News

Here is a brief weekly update from the RTA business coalition – the voice of the regional business community on transportation.

Commuter rail 101
RTA regional leadership team member GoTriangle released a brief overview of the benefts of commuter rail in an email to stakeholders earlier this week.

They noted the following:  “Commuter rail provides a convenient and cost-effective way to avoid traffic-heavy freeways and parking costs. No matter how congested our roads get, the train will always take the same amount of time, ensuring that people can get to where they need to be on time.”

RTA supports the ongoing study and development of a regional commuter rail spine that would link Durham with Research Triangle Park, Morrisville, Cary, Raleigh, Garner, and Clayton, and potential expansions along both the NC Railroad Company and CSX “S-line” corridors. Commuter and intercity passenger rail will be a significant focus of our RTA tour to South Florida next month — see blurb below.

In addition, our colleagues at the Capital Area Friends of Transit and WakeUP Wake County have a free webinar next week on regional transportation, including commuter rail; Travis Crayton with RTA Omnia Gold member the Research Triangle Foundation of NC is among the speakers. Click here for more info or to register.

A massive win, for so many reasons, along the Carolina Core Freeway
The Carolina Core Freeway — future I-685 — will link I-40 at Greensboro with I-95 north of Fayetteville, generally following the US 421 corridor.

This roadway represents an important regional link for Triangle area communities including Chatham and Lee counties, in addition to connecting the Piedmont Triad region with Fayetteville and the Sandhills. The Carolina Core Freeway will connect multiple economic development “megasites” in central North Carolina, including the Greensboro-Randolph megasite that will be the new home of Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina for electric vehicles, as well as others nearby (e.g., the Chatham Advanced Manufacturing site near Siler City).

This week’s blog speaks to the announcement and the future impact on the Carolina Core corridor, our extended region, and on EV deployment in North Carolina. We look forward to working with and supporting our member chambers of commerce and economic development partners along the Carolina Core Freeway and across the state.

Great things come to those who don’t wait — sign up for RTA tour
I encourage you to secure your spot right now for the January 26-28 RTA tour to South Florida. You can join an increasing number of elected officials, including several area mayors, as well as key transportation and business leaders, as we learn, discover, share, and experience together in late January 2022.

Next week we expect to open up the tour to non-RTA members. While space is increasingly limited, the potential knowledge, memories, and experiences will be almost without equal.  You can download the current RTA tour brochure here and a partial list of attendees here.

Please take a moment to register for the RTA winter 2022 tour, presented by GoTriangle and the NC Railroad Company. Thank you also to tour sponsors WSP, HDR, the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina, and Kimley-Horn.

Let’s get moving,

Joe Milazzo II, PE
RTA Executive Director

Click here for prior RTA Member Briefings and RTA Blogs.