Series 2 public workshops:

The Triangle Regional Transit Program is moving forward with dedicated, passionate partners, including transportation and government organizations. However, our vision cannot come to fruition without your vital input. You, the public, are our client, our customer. And for our plans to be meaningful, we need to hear your thoughts and insight about the Triangle’s transit future.

So what do you think? Please join us for one of the upcoming public meetings so your voice can be heard. With meetings being held throughout the Triangle, there is sure to be one convenient to you. We look forward to seeing you there.

Given that development plans have slowed, one of the more immediate remaining questions about Carolina North is how people will get there.  The Town of Chapel Hill has been studying the issue of how to best move pedestrians and bicycles, especially. They held several public meetings, and this week they released a recommendation.  I'm very happy to see the town staff favored Route A, which uses Cameron Avenue, the Libba Cotton bike path, and the right of way around the rail line as it goes north from Carrboro to the Horace Williams tract. (See map below.)

There will be a public meeting Monday evening in Raleigh on the Raleigh to Richmond section of the high speed rail + Greenway.
Meeting Details: http://ht.ly/2fPrT
DEIS PDFs: http://sehsr.org/deis/sehsr_deis_download_files.html

Comments also accepted online: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SEHSR

The trains will probably be hybrid (NOT all-electric).  They will make 4 roundtrips daily Charlotte⇄Raleigh (via Hillsborogh & Durham), plus 4 roundtrips daily Charlotte⇄Washington DC (via Hillsborogh, Durham & Raleigh).

Hillsborough Town Board to Hold Public Hearing on Rail Station Plan

WHAT: Public Hearing on Proposed Rail  Station Plan

WHEN: 7 p.m. July 26

WHERE: Town Barn, 101 E. Orange  St. Access parking from East Corbin Street.

The Southeast High-Speed Rail (SEHSR) project seeks to build a 110mph Acela-like passenger train system connecting DC to Charlotte (and beyond), via Richmond, Wake Forest, Raleigh, Durham and Hillsborough, using a straightened version of the current Amtrak route.  The environmental impact studies currently being developed for the Petersburg VA - Raleigh section includes a bike-ped inter-urban greenway.  Charlotte is independently working with consultants to develop a bike-ped urban corridor parallel to their portion of this rail line.  Carrboro's very successful Libba Cotton greenway closely parallels an active freight line that runs north through town past WSM and Horace Williams to join the current Amtrak (future SEHSR) line just southeast of Hillsborough.

A few weeks ago I attended a meeting to hear the presentation of a group of consultants that have been working for the Town of Chapel Hill and the Downtown Partnership to create a "Downtown Development Framework and Action Plan." I didn't know much about this plan before showing up at the meeting, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it includes some pretty radical ideas for downtown Chapel Hill and they do not include trying to emulate Southpoint Mall!

The draft plan can be downloaded as a PDF from the town web site.  Here's my brief analysis...

See rickie White's post for more info: http://www.orangepolitics.org/2010/06/carrboro-downtown-chapel-hill-light-rail-connections-to-the-region

From the http://www.ourtransitfuture.com web site:

Carrboro (and West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill) are arguably the most mass transit friendly developments in the entire region, if not the entire state.  And yet direct bus and rail connections have yet to be established connecting these dense centers of work, entertainment, and population to the rest of the Triangle.  Furthermore, Carrboro rail and bus discussions have been markedly/noticeably absent from the most recent regional planning processes. 

Guest post by Barbara Janeway on the results of the Transition Carrboro Chapel Hill brainstorming May 15 at Century Center:

Want our community to be safe and resilient through the coming effects of unstable economy, climate change, and the end of cheap oil? A great start was made on this issue at The Great Unleashing, held May 15 at Carrboro's Century Center, sponsored by Transition Carrboro Chapel Hill.

Over 150 people attended and created the agenda for the day themselves, identifying issues to work with. From these, 28 discussion groups met throughout the day, and brainstormed! By day's end, a powerful 'unleashing' of ideas had occurred, and 21 Action Groups were formed. Many positive visions of our future were communicated!

These Action Groups have begun to meet regularly. And those who join will begin the work of transition in our region, to a more stable local economy with more vibrant local resources. Anyone is welcome to join an action group. The groups will do work on issues such as: more affordable housing, communal gardening, energy independence, children's sustainable education, skill-sharing, health, and many more.