Dimitri Trembath: Light rail not worth it

Regarding the Sept. 16 editorial “N.C. budget could hinder local light rail”: The General Assembly deserves a loud vote of thanks from the residents of Durham for, we hope, bringing the ghastly light rail plan to a halt.

Even a brief review of the facts surrounding light rail in general and specifically the Durham-Orange light rail plan demonstrates that light rail is ill-suited to this community and promises only increasing costs and slow transit times compared with other modalities like bus rapid transit.

The Republicans showed common sense and fiscal responsibility, saving the taxpayers from an increasing future tax burden for little service.

Additionally, given the debate surrounding the location of the Rail Operations Maintenance Facility and the number of at-grade crossings required by LRT, both of which promised disaster for local communities like Downing Creek and the Farrington Road corridor, the members of the GA who voted for the cap on light rail funding showed a consideration for these neighborhoods sorely lacking in the planning of GoTriangle and the Durham City Council.

Let’s move on to better plans like BRT and driverless vehicles.

This story was originally published September 19, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Dimitri Trembath: Light rail not worth it."