Category / News

by Leo Suarez

October Poll – Parking Meters In Downtown

The September poll has now come to a close and Tobacco Road Sports Cafe is the clear favorite amongst readers. Thank you for voting and make sure to go to your favorite place this Friday for the Carolina Hurricanes’ season opening game.

October begins today so a new poll is up for readers to weigh in on. Parking meters will soon be installed throughout some downtown streets. I’m curious to hear your opinions on how it may or may not change the way you visit downtown. The soon to come media frenzy on this topic is introduced with this article from the N&O. According to the article, parking fees will begin to be enforced in December.

This topic was discussed back in January of this year and now that the meters are just around the corner, I will bring up more discussions on this throughout the next two months. Some ideas I’m thinking about:

  • Downtown Raleigh’s overbuilt and inefficient use of its parking decks.
  • Charging for prime parking spots on the street encourages turnover and increases business.
  • Parking meter revenue should go directly into paying back the system and maintaining/improving downtown sidewalks, not downtown roads.

by Leo Suarez

Raleigh’s First Law School Opens Up

Campbell Law School started classes yesterday in their new building on Hillsborough Street. The renovations that have been taking place for over a year were mostly on the interior of the building. There is well-placed signage on each side of the building making it hard to miss. This is a unique addition to downtown and we’ll see lots of benefits in having the school located here. Raleigh is now NOT the largest capital city to not have a law school!

The parking lot across the street is now being used and the city definitely did not pretty up this lot. I’m not complaining though, the lot looks very temporary with gravel, wooden barriers, and moveable concrete curbs. Wires were probably not run under the ground too seeing as they are solar powered. If a developer was interested in this lot, the city could clear out on the cheap.

by Leo Suarez

Candidate Forum Videos

I attended the Raleigh City Council candidate forum last night and decided to be a citizen and not a blogger. Transit dominated the questions from the audience and I believe it will continue to be that way from here on out. MyNC has some videos as well as some other information about the candidates posted here.

Need to know what district you are in? Go here for all the right information.


Opening statements from Russ Stephenson (At-Large), and Lee Sartain (At-Large), and closing statements from Nancy McFarlane. (District A) Video link


Opening statements from Rodger Koopman (District B), John Odom (District B), and James West. (District C) Video link


Opening statements from Ted Van Dyk (District D), Thomas Crowder (District D), and Bonner Gaylord. (District E) Video link

Source: MyNC – Raleigh Council Candidates Square Off

by Leo Suarez

RalCon Polls

Along with a couple other site tweaks, I’m also going to have a poll up for readers to participate in. It is displayed on the site’s sidebar so make sure and check back on the current voting progress. I’ll also update everyone with the start and end of a new poll. I plan to do this at most twice a month.

The first question I ask relates to the Moore Square redesign. Its actually a very simple question; do we need to redesign the square at all? Currently, the city is having a design competition where groups will submit their plans for a new Moore Square. Upgrades are great but we first must identify a reason for this redesign. In my opinion, I do not see a problem with the current setup and feel that the real focus should be elsewhere in downtown. However, there is some real talent in this area and if a world class design comes forward, it may be worth considering.

The poll will be open through August 31st so cast your vote and leave your comments below.

by Leo Suarez

RalCon Updates

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that I’ll be doing some behind the scenes work on the website. Regular visitors to the site should see a couple changes throughout the week. RSS and e-mail subscribers will see business as usual so jump to the main page when you have a chance and explore the new additions.

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

The 100 block of East Davie St. has LED lights installed and running at night. Notice the difference between the new, brighter lighting and the traditional lighting along Blount St.

Raleigh is leading an effort to become more energy efficient. One way is through the use of LED lights around the city. We would become an ‘LED city’ as its referred to by the LED City Initiative. Here’s some more reading for you to get your daily greens in.

Some American cities, including Ann Arbor, Mich., and Raleigh, N.C., are using the lights to illuminate streets and parking garages, and dozens more are exploring the technology.

Green Promise Seen in Switch to LED Lighting (via The New York Times)

Raleigh Recognizes Greater than 40 Percent Energy Savings as Municipal Garage Switches to LED Lighting.

Raleigh, NC the First LEDCity Installs LED Parking Garage Lighting (via Solutions For LED Lights)

The Mayor also said this is the time for Raleigh to vigorously pursue its role as the first LED City and explore and implement further ways to use LED lighting.

Mayor Calls For Boldness To Combat Economic Challenges (Via City of Raleigh)