Trinity Road Study

Strategically located on the eastern edge of Town and adjacent to I-40, the Eastern Cary Gateway serves as a key regional entrance into Cary. Home to premier athletic facilities at WakeMed Soccer Park and future development projects such as Ikea and Fenton, the Imagine Cary Community Plan  identified this location for a future transportation study. Infrastructure initiated the Trinity Road study with the consulting firm VHB in March 2018 to identify the future Trinity Road alignment and analyze overall connectivity within the Eastern Cary Gateway. A kick-off meeting was held on March 27 with the Town’s internal Steering Committee, which included staff from Transportation & Facilities, Water Resources, Parks, Recreation & Cultural  Resources,  Planning and the Manager’s Office. The purpose of the project is multi-dimensional with the Steering Committee and stakeholders working to establish goals and desired outcomes for the study. The consultant will conduct an analysis of the pros and cons of alternate road alignments for Trinity Road between Chatham Street and Cary Towne Boulevard while weighing the impacts of the alternatives on facilities like the WakeMed Soccer Park and the future development potential of the land along the east side of the Trinity Road corridor. The study will determine which conceptual alignment is the best fit based on value decisions made as a result of the established goals and ultimately provide a functional design for the Trinity Road corridor, which will serve the multi-modal vision of the area.

Connectivity to the existing roadway network will also be studied, including analysis of two future grade separations along Trinity Road, one at Chatham Street/CSX, and one at Cary Towne Boulevard. The overall project is anticipated to conclude in spring 2019; however, the project tasks will be phased with the Trinity Road alignment taking priority due to  pending development.

Green Level Church Road Study

The Town’s Green Level Historic District has experienced considerable change over the last decade with changes in land ownership, increasing residential  development and new school construction. As a result of this growth and based on future traffic projections, the Imagine Cary Community Plan recommended a future four lane median divided roadway for Green Level Church Road through the historic district. Currently a rural two-lane road, the study will identify and examine context-sensitive design alternatives along this corridor, which take into account the community and land uses along the Green Level Church corridor.

Infrastructure initiated the Green Level Church Road feasibility study with the consulting firm SEPI in March 2018. A kick-off meeting was held March 22 with the Town’s internal Steering Committee, which included staff from the Manager’s Office, Development Services, Transportation and Facilities, and Planning. Ongoing communication and project input with the primary stakeholders along the corridor—Green Level Baptist Church, generational land owners and HOAs—will be key to ensuring project success. The study will develop an overall vision for the corridor and recommend appropriate transportation solutions that can accommodate future transportation and greenway needs, serve motorists, pedestrians and cyclists, and fit the unique historic context of the area. The project will conclude in winter 2019. There is currently no funding designated for design and construction of the future road improvements.

White Oak Creek Greenway Trailhead

In 2008, staff from Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), Wake County, and the Town of Cary worked together to find a property that was suitable for a new high school location and park that was jointly master planned.

The master plan included a future trailhead connection to White Oak Creek Greenway-American Tobacco Trail, which is currently under construction. The trailhead will give access to the greenway by way of the new vehicle bridge on Green Level Church Road that the NCDOT recently replaced with funding added by the Town to provide a 10-foot-wide sidewalk extension with concrete barrier separation from motorists. Maintenance for the trailhead will be provided by the Town of Cary.

Design and plan approvals are in the final stages of review by the Town staff and WCPSS.

The design presently includes 29 parking spaces  around a central landscaped island, bike racks and space for gathering to meet friends before heading out to the greenway. Utilities for the drinking fountain, bottle filler and dog water fountain will be installed in this phase of the project, as well as reclaimed water for irrigation and sanitary sewer for future bathrooms. Locations for the restroom facilities have been identified for future projects with easy access to utility hookups from this phase.

Staff is working with our consultant and WCPSS to begin construction after school is released for the summer so we can reduce the impact on the school operations and bus traffic. Construction is scheduled to begin summer 2018.

Downtown Cary Multi-Modal Transit Facility

In Q3, the Town released a request for qualifications for a Downtown Cary Multi-Modal Transit Facility Feasibility Study. As part of a two-phase approach, an evaluation committee invited the top three firms to submit a project proposal, with final selection occurring spring 2018.

The downtown multi-modal transit facility will serve as Cary’s central transit services transfer hub. The facility will accommodate a variety of transit modes and services, including local and regional bus service, bus rapid transit (BRT) service, and commuter and inter-city passenger rail service, including Amtrak. The facility is also anticipated to serve as the central hub in Cary for passengers to access local and regional transit services by providing park-and- ride opportunities and passenger waiting accommodations and may include facilities for bike share, car share, inter- city bus services, and private transportation  providers (e.g., taxi and ride sourcing  services).

The feasibility study for the facility will also identify and analyze BRT service routing alternatives within Cary’s downtown based on the locations of potential portals of dedicated BRT facilities at the edges of downtown that are recommended by other ongoing regional fixed guideway alternatives analyses. The feasibility study will examine alternatives for how BRT facilities  traversing  the Town will interact with the proposed downtown multi-modal transfer facility in a manner that facilitates safe, efficient and  well-coordinated circulation.

Wake Transit

The initial public comment period for the Draft FY 2019 Wake Transit Work Plan concluded on March 12. Over 100 comments were submitted by Wake County residents in overwhelming support for the proposed projects. Wake Transit sub-committees will collaborate to finalize the Recommended FY 2019 Wake Transit Work Plan for consideration by the Transit Planning Advisory Committee (TPAC) on April 11.

The Town of Cary is the project sponsor for the following projects included in the draft plan:

FY 2019 Work (Draft)

• Expansion of Marketing/Public Outreach
• Expansion of Downtown Operations Study New Transit Plan Administration Expansion of Holiday Service Hours
• New Route – Weston Parkway / Bus Stops & Shelters
• New Passenger Information Materials
• Land Acquisition & Design for Downtown Multi-Modal Center