Agenda - 10-21-1986 - Laserfiche WebLink

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TRAVEL IN THE TRIANGLE: CHOICES • O(k EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Now is the time to move ahead with the planning and development of a pub- lic transportation system for the Research Triangle region. If city and county governments maintain the interest in and support for public transporta- tion that this study has created, a workable, though small scale, regional system can be realized very soon. More importantly, continued planning and successful initial services will pave the way for a future public transporta- tion network which will connect the corners of the Triangle. As the report Travel in the Triangle: Trends has shows, only five major. _ highway corridors serve the Research Triangle region. At present most of them are experiencing severe traffic congestion during the rush hours. In 10 to 15 years all will be experiencing traffic jams even with the constructionnr of ad- ditional lanes. Clearly additional transportation capacity, beyond that which is currently planned, must be provided if the region is to continue to grow without undue traffic impacts. This additional capacity may be provided entirely by new highways. - Qu. the other hand, some people may maintain that public transportation is the an- swer. Realistically, however, both highways and public transportation are needed., A balanced system of regional highways and public transportation ser- vies will complement each other and provide increased mobility to the citi- zens of the region. Inter-city commuters, shoppers, and persons going to Tri- - angle universities, hospitals, the airport, social services, and other loca- tions will all benefit. Before major progress on a regional public transportation system ean► be made, however, four basic questions must be answered. _ 1. What role can public transportation play in the future development of the Triangle region? 2. Which types of public transportation are appropriate for the, Research Triangle region? 3. To what extent can public transportation reduce the need for new high- way construction? 4. What steps should be taken by leaders in the Research Triangle area to develop a regional public transportation system? . Each of these questions is answered and briefly discussed in the perm graphs which follow. - What role can public transportation play in the future development of the Tri- angle region? Public transportation has a potentially important role to play. As Is the case with highways, public transportation can be a catalyst for land use change. Over the years highways have allowed city boundaries to be pushed outward and helped create suburbs while maintaining access to jobs. Similarly