Plans for a new stop on the proposed light rail connector between Durham and Chapel Hill were approved this week by the Federal Transit Administration.

This decision brings the total number of stations to be constructed along the connector up to 18, with the latest stop intended to accommodate North Carolina Central University.

Dr. Johnson Akinleye, the acting NCCU chancellor and provost, stated that his institution was “pleased to join the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit Project” in a recent press release that touted the projected benefits of the connector.

These benefits will not come without cost, as GoTriangle, the regional public transit authority responsible for facilitating the project, has claimed that the total cost of the connector will top $1.8 billion.

Funding for a similar rail connector in Charlotte gave GoTriangle a template for footing the bill, with the federal government covering half the cost of that project and the state contributing 25 percent.

GoTriangle may now be forced to scrap that template due to the fact that the North Carolina House of Representatives capped state funding for light rail projects at 10 percent of funds received.

This cap puts the nearly 18-mile connector in development limbo while GoTriangle reaches out to private donors as well as the municipal governments of Durham and Chapel Hill for over $250 million.

Funding issues notwithstanding, GoTriangle expects the connector to support over 27,000 passenger trips per day after the anticipated conclusion of construction in 2028.

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