GoTriangle, the transit authority overseeing the transit plan Wake voters approved in 2016, plans a series of meetings across the county seeking input about future transit priorities. The Wake Forest meeting will be Wednesday, Nov. 1, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Wake County Northern Regional Center at 350 East Holding Avenue.
Since Wake County voters approved a half-cent sales tax dedicated to transit in November 2016, bus routes have been expanded and frequency increased, more bus shelters are on the drawing board and major corridor studies are underway as part of the 10-year Wake County Transit Plan.
Now it’s time to decide what should happen next, and transit planners are seeking the public’s help in setting priorities.
Is it more important to extend buses to areas of the county that do not have service or to add more frequent service where there is already a high concentration of existing and likely riders?
That’s the sort of input residents can give at 10 upcoming meetings in Raleigh, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Wake Forest and Zebulon or through an online survey at https://publicinput.com/waketransit.
At the meetings, residents also can learn more about plans for a bus rapid transit system that will designate bus-only lanes on highly traveled roads and for a commuter rail (train) line extending from Garner to Durham. Their input will also help planners identify neighborhoods and communities that might currently be underserved by transit.
Representatives from Wake County, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, GoTriangle, the City of Raleigh, the Town of Cary, N.C. State University and the Research Triangle Foundation have worked together on the Wake County Transit Plan, which has four primary goals, or “Big Moves,” over the next 10 years to:
- Connect the region.
- Connect all Wake County communities.
- Create frequent, reliable urban mobility.
- Enhance access to transit.
