An important future transit hub in Research Triangle Park has landed federal funding

A future transit station in Research Triangle Park that could connect to regional bus rapid transit, passenger rail service and a 17-mile-long bikeway has landed some key federal funding.

Why it matters: The Triangle area is one of the most car-dependent regions in the country , straining the region's roads and highways as its population grows.

• Regional leaders have for years tried to plan better mass transit options for the area, and most recently decided on bus rapid transit as the most viable option .

Driving the news: On Wednesday, the future transit center in RTP was awarded a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

• The funding comes from money allocated in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that President Biden signed into law in 2021.

State of play: Research Triangle Park is one of the largest job centers in the region, with more than 300 companies based there.

• While the Research Triangle Foundation, the not-for-profit that manages the business park, wants to encourage more housing in RTP , most existing workers have to commute long distances into the business park.
• The new transit hub could significantly expand access to RTP, and encourage more development around it.

Zoom in: The grant represents a significant chunk of the potential funding needed for the transit hub. Eric Curry, chief communications officer for GoTriangle, said it is projected to cost $58 million to build.

• The center would be at the intersection of Miami Boulevard and N.C. Highway 54 — a mile east of the massive HUB RTP development that is adding apartments, retail and office towers to the central part of Research Triangle Park.
• It would also be located on a potential regional bus rapid transit route , Amtrak's passenger rail line and a potential bikeway connecting Chapel Hill to Raleigh .
• An existing transit hub for buses exists in the RTP area already, but the region's population growth has made it inadequate, Curry said.

Details: Among other features, the hub will include:

• Covered boarding bays with electric bus-charging infrastructure
• Covered drop-off spaces for paratransit, microtransit and rideshare vehicles
• The funding would pay for up to 10 new battery-electric buses, too.

Between the lines: There is still a long way to go for the Triangle's regional transit plans to materialize.

• The transit hub has a tentative timeline of opening in 2028, but it still needs to secure additional funding from the federal government, the state or local partners.
• Discussions on a regional bus rapid transit system are still in their infancy.
• And the bikeway is still in the design and environmental study phase, The News & Observer previously reported .