Editing Research Triangle (section)

== Transportation ==

=== Freeways and primary designated routes ===
[[File:2008-07-25 I-85 from Davis Dr in RTP.jpg|thumb|[[Interstate 40|I-40]] passing through the [[Research Triangle Park]]]]
The Triangle proper is served by four major [[interstate highway]]s: [[Interstate 40|I-40]], [[Interstate 42|I-42]], [[Interstate 85|I-85]], and [[Interstate 87 (North Carolina)|I-87]] along with their [[spur route|spurs]]: [[Interstate 885|I-885]], [[Interstate 440 (North Carolina)|I-440]], and [[Interstate 540 (North Carolina)|I-540]], and seven [[United States Numbered Highways|U.S. Routes]]: [[U.S. Route 1 in North Carolina|1]], [[U.S. Route 15|15]], [[U.S. Route 64|64]], [[U.S. Route 70 in North Carolina|70]], [[U.S. Route 264|264]], [[U.S. Route 401|401]], and [[U.S. Route 501|501]]. US Highways 15 and 501 are multiplexed through much of the region as [[U.S. Route 15/501 in North Carolina|US 15-501]]. [[Interstate 95|I-95]] passes 30 miles east of Raleigh through Johnston County, with I-87 connecting I-95 at [[Rocky Mount, NC]] to Raleigh via the [[Knightdale Bypass|US 64–264 Bypass]].

The two interstates diverge from one another in Orange County, with I-85 heading northeast through northern Durham County toward [[Virginia]], while [[I-40]] travels southeast through southern Durham, through the center of the region, and serves as the primary freeway through Raleigh. The related loop freeways I-440 and I-540 are primarily located in Wake County around Raleigh. I-440 begins at the interchange of US 1 and I-40 southwest of downtown Raleigh and arcs as a multiplex with US 1 northward around downtown with the formal designation as the Cliff Benson/Raleigh Beltline (cosigned with US 1 on three-fourths of its northern route) and ends at its junction with I-40 in southeast Raleigh. I-540, sometimes known as the Raleigh Outer Loop, extends from the [[Knightdale Bypass|US 64–264 Bypass]] to I-40 just inside Durham County, where it continues across the interstate as a [[state route]] (NC 540), prior to it becoming a [[toll road]] from the NC 54 interchange to the current terminus at I-40 and I-42 near Garner. I-95 serves the extreme eastern edge of the region, crossing north–south through suburban Johnston County.

U.S. Routes 1, 15, and 64 primarily serve the region as limited-access freeways or multilane highways with [[frontage road|access roads]]. US 1 enters the region from the southwest as the Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway and travels through suburban Apex where it merges with US 64 and continues northeast through Cary. The two highways are codesignated for about {{convert|2|mi|km}} until US 1 joins I-440 and US 64 with I-40 along the Raleigh–Cary border. Capital Boulevard, which is designated US 1 for half of its route and US 401 the other is not a limited-access freeway, although it is a major thoroughfare through northeast Raleigh and into the northern downtown area.
[[File:2008-07-23 Morning Durham from Fayetteville St over NC 147.jpg|thumb|[[Durham Freeway]]]]
[[North Carolina Highway 147]] is a limited-access freeway that connects I-85 with Toll Route NC 540 in northwestern Wake County. The older, toll-free portion of the four-lane route—known as the Durham Freeway or the I.L. "Buck" Dean Expressway—traverses downtown Durham and extends through Research Triangle Park to I-40. The Durham Freeway is often used as a detour or alternate route for I-40 through southwestern Durham the Chapel Hill area in cases of traffic accident, congestion or road construction delays. The tolled portion of NC 147, called the Triangle Expressway—North Carolina's first modern toll road when it opened to traffic in late 2011—continues past I-40 to Toll NC 540. Both Toll NC 147 and Toll NC 540 are modern facilities which collect tolls using transponders and license plate photo-capture technology.

=== Public transit ===
[[File:GoTriangle2706 800Short.jpg|thumb|[[GoTriangle]] bus]]
[[File:2008-07-11 Chapel Hill bus passing South Building.jpg|thumb|[[Chapel Hill Transit]] bus]]
A partnering system of multiple public transportation agencies currently serves the Triangle region under the joint [[GoTriangle]] branding. Raleigh is served by [[Capital Area Transit (Raleigh)|GoRaleigh (formerly Capital Area Transit)]] municipal transit system, while Durham has [[Durham Area Transit Authority|GoDurham (formerly the Durham Area Transit Authority)]]. Chapel Hill is served by [[Chapel Hill Transit]], and Cary is served by [[C-TRAN (North Carolina)|GoCary (formerly C-Tran)]] public transit systems. However, GoTriangle, formerly called Triangle Transit, works in cooperation with all area transit systems by offering transfers between its own routes and those of the other systems. Triangle Transit also coordinates an extensive [[vanpool]] and [[carpool|rideshare]] program that serves the region's larger employers and commute destinations.

Plans have been made to merge all of the area's municipal systems into GoTriangle, and GoTriangle also has proposed a regional rail system to connect downtown Durham, downtown Cary and downtown Raleigh with multiple suburban stops, as well as stops in the Research Triangle Park area. The agency's initial proposal was effectively cancelled in 2006, however, when the agency could not procure adequate federal funding. A committee of local business, transportation and government leaders currently are working with GoTriangle to develop a new transit blueprint for the region, with various modes of rail transit, as well as [[bus rapid transit]], open as options for consideration.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ridetta.org/Regional_Rail/Overview/3-07LatestTransitNeeds.htm |title=Regional Transit Needs: Next Steps |access-date=2007-07-04 |work=TTA Web Site }}</ref>

===Air===

====Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU)====
{{Main|Raleigh–Durham International Airport}} {{airport codes|RDU|KRDU|RDU}}
[[File:2008-07-30 RDU welcome sign.jpg|thumb|[[Raleigh–Durham International Airport]] welcome sign]]
Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU) has nonstop passenger service to 68 destinations with over 450 average daily departures, including nonstop international service to Canada, Europe, and Mexico.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nonstop Destinations Raleigh–Durham International Airport|url=https://www.rdu.com/airline-information/airline-destinations/|access-date=19 October 2017}}</ref> It is located near the geographic center of The Triangle, {{convert|4+1/2|mi}} northeast of the town of [[Morrisville, North Carolina|Morrisville]] in [[Wake County, North Carolina|Wake County]]. The airport covers 5,000 acres (2,023 ha) and has three [[runway]]s.<ref name="FAA">{{FAA-airport|ID=RDU|use=PU|own=PU|site=27013.1*A}}, effective February 1, 2018.</ref>

In 1939 the General Assembly of North Carolina chartered the Raleigh–Durham Aeronautical Authority, which was changed in 1945 to the Raleigh–Durham Airport Authority. The first new terminal opened in 1955. Terminal A (now Terminal 1) opened in 1981. [[American Airlines]] began service to RDU in 1985.

RDU opened the {{convert|10000|ft|m|adj=on}} runway, 5L-23R, in 1986. American Airlines opened its north–south hub operation at RDU in the new Terminal C in June 1987, greatly increasing the size of RDU's operations with a new terminal including a new apron and runway. American brought RDU its first international flights to [[Bermuda]], [[Cancun]], [[Paris, France|Paris]] and [[London]].
[[File:RDU-27527.jpg|thumb|American Airlines [[Boeing 777]] touches down at RDU]]
In 1996, American Airlines ceased its hub operations at RDU due to [[Pan American World Airways|Pan Am]] and [[Eastern Airlines]]. Pan Am and Eastern were [[Miami International Airport|Miami's]] main tenants until 1991, when both carriers went bankrupt. Their hubs at MIA were taken over by [[United Airlines]] and American Airlines. This created a difficulty in competing with [[US Airways]]' hub in [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] and [[Delta Air Lines]]' hub in Atlanta, Georgia for passengers traveling between smaller cities in the North and South. [[Midway Airlines (1993–2003)|Midway Airlines]] entered the market, starting service in 1995 with the then somewhat novel concept of 50-seat [[Canadair Regional Jet]]s providing service from its RDU hub primarily along the East Coast. Midway, originally incorporated in [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]], had some success after moving its operations to the midpoint of the eastern United States at RDU and its headquarters to Morrisville, NC. The carrier ultimately could not overcome three weighty challenges: the arrival of [[Southwest Airlines]], the refusal of American Airlines to renew the frequent flyer affiliation it had with Midway (thus dispatching numerous higher fare-paying businesspeople to airlines with better reward destinations), and the significant blow of September 11, 2001. Midway Airlines filed [[Chapter 11 bankruptcy]] on August 13, 2001, and ceased operations entirely on October 30, 2003.

In February 2000, RDU was ranked as the nation's second fastest-growing major airport in the United States, by Airports Council International, based on 1999 statistics. Passenger growth hit 24% over the previous year, ranking RDU second only to [[Washington Dulles International Airport]]. RDU opened Terminal A south concourse for use by [[Northwest Airlines|Northwest]] and [[Continental Airlines]] in 2001. The addition added {{convert|46000|sqft|m2}} and five aircraft gates to the terminal. Terminal A became designated as Terminal 1 on October 26, 2008. In 2003, RDU also dedicated a new general aviation terminal. RDU continues to keep pace with its growth by redeveloping Terminal C into a new state-of-the-art terminal, now known as Terminal 2, which opened in October 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rdu.com/airportdev/termc-updates.htm|title=Raleigh–Durham International Airport<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> 

As of June 2022, the airport will have international flights to Cancun, London, Montreal, Paris, Reykjavik and Toronto. Cancun and London service is provided by American, Frontier and JetBlue, while the Canada flights are provided by Air Canada, Paris by Delta, and Reykjavik by Icelandair. Icelandair is the first international carrier outside of Air Canada to service the airport. Delta Air Lines currently considers the airport to be a "focus city", or an airport that is not a hub, but is of importance to the carrier.  The COVID-19 pandemic significantly shrunk the operation, but by September 2022, Delta will be serving 21 destinations on aircraft ranging from the CRJ700 to the 767.

==== Public general-aviation airports ====
In addition to RDU, several smaller publicly owned [[general aviation|general-aviation]] airports also operate in the metropolitan region:
* [[Triangle North Executive Airport]] {{airport codes|LFN|KLHZ|LHZ}}, [[Louisburg, North Carolina|Louisburg]]
* [[Raleigh Exec]] {{airport codes||KTTA|TTA}}, [[Sanford, North Carolina|Sanford]]
* Johnston County Airport {{airport codes|JNX|KJNX|JNX}}, [[Smithfield, North Carolina|Smithfield]]
* [[Horace Williams Airport]] {{airport codes|IGX|KIGX|IGX}}, [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|Chapel Hill]] (Closed)
* Harnett Regional Jetport {{airport codes|HRJ|KHRJ|HRJ}}, [[Erwin, North Carolina|Erwin]]
* [[Person County Airport]] {{airport codes||KTDF|TDF}}, [[Roxboro, North Carolina|Roxboro]]
* Siler City Municipal Airport {{airport codes||K5W8|5W8}}, [[Siler City, North Carolina|Siler City]]

==== Private airfields ====
[[File:2008-08-24 Lake Ridge Aero Park Airport Rwy 14.jpg|thumb|right|Lake Ridge Airport (8NC8) in Durham]]
Several licensed private [[general aviation|general-aviation]] and agricultural airfields are located in the region's suburban areas and nearby rural communities:
* Bagwell Airport {{airport codes|||NC99}}, Garner
* Ball Airport {{airport codes|||79NC}}, [[Louisburg, North Carolina|Louisburg]]
* Barclaysville Field Airport {{airport codes|||NC44}}, [[Angier, North Carolina|Angier]]
* Brooks Field Airport {{airport codes|||8NC6}}, Siler City
* CAG Farms Airport {{airport codes|||87NC}}, Angier
* Charles Field Airport {{airport codes|||NC22}}, Dunn
* Cox Airport {{airport codes|||NC81}}, Apex
* Crooked Creek Airport {{airport codes|||7NC5}}, Bunn
* Dead Dog Airport {{airport codes|||8NC4}}, [[Pittsboro, North Carolina|Pittsboro]]
* Deck Airpark Airport {{airport codes|||NC11}}, Apex
* Dutchy Airport {{airport codes|||5NC5}}, Chapel Hill
* Eagle's Landing Airport {{airport codes|||9NC8}}, Pittsboro
* Field of Dreams Airport {{airport codes|||51NC}}, [[Zebulon, North Carolina|Zebulon]]
* Fuquay/Angier Field Airport {{airport codes|||78NC}}, [[Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina|Fuquay-Varina]]
* Hinton Field Airport {{airport codes|||NC72}}, [[Princeton, North Carolina|Princeton]]
* Kenly Airport {{airport codes|||7NC3}}, [[Kenly, North Carolina|Kenly]]
* Lake Ridge Aero Park Airport {{airport codes|||8NC8}}, Durham
* Miles Airport {{airport codes|||NC34}}, Chapel Hill
* North Raleigh Airport {{airport codes|||00NC}}, Louisburg
* Peacock Stolport Airport {{airport codes|||4NC7}}, Garner
* Raleigh East Airport {{airport codes|||9NC0}}, [[Knightdale, North Carolina|Knightdale]]
* Riley Field Airport {{airport codes|||1NC5}}, Bunn
* Ron's Field Ultralight Airport {{airport codes|||1NC1}}, Pittsboro
* Triple W Airport {{airport codes||K5W5|5W5}}, Raleigh
* Womble Field Airport {{airport codes|||3NC9}}, Chapel Hill

==== Heliports ====
[[File:2004-02-02 Duke Life Flight helicopter N109DU.jpg|thumb|NC92 helipad at [[Duke University Hospital|Duke University Medical Center]]]]
These licensed [[heliport]]s serve the Research Triangle region:
* Betsy Johnson Memorial Hospital Heliport {{airport codes|||NC96}}, Dunn—publicly owned; medical service
* Duke University North Heliport {{airport codes||NC92|NC92}}, Durham—privately owned; public medical service
* Garner Road Heliport {{airport codes|||3NC2}}, Raleigh—publicly owned; state government service
* Holly Green Heliport {{airport codes|||83NC}}, Durham—private
* Sky-5 Heliport {{airport codes|||2NC3}}, Raleigh—private, owned by Sky-5 Inc. ([[WRAL-TV]])
* Sprint MidAtlantic Telecom Heliport {{airport codes|||11NC}}, [[Youngsville, North Carolina|Youngsville]]—private; corporate service
* Wake Medical Center Heliport {{airport codes|||0NC4}}, Raleigh—publicly owned; medical service
* Western Wake Medical Center Heliport {{airport codes|||04NC}}, Cary—publicly owned; medical service

A number of [[helipad]]s (i.e. marked landing sites not classified under the [[FAA]] [[Location identifier|LID]] system) also serve a variety of additional medical facilities (such as UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill), as well as private, corporate and governmental interests, throughout the region.

=== Rail ===
[[Amtrak]] serves the region with the [[Silver Meteor]], [[Silver Star (Amtrak train)|Silver Star]], [[Palmetto (train)|Palmetto]], [[Carolinian (train)|Carolinian]], and [[Piedmont (train)|Piedmont]] routes.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Station\Route !! [[Silver Meteor]] !! [[Silver Star (Amtrak train)|Silver Star]] !! [[Palmetto (train)|Palmetto]] !! [[Carolinian (train)|Carolinian]] !! [[Piedmont (train)|Piedmont]]
|-
! [[Selma–Smithfield (Amtrak station)|Selma]] (SSM) ||  ||  || X || X ||
|-
! [[Fayetteville (Amtrak station)|Fayetteville]] (FAY) || X ||  || X ||  ||
|-
! [[Southern Pines (Amtrak station)|Southern Pines]] (SOP) ||  || X ||  ||  ||
|-
! [[Raleigh (Amtrak station)|Raleigh]] (RGH) ||  || X ||  || X || X
|-
! [[Cary (Amtrak station)|Cary]] (CYN) ||  || X ||  || X || X
|-
! [[Durham, North Carolina (Amtrak station)|Durham]] (DNC) ||  ||  ||  || X || X
|}