Future Research Triangle Park transit hub lands key federal funding
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RTP transit hub. Rendering: Courtesy of GoTriangle
A future transit station in Research Triangle Park that could connect to regional bus rapid transit, passenger rail service and a 17-mile-long bikeway has landed some key federal funding.
Why it matters: The Triangle area is one of the most car-dependent regions in the country, straining the region's roads and highways as its population grows.
- Regional leaders have for years tried to plan better mass transit options for the area, and most recently decided on bus rapid transit as the most viable option.
Driving the news: On Wednesday, the future transit center in RTP was awarded a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
- The funding comes from money allocated in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that President Biden signed into law in 2021.
State of play: Research Triangle Park is one of the largest job centers in the region, with more than 300 companies based there.
- While the Research Triangle Foundation, the not-for-profit that manages the business park, wants to encourage more housing in RTP, most existing workers have to commute long distances into the business park.
- The new transit hub could significantly expand access to RTP, and encourage more development around it.
Zoom in: The grant represents a significant chunk of the potential funding needed for the transit hub. Eric Curry, chief communications officer for GoTriangle, said it is projected to cost $58 million to build.
- The center would be at the intersection of Miami Boulevard and N.C. Highway 54 — a mile east of the massive HUB RTP development that is adding apartments, retail and office towers to the central part of Research Triangle Park.
- It would also be located on a potential regional bus rapid transit route, Amtrak's passenger rail line and a potential bikeway connecting Chapel Hill to Raleigh.
- An existing transit hub for buses exists in the RTP area already, but the region's population growth has made it inadequate, Curry said.
Details: Among other features, the hub will include:
- Covered boarding bays with electric bus-charging infrastructure
- Covered drop-off spaces for paratransit, microtransit and rideshare vehicles
- The funding would pay for up to 10 new battery-electric buses, too.
Between the lines: There is still a long way to go for the Triangle's regional transit plans to materialize.
- The transit hub has a tentative timeline of opening in 2028, but it still needs to secure additional funding from the federal government, the state or local partners.
- Discussions on a regional bus rapid transit system are still in their infancy.
- And the bikeway is still in the design and environmental study phase, The News & Observer previously reported.
