Raleigh gets $35 million for first rapid bus transit line
THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THIS
COULD HAVE BEEN A THREAT TO
THE ENVIRONMENT.
THANKS, CHRIS.
>> 35 MILLION DOLLARS ARE
COMING TO RALEIGH FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR BRAND
NEW WAY TO GET FROM DOWNTOWN TO
EASTERN WAKE COUNTY. THIS IS
THE AREA THAT WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT RIGHT HERE. IT'S NEW BERN
AVENUE, THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT
LINE. IT WILL HAVE 10 STATIONS
BETWEEN NEW HOPE ROAD AND THE
GO. RALEIGH, TRANSIT HUB.
THAT'S WHERE WRAL'S MATT
TALHELM IS LIVE NOW TO SHOW
US HOW THIS IS GOING TO CUT
DOWN TRAVEL TIMES AND CHANGE
THE DRIVE-THRU EASTER RALEIGH
MASK.
>> YEAH, DENVER RIGHT NOW
THAT'S CALLED ROUTE 15 RUNS
FROM HERE DOWNTOWN OUT NEW BERN
TO NEW HOPE ROAD. IT'S ABOUT A
29 MINUTE TRIP RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE TOLD THIS BRT LINE WILL
CUT 10 MINUTES OFF THAT TRIP.
THOSE BUSES WILL BE ABOUT 20
FEET LONGER THAN THE BUSES YOU
SEE THAT ROLLED DOWN THE
STREETS RIGHT NOW. SO THEY'LL
BE ABLE TO CARRY MORE RIDERS ON
EACH ONE OF THOSE TRIPS.
>> PROBABLY BEST 15 IS PART OF
JENNIFER JACOBS COMMUTE 3 DAYS
A WEEK BECAUSE I
DON'T DRIVE AND I I TAKE PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION TO WORK BACK
AND FORTH.
>> SHE TAKES THE NEW BERN
AVENUE ROUTE THAT WILL SOON
BECOME THE CITY'S FIRST BUS
RAPID TRANSIT LINE HERE.
>> WELL, GETTING TO WORK
GETTING TO WORK MUCH AS THE BRT
WILL MAKE 10 STOPS BETWEEN THE
DOWNTOWN RALEIGH TRANSIT HUB
AND NEW HOPE ROAD, INCLUDING A
STATION AT WAKE MED
>> THIS IS WHAT IT WILL LOOK
LIKE ON THE ROAD. BUSES WILL
DRIVE IN DEDICATED LANES,
MARKED BY RED PAVEMENT HERE.
WE'LL GET PRIORITY FOR GREEN
LIGHTS TO MOVE FASTER THROUGH
THE CORRIDOR. THE MAJORITY OF
THE ROUTE WILL RUN DOWN THE
MEDIAN WITH BRT STATIONS
BETWEEN THE LANES OF TRAFFIC
LIKE THIS ONE CLOSER TO
DOWNTOWN BUSES WILL DRIVE IN
THEIR OWN LANES ON THE RIGHT
SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH CURBSIDE
STATIONS IS SIMILAR TO TRAIN,
BUT IT'S ON RUBBER TIRES.
THAT'S HOW THE ADMINISTRATOR
FOR THE FEDERAL TRANSIT
ADMINISTRATION DESCRIBES IT.
SHE JOINED LOCAL STATE AND
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS IN
RALEIGH TO ANNOUNCE 35 MILLION
DOLLARS IN NEW FEDERAL FUNDING
FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
OF THE NEW BERN AVENUE BRT.
IT CONNECTS KEY LOCATIONS IN
OUR COMMUNITY.
>> IMPROVES ACCESS FOR
LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS. SENIOR
CITIZENS AND OTHER UNDERSERVED
POPULATIONS AND TO MAJOR
EMPLOYERS AND MEDICAL
FACILITIES
>> THE BRT IS DESIGNED TO CUT
TRAVEL TIME BY 10 MINUTES,
RALEIGH AND WAKE COUNTY LEADERS
HOPE THIS FASTER, MORE RELIABLE
BUS SERVICE WILL GET MORE
PEOPLE TO DITCHING THEIR DRIVE.
SAVING THEM. THE COSTS OF
OWNING A CAR. WE CAN PUT 4 TO
$500 A MONTH IN THESE PEOPLE'S
POCKETS. EVERYONE'S POCKET TO
DECIDE TO GIVE UP ONE OF THESE
THINKING AUTOMOBILES.
>> NOW WE ARE ALL TO BE IN FOR
TRANSIT PROJECTS LIKE THIS.
AND SINCE WAKE COUNTY VOTERS IN
2016 APPROVED A HALF-CENT SALES
TAX INCREASE THAT WOULD GO
TOWARD THESE TRANSIT PROJECTS.
CONSTRUCTION ON A NEW BERN
AVENUE BRT IS EXPECTED TO START
IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY OF NEXT
YEAR TO TAKE ABOUT 2 YEARS TO
COMPLETE. AND THIS IS THE FIRST
OF 4 BRT PROJECT PLAN TO GO
FROM HERE NORTH SOUTH EAST AND