Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011

Commuter rail talks shift to Garner

Officials trying to corral support for sales-tax referendum.

Wake County's transportation wish list includes more bus service and two commuter-train stops in Garner.

Officials say the plans, especially the train stations, could spur growth in Garner. Commuter-rail stations typically attract new businesses.

Under the plans, a train stop in Greenfield Business Park near Interstate 40 would feature a park-and-ride lot for 1,000 vehicles.

A stop downtown would have space for 400 vehicles.

Wake County Manager David Cooke and Triangle Transit General Manager David King came to Garner Thursday to pitch transit plans to residents and town leaders.

The county is seeking support for the plan from Wake's 12 towns and cities.

Then Wake County Commissioners could decide in March or April to schedule a November 2012 referendum on a half-cent sales tax increase that would pay for the bulk of the projects.

"We want to have a lot of community dialogue," Cooke said.

Wake County officials expect Garner's population to swell by more than 70,000 residents over the next three decades.

By 2020, Garner could be home to more than 46,000 people. The number could jump to more than 104,000 by 2040.

Meanwhile, Wake's population could exceed 1.1 million by 2020 and 1.6 million by 2040.

That kind of growth will require more public transportation, Cooke said.

Original plans called for a $1.1 billion light-rail system from Cary through downtown Raleigh to northeast Raleigh. Garner wasn't included in those plans.

But Cooke has since shifted focus to a "core transit" package of bus services and commuter trains that could mostly be paid for on the county level. A rail system would cost about $650 million, with Wake and Durham counties splitting the bill.

Light rail would require state and federal money, but Cooke said there's no guarantee that funding would come through.

If Wake leaders schedule a referendum, and if voters say yes to the tax increase, residents in Garner, Johnston County and beyond could be taking trains to work by 2019.

Durham County voters agreed in November to move forward with a half-cent sales tax to pay for transit upgrades. But the county won't start collecting the money until leaders in Wake and Orange counties put the issue on voters' ballots.

John Hodges, executive director of the Garner Revitalization Association, said he hopes Wake voters get the chance to say yes to the levy. A commuter train station downtown could bring new restaurants and stores, as well as condominiums, townhomes or high-end apartments, he said.

"It broadens the opportunity for where people choose to live," Hodges said.

And trains could ease rush-hour traffic on Interstate 40 and U.S. 70, King said. "That's the whole point," he added.