Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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Problem with commuter rail at RDU is that the terminals are 3 miles from the rail line and that Umstead lies between the airport and Raleigh. Also short of a very long tunnel, the terminals must be accessed from a roadway that is perpendicular to the primary axis of travel.
There is basically no way to build an airport rail line that is conveniently "on the way" between anywhere and anywhere else.
This is very similar to Dallas except they don't even have an equivalent of Umstead. Their metro area has 3.5 times the population of the triangle and only very recently did they get serious about light rail to the airport.
The cost of building a three mile spur would be so expensive and deliver such poor ridership per dollar that it probably shouldn't be taken seriously until our population is double what it is today.
Problem with commuter rail at RDU is that the terminals are 3 miles from the rail line and that Umstead lies between the airport and Raleigh. Also short of a very long tunnel, the terminals must be accessed from a roadway that is perpendicular to the primary axis of travel.
There is basically no way to build an airport rail line that is conveniently "on the way" between anywhere and anywhere else.
This is very similar to Dallas except they don't even have an equivalent of Umstead. Their metro area has 3.5 times the population of the triangle and only very recently did they get serious about light rail to the airport.
The cost of building a three mile spur would be so expensive and deliver such poor ridership per dollar that it probably shouldn't be taken seriously until our population is double what it is today.
A lightweight, automated system that runs like an airport tram might be the better solution for an airport spur. It could connect both terminals to a future commuter rail station on the other side of 40.
A lightweight, automated system that runs like an airport tram might be the better solution for an airport spur. It could connect both terminals to a future commuter rail station on the other side of 40.
The commuter rail line is apparently supposed to do 8 trips in each direction during peak hours and then only 1-2 trips each way during mid-day and evening hours. I'm not sure how much more those trips can be expanded with the existing track but if you're only running that many trips a day and not all day (who knows about weekends), it's not worth spending the money to pay for an expensive system to connect the commuter rail system with the airport.
The commuter rail line is apparently supposed to do 8 trips in each direction during peak hours and then only 1-2 trips each way during mid-day and evening hours. I'm not sure how much more those trips can be expanded with the existing track but if you're only running that many trips a day and not all day (who knows about weekends), it's not worth spending the money to pay for an expensive system to connect the commuter rail system with the airport.
Unless it also became a hub for RTP business hotels, a future rental car center, long term parking, bus terminal, etc. It could support more than just those who commute by rail to the airport. The stop itself could also be a destination. For the rail>RDU commuters, passengers could also map their travel plans to the commuter rail schedule.
Unless it also became a hub for RTP business hotels, a future rental car center, long term parking, bus terminal, etc. It could support more than just those who commute by rail to the airport. The stop itself could also be a destination. For the rail>RDU commuters, passengers could also map their travel plans to the commuter rail schedule.
I mean it seems like you're asking for an inter-airport area people mover - which would make sense. But the commuter rail station in Morrisville would be 2.5 miles farther down Aviation Parkway from what the airport owns at Lake Crabtree. Is that connection worth it for that?
What do people have against a bus connection that could do the same thing for far less money?
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