Improving the public transit system in Raleigh is about more than helping people get around without cars. It's also an essential way to guide development toward dense, walkable, urban-friendly communities that will define successful cities for the next generation.
So says former Portland, Ore., mayor Earl Blumenauer, who spoke in downtown Thursday night as part of the 21st Century City lecture series sponsored by the city and WakeUP Wake County, an advocate for responsible growth.
Raleigh can use public transit -- buses, light rail, streetcars and cycling amenities -- to move past the fading era of suburban sprawl, Blumenauer told an audience of 150 people in The Stockroom, a renovated space on Fayetteville Street.
"There's a rumor that in Portland, we've declared war on the car," said Blumenauer, a Democrat who now represents Oregon's Third District in Congress. "Nothing could be further from the truth."
A more apt description, he said, is that Portland did not surrender to the car by choosing growth patterns that would guarantee ample parking spaces in front of every new building.
Blumenauer's visit to Raleigh came at an opportune time. The city is working on a new development code intended to steer development toward corridors that will eventually be served by expanded mass transit.
Advocates hope Wake County commissioners agree by this fall to hold a referendum on a half-cent sales tax to pay for transit improvements, including more frequent bus service and, eventually, the introduction of Triangle passenger rail. Durham County voters approved the tax late last year.
Portland offers a model, Blumenauer said. The city operates 79 bus lines, a 14.7-mile commuter rail line and a light rail system that adds, on average, two more miles every year.
A streetcar line has attracted $3.5 billion in investment to downtown, helping Portland strengthen its brand as a place known for trendy shops, restaurants and boutiques.
It wasn't always this way, Blumenauer said.
Portland was once a medium-sized, ordinary town with a polluted river and a maze of interstates running into its downtown. In the 1960s, a highway expansion and urban renewal plan crafted by legendary (and controversial) city planner Robert Moses would have resulted in 1 of every 10 Portlanders living next to a highway or moving to accommodate one.
That possibility spawned a resistance that brought together neighbors, preservation advocates and city fathers of the day. They chose a future for Portland centered on memorable public spaces, a vibrant street scene and a strong transit network.
This constituency eventually gave rise to Blumenauer, a life-long Portland resident known for his bow ties and focus on livable cities. During his speech, Blumenauer wore a bicycle-shaped pin on the lapel of his suit jacket.
A Portland-based manufacturer will soon produce the first streetcar built in America in 50 years, and Blumenauer said he is trying to convince President Obama to visit for the occasion. The streetcar line operates in the public right-of-way, meaning crews didn't have to tear down buildings or condemn property to install it.
The city recently retrofitted a bridge to designate a portion for bike travel. The bridge has seen a 20 percent increase in traffic, with 19 percent coming from cyclists, Blumenauer told the audience, using an overhead screen to display a photo of a crowd of cyclists pedaling across the bridge.
"People think you're having a bike event," he said. "No, that's the morning commute."
Blumenauer was hosted by U.S. Rep. David Price of Raleigh, a House colleague and friend. The visit included a stop Thursday at Durham's American Tobacco campus, which has gained new life as a hub for restaurants, cultural attractions and startup companies.
The Triangle is projected to grow much faster than Portland in coming decades, Blumenauer noted, making transit even more important to focus development around corridors and transit stations.
"You can't keep developing 35 acres a day," Blumenauer said in an interview after his speech. "You're sentencing people to endless traffic, air pollution, parking problems..."
"You're seeing it in Detroit, Kansas City. It's not just Portland and Seattle. And you can do it here (too). If you don't, you're going to lose your edge."
