Triangle transportation infrastructure is critical to steady growth

This article was written for our sponsor, Smith Anderson

Earlier this year, U.S News & World Report ranked Raleigh, NC as the "hottest" residential real estate market in the United States, with Durham-Chapel Hill following at a close third. The Triangle area has also been cited by many publications as one of the best places to locate and operate businesses. In April, WalletHub released a study that placed Durham 5th and Raleigh 11th in "Best large cities to start a business." LendingTree analysts had Raleigh atop the list for best places to start a business and the Tarheel state, overall, topped the CNBC state business competitiveness ranking for the second year in a row in 2023.

Just within the past two years VinFast, Wolfspeed, Apple, Amazon and other notable companies have announced major new offices or facilities in the Triangle area. This underscores the point that our current regional transportation infrastructure compares favorably with that of other regions, and highlights the continued need to invest in further improvements to support steady growth in the future. Companies considering a move to the Triangle area need to know the transportation infrastructure network can support their need to ship supplies and manufactured goods by truck, rail or air. They also want to ensure the commute times of their employees are reasonable.

Transportation infrastructure within the Triangle region is in a positive state and has been capable of supporting the region's growth thus far. "We've got a really good thing going here, and we've got to be sure we don't mess it up," said Pete Marino, attorney at Smith Anderson and Chair of the Freeways Division at the Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA). "I think our infrastructure and transportation network is, in its current state, encouraging steady growth. We've done a better job than some other regions and other cities in keeping up with our infrastructure and transportation needs." A practitioner of construction law for more than 30 years and co-chair of Smith Anderson's Real Estate Development Team and Construction Group, Marino points to several examples:

• Expansion at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)
• NCDOT’s recurring efforts to build roads and increase lane capacity on existing roads
• Increasing capacity at NC ports
• Expanding rail corridors and access to commuter trains

In 2017, the Federal Aviation Administration approved RDU's 25-year master plan, Vision 40. This project includes improvements to runways, security checkpoints, terminals, parking and rental car facilities, and other elements to support the current and future aviation needs of the Triangle. However adequate federal funding to support these projects has not been at the level needed. RDU and organizations like the RTA are advocating for additional funding for its main runway replacement project and other improvements to attract new direct international routes, opening up new travel opportunities for the region.

Compared to areas like Washington, DC, and New York, Raleigh drivers spend much less time commuting in traffic. According to TomTom, average Raleigh drivers spend 78 hours in traffic in a year, while in the latter two cities drivers spend 236 and 196 hours each year, respectively. "That is a factor that always gets considered, especially by big companies, when they're moving or considering a move to a new location," added Marino. In the Triangle, perhaps one of the most important projects is the widening and improvement of the I-40 corridor both east of the I-440 Beltline and between Raleigh and Chapel Hill and Durham. According to the NCDOT, the I-40 widening Project east of I-440 will improve traffic on 13 miles of I-40 from Raleigh to Clayton and better connect the region to I-95. It is anticipated that this project will reach completion sometime during 2024. Efforts to fund widening of I-40 between Raleigh and Chapel Hill and Durham continue as well. In addition, there have been successful pilot projects for ramp metering on interstate highways in the region that also help to reduce congestion. Ramp metering utilizes a traffic signal at the on-ramp which controls the frequency at which vehicles enter the freeway. It has been shown to be an effective interim tool in reducing traffic on existing roads.

At the NC ports, the number of containers arriving continues to increase following the pandemic, during which shipments typically headed to the Port of Los Angeles were diverted to the East Coast. There are efforts currently underway to expand the number of container ships that can be accommodated as well as improve the rail systems to transport goods away from the NC ports. Making improvements to the rail system is important as well. While there are currently daily passenger trains that run between Durham and Raleigh, there are discussions about increasing the frequency of these trains.

One significant challenge to infrastructure development in the region is funding. "I think the NCDOT has done a fabulous job … doing the best with the funding [it has received]. It's really critical for the legislature and the Department of Transportation to continue to focus on our highway system, increasing the funds invested into it," said Marino.

Infrastructure funding should be thought of as a long-term investment that will pay long term dividends for all in our growing community.

Fortunately, the importance of strong transportation infrastructure is not difficult to convince most people of. "When folks are sitting in traffic or if they've come from another city where congestion is more extreme and more of a daily problem, they get the idea that we need to stay ahead of it here in our region," concluded Marino. Still, people need to be reminded that their support of these initiatives is important to secure the funding needed to make them a reality.

Continued investment in and development of the region's transportation infrastructure is critical to the Triangle region's continued growth and positive momentum. We are fortunate to have the transportation infrastructure we have today, but we must stay focused on the needs of the region in the future to keep a good thing going.

This article was written for our sponsor, Smith Anderson