Transit

A new car sharing program is now available for Wake residents.  WeCar is a membership-based car sharing program for people who are looking for an alternative method of transportation that lowers the cost and reduces the hassles of traditional transportation.

A high speed passenger rail line will connect Raleigh to Washington D.C. to the north and Charlotte to the south in the near future. Plans are underway to finalize the route and new challenges surrounding track interface with Downtown Raleigh have emerged. Route Option 1 would allow construction along existing CSX tracks that branch to the west of Capital Blvd, north of Jones St. and Option 2 would direct trains to the east of Capital. Read more about concerns surrounding pedestrian and vehicular connectivity, and preliminary construction cost estimates in Bruce Siceloff's recent article in the N&O titled 'Tracks might divide Raleigh'.

A new study released yesterday, says that by 2022 the state-owned N.C. Railroad could serve at least 3 million riders a year in commuter trains on its 140-mi. line between Greensboro and Goldsboro. Commuter trains use conventional diesel locomotives to carry suburban residents during rush hour periods to jobs and universities in urban areas.  A commuter rail line running between Goldsboro and Greensboro would link a corridor containing 18 colleges and universities, effectively reducing congestion and improving air quality.  Read more about the study in Bruce Siceloff's article, 'Study: Rush-hour rail could ease commuter crunch'.

A poll released this week indicates that 58% of voters in Wake, Durham and Orange Counties are willing to pay a half-cent sales tax to fund a regional transit system of expanded bus and rail.  Voters also said that travel between the Triangle counties should be the highest priority for public transit, as well as travel to RTP.  The poll was conducted in March for the Regional Transportation Alliance.