Crowded roads, better air, and better living. Those are reasons the Special Transit Advisory Commission members say it’s crucial to have a comprehensive transit system for the area.
DURHAM -- Crowded roads, better air, and better living. Those are reasons the Special Transit Advisory Commission members say it’s crucial to have a comprehensive transit system for the area.
"Given the air quality, given the quality of life with congestion and the cost of oil, all these things makes it that we absolutely have to have this plan to maintain the economic vitality to maintain our health and our quality of life," said STAC member Bernadette Pelissier.
That's why STAC just ratified its blueprint on a Triangle Transit System. The system would enhance the local and regional bus service, build an express service to the airport, have a rail system run from Chapel Hill to north Raleigh and look into a commuter rail service.
"One of our goals is to provide mobility options to all the different people who live in the Triangle, another goal is to encourage economic development because by doing so we encourage companies to locate to the Triangle and we provide more jobs," added STAC Co-Chair George Cianciolo.
The system would enhance the local and regional bus service, build an express service to the airport, have a rail system run from Chapel Hill to north Raleigh and look into a commuter rail service.
This comes in the wake of ongoing transportation problems across the state. As it stands, because of growing population, state highways and roads are beginning to fail. The infrastructure breakdown comes at a price tag of $64 billion
"We have lost our sense of depending on our own two feet to get around. We're very separated from our environment, we don't see children walking to school, we don't see people walking to work, we are very segregated in a lot of terms," concluded STAC member Holly Field.
The system would be developed over the next 25 years. First though, it has to be approved by the staff of the Capital Area Metro Planning Organization and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Planning Organization.
From there legislature would have to approve a half-cent sales tax increase to fund the project as well as a $10 increase in the vehicle registration fee.