A lot has been written about the upcoming housing and transportation bonds on the ballot next Tuesday, October 11, 2011. We’ve seen articles explaining the bonds and supporting the bonds all around Raleigh. (More here, here and here.) Before you vote you may ask yourself – do these bonds benefit me in the Creative District?
The simple answer – absolutely. The big items on the transportation bond include more sidewalks (new and repairs), widening and realignment of Tryon Road, a streetscape plan for Hillsborough Street (Gardner Road to Rosemary Street), and improvements to Union Station downtown. All of these projects can help boost the economy in Southwest Raleigh and attract private firms to invest in our part of town.
It’s important to note that these bonds are separate from each other, but each carry their own magnitude of importance. Let’s take a look at the other bond that’s on the ballot.
The housing bond includes incentives for first-time home buyers, affordable housing, and tornado relief for people whose dwellings were declared unsafe as a result of the April 16th tornado. These efforts can help repair hard-hit neighborhoods like Caraleigh, but more importantly, create diverse communities that fuel our creative class.
These bonds are about maintaining and improving the quality of life in Raleigh. And while the current state of the economy may lead some people to believe it isn’t a good time to go into debt, the average cost for these bonds should be about $17 a year per household—or about a nickel a day. Past bonds have proven to be a wise investment for Raleigh. Let’s continue that trend during next week’s election.