Every week I take GoTriangle’s 100 and 700 buses, as well as GoDurham’s 6 bus to get from Duke, where I’m a student, to downtown Raleigh for an internship. Although this is convenient, especially as a broke college student without a car, it is not the perfect system. I personally have to carve out two hours for travel time, when I’m only a 40-minute car ride away. The route that I would favor is the Durham-Raleigh Express that takes about half the time. It only runs, however, through rush hour and thus is only reliable for getting me to work and not back. It’s for this reason, then, that I’m interested in the Wake County Transit Plan. The proposed agenda includes route expansion, increased bus service frequency, the creation of a commuter rail and improved connection between universities, hospitals and the like. These upgrades would be deeply impactful on me, my commute and the way in which I connect to North Carolina. Thus, on the ballot this November, I’ll be voting “yes” to the Wake County transportation referendum and you should too. Vote “yes” to improved transit for me and for all. 

Amaree Gardner

Amaree Gardner is a sophomore at Duke University