10 years ago I could leave my driveway at the 4042 area and pull into my parking spot in Cary within 30-35 minutes. I can not remember the last time I spent a mere 35 minutes in my car going to work. This morning I arrived at work 2 hours and 10 minutes after driving roughly 29 miles........granted, the weather was a bit nasty.....however, even with the slow economy the drive from Johnston County to Cary gets worse by the year. Thank God for new people, new technology and growth but without the highway infrastructure to support these things, I fear we are only seeing the tip of the traffic iceberg. Imagine Wal-Mart at 4042 when it is in full swing. Imagine leaving Wal-Mart going towards Clayton on highway 42.......the road immediately narrows to 2 lanes approaching the little bridge. I mean, be for real, what Einstein thinks this is going to work long term? I suppose minds much greater than mine dream up these community solutions but do you ever stop and wonder just who pulls the puppet strings? Do those same folks have to utilize the infrastructure they design or do they live somewhere else? Do they care?........... SAL
I was up by the new Wal-Mart will be this past weekend, needed to pickup a few things from Lowes. It was a mess. I will avoid that area as much as I can.
When we first moved here - 40 wasn't even finished. My dh works in Cary too, me in Raleigh. I can remember getting on 40 and not seeing another car for miles.........my, how times have changed! And not all of them for the better...:cry:
Problem with that is that the RTP/Durham/Raleigh is so spread out that it doesn't make as much sense as it does in larger more compact/condensed cities like LA, Philly, NYC, BeanTown, and the Windy city.
One of the many problems with the last attempt at that here was that it didn't go to the airport. What kind of planning is that? I remember driving in Boston years ago, and stopping to ask for directions to Logan airport. The first response was, "Take the blue line." Not real helpful to me, since I wanted to drive there, but it demonstrates how much people rely on public transportation where it exists and is done right.
Part of the thing there though is that Boston extends right up to Logan, unlike here in the RTp where the airport is almost in the middle of the RTP and isn't actually located in any particular city. People reply on the publilc transportation due to the fact that the cities are so heavily populated and stacked on top of each other that it makes it a more effecient and effective way of travel.
RE:Rail...... Although I have never lived in an area with c-rail, I have heard the argument that it would not be as cost effective in RTP because of the sprawling layout. I have visited other compact cities on business trips but never really viewed our area as one that could take full advantage of the rail. However, my company was recently bought out by a group in Switzerland. The guys there tell me they all take the rail. They also say, they walk the rest of the distance that the rail does not cover. Maybe I should be thankful I have a job and not complain about the drive. It is just starting to feel like I have already worked 8 hours before I ever get out of the car in the mornings......and the thought of people planning our local roads and infrastructure with a blindfold on. It seems like they plan 5-10 years out at the most. It takes 2-3 years to build based on the design. By then, the design is outdated and the cycle starts all over...... SAL
The thing that has caused the most problems around here is the unforseen rate of growth in this area. The amount of growth in the triangle area was predicted and has for the most part been accomodated and handled very well. What was not accounted for was that people would get tired of living in the North Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest comminities and they would look towards Johnston County and it's fairly cheap property and land costs, as JC is "too far" in the country to be targeted for the growth expected in the RTP area. Therefore the planning and budgeting had been done years ago for this area, and we have in the last few years seen a exponential growth that was never planned or envisioned for our small little community, and thus they are having to react instead of being a step ahead. Having lived in europe for several years I can tell you that one the people there do not have the "entitled" feeling that we have here and don't mind walking a mile or 2 if need be to get where they are going. They have a very different outlook towards life, work, and business in general. Secondly as europe is made of a bunch of small countries where each usually have different rules, languages, and travel methods it has long been common and the people there are accustomed to traveling by rail from place to place and then having to walk, unless you get to the more rural areas where it's just not feasible to put a rail stop. Also it is not uncommon for business to partially adjust their operating hours to accomodate the running of a local rail, and honestly I just don't see that flying here in this area. Craig
RE: You know, I really get the whole 'cultural difference' thing.........and with some time, I'm sure I could easily adapt to the whole rail concept. My feelings are less about feeling 'entitled' to good roads and top notch infrastructure and more about feeling like I get my money's worth. I am not asking for a freebie, I am asking that these blood sucking leaches that are spending my tax dollars do so in a way that accounts for future growth. However, your point is also well received regarding the folks in the past not really knowing how Johnston County would explode in growth. One thing I know, my vote goes for a way to decrease the travel times from our County into our Capital city area! SAL
i saw the name of this thread and thought someone was talking about my ramblings about my commute to Cary:lol::lol::lol:
