Bus Rapid Transit is planned for the Western Boulevard Corridor. Multiple city-led initiatives are underway to help make BRT a success. Here’s the latest news about what’s happening:
Western Boulevard Corridor Study (complete): This planning study began in late 2019 and primarily focused on selecting the bus rapid transit route connecting downtown Raleigh to downtown Cary. The study also evaluated opportunities for infrastructure and public realm improvements to support the upcoming transit investments. The study process lasted almost two years and engaged more than 1,500 participants.
Community input prioritized pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, intersection safety, supporting transit-oriented development, and encouraging sustainable design. The final report reflects recommendations that support these priorities and identifies policies and actions that would advance this vision and transformation of Western Boulevard into a safe, connected, multimodal, vibrant, sustainable, and transit-oriented corridor of the future. The study recommendations have no direct physical impacts on private property. Impacts of any proposed new street connections apply only when redevelopment is triggered by a private property owner.
Wake BRT: Western Boulevard Corridor Study, Council Resolution, and CP-10-21 were approved (7-1 vote) by the Raleigh City Council after the official public hearing held on June 7, 2022.
Staff Contact: Dhanya Sandeep, 919-996-2659
Project webpage: Wake BRT: Western Corridor
Western Corridor TOD Rezoning (ongoing): Rezonings Z-18-22 and Z-19-22 are proposed by the City of Raleigh to apply a Transit Overlay District (TOD) to many parcels within walking distance of the Western Boulevard BRT route. The TOD overlay promotes transit-supportive development by allowing additional multifamily housing and employment uses and requiring new development to be more walkable. Parcels were selected for inclusion in the rezoning based on their likelihood of being developed with multifamily residential or mixed-use developments.
Next Opportunity to Participate: The Western TOD rezoning request will be discussed by the Planning Commission Committee of the Whole. Members of the public are welcome to speak at the meeting on May 26 at 4:00 p.m. in the City Council Chamber at 222 W. Hargett Street.
Staff Contact: Hannah Reckhow, 919-996-2622 or John Anagnost, 919-996-2638
Project webpage: Transit Overlay District (TOD) Mapping
Wake BRT: Western Corridor project (ongoing): In November of 2016, Wake County voters approved a plan for focused investment in public transit which puts the implementation of the Wake County Transit Plan in motion. The plan calls for building approximately 20 miles of transit lanes along four Bus Rapid Transit corridors within Wake County (Wake BRT). The Wake BRT: Western Corridor design project is one of the four corridor projects identified and will connect downtown Raleigh and downtown Cary.
The Wake BRT: Western Corridor project is approximately 12 miles long and will operate in both dedicated transit lanes and mixed traffic. The project is currently in the preliminary design phase and in the summer of 2021, reached the 10 percent design milestone. Staff is currently working to coordinate with a number of intersecting, capital projects that can impact the Western Corridor BRT design. Project final design is expected in 2024. The next project update is expected in the summer of 2022.
Next Opportunity to Participate: Summer 2022 during the next project update.
Staff Contact: Het Patel, 919-996-5120
Project Website: Wake BRT: Western Corridor