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10 <br /> Light Rail For Triangle? <br /> ,orcp <br /> Charlotte Should Follow Raleigh-Durham Group,s Lead <br /> A Raleigh-Durham G�+xr Ti H- 0 8 S R V EP1. <br /> sleigh-Durham conservation built more quickly than the outer <br /> group has conceived a mass transit loops and would cost only about S30D <br /> plan that goes to the heart of the million to build, as opposed to 5750 <br /> Research Triangle's transportation million for the loop expressways. The <br /> problems instead of skirting the edges, mass transit system would also pro- <br /> as a proposed outerbelt expressway mote greater residential density, thus <br /> would do. It's a plan that other metro- discouraging sprawl and saving land. <br /> politan areas, including this one, The Research Triangle is far ahead <br /> should consider. of the state's other metropolitan areas <br /> The idea came from a group called in organizing a regional authority to <br /> Save the Water. But in addressing plan and operate mass transit systems. <br /> Research Triangle traffic jams, the The Save the Water plan. or something <br /> plan would also save considerable similar, could put the area even father <br /> time, land and money. ahead,by demonstrating the feasibility <br /> The Triangle's transportation prob- of light rail. <br /> lcm is the reverse of most places'. in Would that metropolitan Charlotte <br /> Charlotte and most other metropolitan <br /> centers, traffic from surrounding sub- had a regional transit authority and a <br /> urbs grows more congested as it ap- similar public-interest group. Then, <br /> proaches the urban core. In the Trian- perhaps. this area would be farther <br /> gJe, traffic from the three urban cores along in considering alternatives to <br /> Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill building highways. <br /> • <br /> -- grows more congested as it reaches <br /> the suburban offices and laboratories <br /> in Research Triangle Park. <br /> So far, the traffic engineers' recom- <br /> mendation has been to build more <br /> roads, including urban loops around <br /> Raleigh and Durham and connectors <br /> to bedroom communities in Garner, <br /> Apex and Cary and Chapel Hill. <br /> The Save the Water plan calls for <br /> using existing railroad and highway <br /> . corridors for a light-rail system that <br /> would connect the heart of the Re- <br /> search Triangle Park with Raleigh, <br /> Durham, Chapel Hill and their sub- <br /> urbs. <br /> Proponents claim the plan could be <br /> • <br />