Beltline to Lose "Inner" and "Outer"
The
News & Observer is reporting
today that contracts for new signage for Raleigh’s Beltline will go out in November. Part of the deal involves new nomenclature for the confusing I-440 and I-40 sections known as “The Beltline”.
Back in 2002 DOT engineers recommended a new system for labeling parts of the road. What DOT will do is remove “I-440” from the southern portion of the Beltline (the section that is I-40), and label the remaining I-440 as an East/West road. If one thinks of the Beltline as being shaped like a bell, the curvaceous upper portion will be I-440 while the bottom rim is I-40.
The two sides of I-440 will be labeled by the direction on the bell that they are eventually traveling. The West point is toward Cary, near Crossroads shopping center ( map it ) and the East point is that where I-40 breaks off toward Wilmington, near Walnut Creek Amphitheater ( map it ).
I’ve traveled to many cities with loop freeways and I’ve never seen one struggle with its nomenclature as much as we do. Ultimately the new nomenclature makes sense because the Beltline is not a closed loop. In order for the new system to work, however, the name “Beltline” should be dropped as it implies a closed loop. A new name should include the implication of an arc, such as the “Midtown Arc” or “Sir Walter Crescent”. We all know that citizens will not drop the Beltline name, however, and confusion will ensue.
New naming systems take time for adoption, and the introduction of DVD-based navigation systems won’t improve this lag time. While the state is as it, they ought to make an enormous leap in clarification by dropping the “440” label all together, and going with another hundreds digit, like “340”, but that’s the subject of another post. Hopefully the use of West and East will make at least some improvement to the confusion.
Carver’s Creek Closed
Steak restaurant Carver’s Creek has closed. The restaurant at the 440/Capital Blvd intersection had a run of about 28 years, and was originally named Mountain Jacks.
SDV Hitting Charlotte TWC Customers
It’s coming. This week Charlotte Time Warner Cable customers got a letter informing them up the upcoming implementation of Switched Digital Video (SDV) technology. It’s only a matter of time before Raleigh’s TWC customers get hit with this “upgrade”.
Andres at My Network Project explains it well. The good news is that SDV allows TWC to offer more HD channels. The (very) bad news is that SDV pretty much kills the idea of using a Cable Card . Cable companies, faced with a finite amount of bandwidth, have come up with a way to offer channels. With SDV they will make groups of lightly used channels “on-demand”, basically. In other words the signal for these channels will not come down the pipe unless the viewer tunes one of them. In order to send the call for any of the channels, one must have a 2-way communication to the cable company. A Time Warner set-top box or DVR will make this call, as they are able to send requests for on-demand shows.
Cable Card, however, is a technology that only allows 1-way communication. Not only is this frustrating because of the people who are currently using Cable Cards in their TVs and Vista Media Centers ( vid1 , vid2 ), but also because Cable Card was the result of a mandate by the government . The intent was for customers to be able to watch all available streaming channels without being required to rent hardware from the cable company. It’s no accident that the introduction of SDV forces customers into renting equipment. (How is this legal?) Perhaps the next version of Cable Card, True2Way, will ease problems, but that doesn’t help people who have already faithfully invested hundreds of dollars in Cable Card technologies.
The good news here is that the channels really are tertiary channels for the majority of viewers. The channels that Charlotte’s TWC will be putting on SDV are below the fold.
09/04/08 Update
Ian Dixon has found a discussion on the The Green Button about SDV. Some feel that a software upgrade is all that is needed to get CableCard devices to work with SDV while others feel a hardware solution is needed.
Get Graffiti Removed
With the growing problem of gang activity in the area, the associated graffiti problems must be addressed.
The city’s stance
is that removal of graffiti within the first 24 hours is the best way to prevent future graffiti. Before any graffiti removal begins take a photograph for local law enforcement as evidence. The photo may provide information that will lead to identification of the vandal.
If you spot graffiti, photo it and either reported it by calling 831-6001 or email graffiti@ci.raleigh.nc.us .
Note: The above info regards graffiti in city areas. For graffiti seen on state-maintained roads, such I-440, I-40, and I-540, call 447-2914 .
Signal Adjustment Eases Morning Woes
In July I posted some observations about morning traffic. Apparently a traffic signal controlling off-bound I-440 traffic at Lake Boone Trail was timed such that the queue was backing up into 440 traffic. The resulting 3 miles of stop and go traffic created a stressful, risky situation for commuters.
One of gogoraleigh’s readers saw the post and passed it on to someone who could correct the problem. Within 48 hours the morning commute cleaned up and traffic has traveled a steady 45+ mph, even during heavy traffic loads, ever since.
I want to take this opportunity to thank whomever was involved in this signal tuning. There are thousands of signals in Raleigh, but few employees to monitor them. It is good to know that people out there are indeed listening.
I don’t claim to have a direct line, but the City of Raleigh website does show a series of phone numbers to use for reporting problems on area roads:
- Hazards and visual obstructions: 890-3430
- Potholes: 831-6446
- Signal malfunctions: 890-3020
- Signs missing: 831-6608
Help to keep the city abreast of problems by using these numbers to politely report any problems on city streets.
U-Verse Coming to Raleigh?
Could Time-Warner Cable finally be getting some wired competition in Raleigh? EngadgetHD just posted an article pointing to an interesting craigslist ad . The ad states:
AT&T U-Verse – RESIDENTIAL FEILD AGENTS WANTED! (Raleigh Durham)
While the promise of U-Verse is more than enough to make me scream and shout, I have to wonder about the veracity of a want-ad featuring a major typo. Stay tuned for more…
"Scenic Byways" New Edition Available
One of the best documents produced by the State of North Carolina is
NCDOT Scenic Byways
. Included the new 4th Edition is a profile of this state’s 45 most beautiful drives. The printed book is free, but a $5 donation is requested to offset shipping. A free .PDF version is also available. Both can be obtained by going to the
Scenic Byways website
.
RDU Terminal 2 Gets Opening Date
The RDU Aiport Authority announced today that its new Terminal 2 will open on October 26. The 550,000 square foot, half a billion dollar terminal will replace Terminal C and offer a net gain of four gates to passengers in a swoopy setting.
RBC Crown Lighting Tonight
Tonight at 9pm will be the official lighting of the crown for the new RBC Bank Plaza building in downtown Raleigh. An official ceremony will take place at Martin and Fayetteville Streets.
Historic Houses Near Their Move
The
Blount Street Commons
vision will take huge step forward Saturday morning as two historic homes will be
moved to a new address
(.jpg). The Hume house will begin its move at 8:30am while the Merrimon-Wynne house will move at 10:00am. The move will be featured on National Geographic’s
Monster Moves
show, so they will be on site filming. Rain date is Sunday.
Tift Merritt Still Has Raleigh on Her Calendar
While
Tift Merritt
may have moved to NYC last year, she’s still an active person locally. David Menconi
wrote an article
about her busy day on October 7. She’ll be here as the host of the Arts Commission’s 24th annual Medal of Arts Ceremony at Fletcher Opera Theater.
Merritt will also be doing a concert with Teddy Thompson at the NC Museum of Art on August 23 . Prior to the concert, Merritt and Paul Friedrich will present a painting exhibition featuring North Carolina’s LowDefPop Artists. “Paintings Under the Stars” showcases the work of Paul Friedrich, Casey Porn, Jodi Hoover, David Eichenberger and Greg Clayton. The Paintings will be on display by the main stage of the Joseph M. Bryan, Jr. Theater in the Museum Park.
Friedrich is widely known for his cartoon series “Onion Head Monster” and his book “Onion Head Monster Attacks” was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Humor. His paintings are characterized by his use of bright colors and bold lines. Casey Porn is the 2008 Emerging Artist at ArtSpace in Downtown Raleigh. The LowDefPop Art Movement is defined by the use of pop culture, inviting colors, bold images, humor and outlines.
Joe Bonamassa Coming to Lincoln Theatre
On Friday, October 17, Joe Bonamassa is coming to the Lincoln Theatre. The blues-rock guitar virtuoso is on tour to support his new live CD, “ Live from Nowhere in Particular “, which was just released on Tuesday. UNC alumni from the early 90’s might be familiar with Joe’s touring drummer, Bogey Bowles, one cool dude.
Dex Romweber Duo Added to RWO
Raleigh Wide Open’s music schedule just got more interesting as the Dex Romweber Duo has been added. White Stripes fans should pay attention. Dexter’s Flat Duo Jets were the seed to Jack White’s vision.
Recent Stories
- North Carolina Loses The Great Teacher February 9, 2015
- City Lays Markings for Currituck Obstacle Course February 4, 2015
- History Making Heels and Wolfpack Prepare for Battle January 14, 2015
- 25 Predictions for 2015 January 5, 2015
- Raleigh’s 10 Biggest Stories of 2014 January 2, 2015
- 2014: The Rain Year January 2, 2015
- Tupelo Honey Sets New Casual Standard December 1, 2014
- 2013 Predictions. A Look Back November 18, 2014
- Wicked Taco Bringing Fresh-Mex to Western Blvd November 17, 2014
- DOT Unveils I-440 Widening Plans November 12, 2014
- County Power Shift Brings Major Changes to Raleigh’s Future November 5, 2014
- Jarrett Bay Store Coming to Crabtree September 25, 2014
- FirstWatch Coming to Glenwood Avenue September 9, 2014
- Big Shindig Releases Set Times September 5, 2014
- Appearance Commission to Review Residence Inn September 3, 2014
