BCR's Daily Fishwrap Report for December 9, 2008

It's a busy day in the local papers:

• The H-S's Matt Milliken notes that the 2035 long-range transportation plan moves forward; four proposals all include the same road projects, including the East End Connector, widening NC 147 from the EEC to I-40, adding an HOV lane to I-40 west to NC 54, the new Northern Durham Parkway, and improving US 15-501 and US 70. The four projects differ in their transit plans, with planners recommended an unbroken Chapel Hill-to-Durham-to-Raleigh light rail system as a preferred choice among options including bus-only, commuter rail, and mixed rail plans. The state TIP plan will draw from the regional MPO's plan, to be reviewed again by the MPO's Transportation Advisory Committee this Wednesday. (H-S)
• Manpower's Employment Outlook Survey looks better than one might think; 19% of companies in Durham's MSA expect to add workers in the first quarter, with 12% planning cuts. Durham-Chapel Hill ranks ahead of Raleigh-Cary and of the Greensboro MSA, which tied for fifth-weakest market this quarter in the country. (N&O)
• The N&O's Bruce Siceloff takes a look at the "handsome new transportation hub" known as Durham Station, set to open adjacent to Ambacco's North Deck in February, and notes it will be a welcome addition to a transit system that carries more passengers than larger neighbors Raleigh and Greensboro. Siceloff points out that the multi-bay design (unlike the cramped Morgan St. station) will allow buses to individually leave and depart on time, while highlighting the DATA board's concerns on the free downtown circulator. (N&O)
• Two NCSSM seniors will share $100,000 towards their education (at MIT, Stanford or UPenn in their case) after winning the prestigious Siemens Competition. The students, natives of Raleigh and Cary, praised the opportunity and experience at Science & Math. (H-S)
• A nice human interest story in the H-S today looks at the divergent paths of two Duke alums who helped support the nascent Durham Bulls Youth Athletic League, and how the two friends -- one now a special assistant to President Bush, the other a marketing exec with the Red Sox -- helped raise grant and private funds to build quality baseball fields for underprivileged youth. (H-S)

Comments

[Lydia]

I noticed this morning that the N&O described the two NCSSM seniors as Wake students in the headline. Surely Durham can claim them, too, as they both attend school and did the research in, you know, Durham? Amazing they didn't get shot or robbed first. :)

[Frank Hyman]

Continuing the discussion about paying for transit, now that we have a functioning transit station coming on line....

I have to ask the question--if the City of Durham had a few million bucks a year to invest in improving some municipal service, should we invest it in the bus system....or picking up yard waste?

Frank Hyman

[Todd]

Frank - There you go making sense again. Stop trying to make rational comparisons.

Everybody knows we need free yard waste pickup, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, including city crews mowing and raking my yard on demand as needed. It's a basic city service...

:)