Those of you heading to the polls on Tuesday will find a referendum at the end of the ballot to expand Wake County’s public transit system at the cost of a half-cent increase in sales tax. Although nobody likes new taxes, Technician urges the student body to vote for this referendum. We need to plan for the future and open up new avenues for public transit to avoid succumbing to the paralysis of gridlock.
Wake County is currently the eighth fastest growing county in the country. In 1980, we had barely over 300,000 residents. Between 2014 and 2015, we crossed over the million mark. We will only see further growth from this point onward and, consequently, we will see greater demand for transportation services.
Relying on only increasing road capacity cannot solve our congestion problem as it often induces additional demand. We will be trapped in a constant, expensive battle of catch-up with congestion. Let’s not let Raleigh become the next Los Angeles or Atlanta. We need to embrace other modes of transportation besides cars to ensure a cleaner, more equitable and more mobile future.
NC State students, often lacking access to cars, benefit greatly from the mobility of public transit, especially buses. Getting around campus is relatively easy thanks to the Wolfline. However, long wait times and multiple connections are very inconvenient for those traveling by bus to other destinations in the city, county or Triangle area.
The new transit proposals help to solve these problems by expanding the frequency, accessibility, range and comfort of our existing bus system. This will be great for student commuters looking for cleaner and occasionally more convenient ways of getting to class.
The transit plan will build up the existing 17 miles of frequent (coming at least every 15 minutes) bus routes to 83 miles around the Raleigh area. In addition, NC State will be a hub in the new 20-mile network of Bus Rapid Transit corridors, which provide exclusive lanes, preferential treatment at traffic lights and station improvements to allow for faster/more comfortable boarding. Furthermore, the proposed 37-mile commuter rail from Garner to Duke University will have a station right next to campus, opening up the region for students.
The half-cent sales tax increase within the county seems like a very direct, short-term negative effect on people’s pocketbooks, especially poor people, who spend relatively more of their disposable income on consumption.
However, we must have the foresight to implement the necessary long-term policy to alleviate our anticipated growing pains which could cost us even more in the future. Also, in this car-dependent society, those who can’t afford one are left in the dust; thus, enhanced public transportation would close the mobility gap and mitigate inequity.
We encourage you to look over the full details of the plan and come to your own decision. While public transit may not be the sexiest topic this election season, let’s lay down the tracks now so that public transit can thrive in Wake County.
The unsigned editorial is the opinion of the majority of Technician’s editorial board members.
