News
Give Me Tolls; Give Me Taxes
Peter Eichenberger is tired of breathing your exhaust fumes. I haven’t ridden the thing yet, first, ‘cause I have this thing about busses, second, that unless one is incapacitated, like too drunk to walk, downtown Raleigh is as walkable as you’ll find, and finally, that free is really free via the bicycle. But forget me, the R bus line, by reducing the “necessity” of driving a car everywhere one must go, rain or shine, night or day, in a dense, urban grid, is the best, smartest idea Raleigh has had in, gee, I dunno, a generation. But here’s the predicable Greek Chorus, “whaaah, whaaah, whaaah,” from the car set: “It’s not free! It costs me money and I don’t ride it.” Listen up, ya babies, let’s talk about “free.” How did it somehow become written in the sky and implicitly understood by every mother’s child that the motorist is exempt from some normal standards of responsibility with this century-long free ride to foul their path with zero or minimal responsibility to clean up the mess their fiendish contraptions leave? Every time I go anywhere, I have to breathe your exhaust fumes, dodge your oil spills and jagged heaps of broken car that litter nearly every intersection and never seem to get swept up – not to mention never getting a chance to relax from the mortal danger waiting at every turn via inattentive drivers futzing with their music, phones, hair, yada, yada. So tough tits. [Continued below the fold.]
Smart Decision or Illegal Parking Job?
What happens if you park a Smart car perpendicular to the curb in downtown Raleigh? More than likely you’ll get a ticket but should this be the case?
Downtown Raleigh Alliance Rolls out R-Line Bus and YouRHere Branding
On Thursday night, The Downtown Raleigh Alliance introduced their new branding and Circulator Bus to around 500 members and guests at their annual meeting at the Marriott Hotel on Fayetteville Street.
What’s Your Preferred Method of Transit?
In this week’s Q&A, New Raleigh wants to know how you prefer to get around town: car, bike, bus, or legs? While many of our writers have found alternative transporation surprisingly reliable and even liberating, others of us still cling tightly to the safety and private road rage provided by our own four wheels.
Raleigh 2030: Brown vs. Board of Education for Bikes?
The small army of city and county officials who are in charge of drafting the Raleigh 2030 Comprehensive Plan have been dealing with a mountain of issues and information. The Bike Facilities Map looks like the work of a strung-out spider with a box of rainbow sharpies. There are bike lanes planned for thoroughfares throughout town, but close to the center Raleigh will not be following the example of Berlin or Amsterdam, with their dedicated bike lane systems. Raleigh is going a more American route, believing separate-but-equal to be false (and difficult to fund).
Downtown Parking Spaces to Become Metered
City Council voted on Wednesday to convert to metered parking on many downtown streets.
Rickshaw Confessions Coming to Raleigh Streets
Better watch what you say next time you get on a rickshaw in Downtown Raleigh.
Last Minute Alert: Speak Your Mind on Public Transit!
The City of Raleigh is planning a new bus line that will provide service in a loop around the Downtown and Glenwood South areas in 2009. A public forum will be held today at 3:30pm to discuss the new route.
NC Has the Most Expensive Gas in the Lower 48
The. Most. Expensive. Not exactly a superlative to brag about. The N&O brings us news that we have the most expensive gas in the lower 48 states. New Jersey is apparently a full dollar less per gallon than NC’s average. $2.79 a gallon sounds super cheap. Fuel prices are expected to fall now that the pipeline to the eastern part of the state has been repaired. N&O
How Much Does it Cost You to Drive to Work
Do you need another reason to ride public transit, bike or walk to work? Ever wonder how much it costs you to drive to and from work on average each day? Now you can find out.
Try Transit Week Begins With Free Buses
The Triangle’s Transit groups have worked together to encourage Triangle commuters to try using the bus this week. The Wolfline and Capital Area Transit are participating in this weeks “Try Transit” program. Today you can catch any bus for free. Monday, 9/22: Fare FREE Day Ride CAT all day - for FREE!!! Tuesday, 9/23: Rider Appreciation Day FREE Ice Cream at Moore Square Transit Station 12:00-3:00 p.m. (first come, first serve) If good public transit is important to you you might consider signing up for Capital Area Friends of Transit Try Transit Schedule below the Fold
Capital Area Friends of Transit
Charlotte Transit Corridor’s Growth in the Past Decade Capital Area Friends of Transit is a group organized by Karen Rindge. Rindge who head’s WakeUp has pushed a continuing mission to build awareness of the issues faced by our county in growth have been underscored by their non-partisan events. Our community wants good transit, and our political leaders are exploring the options. WakeUp’s Transit Forum earlier this year was well attended and we got a nice overview of how Charlotte has been successful with light rail. More Below The Fold
Downtown Raleigh West Gateway, Multimodal Transportation Center In Trouble
For more than twelve years, the City of Raleigh has collaborated with multiple organizations on the planning of a new Multimodal Transportation Center (MTC) that will serve as the transit hub for the entire Triangle region. This project will catalyze intense urban development surrounding the MTC, and generate unprecedented economic development for downtown Raleigh. The city’s plans for this area are now in jeopardy. Progress Energy is planning a new downtown substation.
Citywide Bike Plan Workshop Today
The Raleigh Room at Sertoma Arts Center will host the second city-wide bike plan workshop today from 4-7pm. Come give your input on the future of bike transportation in the state capital.
Taken For A Ride - Transit Film
On Wednesday, August 27 at 7:00, the Capital Group Sierra Club will present Taken For A Ride, a 52 minute film by Jim Klein and Martha Olson dealing with “the little known story of an auto and oil industry campaign to buy and dismantle transit.” Taken For A Ride is the first in a planned series of transit-focused films. After the film, the Capital Group Sierra Club will open a discussion with those in attendance in an effort to raise public awareness and discuss the group’s efforts to improve local transit options.
DOT Way-finding Woes
Many people find the Inner and Outer Beltline signs too complicated, not grasping that I-440 is simply a loop with the Inner Beltline running clockwise and the Outer Beltline running counter clockwise around downtown. Under the new plan in coming months, Inner and Outer will be replaced with East and West. More below…
Raleigh Rickshaw Joins Forces with Greenway Transit
There has been a lot of talk lately about gas prices, alternative transportation and how to live a healthy transit lifestyle in Raleigh lately. Raleigh Rickshaw, one of the driving forces in green transportation in downtown Raleigh, has announced that they will be partnering with Greenway Transit to create an even greener transportation system for tourists and residents.
TTA Bus Passenger Totals
TBJ reports that monthly bus ridership totals were broken two consecutive months.
