Year / 2010

by Leo Suarez

Three Years of RalCon. Three Years of Downtown Geeking.

Yes, this is true. The RalCon blog turns three today and in order to celebrate, a theme of three will take over for the next few days. I’d invite all readers out for a beer but maybe I’ll save that move for when DTRaleigh hits a larger milestone.

Anyway, it all started as a hobby and I’m still keeping it going. I was the guy that hated English classes in school and now I write in my free time. What are the odds? I had hoped to have a special announcement for this day but it’s not quite ready yet. Everyone will have to wait.

For now, enjoy a blast from the past and look at the blog archived on October 15th, 2007. (via archive.org)

by Leo Suarez

$545 Million For Rail Upgrade From Slow To Mediocre-Speed

The point of this post is not to sound pessimistic but I need to get one thing off my chest first. High speed rail does not consist of trains moving at 110 mph. That is not at all pushing the limits of what modern day trains can do. I’m sure it sounds fast but when North Carolina has trains zipping from one side of the state to the other at speeds of 200+ mph, then we can throw around the term ‘high-speed’. If you want an idea of what real high-speed looks like click and watch this video.

With that out of the way, our state is getting $545 million of federal stimulus money that will go towards improving rail transit. The bulk of the grant, $520 million, will go towards the Charlotte to Raleigh corridor with the rest being spent on the connection north to Richmond. This was part of $8 billion worth of stimulus funds being allocated between 33 states. Click here to see the entire list of states and who got what.

Its called the Southeast High-Speed Rail corridor that may one day connect Washington DC to Raleigh and Raleigh to Charlotte and on to Atlanta. We’ve talked about this before on the blog. Along with our ‘winnings’, Florida was the only other southeast state that received money however. Because it’s part of SEHSR, tracks will be improved to increase speeds and the frequency of trips between the queen city and the capital are planned to double.

I have not quite gotten around to doing the train trip to Charlotte but it is on the to-do list. Let’s see what the experience would be like if I left this weekend.

  • Booking a trip on Amtrak.com seems easy enough. Leave Friday, Jan. 29th and return Jan. 31st.
  • The Piedmont leaves at 6:50am for $25. I need to work so I’ll pass
  • The Carolinian leaves at 4:50pm for $25. My only other choice so I’ll go with this one.
  • I need a return trip. I again have a morning and afternoon option. The Piedmont it is at 5:30pm for another $25.
  • Total travel time: 3 hr, 24 min departure. 3 hr, 13 min return. $50 total cost

We’ll re-visit this post later in time to compare if things are getting better. Now I love riding a train but it also has to make sense. This might work when compared to a single person driving to Charlotte but if I bring the lady with me, splitting gas beats this situation every time. In this scenario, the cost is what is driving people away and so is the ease of a major highway connecting the two cities.

I’m hopeful though, as always, and think that the faster trains would make them competitive with the highway. If driving and riding took the same amount of time, the convenience of sitting in a spacious rail car and never being slowed by traffic might be worth it to some people.

As for downtown Raleigh, this corridor would go right through it and more passengers means much more headaches at an already too small train station on Cabarrus Street. The additional trains and passengers may help get us talking about that multi-modal transit center for the Boylan Wye.

Also, the Southeast High-Speed Rail project has a great website.

by Leo Suarez

A Collection of Fine Art Galleries

I recently took the time to visit The Mahler Fine Art gallery and was shown around by one of the owners, Megg Rader. For those that are not familiar, the history of the gallery starts with The Collectors Gallery that was in City Market since 2004. With the revitalization of Fayetteville Street and the opening of City Plaza, the owners made a move to one of the plaza’s pavilions. The Collectors Gallery on the plaza focuses on crafts such as pottery and jewelry from North Carolina artists. In May of 2009, The Mahler opened at 228 Fayetteville Street in the renovated Mahler Building. This gallery features a wide variety of abstract and representational works.

The space in the Mahler building is beautiful and the history is well preserved. Built in 1876, the Mahler Building was owned by the Mahler family, who lived on the third floor. Below the family of silversmiths was a watch repair shop on the second floor at one point in time in the building. The storefront is not original but the upper floor facade resembles the original design with the round arch windows. If you are a sucker for those few buildings in downtown with the original walls exposed, they have one and its gorgeous!

Stop by the Mahler and the Collector’s Gallery during their opening hours or on your First Friday tour. Their next event is on Thursday, February 4th. They will be open from 6-9pm with cocktails and a special Valentine’s day treat.

The Mahler Fine Art
Website: www.themahlerfineart.com

228 Fayetteville Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
(go to map)
Tues-Fri: 11am-5pm
Sat: 12pm-4pm
919-896-7503

The Collectors Gallery
Website: www.thecollectorsgallery.com

443 Fayetteville Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
(go to map)
Tues-Fri: 10am-6pm
Sat: 12pm-4pm
919-828-6500


Click images for larger viewing

by Leo Suarez

Council Decides Today On Safety Center [1/19 Update]

Today is a day for the downtown skyline fans as the proposed public safety center, named after Mayor Clarence E. Lightner, is put in front of the Raleigh City Council for approval. A ‘yes’ vote comes with a tax increase later on even though the price tag has fallen some due to the slow economy. A ‘no’ vote will probably send the project back for re-evaluating and some expected cost cutting. Its a tough call but investment in the city’s safety needs, those that are planned to grow over the next few decades, should not be cut too short.

Read these N&O articles as a prerequisite, from where the above rendering is from, and stay tuned to your favorite news source later this afternoon to find out what happens.

Photo Galleries | Proposed Raleigh Public Safety Center 12.21.09

A new public safety center and higher taxes? Raleigh city council decides tomorrow 01.04.10

[UPDATE]
The decision was delayed. See you in two weeks.

The Raleigh City Council received information about the Clarence E. Lightner Public Safety Center at its meeting on Jan. 5. No vote was taken. Council members will resume discussion of the project at its next meeting on Jan. 19.

[1/19 Update]

A lot of new talk in the last two weeks has been about the almost $700,000 for the art pieces in the new building. This amount comes from the 0.5 percent of funds required to be allocated to art in new public buildings. This was passed about a year ago. The new safety center is estimated to cost $140 million. Double check the math but 0.5 percent of that is where the $700,000 comes from.

With that said, there are a couple points I want to mention.

First, I believe that there is something to be said about pride in a workforce. I believe that highly rated facilities and workspaces can really influence the morale of those working inside. I also believe that when looking for new, experienced talent that hiring this workforce can produce better results when there is something to proud of. The art as part of the safety center project has a part in that pride and maintaining morale.

At the same time, I do not believe it is unreasonable for the planners to provide a cost/benefit report of ALL public buildings. Morale and pride are hard to measure so you will not see this in any report. There has to be some kind of balance between getting the job done with the absolute bare minimum and approving Picassos for the showers on the top floor. What would you rather have; a council that provides its safety force the right tools for the job or one that provides the tools and expects the job done with what is provided? The naysayers on the council need to provide evidence that there is excess in the safety center’s plan in order to convince me otherwise.

Another point I want to bring up is the very fact that the $700,000 is being questioned. 0.5 percent of funds on all new public buildings will go towards art. That rule was passed. Done and done. You talked the talk now walk the walk. How can some members of the council simply renege this requirement just because it is a down economy? If the 0.5 percent art commitment is dropped, what other things will be dropped? What kind of example is this setting for future developments?

A compromise is more appropriate in order to get the $700,000 worth of art in the building. Why not agree for it to be bought at a later date or be purchased in small increments over several years. In my opinion, a compromise because of the current economic state is fair but dropping it completely shows a weakness in the council to ‘stick to its guns’.

Just your average citizen’s opinion.

If you want some additional reading before the discussion by the city council today, consider these reads:

The recent call by Wake Republican Party chairman Claude Pope for a referendum on the construction bonds for the proposed $205 million Lightner Public Safety Center in downtown Raleigh met with resistance from the mayor and city manager. “This decision is about public safety, not politics” Mayor Charles Meeker said.

via Let the voters decide on debt – News – NewsObserver.com.

Cutler said between 1,800 and 3,900 jobs would be created by the construction, factoring in contractors and builders, as well as indirect employment from services such as coffee and food.

via Raleigh Public Record » City Council Featured News » Council hesitant over the Lightner center.

by Leo Suarez

How Free Is That Parking Outside of Downtown?

I thought this video was very interesting and brings up some great points. Although cities in New Zealand are used as examples the exact same principles apply right here. Soon, downtown Raleigh will install pay stations for on-street parking that has, mostly, been free for decades. What is not being talked about are the plans to lower or eliminate the minimum parking requirements (MPR) in downtown.

The video suggests that paying to park is like paying for what you use rather then buying goods at prices that factor in the cost of the MPR. In theory, eliminating MPR should lower prices and give the consumer more of a choice. That choice being to pay to park or use another mode of travel to avoid paying. The cost to provide that parking is not passed on to the consumer where it is in the “free” parking lots of the suburbs.

Interesting stuff!