The Triangle's Measure.

• Position: Industry Overview - Statistical Data Included

By the Numbers

Planning New Ways of Getting Around

With a growth rate of more than 29% over the past nine years, the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Statistical Area has outpaced growth in every other area in the state, according the N.C. Office of State Planning.

"[This] growth rate is good for us all, but residents need to remember that traffic is a perpetual problem," says Jim Ritchey, general manager of Triangle Transit Authority. "New highways will be constructed, but we must also look at alternative solutions, giving serious consideration to environmental impact. A regional rail project will make a real difference by linking downtown Raleigh, North Carolina State University, Research Triangle Park, Duke University and downtown Durham."

Billie Redmond, president of Trademark Properties Inc. and chair of the community success task force at the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, adds, "Alternative transportation options are critical in meeting our sophisticated and growing population's demands. Continued highway-system expansion, mass-transit methods whether by rubber tire or rail, HOV lanes and higher-density residential development around intense employment or traffic centers will provide broader solutions. Mass transit takes a long time, major investments and a generation of land-use changes for effectiveness."

Redmond says, "The state's existing equity-funding formula could be reallocated based on population and jobs. Other revenue sources such as toll roads, additional federal funding and local funding participation must be examined.

"By looking at the challenges and identifying solutions regionally, we can find the common thread necessary for long-term planning and development while maintaining each municipality's individuality," she says. "The mayors of Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill are committed to working together and examining other regions' creative solutions."

Health Care: A Triangle Specialty

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University in Durham and North Carolina State University in Raleigh have long been fierce rivals in athletics. Two of the three -- UNC and Duke -- have become competitors in health care as well.

Although health-care systems prefer the terms partnerships or affiliations, the real name of the game in the Triangle's health-care competition is mergers.

University-related hospitals traditionally target teaching and research while boasting world-class services and excellent patient care. Major mergers that took place during the last three years are succeeding in maintaining these qualities while connecting facilities throughout the Triangle and expanding the reach of specialty medical services.

Duke University Health System's network affiliated with Durham Regional Hospital and Raleigh Community Hospital in 1998. Duke paid $23.5 million for Durham Regional, then leased the hospital from the county for $3.5 million per year for the next 20 years. The financial details of Duke's investment in Raleigh Community Hospital have not been disclosed, though industry insiders give an educated estimate of $175 million.

UNC Health Care in Chapel Hill expanded its coverage in 2000 by investing $290 million to purchase Rex Healthcare, which includes Rex Hospital in Raleigh.

A free agent in this competition is WakeMed in Raleigh, an unaffiliated, privately owned hospital. "We provide top-notch care. Our services are as world-class as our competitors," says Debbie Laughery, public relations director.

The Triangle's health-care systems have long been recognized as some of the best. Residents are assured of quality care, no matter where they choose to go.

The winners in this health-care competition: Triangle residents.

Growth spurs retail boom

The Triangle is a hot retail market and is getting hotter by the minute. The area has attracted a commitment from Seattle--based Nordstrom for a store in Durham and is deserving of consideration from other high-end retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany & Co.

Why is the area blossoming toward chicness? The quick answer: People inclined to...