An exciting new rail station project is taking shape in Raleigh, NC. The Union Stationproject will convert an old warehouse building into a new multimodal transportation center in downtown Raleigh. Amtrak will be a key tenant, to be followed by developing commuter and light rail services. The project looks like a classic example of using a high-quality transportation project as a lever for urban redevelopment. (Raleigh has recently trailed Durham on the “hip and trendy” scale, but watch developments in Raleigh’s Warehouse District – which will get a real lift from Union Station.)
The Triangle area is poised for future transit oriented development as well as high-speed rail connections. As the Raleigh News and Observer story mentions, a key component of success for North Carolina rail will actually be found in Virginia, where freight rail bottlenecks cause chronic delays in already slow-paced Amtrak schedules. The highway congestion is so bad between Washington and Richmond that an improved train service could be very attractive to travelers.
This looks to be a very successful project, which also demonstrates that we’re still getting good results from stimulus funding!
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