This section offers Cary citizens an update on the projects funded by the Shaping Cary’s Tomorrow Parks and Transportation Bonds overwhelmingly approved in a 2019 referendum.

Intersection Improvements

Intersection improvements at High House Road at Jenks Carpenter Road, Southwest Cary Parkway at Waldo Rood Boulevard, Waldo Rood Boulevard at MacArthur Drive, and Kildaire Farm Road at Advent Court are substantially complete. Improvements include new traffic signals, turn lanes, and ADA-compliant curb ramps, all of which will improve safety for street users.

Design efforts are also underway for several other intersection improvements, including two downtown intersections that require coordination with ongoing private development.

At the intersection of Walnut Street and South Walker Street, One Walker and One Walnut is under construction. Construction drawings for improvements at the intersection, including a new decorative traffic signal, are nearing completion. Staff is working with the developers to integrate the signal installation into their project to help expedite construction and minimize delays. The preliminary schedule anticipates signal installation next spring.

At the intersection of Walnut Street and Kildaire Farm Road, Lee & Associates regional headquarters is progressing through the development review process. Staff is working with Lee & Associates to coordinate design and construction for the intersection, including traffic and pedestrian plans, burying utilities along Kildaire Farm Road between Walnut Street and Pleasants Avenue, and installing new decorative street lights. If approved, the Lee & Associates headquarters will break ground by early 2022, and Cary will begin its intersection improvements in summer 2022. 

GoCary returned to a regular schedule in August after reducing bus service due to a national shortage of qualified drivers. Responding to the increasingly competitive market with a wage boost in July, GoCary became the only fully staffed transit system in the region, while other transit partners continue to experience driver shortages of greater than 25%. Even with the reduced service at the beginning of the quarter, fixed route ridership increased 45% compared with this time last year, nearly matching pre-COVID numbers. In addition, work on accessibility improvements for 55 bus stops began in September. When the work is complete later this year, more than 75% of bus stops will have ADA-compliant boarding areas.

As part of the effort to further activate Cary greenways, Cary partnered with Raleigh in July to offer 12 Citrix bikes as rentals at Bond Park. The success of this demo has prompted pursuit of an extended bike rental pilot this spring. Allowing electric bikes on greenways and offering electric bike rentals will be explored as part of this pilot.

This quarter, N.C. Department of Transportation completed repaving on North Harrison Avenue, Morrisville Parkway, Regency Parkway/Ederlee Drive, and Aviation Parkway. NCDOT continues street maintenance and resurfacing on other major roads in Cary, including High House Road from Old Apex Road to Davis Drive and Penny Road from Kildaire Farm Road to Lake Wheeler Road. Cary staff are collaborating with NCDOT on multiple projects in the area, including pedestrian improvements at Old Apex Road, a new traffic signal at Bond Park, and new sidewalk and sharrow markings along Cary Parkway. NCDOT also plans to repave sections of Kit Creek Road, Davis Drive, and Beaver Dam Road by the end of 2021.

N.C. Turnpike Authority continues construction of the southern portion of the Complete 540 project, which will extend N.C. 540 from N.C. 55 bypass to Interstate 40. N.C. Department of Transportation created two online tools to view and tour the project. The interactive map illustrates the project’s path and interchanges, highlighting municipalities and property lines. A virtual tour of the project’s first phase from U.S. 401 to Interstate 40 can be found at nc540.meetsyou.online.

In January 2020, Cary completed a curb ramp inventory as part its ADA transition plan. At that time, there were 500 miles of Cary-maintained streets with 6,610 curb ramps. Prior to completing the inventory, Cary proactively repaired nearly 800 curb ramps as part of its annual Street Improvements Program. Since January of 2020, Cary added 513 ADA-compliant curb ramps to its inventory. Of these, 162 were installed through capital improvement projects and 351 were added with new development projects.

Last school year, Cary Police witnessed queued drivers on Hampton Valley Way at Farmington Woods Elementary School crossing the double yellow line to pass parents and children waiting for school drop-off. Over the summer, staff installed physical devices to encourage drivers to wait in the queue until they pass the school’s driveway. The devices, known as Zicla delineators, are most commonly used for bike lanes, but Cary’s engineers saw them as a way to keep vehicles in their lane at low maintenance costs. A post-project assessment found the project to be very successful at reducing, and nearly eliminating, the desire for drivers to pass the school traffic.