Transportation and real estate tend to go hand in hand and there are some really exciting things going on in the Raleigh, NC area. As the Triangle area continues to grow exponentially, there are some things that tend to follow, including transportation issues. Good or bad, when an area is blossoming and becoming the place to move, there will be growing pains. Wake County, which includes such areas as Raleigh, Cary, Holly Springs, Apex and Garner are seeing tremendous relocation which is adding to the congestion in the area.
Did you know that Raleigh, NC has an average of 64 new people moving to the area each day! Can you imagine what that is doing to the area’s traffic? If you live in the area, then you are aware of the effect. What you may not be aware of is exactly what measures Wake County and its municipalities are putting into place to positively affect this congestion and growing needs.
We are becoming a local mecca and larger cities require more transportation options. That is why our area is working on mass transit. $2.3 billion has been approved within the next 10 years on the local, state and federal levels. They intend to quadruple the current bus capacity, growing from the current 17 to 73 miles of routes. The current wait time in between pick ups is an hour, which will eventually be dropped to an acceptable 15 minute intervals. The buses will also start to run on Sundays and have extended hours all through the week. There will also be bus shelters added at stops along the route, which are now lacking. Twenty-five will be added this year! This is an immediate convenience for those who are already choosing to ride and those who would, if these amenities were added.
So what else is planned? Bus Rapid Transit, which is a blend between bus and transit rail. This is a level boarding process and there will be 20 miles radiating north, south, east and west through Wake County to include areas such as Garner, Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville and eventually Durham. There are plans for 37 miles of commuter rails to start in Garner and pass through the new Union Station, coming in at a cost of $80 million, in Raleigh. Once completed, this will also connect UNC and Duke Hospitals.
If that wasn’t enough, they are also bring in Bike Share. Have you seen the lime bikes being ridden through the Downtown Raleigh area lately? If not, you soon will. You can find stations around the area with 10-20 bikes. Watch for them to show up in all Wake County municipalities. Got an app for that? Yes! The app can be downloaded to access these bikes and eventually ALL transportation will be integrated into this app. If you don’t want another app, you can access the bikes the “old fashioned” way. No one will be left out!
Are you excited yet?! How does this help real estate needs? Affordability and cost of living, which I will be expanding on in my next blog update. Until then, thanks so much for taking the time to check out my blog and catch up on what is relevant to real estate in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. #AHadiRealty #RaleighNC #WakeCounty #TransitIssues #Relocation #AshleyHadi
