Here and there

Charlotte is pushing ahead on some innovative mass transit projects. It's a model for the transit-short Triangle

Mass transit for a rapidly growing North Carolina metropolis -- a big winner at the polls this week.

At the polls in Mecklenburg County, that is. While voters in Charlotte and vicinity were ratifying a previous decision to build a light rail line, along with plans for other people-movers, the only specific transit project on this area's plate remains the Triangle Transit Authority's late, largely unlamented commuter rail line. That plan was judged a non-starter by federal funders earlier this year.

From that rejection, however, a promising new crop of transit possibilities is emerging, including a mix of special buses, roadway lanes, streetcars and light rail. With luck and good planning, Triangle voters too could be giving a thumbs-up before long to the funds needed to get things going in an ever-growing region.

First though, take a look at that Mecklenburg vote.

At issue was a move to repeal a half-sent local sales tax designated for transit. The tax was enacted in 1998 and collects $70 million annually. This year, amid frustration over cost overruns on Charlotte's inaugural light rail line, a petition drive put repeal of the sales tax on the ballot.

On track

A whole lot of petition signatures, however, didn't translate into votes in the ballot box. Tuesday's victory margin, according to The Charlotte Observer's account, "stunned even transit supporters." Seventy percent of voters were against repeal.

The 10-mile-long light rail line will open Nov. 24. With its sales tax secure, the Charlotte Area Transit System will work on plans for a commuter-rail line to the Lake Norman area and for more light rail. It's also working on plans for a streetcar through central Charlotte and either a busway or light rail line down Independence Boulevard.

In other words, a mix of options suited to the situation, rather than one big, fixed project (such as the TTA's commuter rail line, which involved laying new tracks in an existing freight-train corridor between Durham and Raleigh).

A more mixed approach, happily, is the direction in which Triangle planning seems to be turning. A committee appointed by the region's two metropolitan planning organizations is studying a network of trains, buses and streetcars. That mix of options will be weighed against the former commuter rail project (which, in fairness, included bus and other connectors). A recommendation by the 29-member panel is expected in February (see WWW.TRANSITBLUEPRINT.ORG).

Some serious buses

The most interesting new option is a special breed of bus used in cities abroad. Called curb-guided bus rapid transit, it employs, according to an N&O report this week, a rubber-tire bus that travels along a busway lined with concrete curbs. The buses have small horizontal wheels that hug the inside of the curb, so it's a lot like buses on rails. But the vehicle can then leave the busway and travel on city streets. That could help with the time-consuming problem of getting to and from a fixed-route station.

Another busway advantage: While a new commuter rail line, to be effective, would have to be built all at once, or nearly so, busways could be constructed as needed. Even if the eventual cost is in the billions, it could be spread out in increments.

Meanwhile, as that system was being developed, regular buses, streetcars or light-rail trains could run through Research Triangle Park and downtown centers. RDU may extend a transit link from the airport to RTP. And, separately, the N.C. Railroad's notion of running commuter trains on existing tracks is also under study. It could be a lower-cost approach to commuter rail, one that's especially useful for people who live east of Raleigh.

Mass transit will never be the ticket for everyone, and in our car-driven culture, the freeway will long be king (although it may not be free). Yet smart options for commuters and shoppers can slice into the region's formidable traffic load and reduce the need for everyone to drive everywhere. That's worth planning for.