Durham Leads North Carolina in Public Transit Use

Although the bar is set  pretty low, it is heartening to see that according to American City Business Journal, The tri-county area that includes Durham leads the State in the number of transit users per capita. About 4% of all commuters in Durham use public transit, a seemingly low number that is made no less low by the fact that in the city the size of Charlotte only about 2% of all commuters use public transit. The number is still below the national average of 5% although, according to the Triangle Business Journal article, from which this data was taken, that number is heavily skewed by large transit-dependent cities like New York and Boston.

Of course, the hope is that with the wider implementation and adoption of the transit initiatives following last November's referendum, Durham numbers will rise significantly. And judging by the number of bike commuters in our own neighborhood, alternative forms of transit are increasingly taking root in the Bull City.

The increased use of public transit is good for the environment, the health and economic vitality of the community and for property values. In a recent article in the Atlantic Magazine, the authors describe how favorable public perception of light rail affects economic development and property values in the surrounding neighborhoods.