Raleigh Transit Plan to be Revealed

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By Tappan Vickery

When I was growing up in Huntsville, Alabama I remember noticing the bus for the first time.  It came in from where poor folks lived and took them to the rich areas of downtown for domestic labor jobs.  The same bus routes had been in place since the 1920s to service the mill workers.  The system was antiquated, to say the least. 

I vividly remember thinking how the bus could never work for other folks, including me, because it did not go through the neighborhood where I lived or anywhere I needed to go. Huntsville wasn’t evolving with the times, and it made me sad.  I began noticing buses in bigger cities – like the MARTA system in Atlanta -- but I continued to be confused about how public transportation served all communities, races and classes. 

The reality was, it didn’t.  .  But the times have changed all across the country, as transit if fueling economic development, jobs, and vibrant, walkable communities.   This year, we have a chance to do better right here in Raleigh – so when our children and grandchildren see the bus or rail they see opportunity, not history.

A newly proposed Wake County Transit plan strategically ties the county and region together to accommodate the projected 1.2 million more people coming to the Triangle over the next 20 years.  This plan moves our region forward; breaking down traditional barriers of who transit should serve to create a system that reaches both choice and need riders.  The reality is, we’ll have more Millennials, seniors, Latinos, and commuters living here who want and need better bus service and passenger rail to give them transportation choice. 

Come learn about how the proposed plan will affect you, Raleigh and the county at a presentation to the Raleigh City Council  Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 1:00 pm.  County Manager David Cook and Triangle Transit General Manager David King will present the proposed plan with a specific focus on what the expanded bus, commuter rail and light rail will look like in Raleigh. 

This is a critical time for action and attention to transit in our community – not only because we’re growing and need new jobs – but also because the issue is becoming polarized by political ambition.  If we want to see the plan move forward, we have to show our support to municipal and county officials so that we are able to exercise our right to vote on a half cent sales tax referendum to fund and endorse the plan. 

The Wake County Commissioners have the sole power to put the referendum on the ballot. If they do not, this transit plan, the years spent on research, development, public comments gets tossed to the side.   Make sure they know YOU want a chance to vote and take action today. 

Let’s leave a legacy of opportunity for the future generations of Wake County.

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Transit Raleigh City Council Transit Plan

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