Center for Urban Affairs & Community Services NC State University Box 7401 Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7401 Telephone: (919) 515-3211 Fax: (919) 515-3642 http://www.cuacs.ncsu.edu Director: Dr. Yevonne Brannon ([email protected]) TRAVELING TO WORK IN WAKE: EXPLORING THE COMMUTER RAIL OPTION Conducted by: CENTER FOR URBAN AFFAIRS & COMMUNITY SERVICES NC State University Raleigh, NC June 2016 Donna M. Hughes PhD Arthur G. Anthony Alison R. Buck Technical Assistance Provided by: Neeraja Mantena: GIS Analysis and Research Assistance Michelle L.Verhoven: GIS Analysis and Cover Design Selected photography by Brandon T. Keichline This project was funded through a United Parcel Service Endowment administered through the NC State University McKimmon Center for Extension and Continuing Education. TRAVELING TO WORK IN WAKE: EXPLORING THE COMMUTER RAIL OPTION TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 1 A. PURPOSE OF PROJECT ................................................................................................................ 1 B. COMMUTER RAIL COMPARED TO OTHER RAIL SYSTEMS ........................................................ 1 C. EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL COMMUTER RAIL PROJECTS ....................................................... 1 1. Tri-Rail ................................................................................................................................ 2 2. SunRail ................................................................................................................................ 3 3. Music City Star ................................................................................................................... 4 II. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDY AREA .......................................................................................... 5 A. POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT CHARACTERISTICS ............................................................. 5 B. HOME-WORK RELATIONSHIPS AND TRAFFIC PATTERNS ........................................................ 7 C. DEFINING COMMUTER RAIL CATCHMENT AREAS ................................................................... 10 D. IDENTIFYING COMMUTER RAIL CATCHMENT AREAS IN THE WAKE COUNTY AREA............ 11 1. Raleigh Catchment Area .................................................................................................... 13 a. Raleigh Home-Work Employment Patterns ................................................................ 13 b. Characteristics of Raleigh Union Station ..................................................................... 14 c. Land Use Characteristics of Raleigh Union Station Catchment Area .......................... 15 2. Cary Catchment Area ........................................................................................................ 19 a. Cary Home-Work Employment Patterns ..................................................................... 20 b. Characteristics of Cary Train Station ........................................................................... 20 c. Land Use Characteristics of Cary Catchment Area ..................................................... 21 3. Durham Catchment Area .................................................................................................. 24 a. Durham Home-Work Employment Patterns ................................................................ 25 b. Characteristics of Durham Train Station ..................................................................... 25 c. Land Use Characteristics of Durham Station Catchment Area .................................... 25 4. Research Triangle Park as an Employment Destination ................................................ 29 E. IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL COMMUTER RAIL SERVICE AREAS ................................................ 31 1. Wake Forest Service Area ................................................................................................ 31 2. Knightdale Service Area ................................................................................................... 32 3. Garner Service Area ......................................................................................................... 33 4. Clayton Service Area ........................................................................................................ 34 5. Fuquay-Varina Service Area ........................................................................................... 35 6. Apex Service Area ............................................................................................................. 37 F. SUMMARY: KEY FEATURES OF THE STUDY AREA ................................................................. 38 i TRAVELING TO WORK IN WAKE: EXPLORING THE COMMUTER RAIL OPTION TABLE OF CONTENTS III. RAIL CORRIDORS AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE STUDY AREA ..................................................... 43 A. WAKE FOREST TO RALEIGH CORRIDOR ................................................................................. 45 B. KNIGHTDALE TO RALEIGH CORRIDOR ................................................................................... 46 C. CLAYTON-GARNER TO RALEIGH CORRIDOR.......................................................................... 47 D. FUQUAY-VARINA TO RALEIGH CORRIDOR ............................................................................. 47 E. APEX-CARY TO RALEIGH CORRIDOR ..................................................................................... 49 F. DURHAM-RTP-CARY TO RALEIGH CORRIDOR ...................................................................... 50 1. Hopson Road Improvements ............................................................................................ 52 2. Morrisville Parkway Improvements ............................................................................... 52 IV. TRAVEL MODE CHOICE AND INFLUENCES ON TRANSIT USE .......................................................... 5 3 A. INDIVIDUAL ATTRIBUTES ......................................................................................................... 53 B. NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS ...................................................................................... 54 1. Neighborhood Demographic Attributes .......................................................................... 54 2. Neighborhood Design ........................................................................................................ 54 3. Transit Stop Design ........................................................................................................... 55 C. THE NATURE OF THE TRIP ....................................................................................................... 55 D. COMMUTER RAIL AND TRAVEL MODE CHOICE ..................................................................... 55 V. IMPLICATIONS FOR WAKE COUNTY .................................................................................................... 57 VI. REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 59 APPENDIX A: 2014 HOME-WORK PATTERNS AMONG THE STUDY SITES APPENDIX B: PLACE TYPE DEFINITIONS AND GROUPINGS APPENDIX C: SERVICE AREA DETAILED PLACE TYPES APPENDIX D: DEFINITIONS ii TRAVELING TO WORK IN WAKE: EXPLORING THE COMMUTER RAIL OPTION LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, & EXHIBITS Name Page I. INTRODUCTION E1. Characteristics of Commuter Rail. .......................................................................................................... 1 II. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDY AREA T1. Demographic and Labor Characteristics of Study Area Counties........................................................... 5 F1. Overall Wake County Inflow/Outflow in 2014 (All Locations) ............................................................. 7 T2. Wake County Worker Inflow and Outflow for Top Ten Counties, Other North Carolina Counties, 7 and Other States: 2014 ......................................................................................................................... F2. Average Annual Daily Traffic for Major Wake County Highways: 2013-14. ....................................... 8 F3. Average Annual Daily Traffic for Study Area Highways: 2014 ............................................................. 9 F4. Traffic Flow between Downtown Raleigh and Potential Catchment and Service Areas ........................ 11 F5. Catchment Areas, Potential Commuter Rail Service Areas, and In-Service Railways ........................... 12 T3. Raleigh Worker Inflow--Residence of Persons Whose Primary Job is in Raleigh: 2014 ....................... 13 T4. Raleigh Worker Outflow--Employment Location of Raleigh Residents: 2014 ...................................... 14 T5. Percentage of Raleigh Union Station Catchment Area in Place Type Categories. ................................. 16 T6. Percentage of Raleigh Union Station Catchment Area in Grouped Place Type Categories. ................... 17 F6. Raleigh Union Station Catchment Area Place Types .............................................................................. 18 F7. Raleigh Union Station Core and Primary Catchment Zone Place Types ................................................ 19 T7. Cary Worker Inflow and Outflow: 2014 ................................................................................................. 20 T8. Percentage