The NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) intends to construct a new mobility hub (aka Amtrak station) at the site of the old freight rail depot in historic Downtown Wake Forest.
This mobility hub is part of the larger, federally supported S-line project, which seeks to refurbish an underutilized rail corridor to directly connect Raleigh, NC to Richmond, VA and beyond.
In addition, NCDOT intends to engineer this refurbished corridor to support future high-speed rail and regional commuter rail service. To learn more about mobility hubs, visit www.ncdot.gov/divisions/integrated-mobility/innovation/Pages/s-line-mobility-hubs.aspx.
As part of this effort, NCDOT will host several open house and design workshops from August 26-29 to solicit feedback from the public on how this new mobility hub should look and what amenities should be included.
Since this facility will be nestled into Wake Forest’s iconic historic downtown, project planners want to ensure any proposed design and programming fits well into the surrounding area. Parking and drop-off strategies are also being explored to maximize accessibility and convenience, while balancing considerations for the historic area’s integrity.
The multi-day event schedule is as follows (Please note that participants may drop in at any time within the listed times):
- Public Open House – Monday, Aug. 26 – 5-6:30 p.m. – Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St.
- Design Workshop – Tuesday, Aug. 27 – 9 a.m.-Noon & 1-5 p.m. – Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St.
- Public Open House – Tuesday, Aug. 27 – 5-6 p.m. – Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St.
- Design Workshop – Wednesday, Aug. 28 – 9 a.m.-Noon & 1-5 p.m. – Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 E. Holding Ave.
- Public Open House – Wednesday, Aug. 28 – 5-6 p.m. – Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 E. Holding Ave.
- Design Workshop – Thursday, Aug. 29 – 9 a.m.-Noon & 1-5 p.m. – Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 E. Holding Ave.
- Public Open House – Thursday, Aug. 29 – 5-6:30 p.m. – Northern Wake Senior Center, 235 E. Holding Ave.
In the meantime, you still have time to share your thoughts about the Wake Forest Mobility Hub by taking the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R5G6VVS. Your feedback will help the study team understand the Town’s desires and preferences for mobility hub facilities, amenities, technologies, and services.
For more information about the S-Line Project, visit https://bit.ly/WFS-LineProject.
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One Response
I’m in favor of a mobility hub in Wake Forest. However, does the downtown area really make sense? Site selection should be more carefully considered, and start with a realistic estimate of a 20 year plan for hundreds of secure vehicular parking spaces. Site selection should also realize NC DOT will continue to neglect improvements to the roadway infrastructure in Wake Forest.
Many people already abhor going to downtown Wake Forest because of traffic congestion. If they put a high speed train depot there, traffic congestion on all routes to the downtown area will substantially increase from north Raleigh and nearby towns. The availability of secure short-term and long-term parking of automobiles is minimal at best.