It would help the area grow if there was easier access to/from downtown. It would be awesome to see the light rail system set to link Chapel Hill and Durham to connect to RTP, RDU and PNC Arena as well as downtown Raleigh. This would allow people from Durham and Chapel Hill an easy means to travel to/from Raleigh. It would also provide an alternative to driving to commute downtown. Less cars downtown could lead to promotion of bikeshare ideas that we see in other major cities. The area is the 2nd fastest growing in America (behind Austin, TX) and could potentially be in line for Google Fiber (which will draw more people and more importantly businesses) and it is crucial that plans are in place to grow with the population rather than in response to it. I can already picture I-540 East looking like the Santa Monica Freeway or the Cross Bronx Expressway.

The Natural Science and History museums provide significant services and reasons for visitors to access downtown. The museum's past, present and future impact upon Raleigh's revitalization can't be overstated. Pedestrian traffic patterns would no doubt indicate that downtown destination zones shown in the Experience Plan overlap the state museum area, but there is no indication of them in the document's plans and designations. The museums are part and parcel of the Raleigh Downtown Experience as far as a visitor's or resident's perception on the street is concerned and should be included when thinking about weaving together Raleigh's urban fabric.