Neighborhood Statements on TTA
TTA Decision (on or about January 29, 2002)
Joseph HubermanI got some clarification about the decision that TTA made regarding the Boylan Station.
In it's simplest form, they decided that the TTA tracks which are on the north side of the freight tracks coming in from NC State would cross the freight tracks in the area of the wye and exit the wye under the Morgan St. Bridge on the east side of the freight tracks.
That is the only part that is "cast in stone" everything else can still be manipulated to solve the problems we have identified, the station requirements, and City Council's requests.
This allows them to get on with planning the rest of the route north of us.
This decision is consistent with the proposals that have been submitted as "Wye A" and "Wye B", and also with the various proposals that were presented to us at our meeting. This decision eliminates the "Shelton's Furniture Store" location from further consideration.
But this decision does not speak to the issue of an at-grade crossing.
TTA will continue to look for a solution that avoids an at-grade crossing, and consistent with the City Council request, they will look at other ways to move the station further west (like in the Dillon Supply Building).
This is a compilation of the statements made by Boylan Heights Residents through our announcement list. This began on December 16 after a meeting of the City of Raleigh Comprehensive Planning Committee Meeting where they endorsed the Wye Station location.
The station location will have important repercussions in our neighborhood. The issue is basically between two station locations:
Wye Station: This is an elevated station just east of the Boylan Avenue Bridge, and will bring the train tracks up to the level of Boylan Avenue with an "at grade" crossing of Boylan Avenue.
Morgan Street Station: This is just south of Morgan St. at the location of Shelton's Furniture Store. The tracks would stay at the level of the other tracks, and thus go under the Boylan Avenue Bridge.
On May 28, 2001, the Boylan Heights Association unanimously supported the following resolution.
The Boylan Heights Association fully supports the creation of a regional rail system for the Triangle. The BHA strongly supports Alternate C as the preferred alternate because of its greater potential to promote positive urban redevelopment and reinvestment around the downtown transit station, and because of its lower potential to impose negative community impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. The BHA will continue to work closely with TTA to enhance positive effects and to avoid, minimize or mitigate negative effects of the rail project.
Side by side site analysis of the station proposals.
Joseph Huberman
WebMaster
Kim DeCoste
1/5/02I find that I am once again agreeing with Harrison Marshall. This new option brings in too many complications, expenses and delays to be a practical alternative at this point. It will make going to nearby locations to the North much more difficult, and we can already get to downtown via Cabarrus. I am still strongly in favor of the Morgan St. option and believe it better addresses concerns of safety, access, traffic, and feasibility than either Wye option. The connector from Western Blvd. to Morgan St. seems like a separate issue and a great idea. It should be done regardless of where the downtown station ends up. And if the station was on Morgan St., the connector would provide an logical and ideal route to access the station without having to go through Boylan Heights! Thanks for letting me share my opinion. Kim DeCoste
Harrison Marshall
1/5/02When I write something quickly, as happened with my last comments, I unfortunately tend to use acronyms and professional shorthand. Thus, to explain some of my comments in more detail:
CAMPO - Capitol Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. CAMPO covers Wake Co and all its municipalities for transportation planning purposes. Morgan Connector. My understanding is that the Morgan St connector is on the CAMPO plan "wish list." This means it has been identified as a possible project but is not part of the transportation plan that has been prioritized and budgeted for the next 20 to 25 years. During a public forum a couple of years ago both Derrick Weaver and Benson Kirkman brought up the Morgan connector as needed to discourage through traffic on Boylan and Ashe. The connector is also important if the Hillsborough St project is completed, as this will redirect over 10,000 vehicles per day onto Western.
A recent projection of unfunded transportation needs for the Triangle found that some $9 billion to $13 billion was needed above and beyond the billions already budgeted for highways, streets, sidewalks, buses and trains. The Morgan connector is part of this unfunded need and will have to compete with many other projects for any additional monies that may become available. By federal law and state policies, highest priority is given to projects which relieve congestion and improve air quality. Unfortunately, the Morgan connector simply redirects traffic out of neighborhoods and is currently a very low priority.
Bridges. The starting cost for a basic pedestrian overpass over a highway is $500,000. The cost for a pedestrian overpass covering the much longer distance of Boylan to Martin would be many times that cost. The cost for a bridge for both vehicles and pedestrians would be even more expensive. The bridge must either be elevated over the tracks parallel to West or end before crossing these tracks. If the bridge went over the tracks there must be a minimum of 23' between the top of the tracks and lowest point of the bridge so that freight trains can pass under. As these tracks are fairly close to the West/Martin intersection, it would be very difficult to end the bridge between the tracks and intersection. It is much more likely that a bridge would end before reaching the tracks. This means that the Martin connector would require pedestrians, cyclists and drivers to merge with the cars and buses using the station. As it would provide direct access to the station, it would make Boylan Ave the shortest and most convenient route into and out of it.
Through traffic and changes in travel patterns. Cutting off vehicular traffic on the Boylan bridge may reduce some through traffic heading northbound for Morgan, Hillsborough, Jones and Peace. However, as the Martin connector provides access to West, which connects to these same streets, at least some of this traffic may continue to drive through the neighborhood rather than use the more congested Dawson/McDowell pair. This is in addition to traffic which will be heading for the station itself. New traffic. This discussion cannot limit itself to the isolated effects of one change or the other - Boylan Heights must keep in mind all of the proposed changes which may go on around us. The townhouses proposed for Boylan/Hargett will add new traffic to the whole area, as will new condos on Hillsborough and Cabarrus. The development desired around the rail station can be thought of as Jillians on the ground floor with Park Devereux above it - most new development around the station will probably be 4 to 8 stories or more, with a mix of office, retail, entertainment and housing. All of this new development will bring new traffic. Whether you take Boylan, Martin, Morgan or any other area street, over the next several years you will be sharing it with hundreds and thousands of new cars. North Boylan and West will no longer seem almost empty much of the time as these streets begin taking on the character and traffic of Hillsborough and Glenwood.
Good access - gift AND curse. Boylan Heights is seeing increasing amounts of cut-through traffic on Boylan, Cabarrus, Dorothea and east South and Lenoir. Why? Because we have good, convenient access to several adjacent areas, and our streets are less congested than downtown streets. The only surefire way to stop this cut-through traffic is to have bad, inconvenient access. If you want to make it hard for someone else to get to Cameron Village or Glenwood South through the neighborhood, you have to make it hard for yourself as well. While we are considering cutting off our only northern access route, we could also consider further reducing through traffic by closing the Boylan/Western intersection. After all, we can simply take South to Dawson to reach Western, which is just as inconvenient in reaching Western as is the Martin connector for reaching north Boylan. Try this as an experiment - rather than drive straight to Cameron Village on Boylan, turn onto either Hargett or Morgan, then take West to Hillsborough, and then Hillsborough back to Boylan. For those who think the Martin connector may be a good idea, give up your good northbound access for the next few months and actually experience first hand what would be made permanent by closing the bridge.
Cul-de-sacs vs traffic calming. Cutting off Boylan Ave is a cul-de-sac mentality. Just like in north Raleigh, we're saying we're willing to drive farther each trip - and make others drive farther by forcing them to go around the neighborhood - to keep our streets private.
Rather than blocking through traffic (and blocking ourselves) the other option is traffic calming. The primary intent of traffic calming is to slow traffic down to neighborhood appropriate levels. Residents who already drive on neighborhood streets at 20 to 25 mph would not even notice the effects but those who want to cut through at higher speeds would be forced to either slow down or find a quicker route. Traffic that continues to drive through the neighborhood would do so at much slower speeds. The speed of cut through traffic tends to be a greater concern than the traffic volume.
Avoidance is the best policy. The reason elevated tracks and an at-grade crossing are proposed for the Boylan bridge is because the Wye and West station locations require the commuter rail line to shift from the north side of the tracks to the east side without interfering with freight rail lines. TTA is currently looking at using tunnels along the same rail alignment to reach the Wye and West locations. If it is reasonable and feasible for TTA to pass under, rather than over, the freight rail lines, there would be no at-grade crossing, no building demolitions and no noise or visual impacts. It would also place the station platform at ground level, making the station much more pedestrian friendly than the proposed elevated platform. We should learn from TTA in the next week or two if they think tunnels may work.
Harrison Marshall
Cecilia Rawlins
1/3/02I like the idea so that there is less traffic on Boylan Ave. hOw will the rennovations and expansions at Project Enlightenment affect any of this?
Cecilia Rawlins
Suzanna Stockwell
1/3/02It seems to me that this proposed plan of the right turn to connect to Martin street cuts two connections for Boylan Heights that are advantageous. One is direct access to Cameron Village, and the other, of course to North Boylan where churches, and businesses that may be important to people of South Boylan areas are located.
Suzanna Stockwell
Melanie Iversen
1/3/02I am loving the idea of Morgan St. extention. In addition to comments already mentioned, it is the only feasible way to calm traffic on Ashe.Our efforts to follow through with our own small area plan that includes that design have not been addressed in the past. I believe the PullenPark Neighborhood would readily support your efforts to request such a move.
Melanie Iversen
Ryke Longest
1/3/02This idea solves the primary safety concern of an at-grade crossing in two ways. Pedestrian access to downtown by Martin Street by sidewalk over the new bridge would avoid any at grade crossing. The Morgan Street connector would be a good alternative to Ashe Avenue for folks walking to Hillsborough. Traffic for the Station would be coming through the neighborhood would also be reduced from the South and eliminated from the North. I prefer the Wye location and this addresses the concerns I have with an at grade crossing.
Ryke Longest
Harrison Marshall
1/3/021. While the Morgan St. connector project is in the CAMPO plan, it is not on the project list. This means that there are no plans to build this project during the next 20 years.
2. If Boylan Ave. connects to Martin, then it blocks access to the Wye, or Boylan Ave. traffic must be mixed in with station traffic within the Wye so both can use the same intersection at West and Martin. If Boylan connects directly with the station then even more traffic will use Boylan as a short cut to reach the train.
3. An elevated roadway over the freight tracks and into the Wye would run in the tens of millions and possibly cost as much as TTA's entire budget for the downtown Raleigh station - where is the source for this money? Boylan Ave. is not a state road so it would have to be TTA's or Raleigh's money. Otherwise, there is no money available for any portion of this proposal.
4. The delay imposed by this proposed street configuration would be considerable. To reach Boylan/Hillsborough now from the bridge is 3 blocks and 3 traffic signals, none of which require left turns. To reach this same intersection under this proposal would be 7 blocks, 5 traffic signals (one would be required at West/Martin), 2 stop signs and two left turns. The delay should be 4 to 5 times that of the current trip. While it would be safer in the sense of not having to cross an at-grade crossing, it would probably be faster to reach Cameron Village via Western to Pullen to Oberlin.
5. A very expensive and impractical Boylan/Martin bridge would provide parallel access to downtown with Cabarrus, Lenoir and South already do, while at the same time impairing access to the rail station. Meanwhile, the only north/south access would be rerouted into downtown. The same degree of access to downtown could be achieved by reconnecting West to Cabarrus and replacing the Boylan bridge with a pedestrian overpass. Virtually no one cares about direct access to Martin but for many people good access to Cameron Village, Morgan, Hillsborough, etc. are why they live in Boylan Heights.
6. As long as anyone - pedestrian, bicycle, etc. - crosses the tracks at-grade, horns must be sounded. Horns are required for all crossings. To eliminate horn use at this crossing it must be grade separated for pedestrian use, which would require two elevator towers to provide ADA access as there is not enough room for a ramp to reach a level 20' above the tracks at a 12:1 slope. For TTA to consider this option would require portions of the DEIS for the downtown station area to be reassessed and rewritten. Engineering studies of the proposed bridge would be required to determine if its possible, much less reasonable and feasible, and these additional costs added to the budget. At present, the Wye and Morgan are within about $2 million of each other but this would raise the costs of the Wye by perhaps $50 million. If Raleigh won't put up the money to buy Dillon Supply I don't see them paying for this bridge. What will be presented by TTA to the neighborhood will be Morgan, the Wye with at-grade crossing, the West option with at-grade, and both the Wye and West using tunnels along the same path. Anything beyond that will require a substantial rewrite of the DEIS and TTA does not appear willing to consider that substantial a delay.
Harrison Marshall
Wye Station, a New Idea
1/1/02Joseph Huberman
While nearly all of the people in the neighborhood who expressed an opinion about the Downtown TTA Station prefer a grade separated crossing it is possible that we will need to accept that the tracks may be at the same level as Boylan Avenue. We have always taken this to mean an at-grade crossing, but a new idea is being discussed...
Instead of having Boylan Avenue as a through street and major collector for traffic going north and south, connect Boylan Avenue to Martin Street instead. This would mean that heading north on Boylan, when you got to the TTA tracks the road would take a right turn, parallel to the tracks, stay at our level over all the freight tracks to our east and come down on Martin and Harrington street.
To get back to Glenwood or Boylan you would turn left and go north to Hillsboro Street, turn left for one block and then Right on Glenwood.
In addition, there is a long range plan to connect Morgan St. to Western Boulevard just west of the Prison between the school for the blind and the prison. That should be built at the same time. (I have attached a map of this plan with the new connectors in blue.)
As a result of these connections Boylan Heights would have good access to downtown and to Capital Boulevard heading north. The access to Glenwood wouldn't be quite as easy, but only about three blocks longer. This jog would significantly reduce the through traffic on Boylan Avenue. Much of this traffic would take the Morgan Connector between Hillsboro St. and Western Blvd. or Dawson Street to connect with South Saunders St.
Instead of adding an at-grade crossing at Boylan Ave. we are removing two from Hargett Street.
While the tracks would still be at our street level, we wouldn't be crossing them by car, a pedestrian crossing would continue to exist over the Boylan Avenue Bridge but it wouldn't require all the whistles and bells, and a secure and safe crossing could be constructed for pedestrians and bicycles.
Lets hear your opinion on this idea... do you think it will work for Boylan Heights, will it work for Raleigh? Is this something we should ask TTA's designers to consider?
Joseph Huberman
Effective, Downtown Mass Transit Needs the Help of All Boylan Residents
12/20/01 Deanna Kerrigan
Current BHA PresidentThe TTA commuter rail project is the most important project impacting the Boylan Heights neighborhood since the extension of Western Boulevard. Like Western Boulevard, the rail project will have permanent positive and negative affects on the neighborhood long after we are gone. It is critical that we all be as well informed as we can and it is with this in mind that I want to recap the work of so many fine neighbors over the past several years.
Over the past three years, Boylan Heights residents have involved themselves in lengthy public meetings and information sharing sessions with TTA staff regarding the commuter rail project. Although the rail project has changed slightly over the years, residents of Boylan Heights and board members of the BHA have communicated a consistent message to TTA, City Council, DOT Rail Division and others-We want commuter rail and we want it to be successful.
In late 1999 and early 2000, neighborhood residents participated in a series of public meetings with TTA as part of our monthly BHA meeting schedule. Following these meetings, which were attended by so many residents that they had to be moved to larger meeting spaces at Project Enlightenment and Wiley Elementary, residents generated a list of concerns and issues they wanted TTA to address. These issues were sent to TTA for review and TTA staff members held additional meetings to talk with neighbors and discuss the project's potential impacts on the neighborhood. During 2000, TTA staff worked on producing the Draft Environmental Impact Statement or DEIS, which assessed project alternatives on a wide range of environmental issues, including noise, air pollution, impact on historic structures, and safety. Boylan Heights neighbors were informed via the monthly newsletter and the e-mail list that the DEIS was published and available at Project Enlightenment, any public library in Wake County, and on CD-ROM from TTA.
In the spring of 2001, the BHA put the DEIS on the meeting agenda and residents again began commenting on the TTA plans. In response to TTA's request for official public comment on the DEIS document, participants at the May 2001meeting crafted a resolution to submit as part of the official DEIS comment period. A slightly revised resolution was publicized in writing prior to the picnic and was put up for a vote at the Memorial Day picnic and business meeting. Neighbors in attendance were given written copies of the resolution and BHA officers were on hand to answer questions as well as discuss the process. Comments were minimal and the resolution was approved unanimously by the 47 neighbors in attendance. The resolution was mailed to TTA staff for inclusion in their review of the DEIS, with the understanding that at some point in the winter TTA Board members would review all information and public comments and make decisions regarding the locally preferred alternates for the rail stations.
Following this action, there had been no news about the DEIS or the TTA board meeting until mid-December when BHA officers discovered that the City Council's Comprehensive Planning Committee would be voting to endorse a downtown station location. The situation went from 0 to 100 miles per hour in a matter of days. Since two thirds of the Committee are new to City Council, BHA officers believed that they should understand what the neighborhood association's formal position is as well as what individual residents believe is best for the neighborhood. Although we did not have time to produce and distribute another flyer, we did send a message to the e-mail listserv; however, the coordinator was out of town. BHA officers represented the neighborhood's concerns as expressed and documented over the past three years. Those primary concerns have always been safety of an at-grade crossing, air pollution, and noise. No new issues were brought to the table by BHA officers or other neighborhood residents. Following this meeting, a notice about the TTA board meeting was posted to the e-mail list and minutes of the Planning Committee's meeting were posted to the BHA website. At that point, neighbors were encouraged to contact the TTA board with their comments regardless of which site they preferred. Due to strong neighborhood opposition to an at-grade crossing on Boylan Avenue (note, there is NO opposition to the rail project), TTA board members chose to postpone the decision on the downtown station until they can further examine how to best meet the safety needs of the community and the design needs of the station.
The Boylan Heights Association is a participatory democracy that relies on the volunteer efforts of many individuals throughout the neighborhood. Officers and other involved residents have invested thousands of hours in keeping residents informed of issues, organizing meetings, contacting elected and appointed officials and staff, organizing committees to examine issues like crime or transportation in-depth, and attending public hearings. In this hectic age where free time is precious, it is easy to be "too busy" to attend meetings or ask questions via e-mail or telephone. However, the BHA has made every effort to keep everyone up-to-date on the issues. I want to personally thank all of you who have carved time out of your busy schedules to help insure that the rail project is a win-win for neighborhood residents and the transit system. And for all of the neighborhood, our next regular meeting the fourth Tuesday in January at 7:00 p.m. However, we will be trying to coordinate meetings earlier in the month to work within TTA's schedule. Please look for notice of all meetings in the newsletter and on the listserv. We look forward to seeing you.
Deanna Kerrigan
Support Wye Location
12/20/01
Josef Osterneck
Certain postings have repeated ad nauseam the following resolution that was passed "unanimously" at the May 28, 2001 Memorial Day Picnic:
The Boylan Heights Association fully supports the creation of a regional rail system for the Triangle. The BHA strongly supports Alternate C as the preferred alternate because of its greater potential to promote positive urban redevelopment and reinvestment around the downtown transit station, and because of its lower potential to impose negative community impacts on surrounding neighborhood. The BHA will continue to work closely with TTA to enhance positive effects and to avoid, minimize or mitigate negative effects of the rail project.
While the attendees of this picnic represented a overwhelming minority of the neighborhood residents, attendance was enormous relative to that of BHA meetings. I happened to attend this picnic and remember voting on something. However, I distinctively remember that the only alternative resolution promulgated also endorsed Alternate C. The only difference between resolutions presented by this "democratic" process was mere parsing of words. It reminded me of your typical presidential election where the only choice is between Tweedledee and Tweedledum. There was no debate or even an opportunity for those of us who support a Wye location to vote on such a resolution.
I was therefore shocked out of my apathy after learning that the BHA had advocated on my behalf for the Morgan Street location recently at the City Council's comprehensive planning committee on Dec. 12 2001.
Before any more such action is taken on our behalf by this association. I propose that we have a vigorous inclusive debate to find out just what the the residents of Boylan Heights actually prefer.
Personally, as someone who regularly uses public transit (TTA route 302 on Western Blvd. as well as route 101 on Hillsborough), I believe that if the BHA were to represent the residents of Boylan Heights, it would primarily be advocating for the closest most convenient and most comprehensive access to regional rail as well as an itermodal station.
Being thrilled that we have a possibility for an extensive itermodal station within walking distance, I certainly hope that the BHA does not misrepresent the interest of the neighborhood and do anything to squander this potential windfall.
I also agree with the numerous planning professionals that it is the Wye station, despite the at-grade crossing, that makes the most sense to the city and the neighborhood. The Wye location has the biggest bang for the buck concerning Downtown revitalization because of its natural fit and central downtown location; there are also fiscal advantage to the city associated with this location; as a bonus, it is closer to the neighborhood.
While these correspondences have included much criticism of the city's process and commitment to citizen involvement, my beef is with the BHA. After learning my lesson, I wil certainly be religiously attending any further BHA meetings where such decision are made "on my behalf". I propose that we reconsider any preference for the Morgan Street location and especially examine any connection between the station location and our chance of getting an intermodal station within walking distance.
Josef Osterneck
Why The Wye
12/20/01
Kim DeCoste
I am strongly in favor of the the Morgan St. option and strongly opposed to the Wye option. I'm not going to repeat arguments that have been made very clearly by others, especially Harrison Marshall, but I would like to add my voice to those of my neighbors whom seem to be as continually astounded as I am at the TTA's, the city's and others insistence that the Wye station is the preferred option. Why? What are their compelling arguments. I haven't heard them. I too have attended several public hearings, talked to TTA officials, and sent in my opinions and comments. And throughout this process I have yet to hear a single compelling argument for the Wye or a single reasonable objection to the Morgan St. option. Morgan St. is more accessible, it has less impact on neighborhoods, it's safer, it leaves the Wye area open for complementary development, and the elevated tracks in the Glenwood area will make that area safer for pedestrians (and they have a lot of pedestrians there these days).
The only reason anyone ever gave me for not wanting the Morgan St. option was that the tracks would have to moved. In my mind that's a short term inconvenience as compared to the long term inconvenience the Wye option would impose on our neighborhood and the city. In addition to the noise and safety issues, we'll have people parking all throughout the neighborhood to get to the train via Boylan Ave. because the only other option to get to the station by car will to go through the downtown one-way street maze to Martin St. to a dead end parking lot. Who's going to want to do that? The Morgan St. option would have access from all directions without having to navigate the downtown maze.
It makes me wonder what the real reasons for choosing the Wye option are. Is it the city's desire to use the project to acquire property? Is it the TTA engineer's reluctance to work with Norfolk & Southern to move the tracks? Is it some private party working behind the scenes to turn this public project to personal gain? Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but I'd just like to know why some parties have this dogged insistence on an option that no one seems to be able to give any concrete reasons as to WHY it's "best for the big picture" or "the most beneficial alternative" or "a natural fit." If this option is going to be forced on us when there seems to be a better one, I'd just like to know WHY THE WYE?
-Kim DeCoste
TTA Postpones the Decision 4:00 p.m. 12/19/2001
I just received a call from Benson Kirkman, who is at the TTA board meeting, and he reported that after a presentation by him and Nina Szlosberg, requesting more information and design options, the TTA board decided to postpone the decision until their Jan 23 meeting. This is to allow them to explore other siting details with the hope of mitigating identified problems, possibly designing a more feasible grade separated crossing, restoring the Martin street pedestrian connector, and enhancing the development potential.
Our flurry of activity and constructive contact with our elected officials shows that they welcome our input and are listening to us. The amount of contact in hastily arranged meetings and phone calls that Boylan Heights residents have had with City Council and TTA Board members as well as their recent actions clearly shows we are all working on the same team with the same goals.
Station Impact Mitigation
12/19/01
M. B. HardyWhatever the immediate, negative impact of the Wye station, there are some prospects for amelioration. Most immediate is to have the Martin St. connecter rebuilt, for pedestrian-wheelchair-bicycle access from the neighborhood to the station (and downtown), and avoid having to cross Boylan Bridge to get there. Another prospect is the eventual necessity of having one of the larger, nearby, North-South streets cross over, on its own bridge, parallel to Boylan Bridge. St. Mary's could cross over and run between prison and railroad to connect to Hunt Dr. Glenwood could do the same to connect to S. Saunders. Either would take traffic out of BH.
-- M. B. Hardy
Station Decision Not Justified
12/19/01
Paul MeyerIt is an insult to citizens in our neighborhood that both the City of Raleigh (via Comprehensive Planning Committee) and TTA Boards have decided that elevated tracks and an additional at-grade crossing by an established historic neighborhood is preferable to running elevated tracks along a well-shielded commercial business/government buildings corridor in Glenwood South. There is absolutely nothing compelling in that line of reasoning, especially when the costs of the two station locations are virtually the same. Instead of spending money on track reconfigurations and the condemnation of a vacant towing company, concrete plant, and the sand/gravel site in order to create the best possible railbed configuration to encourage future residential growth in the downtown via the Morgan Station location, we have chosen to spend our money on condemning viable businesses (Dillon Supply, Hartsfield Garage, recording studio, and architect building) to avoid elevated tracks near Powerhouse Station. And at the end, the Wye station will likely be ONE OR TWO BLOCKS from the Morgan site. Such marginal benefits (if any) are not justified by the harms created.
As a staunch supporter of governmental processes, it saddens me to have witnessed how miserably this one has broken down. It is no wonder that people feel disenfranchised. Decisions such as this one, that fly in the face of both common sense AND recommendations contained in federally mandated impact statements demoralize the voting public. As one of my neighbors said to me yesterday, "What do you expect....it's just government at work."
We can do better than this.
Paul Meyer
Legal Recourse
12/19/01
Tom LutherI must admit that I'm surprised at our response to TTA's impositions.
We are dealing with bureaucratic socialism on the federal level--decentralized faceless power. Voting, neighborhood issues, money, safety, rights, pollution ... none of this is even relevant to combating this kind of everyday tyranny.
Without the power of the courts, or an opposing federal agency (such as FRA/high speed rail coalition), we have comparable legal standing to the proverbial snowball in hell.
The first avenue is to fund a legal review by someone who has enough stature and experience in opposing these types of projects. Any violations of property rights or procedural errors discovered could be pursued to tie the matter up in court. Success is contingent on inflicting enough delay, cost additions, and negative publicity to the project that we force the politicians and bureaucrats to give us a seat at the negotiating table. This strategy is expensive, but has proven successful in the long run. (NCWARN as a possible example)
The second avenue amounts to choosing the lesser of 2 evils. If we court a strong suitor to represent our interests, we risk being co-opted and consumed by the larger organization. I still think that a legal review and court proceedings would be required, but we would not be alone at the table.
We cannot enter this conflict lightly, and hope for any measure of success. Relying on politicians and the official sanctioned review process is a ticket to failure... the process is designed suppress dissent and dissipate opposition.
Tom Luther
Station Location Issues & New Proposal
12/19/01
Harrison Marshall
Janet Cowell was kind enough to convey what she found "compelling" about the Wye station proposal - the issue of elevated tracks north of Hillsborough Street and the purchase of Dillon Supply. This is consistent with the TTA presentation that day and with Benson's comments during the meeting.
Janet is not yet familiar with what is a very complex project and she also said she thought that the comprehensive planning committee's recommendation was simply being sent to the full Council for more discussion. She did not realize that the committee had taken its own formal action, nor had Janet known that the TTA board would be making a decision only a week later before it could be discussed by City Council.
My rebuttal to these "compelling reasons" follows:
1. The elevated tracks between Hillsborough and Jones Street would be elevated within a ditch and basically obscured by surrounding buildings. From Jones Street north these elevated tracks would run over the top of existing freight rail lines and for the most part would remain obscured behind the building that currently shield these freight rails. Visual effects would be limited to crossings over streets and these streets are already impacted, visually and otherwise, by at-grade crossings.
2. The existing rail line between Glenwood and West is an elevated track from the north side of Jones to beyond Peace Street. Glenwood South has redeveloped quite well over the past few years with no apparent problems resulting from the presence of elevated tracks. The experience of Glenwood South indicates that there would be no negative commercial redevelopment effects from elevated tracks along the other existing rail line. The same cannot be said about elevated tracks adjacent to a residential neighborhood.
3. To my knowledge, at no public forum or public hearing has any property or business owner from the area adjacent to the proposed elevated tracks in that area complained about potential negative impacts. TTA and Raleigh appear to be acting as advocates for a business district which has expressed no opinion on the subject. At the same time, this unrequested advocacy is being used to justify ignoring the long standing and widespread opposition of Boylan Heights to the imposition of elevated tracks adjacent to our neighborhood - tracks that are not over existing rail lines and which imposes a new at grade crossing rather than five new grade separations.
4. Our proposal for the Morgan station involves use of the entire block of the northern Dillon Supply building as a multi-modal center in much the same manner as Durham's downtown station inside a Ligett warehouse. The block would remain whole and intact. Dillon buildings to the south would be placed back on the market with the structures, existing uses and the blocks themselves intact. TTA's proposal calls for the permanent loss of at least 50 feet of these blocks, including demolition of all or portions of at least three large structures and the relocation of existing businesses. The redevelopment potential is much greater with intact blocks, unaltered structures and operating businesses.
5. Our proposal for the Morgan station involves development of a mixed use complex above the station platform - if practical, a "galleria" of small shops on the Morgan Street level with offices above. This development could be done at no cost to the project through a joint venture and in fact could generate revenues for the rail system through the lease or sale of air rights for such development.
6. Raleigh's "compelling interest" appears to be use of state and federal transit funds to acquire a property that otherwise has nothing to do with or add to the transit system. If Raleigh wants to make the Dillon property part of this project, then Raleigh should contribute funds towards the project. Rail project funds could be used to purchase the northern block, as it is needed for bus and parking use, but City funds should be used to acquire the other non-transportation related properties which are to be put back on the market.
Over the past decade the City has invested virtually nothing to encourage redevelopment of the Warehouse District, Powerhouse Square and Glenwood South and, in fact, has interfered with private attempts to improve these areas. Then councilmember Coble held up adoption of the Glenwood South Streetscape Plan for over 18 months. It is past time for Raleigh to invest in its existing urban districts and neighborhoods as it does for new areas on the suburban fringe. Raleigh is one of the wealthiest cities in the state and it should not force North Carolina and US taxpayers to fund city property acquisitions under the guise of a transit project.
I do not find Raleigh taking a "free ride" at taxpayers expense sufficiently compelling to justify the negative impacts on Boylan Heights. Nor, based on the redevelopment of Glenwood South, do I find any reason to believe that elevated tracks over existing tracks through a commercial, industrial and office district would have any noticeable negative effects on redevelopment there.
Nothing that has been said so far in public even remotely justifies selecting the Wye over Morgan.
The other reason that has been given by TTA is that that Norfolk-Southern doesn't want its tracks moved. My understanding is that in a very recent meeting NS was asked point-blank by TTA if they were willing to consider track changes that are part of the Morgan alternative. NS stated "Yes, particularly with the additional advantages that Alternate C [Morgan] offers."
At this same meeting NS noted that the Morgan alternative was safer, and that they had heard there were concerns by Boylan Heights about the imposition of an at-grade crossing. NS stated that as a corporate citizen of this area they were certainly willing to consider having their tracks moved rather than create an impact on a neighborhood. At least the FREIGHT railroad listens to citizens and is concerned about the negative impacts of at-grade crossings.
Harrison Marshall
Support for Morgan Station
12/18/01
Heidi Nelson
I don't understand how any "at grade" crossing can be endorsed by the TTA, when we obviously get MANY trains going through already, not to mention the additional train traffic that would result from the rail project. Why would you build a bridge to help traffic flow over a busy train corridor, then want to take that away years later? The Boylan Ave. bridge is the only way from Hillsborough St. into our neighborhood, thus, Boylan is a busy street. Sure we would all love to see the through traffic cut down a bit, but it doesn't look like either station would really help that. Decreasing our main access by having an "at grade" crossing, which would cause many delays, would really hurt the quality of life in the neighborhood, and, I think even hurt property values in the future. My vote is for the Morgan St. Station.
Heidi Nelson, 513 Cutler St.
Support for Morgan Station
12/18/01
Lisa Tolley
Throughout this entire process the Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) and the City of Raleigh have consistently failed to address the neighborhood's concerns. I have attended numerous meetings hosted by TTA and by the Boylan Heights Neighborhood Association. I have spoken at a public hearing in favor of the Morgan Street Alternative and I have written letters to TTA board members, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) officials and City of Raleigh officials. I still do not feel that I have had a voice as a citizen in the choice of station locations.
Supposedly citizen involvement is considered essential to this process. TTA and FTA tell us that they encourage citizens to be involved in the planning process so that the community will benefit from the selected station location. Unfortunately, the concerns of the residents of Boylan Heights have not been heard. Even though several of the residents involved in suggesting the alternative Morgan Street location have backgrounds in transportation planning and smart growth and should be considered great resources for the community, they have been ignored or met with what I consider hostility by TTA, FTA and City of Raleigh officials.
I am concerned with the impacts of the Wye station location on the Boylan Heights community as a whole. My concerns have been better articulated recently by both Craig Dean in his N&O editorial "TTA's shortsighted plan for downtown" and in Harrison Marshall's email to the Boylan Heights email list.
I will however, reiterate what I have submitted to the FTA as my formal comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed downtown Regional Rail station alternatives.
I strongly support Alternate "C" as the preferred alternate to the downtown Regional Rail station because of its greater potential to promote urban redevelopment and reinvestment around the downtown transit station, and because of its lower potential to impose negative community impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. The Boylan Heights Neighborhood Association has also adopted a resolution in support of Alternate "C" station site.
I have grave concerns about the proposed stations Wye "A," Wye "B1" and Wye "B2" that require an at-grade crossing of the Boylan Bridge. Along with my personal concerns regarding TTA's proposed station "A" and "B" alternatives for downtown, the Boylan Heights neighborhood association submitted to TTA a list of concerns regarding these alternatives. These concerns included safety issues for pedestrians and motorists, noise and air quality concerns, and concerns over traffic impacts to the neighborhood. TTA met with our neighborhood association to discuss our concerns but failed to adequately address any of the most serious issues especially the safety concerns associated with an at-grade crossing of a neighborhood's bridge and main artery.
There is a great deal of research available from the Federal Transit Administration, the Association of American Railroads, the Federal Railroad Administration, the United States Department of Transportation and recent articles on the safety issues and fatalities associated with at-grade train crossings. Other states are spending millions to remove their at-grade crossings because of the safety problems and the high cost associated with them. California plans to construct a rail line that is totally separated from the roadways in order to avoid having to use at-grade crossings.
Rail systems often fail due to poor planning. Successful systems are integrated into the existing community in a way that is safe and that promotes smart growth principles and livable communities.
The financial and political incentives driving the decision to place the downtown station in a location that requires an at-grade crossing of a neighborhood's main road for pedestrians and cars apparently outweigh the negative impacts to the community.
I fully support the development of a mass transit system and the potential positive benefits such a system could have on our air quality and the environment as a whole. However, I believe a successful transit system would be integrated into existing communities in a way that promotes walkable, livable neighborhoods and pedestrian safety. I do not believe TTA's Wye "A" and Wye "B" proposals for the downtown regional rail station support this kind of community. If anything the proposal to place an at-grade crossing over the Boylan Bridge and at other areas of downtown Raleigh goes completely against smart growth principals and instead contributes to the traffic congestion, air quality problems, noise pollution and threatens pedestrian safety in the surrounding neighborhoods.
TTA representatives have failed throughout their public involvement period to even consider the "C" station as a viable alternative. It is obvious that the decision has already been made regarding the downtown station site and the public involvement period was just a "token" gesture on the part of TTA to meet their federal requirements.
Lisa Tolley
Station Decision Discussion of Wye and Morgan Station Pros and Cons
12/18/01
Harrison Marshall
Please allow me to provide yet another view of the recent meeting of the City Council's comprehensive planning committee. First, it must be noted that until now no City group has involved itself directly in what is supposed to be the TTA board's decision, and that decision is supposed to be based solely on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) under the regulations of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Until now there has been no action one way or the other by City Council, Historic Commission, Appearance Commission, Planning Commission or Raleigh's Intermodal Station Committee.
The Boylan Heights Association was never given notice about this public meeting despite its importance to our neighborhood. It appears that other groups knew of this meeting as their members were present. I was told of this meeting on the Thursday prior to Tuesday's meeting by a TTA board member - ironically, while we both were attending a national workshop on public involvement and community impacts held here in Raleigh. I was told that this meeting had been called by Benson Kirkman and Neal Hunt so they could vote for the Wye alternative. We were not able to get confirmation of the time and place of this meeting until Monday afternoon or get notice out via email in time to let most residents know of this meeting.
The prioritized list of issues adopted by the BHA is at http://treklite.com/boylan/tta/ApprovedPriorities.htm. While the BHA has consistently stated its support for the rail project in general, as to the specific location of a downtown station the adopted position is "An at-grade crossing of the Boylan Heights bridge should not be considered as long as reasonable and feasible alternatives exist." According to the DEIS, a station at Morgan is not only reasonable and feasible, it is operationally equal to one at the Wye. There is nothing in the adopted statement that indicates the neighborhood gave its "full support of the rail project even if the Wye location was ultimately chosen."
The last neighborhood email also stated "The committee's decision is not binding on the City Council or on TTA." This is not entirely true. My understanding from TTA board members is that this action by a City Council committee now requires Carter Worthy, Raleigh's representative on the board, to vote for the Wye. Further, board members indicate that non-Raleigh board members who favor Morgan are now unlikely to challenge an official Raleigh position. The committee's decision may not be legally binding on the TTA board but it has substantial political influence on what was supposed to be their decision. No other local government has taken similar actions to tie TTA board member's hands.
As to what the City said during the meeting - Planning Director George Chapman stated that the Intermodal Station Committee "marginally favored" a Wye location but had not finished its work. Transportation Director Jimmie Beckom to my knowledge did not state that the City had done any sort of transportation study related to either the Wye or Morgan locations. What he did state was that the City believes most traffic on Boylan Avenue is neighborhood traffic so there shouldn't be a problem. Following my comment that tractor-trailers, large trucks, tow trucks, construction equipment, other work vehicles, CAT buses, TTA buses and the thousands of commuters who short-cut through Boylan Heights are not "neighborhood traffic," Benson replied by email that "I have already spoken with Jimmie about a new traffci [sic] study for Boylan Heights." It should also be noted that Watson Brown, city staff to the station committee, said that the committee did not examine anything off of the sites of the two station locations. The City's own station committee has not seriously looked at issues such as traffic, parking in the neighborhood, pedestrian access or the effects on redevelopment and reinvestment in surrounding properties.
The comment was made about noise and safety issues and that "we will all be involved in the process to ensure that these concerns are addressed." This is not entirely correct. The decision TTA is about to make on Wednesday will determine whether impacts can be avoided entirely or must be mitigated. The only completely safe crossing is a grade separated one, as we've had at Boylan Ave since the neighborhood was developed. While a crossing can be made safer, it will always carry risk. Despite what TTA staff said at the meeting, my information is that 6 pedestrians were killed by the San Diego Red Line Trolley while trying to cross at grade to reach a platform. These deaths ended when San Diego put up a barrier and forced pedestrians to use a grade separated walkway. The only pedestrian access proposed from the neighborhood to the Wye requires pedestrians to cross at grade to reach the platform and, if San Diego is a guide, this will be closed if it proves to be unsafe. To reach the Morgan station one would cross the bridge and walk down Hargett in complete safety. With Morgan safety impacts are avoided. With the Wye safety impacts must be mitigated to the extent possible.
There was a lot of discussion about "quiet zones" so the trains won't use its horns but no discussion about the noise produced by the trains themselves or the impossibility of using noise barriers. As to quiet zones, TTA has noted that if the crossing is not under the control of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) they can put in a quiet zone. What was not mentioned was that the FRA has stopped permitting new quiet zones because they have seen an 80% increase in crash rates at such crossings.
To mitigate noise from commuter rail trains requires a noise barrier about 20' to 21' tall, but such barriers won't work when there are openings for streets or when the trains are on elevated tracks. Commuter rail trains put out 82 to 84 dBA, which is louder than a highway and which can carry 800' or more at levels needing mitigation. The noise can either be avoided by keeping it down in the gulch with the Morgan station or with the Wye it can be at and above neighborhood level where it simply can't be effectively mitigated. With Morgan noise impacts are avoided. With the Wye noise impacts must be mitigated to the extent possible.
I strongly disagree with the contention that safety concerns were listened to at all. After the presentations were made Boylan residents were not permitted to speak again. TTA staff made it sound as if the primary risk factor for crossings is the number of crossings. This has nothing to do with risk. Risk is a matter of the number of trains and the number of conflicts with vehicles and pedestrians crossing the tracks. Charlotte Transit is busy studying how they can close or grade separate crossings for their system while TTA is adding a new crossing on our street and 192 new trains per day at Jones and West. I did not find a risk assessment in the DEIS at all - only statements that the crossing would be made as safe as possible. Again, the only safe crossing is grade separated as with Morgan. The proposed Boylan Avenue crossing required for the Wye cannot be made safe, only safer.
During the meeting one speaker gave her opinion that assessing community impacts is more or less guesswork. Again, a national workshop on community impacts assessment was held just the week prior in Raleigh with Mayor Meeker giving the keynote address as to its importance. Assessing community impacts is required by both state and federal laws and, for what its worth, its what I do for a living. In fact, TTA's consultant tried to hire me to do this exact work for this project. I was rather offended that someone would downplay the importance of community impact assessment when it is a cornerstone of NEPA law and the DEIS process.
As to the Wye being a good location, bear in mind it's the legacy of the Fetzer/Coble period of Raleigh. According to a former neighborhood resident who was at the meeting, several years ago TTA promised Mayor Fetzer that a "minimal station" would be built in downtown Raleigh so the anti-rail Council we had then would not oppose it. Part of this lack of opposition also appears to be based on promises to use project money to get rid of Dillon Supply. If you were a fan of Fetzer and Coble, you should love the Wye.
When the Wye and Hillsborough St locations were the only possibilities, the Wye was the obvious choice - if for no other reason than the Hillsborough site was too small to work. Once the Morgan site was identified (TTA never looked at that possibility because they didn't want to work with Norfolk-Southern to move tracks) objective examination of community impacts makes it the obvious choice for downtown. Depending on pedestrian connections, most benefits from transit occur with about 6 blocks of a station. Neither location will have much positive effect farther east than the Dawson/McDowell pair because these streets hinder pedestrian movement. Because of poor connections, the benefits from the Wye location are most likely limited to within West, Hillsborough, McDowell and Cabarrus. Because of much better pedestrian connections, the benefits from the Morgan location will likely reach as far west on Morgan as the Boylan Apts, as far north as lower Glenwood South and Powerhouse Square, and cover the same area as the Wye down to Cabarrus. The Wye serves an area of about 14 square blocks while Morgan serves an area of about 45 square blocks. "Downtown", or the area around Fayetteville St, will not be served well by either location and will require some sort of shuttle service.
Although TTA's plan calls for downtown stations to be primarily pedestrian oriented, the Wye is proposed initially to have 265 parking spaces, and future plans call for up to a 5 level parking garage. Pedestrians cannot easily reach the station through this much traffic, and the station itself sits in a sea of parking. So with that in mind, I'll pass along a recent editorial entitled "Transit: The Time is Right for Getting it Right" by the Surface Transportation Policy Project, one of the leading national advocates for transit.
. . . "Let's not blow it. If there is one lesson to be learned, it is that HOW you locate, design, develop and implement transportation systems is as important as WHAT you develop. Community needs must be integrated with technical issues of system design and efficiency. Location of appropriate land uses near transit is critical to success . . Transportation systems are large and complex . . This complexity makes effective community participation - and thus, trust in the decision-making process - key. Transit supporters must learn these lessons. Often, choices in technology, location and design do not reflect the function or character of surrounding communities. The result is what Hank Dittmar calls 'auto-oriented transit' - acres of parking surrounding transit stations, or 'development-adjacent transit' - high density development that makes mixed use, mixed income development unlikely. Instead, transit stations must be multi-modal nodes designed for EXCELLENT PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLING ACCESS, as well as useful commercial and institutional facilities such as banks, day-care centers, shops and post offices. When it is well planned, transit supports, even creates community. Poorly planned, transit can tear communities apart."
Harrison Marshall
City of Raleigh Endorses TTA Wye Station Location
Another Viewpoint From The Meeting
12/17/01
Kim Stone
I too was at the meeting referenced in the article, "City of Raleigh Endorses TTA Wye Station Location," in my recollection it contained many inaccuracies. The official recorded minutes can be obtained from the City Clerk's office, but I would like to address a couple of items, specifically those that misrepresented me and my comments.
First of all, the City Council did not issue an endorsement for a TTA station at the referenced meeting. The December 12 meeting involved only the Comprehensive Planning Committee. It has 3 members: Neal Hunt, Chair, Benson Kirkman, and Janet Cowell. All 3 committee members were present at the majority of the meeting. Mr. Hunt had to be excused after 2 hours due to a previous committment. Mr. Kirkman and Ms. Cowell voted to endorse the WYE station after hearing a presentation on both station alternatives from the TTA plus statements from several other city representatives and citizens. Mr. Kirkman stated at the vote-taking that Mr. Hunt had expressed his preference for the WYE station prior to being excused from the meeting. A review of the clerk's minutes will offer details regarding the reasons that each chose to make their respective endorsements.
George Chapman, City of Raleigh planning director, indicated a preference for the WYE station from a planning perspective. Jimmie Beckom, City of Raleigh transportation director, indicated a preference for the WYE station from a transportation perspective.
I believe it would be fair to say that 5 neighborhood residents spoke regarding their preference. Deanna Kerrigan indicated that the neighborhood association prefers the Morgan-Hargett station. Paul Meyer, Harrison Marshall, and one other gentleman (I apologize, did not catch the name) spoke in favor of the Morgan-Hargett station. I spoke in favor of the WYE station, stating that I too have concerns about noise and safety, but that we will all be involved in the process to ensure that these concerns are addressed. It was I who stated that I too have a child and will teach her safety regarding a rail crossing just as I would teach her to cross a street. No one on the committee made any comments that it would be as easy as crossing a street, nor was there any attempt to minimize the safety concerns of citizens. I strongly disagree with the characterization that conerns were quickly dismissed. May I suggest that we consider posting the official clerk's minutes when there is a city meeting. [Minutes of the Meeting]
Lastly, I am saddened that my statement of my personal preference in this matter has been characterized, both in the meeting report and in a statement to the committee itself, as being anything but my own personal opinion. One thing I love about Boylan Heights is its diversity, its ethics and its genuine care about everyone. In my statement to the Comprehensive Planning Committee, I represented myself as a Boylan Heights resident and someone who has been active in downtown revitalization for several years. I stated my preference for the WYE alternative from both of those positions. I did not attend the meeting as a representative for The Florian Companies any more than other Boylan Heights residents were speaking on behalf of their employers or professional associates. I stated that I was in favor of what was best for the "big picture," that this TTA station affects all of downtown and its vitality, something that is very important to me. &n! bsp;I have favored the WYE station as the most beneficial alternative for several years, since my days with the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. I believe it is the most natural fit, that we are not the first city to implement a rail system, and that we have experts to address our concerns regarding safety and noise.
I am pleased that I can offer my perspective on this issue to the Boylan Heights community, and I urge everyone to read the minutes when they are available, form their own opinion, and participate in this important decision that will have a long lasting impact on our community.
Kim Stone
City of Raleigh Endorses TTA Wye Station Location
12/16/01
Deanna Kerrigan
At the December 12 City Council meeting, council members endorsed the TTA Wye railroad station, to be located at the south end of the Boylan Avenue bridge.
Members Kirkman and Cowell voted to endorse the Wye location (Neal Hunt voted in absentia) after hearing testimony from four neighborhood residents who spoke in favor of the rail project's Morgan/Hargett Street location, and against the Wye station and its at-grade crossing and from Florian Companies representatives (one of whom is a BH resident) who spoke in favor of Wye station. Ms. Cowell and Mr. Kirkman were the only council members present.
TTA did not respond specifically to resident's concerns about the safety of the at-grade crossing, but residents were told that teaching children to cross a railroad crossing would be as easy as teaching them to cross the street. BHA president Deanna Kerrigan and vice president Paul Meyer also conveyed neighborhood concerns about noise and air pollution from the elevated station, however, those concerns were quickly dismissed as "easy to handle."
Mr. Kirkman stated that he believes the railroad crossing will be a good thing for the neighborhood as a traffic calming device and that the rail station's proximity to the neighborhood will be more positive for the City's redevelopment plans for real estate northeast of the neighborhood.
Regardless of where you fall on the rail station issue, the City's endorsement of the Wye station and its at-grade crossing is a major step in what is sure to be the changing face of downtown Raleigh and of Boylan Heights.
The TTA Board meets December 19 to choose the station location. If you would like to contact TTA Board members regarding your preference for either the Wye or the Morgan/Hargett Street stations, please contact Nina Szlosberg .
Deanna Kerrigan