Armed with population projections that would have Fuquay-Varina (including its extra-territorial jurisdiction and urban service areas) at 54,000 by 2015, two Wake County officials appeared at last week’s town board meeting to outline an updated plan for mass transit throughout the area and to emphasize the need to start implementation as soon as possible.

County Manager David Cooke and Wake County Transit manager David King made the presentation.

Commissioners were advised that Wake Transit hopes to win approval of its plan from Wake towns and Wake Commissioners and be ready to hold a countywide referendum on a ½-cent sales tax in the fall of 2011.

The long-term transit plan calls for a combination of buses and light rail trains and eventually express trains.

“Transit is about future growth, where people are going to live and how they are going to get around,” Cooke said.

He pointed out that Wake County’s population is close to a million now and is projected to reach one and a half million by 2035.

King said these figures support Wake Transit’s contention that work must get underway on the plan as soon as possible.

What Fuquay-Varina would likely see first would be expanded bus service between Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh at peak hours, and perhaps one bus run at midday, with stops at Wake Technical College.

Bus service is much quicker to implement than train service, King explained. He said buses could be purchased and drivers trained within a relatively short period of time. Rail takes a long time to build, he said.

After hearing the Wake Transit presentation, Commissioner Cindy Sheldon said, “You’re going to have to sell the citizenry before the referendum.” She said that while town and county officials and planners study population projections and see the growing need for public transportation, the average citizen is likely to say, “I’m not going to ride a bus. I’m going to drive my car.”

Commissioner Charlie Adcock also pointed out that many local citizens feel this area has been slighted by those implementing plans for the 540 beltway around Raleigh since the portion on the north side of the city was built with taxpayer dollars while the south side is to be a toll road with proceeds paying for the project.

Adcock said he thinks some southern Wake residents may question why, if they must pay toll to use the new highway, they should now support the new transit plan.

In support of plans for an area transit plan, the General Assembly (in House Bill 148) has authorized a ½ cent sales tax in Wake County, and other urban counties, with voter approval of a referendum.

The bill also authorizes a regional vehicle registration fee increase (from $5 to $8). That change would require Wake County Board of Commissioners resolution and action by the Triangle Transit Board of Trustees.

Also the bill authorizes a county vehicle registration fee (up to $7), another change that would require Wake Board of Commissioners action.

And it authorizes Research Triangle Park to charge a property tax for public transportation projects up to 10 cents $100).

Wake County would be required to approve a financial plan prior to holding a referendum on its transit plan.

Wake Transit hopes to have the financial plan prepared and the citizenry educated about the growing need in time to hold a referendum in the fall of 2011.