WRAL interview about recycling theft

Renee Chou rummages through my recycling


WRAL’s Renee Chou came by the house this afternoon to do a story tonight on Raleigh’s proposed recycling theft ordinance. As far as interviews go I was a bit uncomfortable as I was seated and I’m not used to doing interviews that way. I was also uncomfortable with having the contents of my recycling bin displayed for all the world to see. Then again, watching Renee rummaging through my recycling bin reminded me that this ordinance will actually help protect everyone’s privacy by keeping people out of bins. That’s a good thing, I think.

As typical, I though of my best talking point after the interview concluded, and that’s this: just like when I put a letter in my mailbox I expect that a postal employee will collect it, when I put something in my recycling bin I expect the city’s recycling crew will collect it.

Look for the interview to air at 6 tonight.

Triangle Transit circulator buses

I’m not a huge fan of RTP but you have to admit that it’s a formidable economic engine and home to a large number of the area’s high-paying jobs. Try, though, to actually take mass transit to it. It can’t be done in any reasonable fashion.

I live near a bus line in Raleigh and would love to be able to hop a bus and take it into work. I can easily get to the Triangle Transit bus from Raleigh’s Moore Square Transit Station and from there out to Triangle Transit’s hub in RTP. From there, though, I’m on my own! Despite working in a large business park (Perimeter Park) with many companies nearby, I’m forced to walk over a mile from the nearest Triangle Transit stop near the Morrisville factory outlet mall.

This is where the Triangle Transit model falls down: there are no circulator buses which connect the various RTP office parks to the hub. Sure, if you’re a large employer like Cisco you can command your own circulator bus. The rest of us are destined to waste an hour or more each day, staring at taillights on I-40.

I’m curious why Triangle Transit doesn’t invest in more circulator buses instead of buying up land for a light-rail system that’s many years away. Yes, I’d love to ride the train into work, too, but why not first sell people on the practicality of mass transit by implementing a bus system that actually works?