Raleigh, N.C., moves ahead with LRT plan
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefDowntown light rail service in North Carolina’s state capital is getting political traction, with the Raleigh City Council approving a plan for LRT, named the D6 route, through the west side of downtown along Harrington Avenue.
The route is a portion of an earlier proposal backed by the Triangle Transit Authority that would eventually run from Chapel Hill to Garner, N.C. The authority serves Durham, Orange, and Wake counties.
If built, the LRT system would be the second LRT operation established in the Tar Heel State, following the successful LYNX LRT service in Charlotte, N.C., which began revenue operations on Feb. 26, 2005.
The city council’s plan differs from a recommendation by the city’s Passenger Rail Task Force, comprised of volunteers, that has sought to route LRT on both sides of the state Capitol building, and deemed option D6A. Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, however, says the Harrington Avenue route is cheaper and avoids congestion at major thoroughfares.
Of the two council members who voted against the plan, one, Bonner Gaylord, made it clear he supported the mode itself. But Gaylord said the city council should reconsider a route that stops at downtown landmarks in order to attract a wider range of riders, including visitors and tourists.
