HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. — Orange County has agreed to contribute to funds for a study of possible regional commuter rail service around Durham, N.C. The service could extend into Johnston, Wake, Orange and Alamance counties.
Orange County agreed to pay $75,000 of the study’s total cost of $850,000, which is being shared by the participating counties and area railroads, WCHL radio reports. The study should be completed this year.
“This study is going to allow us to learn what we need to know to make a commitment, in a year or two, to the project or not,” Commissioner Mark Marcoplos said, according to the station.
Penelope, the idea of “if you build it, they will come” can be compelling, but the issues of popularity (how many riders), affordability (how much money), and sustainability (will both be enough) must be studied before committing public funds, which have competing needs.
These “studies” are dithering with tax money often with no development. The market is there. Just put the trains on the track!
Lee, if you haven’t already done so, I recommend you read Fred Frailey’s commentary, “Fred twitches, Durham sizzles” (TRAINS, Jun 2019). It may be easy and popular to blame Duke University, but there’s more to the story.
The Duke University/Durham situation reminds me of the reasons behind the North Carolina Railroad’s Company Shops weren’t located in Graham, the Alamance County Seat. Durham is already a rail center with NS freight and 8 AMTRAK trains a day and the busy I40/I85 corridor passes right through town.
Advances in rail transit will leave Durham behind due to the University’s short-sightedness.