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 

Cary’s Intersection Improvements Program provides increased mobility by improving street capacity, upgrading pedestrian and bicycle access, while also increasing safety for all road users. Improvements at two intersections, High House Road at Jenks Carpenter Road and Cary Parkway at Waldo Rood Boulevard, kicked off last fall. Paving and concrete work are underway, and traffic signal equipment is scheduled for installation in early 2021. As improvements at these intersections near completion, improvements at two other intersections, Kildaire Farm Road at Advent Court and Waldo Rood Boulevard at MacArthur Drive will begin. Construction at all intersections is expected to be complete later this year.

Several other intersections are being funded by the Shaping Cary’s Tomorrow Bond. These intersections are under design and anticipated for intersection improvements in 2022, including:

• Walnut Street and South Walker Street
• Walnut Street and Kildaire Farm Road
• N.C. 55 and High House Road
• Tryon Road and Walnut Street
• Tryon Road and Kildaire Farm Road
• Weston Parkway and Evans Road

As Phase 1 of the Chapel Hill Road study comes to a close, highlights include a robust public involvement campaign along with data collection and analysis. Staff’s next step will be to update Council on the preliminary recommendation and prepare for a virtual Design Workshop to be held spring 2021. Chapel Hill Road is a strong route contender for future Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, between downtown Cary and Research Triangle Park. BRT will be a key element in any future design, and staff will continue to coordinate with GoCary and GoTriangle to explore alternatives as the study progresses.

Cary’s commitment to building a connected bike network continues, and several long-term bike facilities are in the planning and development stage, including:

• Separated bike lanes at Trinity Road. 
• A bike box at the intersection of Trinity Road and Cary Towne Boulevard. 
• A buffered bike lane at Quinard Road.
• A street-side trail and wide outside lane at Carpenter Fire Station Road. 
• A separated bike lane at Hortons Creek Road. 
• A buffered bike lane at Louis Stephens Road. 

Once installed, these facilities will enable the community to experience various facility types in differing contexts and land uses. Most importantly, they will provide real world data that will inform the future design and implementation of projects.

Clearing and grading for the N.C. 540 extension project began with completion dates to be determined by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. This quarter, Cary relocated a portion of its 42-inch Camp Branch gravity sewer interceptor to allow for roadway grading to begin. In addition, Cary continues to work with the N.C. Turnpike Authority to ensure that greenway, sidewalk, and bicycle accommodations are included in the design and construction of N.C. 540 in southern Cary. Construction activities can be followed on NCDOT’s website. 

Since the Cary Town Council adopted new requirements for public townhome streets in May 2020, staff’s Streets Task Force shifted its focus to working with existing townhome neighborhoods that have private streets and are interested in converting them to Town-maintained public streets. Staff is working with interested communities to identify procedures and necessary steps for their private streets to be accepted into Cary’s street maintenance system. Two such communities, Glenpark and The Renaissance at Regency Cottages, received approval from their property owners to dedicate necessary street rights-of-way, and Cary staff are now working with them on the next steps in the process. These steps include completing an evaluation of the streets and associated infrastructure and identifying any items that need to be addressed prior to Council consideration of accepting these streets for maintenance. The successful transition of these existing streets from private to public maintenance would remove this financial burden for these HOAs and citizens. 

Final preparations for GoCary’s January service changes included the replacement of more than 200 bus stop signs and the addition of new wayfinding route maps and schedules. Phase 2 of the Bus Stop Improvement program expanded ADA accessibility with the redesign of nearly 60 bus stops. The first public participation opportunity for the Downtown Multi-Modal Center project went virtual with more than 1,300 views, and the Federal Transit Administration accepted the Wake BRT: Western corridor into the Small Starts project development program.  This makes the BRT service from downtown Raleigh to downtown Cary eligible for future FTA grant funding.

Cary installed traffic signals at two of the most requested intersections this quarter. These signals are located at the intersections of Green Hope School Road at Green Level Church Road and McCrimmon Parkway at Highcroft Drive. Although within North Carolina Department of Transportation jurisdiction, Cary staff constructed much of the project to expedite the installation, resulting in the activation of both intersections in less than two months. 

Imagine driving around Cary and getting an alert to your phone when the traffic signal ahead is about to change or when railroad gates are about to be activated or if you’re traveling too fast in a school zone. Imagine if your car could notify you that a fire truck or ambulance is not only nearby but is coming up from behind you. Cary’s connected vehicle project will soon make this happen. This quarter, the project received three bids, and Cary anticipates the entire system will be operational by the spring of 2022, meaning Cary will be operating one of the most comprehensive and forward thinking connected vehicles systems in the nation. The project will be 80% funded by a Federal Highway Administration matching grant. 

Easement acquisition continued this quarter in an effort to extend Higgins Greenway from Union Street to Kildaire Farm Road. Cary remains on target to bid this project in late 2021. One highlight is the public art planned at entry points to Higgins Greenway off Kildaire Farm Road and Harrison Avenue. Artist Lisa Elias was inspired by the boughs of native dogwood trees and their flowers. She designed graceful steel archways that inspire reflection on nature and on the local history that will be discovered when passing historic Hillcrest Cemetery where many of Cary’s early mayors and founders are interred. Elias also designed custom benches with the same dogwood-inspired themes. 

Bicycle Friendly Community 

The League of American Bicyclists once again designated Cary a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community in December. The award recognizes Cary for its commitment to “creating transportation and recreational resources that benefit its residents of all ages and abilities while encouraging healthier and more sustainable transportation choices.” 

Panther Creek Greenway 

The completed trail for Phase 1 of Panther Creek Greenway is extremely impressive, and I want to commend the Town of Cary for the great job completing this key component of the Lake Crabtree to American Tobacco Trail (ATT) corridor!

– From Mark Slater to Cary Staff