Life on the 85s
Driving along Business 85 is part of my daily commute.
I was worried the temporary closure of the Southern Bypass of the Urban Loop would mean I'd have to wake up earlier to make it work on time.
But despite an increase in traffic, my travels have been smooth sailing.
How's your commute been with the bypass closed?
Comments (2)
Hey- are you ever going to cover any NON-highway transportation?
PART held a land-use planning conference a few weeks back, and recently released a new update on their progress for fixed-guideway alternatievs in the Triad. How about a little coverage?
Winston-Salem is contemplating streetcars. Does this make sense for GSO?
Posted on March 4, 2005 9:47 AM
Since the overwhelming majority of the Triad travels by car, much of our transportation coverage is focused on roads.
That being said, we do cover transit and the study PART (Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation) is doing to bring commuter rail or improved bus service to the Triad. The story is pasted below.
A trolley system in downtown Greensboro has been discussed in the past, especially with the new baseball stadium opening up. But I don't think it's moved much beyond that. Anyone else want to weigh in there?
DATE: Thursday, February 17, 2005
COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM WOULD SPUR DEVELOPMENT
PART ASKS FOR IDEAS ABOUT WHAT TO DEVELOP AROUND A POSSIBLE TRIAD COMMUTER RAIL LINE
KERNERSVILLE
If the Triad builds a commuter rail line, what should be built around it?
That's the question the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation put to a group of area developers and planning and transportation officials Wednesday.
PART is studying whether it's feasible to build a 14-stop commuter rail along the 60-mile corridor from Burlington to Clemmons or whether more highway improvements and bus service would work just as well. Rail would cost
$716 million; buses would cost $389 million.
The first segment of rail would be a 37-mile line with stops from N.C. A&T in Greensboro to Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem, which could be built as early as 2014.
That segment would cost $319 million to build a rail line; expanded bus service would cost $167 million. Those estimates do not include operating costs.
The location of stations or the line have not been determined, but PART wants area planners to begin thinking about what kind of development should surround potential rail stations.
David King, deputy secretary for transit for the N.C. Department of Transportation, said the Triad needs to be active with a rail line to ensure economic development and good air quality and to avoid congestion.
"It is not a place that is going to be attractive and vital ... if we haven't done the right things today," King said.
A rail line will spur economic development, he said.
Charlotte's system is seeing millions in development along its line, and it's not expected to open until 2007, he said.
PART is looking at four types of transit-oriented development at stations - ranging from a more urban hub in places like downtown Greensboro, Winston-Salem and the Piedmont Triad International Airport to a smaller, village-type station.
Determining what type of development should surround stations will become vitally important, planners said.
"Depending on how smart we are, we can squander the opportunity, or it can be sustainable, long-term growth," said Paul Norby, director of planning for the City-County Planning Board of Forsyth County and Winston-Salem.
"The key to that is making sure our land use and transportation work."
PART's study to determine whether bus or rail is needed should be completed by July. After that, PART will apply for funding from the Federal Transit Administration for the next phase - preliminary engineering and an environmental impact statement.
To build a rail line or increase bus use, PART will have to gain additional funding, which will likely come through some type of tax. Although the federal government would provide 50 percent of the money for a rail line, the state and local governments would each have to provide 25 percent. PART now relies on a rental-car tax for much of its funding.
PART will revisit development near possible rail stations in April.
Brent McKinney, PART's executive director, invited planners and developers to attend a tour of developments in Mecklenburg County on April 15.
On April 29, PART will hold a forum to talk about what land use should occur at some of the station stops.
MORE ONLINE
www.partnc.org
Posted on March 4, 2005 10:48 AM