4 ■ Morrisville and Preston Progress, Thursday, Sept. 25,1997
Triangle’s mass transit system includes Morrisville stop
BY MARY BETH PHILLIPS
A regional transit system is the talk
of the town since the state legisla
ture approved a transit bill on Aug.
21 that will give the Triangle Transit
Authority access to more funding.
TEA officials say the new bill will
ensure that phase I of the proposed
rail system will be operating within
five to eight years.
At the Morrisville Chamber of
Commerce’s Issues and Eggs break
fast on Sept. 12, Congressman
David Price fielded questions about
traffic problems and solutions, and
responded by touting the virtues of a
regional rail system for the Triangle.
“The transit prospect actually
offers to relieve some of the pres
sure,” Price said. “We’re not ideally
suited to transit, the way we live and
travel around here. On the other
hand, we have some things going for
us, I think. This railroad corridor is
almost ideally situated for transit,
and vastly reduces the cost of
putting a system in place. The right
. of ways are remarkably wide so it
permits the laying of parallel rails ..
, in terms of the cost and feasibility
of this system.”
Price cautioned, “For it to work
out, all the local people have to be
part of it, the cooperation is going to
have to be very tight.
“We can’t dither about it forever. If
we’re going to have it, even in the
next decade, we’ve got to start
now... I think we’ll regret it if we
don’t make that start and coordinate
on a region-wide basis,” he said.
Carl Morris of ICC mentioned a
system in Los Angeles where park-
and-ride lots were set up and includ
ed nodes of dry cleaners, day care
centers, florists, and other services.
“It’s been amazing the response of
passengers; it’s actually encourag
ing people to use the transporta
tion,” he said.
George Alexiou, a consultant who
worked on the plan for the TEA, told
the group at the breakfast that such
nodes are “an integral part of the
regional rail, to allow local officials
and planners to come up with the
appropriate land use. That’s essen
tial to make this system work.”
Scott Beerman, planning board
chairman and also outgoing presi
dent of the chamber, expressed con
cern that there was not enough con
sideration given to developing the
land in that way. Site plans for the
two adjacent parcels have already
been approved as apartment com
plexes.
Beerman said later, “I’m glad that
The easier you make the facility to use, the
■e it will be used. If they can walk dow
the rail stop, obviously they’ll use it. ’
—Leisa Powell,
Morrisville Planning Director
existing NCRR and CSX rail corri
dors, and 16 stops, from North
more it will be used. If they can walk down to Raieigh through downtown Raicigh,
iL will j _ the State Fairgrounds, through Cary,
Morrisville and the Research
Triangle and ending at Duke
Medical Center in Durham. Some of
the existing rail may be used, but
usually the TTA will have addition
al parallel track laid. Amtrak and
freight trains will continue to oper
ate in the corridors as well. The cost
of the new system is estimated at
$238 million.
The consulting firm Parsons
Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas,
Inc., in association with three other
firms and TTA, drew up the plan
which was adopted by TTA on Oct.
25, 1995.
At the Morrisville stop, tentative
plans are to run a shuttle both east
and west of N.C. 54 to nearby
Weston businesses and businesses in
the Morrisville Parkway area. A
shuttle is also proposed to the
Raleigh-Durham Airport.
“We are supportive of regional rail
system,” said Leisa Powell,
Moirisville Planning Director. “It’s
always best to locate rail stops near
concentrated areas of higher density
we’re putting high density there, but
1 was frustrated by the town’s lack
of consideration for that concentrat
ed retail, nodal system, in a well-
thought-out manner, with room for
park and ride.”
The Morrisville stop is proposed to
be along the southeast side of
Morrisville Parkway near Preston
and next to the rail corridor.
Environmental studies must be com
pleted before final sites are chosen.
The apartment complexes create
an “ideal setting,” said Juanita
Shearer-Swink, senior transporta
tion planner with the Triangle
Transit Authority.
“Having residences within walking
distance of the train station is an
ideal setting,” she said.
She said there will be other sta
tions to provide the “park-and-ride”
situation.
The state bill, which was spon
sored by Rep. David Miner of Wake
County, Ed McMahan of
Mecklenburg County and Howard
Hunter of Northampton County, and
introduced in the Senate by Wib
Gulley, gives local governments
additional funding options.
Locally, it will allow the three
Triangle boards of county commis
sioners (Wake, Durham, and
Orange) to levy a 5 percent tax on
rental cars, which will provide the
matching funds for the federal and
state grants that will allow phase 1 to
be built.
The TTA already receives a $5
levy on vehicles registered in the
three-county area. That funding is
used for the TEA bus and van sys
tems now in operation.
Phase I of the regional rail plan
includes 34 miles of rail laid within
development. That's where people
live.
The easier you make the facility to
use, the more it will be used. If they
can walk down to the rail stop, obvi
ously they’ll use it.”
Ms. Powell is looking forward to
the system relieving traffic prob
lems. “If it’s used efficiently and
substantially, it will relieve conges
tion particularly along 54 and Davis
Drive, which are obviously clogged
now. If someone is living on
Crabtree Crossing Parkway, and
work at Southport, and are able to
take a shuttle there—if 10 people are
able to ride that shuttle as opposed
to 10 separate vehicles, it’s that
much better.”
Phase II of the regional rail system
will extend rails from Durham to
Chapel Hill and from N.C. 54 to the
Raleigh-Durham Airport. These
rails will not fall in existing rail cor
ridors, and will involve reserving
rights of way. A major investment
study is going on now to determine
the best alternatives for extension of
those rails.
Future phases will extend rails to
outlying towns such as Fuquay-
Varina, Zebulon, and Hillsborough.
In
1, thrSopSalionis going^to ^B^iman said later, “I’m glad that situation. includes 34 miles of rail laid with
cable survey, customers say rates too high
s of a May 1997 survey by a their problem. or very important to a community, percent'of respondents) subscribe
Results of a May 1997 survey by a
consultant with the Triangle J
Council of Governments show that
Morrisville residents are more
unhappy than happy with their cable
service.
Thirty-four percent of subscribers
said their primary concern about
cable service was “high cable rates.”
Fifty-eight percent of non-sub
scribers cited high cable rates as the
reason they do not subscribe to
cable.
Fifty-six percent of cable sub
scribers said they would switch to a
competing cable company if it
offered similar rates and program
ming options.
Sixteen percent said they plan to
cancel their cable service within the
next 12 months and buy a satellite
dish and 36 percent said they might
cancel their service in favor of satel
lite programming within the next 12
months.
Fifty-six percent of subscribers
said their most recently reported
problem was a service outage, while
27 percent reported problems with
picture or sound quality.
In written comments, 23 sub
scribers complained about high
cable rates, 21 complained about
picture quality or reception, six
complained about frequent outages,
and two complained about lack of
competition among cable compa
nies.
Fifty-eight percent of subscribers
said they waited on the telephone
longer than 30 seconds before they
were able to discuss their cable ser
vice problem with a customer ser
vice representative, and 42 percent
said they waited more than 30 sec
onds to discuss a repair problem
with a customer service rep.
Only four percent of customers in
each case had the phone answered in
less than 30 seconds, while 26 per
cent and 43 percent respectively
said no call was made.
Twenty-nine percent of sub
scribers said the cable company
took more than 24 hours to resolve
their problem.
Fifty-five percent said they were
satisfied or very satisfied with the
way the company solved their most
recent problem, and 54 percent said
Time Warner’s customer service
agents were helpful or very helpful
in resolving their cable problems.
Installation services received the
highest grade when compared with
other cable services, and cable rates
received the lowest quality grade
when compared with other cable
services.
Seventy-nine percent said the town
should continue to regulate the cable
company.
Subscribers are dissatisfied with
having to pay for unwanted chan
nels in order to receive channels
they enjoy, i.e., having to purchase a
four-channel package to receive one
channel.
Fifteen subscribers want more
sports programming; 14 want less
home shopping; 14 want the history
channel; 10 want less programs fea
turing sex, violence and bad lan
guage; nine want less MTV; six
want more family-oriented pro
grams; five want a Spanish language
channel; five want more Christian or
religious programming; four want
country television programming;
four want less BET; and one person
each wants VH-1, the golf channel
and the cartoon network.
Thirty-four percent of subscribers
said basic cable service is a good
value for the price paid, while 50
nercent said basic cable was a poor
value.
Forty-four percent of subscribers
said they might purchase on-
demand movies, sports events, and
other programs, if available and rea
sonably priced.
Twenty-nine percent of sub
scribers said they might purchase
Internet service over the cable sys
tem. Thirty-one percent are connect
ed to the Internet now through a
computer.
Sixty-seven percent of subscribers
said local programming is important
Gunter named resident adviser
Jason Gunter of Morrisville, a
junior majoring in sports manage
ment at Guilford College will serve
as a resident adviser in Bryan Hall
for the 1997-98 school year.
Gunter, son of Judy Ellis of Raleigh
and Edward Gunter, is a graduate of
Apex High School.
As a resident adviser and a member
of Guilford’s residential life staff.
Get \our Grass
Growing!
• Hybrid Blends Of Fescue Grass Seed & Sod
• Premium Lawn Foods, Lime & Gypsum
• Wheat Straw & Soil Conditioners
Also Available:
Pansy Plants • Mums • Flowering Cabbage •
Late Blooming Perennials
The Cary Gardey
Center
467-4353
930 W. Chatham St. • Cary
Hours: 8-6 M-F; 8-5 Sat.;
1-5 Sun.
VISA I
or very important to a community.
Forty-eight percent said they are
interested or very interested in
watching locally produced programs
about local government affairs,
issues and events. Sixty-two percent
said they would watch college tele-
courses on the cable system if
offered.
Of 973 surveys mailed, 194 were
returned to the town, a return rate of
19.9 percent, which is higher than
for other surveys in the Triangle
area.
Of the 194 respondents, 158 (or 81
percent'of respondents) subscribe to
cable service, 18 were previous sub
scribers, and 18 were never sub
scribers.
Time Warner estimates about 616
people subscribe to Time Warner
Cable within the town. There are
approximately 990 households with
in the town.
The survey was conducted by
Robert F. Sepe, Information Access,
City of Raleigh, a Triangle J Council
of Governments Consultant.
—BY MARY BETH PHILLIPS
SOUTHERN STUMP “EXPRESS”
• Tree & Stump Removal
• Topping - Shaping - Shearing
• Brush Removal (Hourly Rates)
• Same Day Service
' Residential & Commercial Tree Service
Fully Insured
^ (919)552-1156 j
Pager (919) 839-2546 ♦. 8625 Mt. Pleasant Ch. Rd. Willow Spring, N.C. I
Carpenter
Farm Supply Co.,
see us FOR sour fall
LAWH CARF NeeOSf
■ CARPENTER FARM SUPPLY CO.
SINCE 1BB5
1933 Morrisville-Carpenter Rd.
Airport Exit • Hwy. 55, Morrisville • 467-1511
i Center can
j give your
! child a big
head start on
this year’s
classes. In
our fun, positive environment, students
actually get excited about learning.
Through our testing and individualized
instruction, students learn faster than you
ever thought possible. To leam more
about Sylvan’s programs, call today.
Individualized Programs
For All Ages
PROGRAMS: GRADES:
•Reading/comprehension 1-12
•Reading Readiness K-1
•Math 2-12
•Pre-Algebra 6-8
•Algebra I or II 8-12
•Geometry 9-10
•Writing 4-College
•Study Skills B-College
•SAT/PSAT/ACT 9-12
Sylvan
Learning
Center®
Helping kids do their best.
TWO LOCATIONS:
CARY 467-8097
GARNER 779-2229
READING • PHONICS • MATH.,* SlUDY SKILLS^- SAI/ACI
Gunter will work to create a cooper
ative, supportive and well-balanced
living and learning environment in
the hall. He will help students and
provide counseling; organize social,
educational and cultural programs;
and introduce residents to the
resources of the college.
Bryan Hall is a coeducational hall
housing 215 students.
HAND PICKED IN xi.
ANTWERP, BELGIUM
L
Charlie Holland
Why Antwerp?
It is The Prime Snurce for the world’s finest
diamonds. Uncut gems mined all around the
world are cut and polished there. Why go
8,000 miles to buy hi Antwerp? Because it is
tlie hest Place in the world to buy fine dia
monds. Wc are able to buy direct through our
membership in the World’s Largest Jewelry
Buying Group, the Independent Jeweler’s
Organization. Now it’s vour turn to share in
the savings.
Come I
i or call us before a
(919)362-6210.
: leave
(HoCtands jeweters
301 S. Salem St. • Apex, NC
362-6210
J
THOMPSON
CABINET SHOI> INC.
Custom Cabinetry and Furniture
TOTAL CABINET SYSTEMS, INC.
(Division of Thompson Cabinet Shop, Inc.)
Semi-Custom Cabinetry By:
4a
MountVfemcn Cherry
WELLBORN
■ ■cabinet. INC.
Odds Are: Your Neighbor Has Our Products, Shouldn't You?
Since 1961 It’s Si Tradition
VISIT OUR SHOWROOMS LOCATED AT:
4712 Fayetteville Rd. • Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 772-3030 • FAX (919) 772-8337
EYE CARE
^ ASSOaATES
OPTOMETRY The Leader In Eye Care
ATTENTION
PARENTS:
We Recommend Polycarbonate
Lenses and Durable Frames That
Are Shatter-Resistant To Insure
Your Child’s Safety!
Back To School Coupon
Frames With
Polycarbonate
Lenses For Only
^129°°!
Select from frames such as Disney, Looney Tunes,
Mickey Mouse, and more! Must present coupon.
rSot good with any other discounts, insurance I
plans or previous purchase. Offer expires 9/30/97. I
I ‘
Back To School Coupon
$30®® OFF*
POLYCARBONATE
LENS
with the purchase of any frame.
■•Coupon can also be used for $20 Off any other
lens type. Must present coupon. Not good with
any other discounts, insurance plans or previous
purchases. Offer expires 9/30/97.
Waverly Place
851-0093
I 107-D Colonnades Way
Cornerstone S/C
461-0771
1975 High House Rd.