Area plans are an important part of how the city adapts to change and addresses key issues, such as housing affordability, walkability, and reducing carbon emissions. To learn more about area planning in general visit the info page.

They offer a chance to dive deeply into issues and concerns in specific parts of the city. In this case, the focus is on neighborhoods along New Bern Avenue. In addition to thinking about making the most of the BRT investment, this process also recognizes that concerns already existed about housing affordability and displacement in those neighborhoods. This plan is a way to address those issues.

Equitable Development Around Transit

We’ve started to think about those issues broadly as part of the Equitable Development Around Transit plan. That process looked at all four BRT corridors and looked to answer two big questions: 

1) To what extent should Raleigh grow more around transit, as opposed to driving, in the future?  

2) How do we ensure the benefits of BRT are shared equitably? 

We heard clearly that Raleigh should work toward becoming a much more sustainable and transit-oriented city, and that affordable housing is absolutely critical.  

We’ve published the Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Guidebook, which outlines a path toward meeting those goals.

It includes strategies and tools for allowing more people to live and work in areas near BRT, to improve housing affordability and choice, and to make it easier and safer to go places by walking or biking.

This process will tailor those strategies to the New Bern Avenue corridor.

What are the main tasks involved in the plan?

We started this process by hearing from you on the most important issues to tackle. We heard that walkability and pedestrian safety are critical, and that thinking about places to live, work, and shop near BRT – and working to address affordability – are key topics.

This process, which separate from the design of the New Bern BRT itself, will involve the following major elements:

1. Study the current conditions of the area. This includes research on housing costs, identifying areas that are challenging to pedestrians, and neighborhoods that have easy access to jobs and shopping.
2. Understand how area residents, businesses, and institutions would like for their neighborhoods to make the best use of BRT and address other issues.
3. Develop Strategies to help residents of all income levels afford to live in the area, make it safer to walk, and look to identify other goals.
4. Create a Plan for each station area that includes zoning changes, new programs, and funding sources to make the plan a reality.

Community Connection and Understanding the Area

This phase involves working with the community to talk about the goals of the project and set up the best ways to communicate. It also involves gathering data about housing, transportation safety, and other key topics. It will lead to the main phase of the study, which will involve developing plans for each station area.

Project Timeline and Upcoming Phases

This process is beginning with the “Community Connection” phase described above. The rest of the project will involve:

• Late summer: Housing Affordability summit. We’ll hear from housing experts and community residents on issues and solutions.
• Late summer/early fall: Workshops, both online and in-person, to do detailed planning for each station area.
• October: Vision Zero: Pedestrian and Transportation Safety summit. We’ll talk about making trips safe and comfortable for all types of transportation.
• Late 2021/early 2022. Conclusion. We’ll go over recommendations for public investments, zoning changes, and other recommendations before making a final report.