough, Anoop Desai, Jeremy Camp and Tenth Avenue North, Blake Shelton, and Eric Church.
The State Fair isn’t the only other draw for tens of thousands of people. Raleigh Wide Open begins Friday, and celebrates the grand opening of Raleigh’s new City Plaza. Delbert McClinton headlines the main stage of music, however more interesting, perhaps, is the Cherry Bounce stage, which is the culmination of a week-long local music series downtown. The series aims to get exposure for a mostly unheard of list of bands. Be sure to stop by the WTVD studios on Saturday afternoon for your chance to get on Wheel of Fortune.
The big stand along music event occurring this week is Queensryche at the Lincoln Theatre, tonight. However in the Greensboro Coliseum, rock gods AC/DC will play Sunday night. INto industrial? KMFDM is at the Cradle Monday night.
There is plenty of theater for the people this week, too. The Picasso Ballet performance by the Carolina Ballet continues at the Fletcher Opera Theater while NC Theater’s West Side Story production runs at Memorial Auditorium. Tonight David Copperfield will be at the DPAC, while the Carolina Crown II (wrestling theater) will take place at the RBC Center on Saturday night. NCSU alumnus, John Reep, the “Hemi guy” plays at Charlie Goodnights this weekend.
If all of that excitement isn’t enough, be sure to swing by the Raleigh Convention Center for the Junior League’s Shopping SPREE!, a seriously awesome event when shopping for things women like.
For more info on these events, check out the gogoraleigh Do-It Calendar. That’s a heck of a week! I can’t wait to get out there and DO IT!
Plan Thursday Evening Carefully
Friends, just a heads up about the complete mayhem that is about to take place on Thursday evening. Not only will the the N.C. State Fair Canned Food Day be going on, but the Florida State Seminoles will be visiting for Chapel Hill’s first-ever Thursday night game. ESPN is covering the game and was nice enough to move the airtime back to 8:00pm. That should allow fans a better chance of at least being in the Chapel Hill city limits by gametime.
My suggestion is to avoid Interstate 40 at all costs. If you have been to mid-week game in the Smith Center against an ACC foe, you know that traffic is horrible west of the Durham Freeway. This will be three times worse. Instead of 40, take U.S. 64 to Fearrington Road (map it), head north on Fearrington until it reaches 15-501, and turn right. Follow the traffic down the winding Columbia Street which leads to the Hospital area.
Another option is to take 64 to 751, then turn left on Stagecoach Road. This can lead to either the Friday Center or Fearrington, depending on your route.
For certain, though, whatever route you choose, make sure you leave home or work about 1.5-2 hours before you normally do. Those who leave work before 5 will certainly have an advantage over those who swing by home on the way home from work.
The UNC Athletic Department has really dropped the ball on this one. They should have arranged for area cities to run otherwise dark municipal busses into the area to help alleviate the problem. Afterall, large-capacity transit is the answer to all traffic problems, right?
This situation could potentially be far worse than the U2 concert because once again, Highway Patrol and area media have not clued in thus far. However as is usually the case, gogoraleigh readers have an advantage, and will continue to be baffled by people making dumb moves and crying on the highway about it!
WakeUP Sponsors Transportation Discussion
On Wednesday (Sept. 2), WakeUP Wake County will be holding a panel discussion at the Busy Bee Cafe (directions). The panel discussion, which begins at 6:30pm, features four speakers:
- David King, President, Triangle Transit Authority
- Deborah Ross, NC Representative, Raleigh District 38
- Nina Szlosberg, NC Board of Transportation
- John White, Director, Durham Chamber of Commerce
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