The Triangle
Raleigh, N.C. — The News & Observer
in Raleigh is cutting salaries of all employees earning $25,000 or more
per year and also eliminating 78 jobs in the latest series of
cost-cutting measures.
- http://www.wral.com/business/story/4748286/
While this was not unexpected it is nevertheless disappointing news. It is especially sad to think not only of the 78 employees who will lose their jobs but also of all the remaining employees who are taking significant cuts in pay and forced furloughs. Boy, McClatchy has certainly made a mess of things with their desire to be bigger (and better?).
The Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC) is made up of citizens and transportation specialists from throughout the Triangle area. The Capital Area MPO (CAMPO) and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO (DCHC-MPO) have formed this advisory board to come up with a new set of transit and fixed-guideway (rail) plans to bring more and better transit options to the Triangle region. The report, with recommendations and some terrific maps of the options, is available for download from the
Regional Transit Infrastructure Blueprint page.
I saw a presentation on this report last night from Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG), and I can't wait for a chance to read it carefully. I look forward to hearing your comments and questions as well, and would be happy to forward them to TJCOG, which is one of the report-generating entities which worked with the STAC in generating studies and gathering data.
Given the rising cost of gas, it's not surprising that riding the bus has become increasingly popular. Of interest is the idea that in wealthy CH bus riding has increased 30%, whereas in Durham bus riding has only increased just 9.5%.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1073429.html
Is it a case of those who are most able to afford it taking advantage of CH's fare free system? Is it purely different demographics? Or is it different levels of service?
Neighbors Burlington, Graham and Mebane have hired a law firm to fight the "Jordan Lake Rules" that the NC Division of Water Quality presented to the Environmental Management Commission. At issue is the unacceptable levels of nitrogen and phosphorous put into the Haw River, and thus Lake Jordan from upstream waste water and storm water runoff. Not very neighborly of them to want to keep dumping excess nutrients downstream, but as with all things the fight is really over the money that it would cost to retrofit existing infrastructure.
http://tinyurl.com/4hse63
http://tinyurl.com/4eyabw
The Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC), appointed by the two Metropolitan Planning organizations (Capitol Area MPO and Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO) is close to finishing up its work after nearly a year and 15 meetings to date. This has been a longer process than I think most initially envisioned (it was originally scheduled to be completed by October 2007) due to the amount and complexity of data that had to be reviewed, the different backgrounds of the 29 official members, and the thoroughness of the discussions that ensued.
The STAC members hope to approve a final draft of their report at their meeting on April 25th. The most recent (2nd) draft of this report can be obtained at http://www.transitblueprint.org/stac.shtml
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