Chapel Hill Transit Plans at a Crossroads

Chapel Hill transit plans are the subject of a disagreement. A dispute over two points on the light-rail connection between Durham and Chapel Hill led to meetings between the County Commissioners and the City Council. An agreement was reached allowing officials from Orange and Durham counties to send the federal government a drawing and their study of the link so that they may review the options. As Triangle Transit Senior Transportation Planner, Patrick McDonough, told Durham officials in the meetings last week, the options are defined clearly enough to allow federal regulators to review the plan.

The major argument involving Chapel Hill transit centers on the routing of the line around the Chapel Hill neighborhood of Meadowmont. Officials had presumed that the original plan calling for any line built by Triangle Transit and the local government to run through the center of Meadowmont would be followed. The problem arose when residents of Meadowmont and local environmentalists challenged the Chapel Hill transit plans. They want the line moved near the N.C. 54 corridor, going around Meadowmont and crossing undeveloped land on the south side of the highway. Residents of Meadowmont who are against the original plan say it would, in effect, separate Cedars retirement village from the rest of Meadowmont.

In addition, environmentalists say using the original plan would displace the wild animals and the plant life in this area. The land, east of Meadowmont, is mainly swampland that was formed by Jordan Lake headwaters. Moving the line near the N.C. 54 corridor would allow the displacement to be avoided. According to McDonough, both options can continue to be studied and a choice can be made at a later date. Waiting will allow the benefits and costs to be weighed and County Manager, Mike Ruffin said given time “there may be some new information that may influence” the choice that is ultimately made.

The second dispute is over the routing of a line near the intersection of Garrett Road and U.S. 15-501. Routing Chapel Hill transit to run close to the highway is the solution proposed by environmentalists. Plans by engineers include a line that is more to the south and will require a new bridge to be built over New Hope Creek. The creek separates Durham and Chapel Hill.

McDonough has indicated that it is difficult to say how federal regulators will look at the development possibilities of the land near the N.C. 54 corridor when it comes to the Meadowmont dispute because it would affect the number of riders served by the line. Underestimating the number of riders has occurred in the study of plans in other communities such as Charlotte. The new rail line there was expected to serve approximately 9,100 riders per day, but ended up with approximately 14,000 riders per day. Areas where people have easy access to transit and higher incomes were areas that were underestimated more often. Meadowmont fits both conditions.

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