WSTB

With what the IQ has done to the city, I get pretty giddy at the talk of any new innovation hubs. Do we know where the other hubs are going to be?



I truly hope so, but I can't help but reckon that we're gonna have to settle for a shuttle.

Rail is not ‘modern’. Yes, it’s rapid but a fixed track is as old a concept as you can get. It’s going to be a minute but, in ten years or so, the idea of moving people along a steel pathway will be risible.

I'm guessing that is the only innovation hub they can't run from their existing spaces?

It seems as if all new transit innovation centers around what is called PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) and it's very inefficient. With several large companies and organizations, some receiving funding from their countries, working on the best transit ideas, some form of rail still seems to be the best idea. Hyperloop is a technology to watch, but many involved in transit seem to think it's a fantasy and can give you reasons why. It's also not good for local city transit.

I can confirm, living in Atlanta, that many businesses want to be on rail transit lines. It has conservative suburbs trying to talk their residents into supporting rail expansions and taxes involved. Some headquarters and large tech offices won't consider a site that doesn't have rail transit. That is why the Innovation Quarter seems so interested in it.

Since the cost is so out-of-reach for Winston-Salem, maybe it's time to consider BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) with dedicated red bus lanes? It could be cheaper to pave-over the rail line through the Innovation Quarter as a BRT-only lane? They could also widen the roads it uses by adding a red "bus only lane" for the BRT. This would create a fast service and the articulated buses are very cool. It's cheaper and federal/state/local road/highway money or local bonds could be available for it? Even if they don't add the red bus only lanes, it's still a nice option and would be fast with such a large stretch of former rail line as a bus only lane. If someone from the Innovation Quarter is reading this or you know someone there, please share the idea of paving-over the rail corridor for a bus rapid transit-only lane. They could leave the rail line intact and just pave around it, with the rail visible as an historic artifact they could reuse at a later date? With no overhead wires, expensive steel rails, or electrified third rail, I'm sure they would find BRT far more affordable. Just pave the rail corridor and buy the buses and maybe consider adding the red bus-only lanes, if they can. Red bus-only lanes are also cool and very appreciated among bus riders. As with bike lanes, if you have the extra ROW (Right of Way), you're just adding pavement or maybe converting an existing lane to gain the bus lanes! Maybe PART and WSTA could use them, too?

I'm not sure I buy the importance of a rail, to be honest. Duke killed the Durham-Orange rail proposal, and it hasn't impacted Durham or Raleigh's growth.

Duke University wanted the rail line, but was concerned about vibrations in their hospital, if I remember correctly?

Rail is only good (for serious transit purposes) if it has dedicated ROW. Anything else is just to encourage real estate development and/or impress young people. I guess rail transit without dedicated ROW is also good for circulating tourists and drunks, too?

BRT with dedicated ROW would be just as good as a light rail line. You can see me stressing the dedicated ROW / Red Bus Only Lanes. That is why. Dedicated ROW creates a real transit system that solves real transportation issues.

Always talk of band-aid fixes and work-arounds - is W-S ever gonna be a player?

Today’s GBJ has an article about new company at Smith Reynolds distributing aircraft from South African company. Sounds good.

I would love to see our city get something like this example underway at the airport. It's a new air taxi service in Florida. From a Bloomberg article today: "Lilium, working with Spanish infrastructure giant Ferrovial on at least 10 so-called vestiports, aims to be running flights in cities worldwide by 2025" https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... nd=premium

Today The WSJournal is reporting on the $7 million renovation project that will over the next 30 months renovate and update the 1941 terminal. The monies come from limited obligation bonds that will be paid off with airport revenues. Installation of an elevator and the updating of building systems such as HVAC will be part of the project. Mark Davidson, airport director, announced that fixed based operator Signature Flight Support will move into the building. He indicated that the 80 year old building is outgrowing its useful life but by renovating it will enable it to still provide service to the airport complex by housing Signature. The project looks to bring out the history of the building as well as well as modernize by the installation of the elevator and exterior facade improvements.

Walter, Robbs Callahan & Pierce was awarded a contract not to exceed approx. $608,000 by the County Commission last week. This local firm also did the design work at the Union Station renovation project. The Journal article also informs about the recent efforts to jumpstart the economic activity at Smith Reynolds by investigating ways to connect the airport with both Whitaker Park and the Innovation Quarter business opportunities as well as attract new technologies such as drones and vertical take off and landing aircraft. Good news is that the current hangars are fully occupied and that the airport is financially self sufficient. The upcoming completion of the $16 million aviation campus on the back side of the airport will provide training for people working as aircraft technicians & mechanics for companies based S.R.

This terminal renovation is part of a larger $17 million project that will involve the renovation of the Quonset hanger and the construction of two new hangars on a site where an obsolete hangar currently located.

Exciting - would be great if it was a prelude to some sort of passenger service from INT.

Per Wikipedia

A fixed-base operator (FBO) is an organization granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instruction, and similar services.

Signature Flight seems to specialize in business and private aviation

There seems to be growing excitement surrounding the airport's UAS research center efforts. They are now calling this the "AeroX Innovation Hub." A consulting company from Durham seems to be assisting with it. The airport is also seeking State and other outside money to fund this effort.

The TBJ is reporting that Smith Reynolds has received a grant of $4.5 million from the CARES ACT through the Dept. of Commerce's Economic Develpmnt Admin. It will be paired with $1.6 million in local funding and will be used to repair structural damage to hangars as a result of Hurricane Michael in 2018 as well as offset additional economic adversity as brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This grant is expected to create 200 jobs, retain 100 jobs and generate $2.5 million in private investment. Can't wait to hear when, where & who will be creating these 200 jobs.

Great news but the math seems a bit squirrelly on jobs. $6.1 including repair costs doesn’t seem enough to stretch to hundreds of jobs (even for single year’s salary...). It’s either one of those gimmicky “economic impact” measures or, hopefully, this is seed money to attract an employer!

Given that I do not belong to the NSA I've no idea how old the imagery is. Question: How/why did W-S wind up with so many aircraft? American and United.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Winst ... -80.244216