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II. COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND SYSTEMS PLANS <br /> A. TRANSPORTATION <br /> Community development patterns are often molded and created around <br /> the transportation network. In larger urban areas, the "people <br /> mover" technologies have considerable impact and influence on <br /> development patterns. On a scale such as Efland, vehicular and <br /> pedestrian-scale transportation is the primary source (see Map 6) . <br /> Rail <br /> Efland is a community which has grown up around the presence of the <br /> railroad. The Southern Railway runs through the middle of the area. <br /> The community itself was "founded" circa 1880, largely as an <br /> important rail stop for tobacco and other agricultural products <br /> centrally located between tobacco centers in Durham and Winston. <br /> Although the significance of the railway has declined greatly since <br /> the advent of privately--owned automobiles, trucking, and air <br /> travel, the recent provision of intrastate commuter service via the <br /> Amtrak "Carolinian" has increased awareness of this mode of <br /> transportation. This train - which carries traffic once-daily from <br /> Raleigh to Charlotte - will be increased to twice-daily service in <br /> 1992, passing through Efland between stops in Burlington and <br /> Durham. <br /> Although it is not economically feasible to pursue a commuter train <br /> stop for Efland in 1991, it is prudent to be aware of future <br /> possibilities for linkages as part of a light-rail or fixed <br /> guideway system. In the future, Efland could be a strategic point <br /> for such service -- either as the westernmost outpost to the <br /> Research Triangle Park or as a mid-point between the metropolitan <br /> centers of the Triad and the Triangle. <br /> Roadways <br /> Roadways in Orange County are classified and evaluated in the <br /> recently-completed Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan <br /> — Phase I. From this document, one can identify the principal roads <br /> located within the Efland area: <br /> Interstate 85/40: a four-lane controlled access facility which in <br /> the process of being expanded to eight lanes by <br /> 1996. <br /> U.S. 70: a major thoroughfare which bisects Efland and <br /> serves as the main traffic carrier. <br /> 13 <br />