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.

Street Improvements Project

Construction of the FY 2021 Street Improvements Project kicked off this quarter. Work consisted of ADA-compliant curb ramp upgrades and curb and gutter repairs in advance of street resurfacing. Repaving is scheduled to start later this summer and to be complete by winter 2021. This year, Cary will repave or patch about 24 miles of Cary-maintained streets, including areas in Meadowmont and Greenwood Forest where Cary recently replaced water line.

Northwest Cary Parkway Pedestrian Bridge at Black Creek 

A project to build a pedestrian bridge over the Black Creek Greenway that will connect a gap in the sidewalk along Northwest Cary Parkway can move forward earlier than expected thanks to additional regional funding. This funding will cover half the project, while the other half will be paid for by citizen-approved dollars from the 2019 bond referendum. Informational workshops are planned for later this year, and construction is expected to begin in late 2022, which will result in significant safety and connectivity improvements to Cary’s pedestrian transportation network.

Penny Road, Ederlee Drive, and Tryon Road Sidewalks

Three sidewalk projects in Cary are substantially complete. The projects are located at: 

• Penny Road between Kildaire Farm Road and Crickentree Drive. 
• Ederlee Drive between Penny Road and Regency Parkway/Richelieu Drive. This sidewalk connects to Penny Road Elementary School and serves Koka Both Amphitheatre, Symphony Lake Greenway, Swift Creek Greenway, and nearby neighborhoods. 
• Tryon Road between West Asheville Avenue and East Asheville Avenue. This sidewalk serves pedestrians walking to WakeMed Cary, local restaurants, retail, and hotels. 

The path to creating the first connected vehicle system in North Carolina, and one of the most robust in the nation, started this quarter. Contractors began installing cellular and radio communication devices in traffic signal cabinets in the heart of Cary. Consultants are developing a campaign to inform industry professionals and future users about the features of the program. And Cary staff assisted with installation and began learning the new equipment and programming. The contractor will install devices in traffic signal cabinets throughout 2021 with plans to have all equipment installed by the beginning of 2022.

Increased demand for CDL drivers across the country led to a shortage of bus operators in the Triangle region, causing most transit agencies to temporarily reduce service. In response to market conditions and in an effort to attract the best candidates, Cary increased wages for bus operators and support staff in June, with a goal of returning to regularly scheduled service by August.

GoTriangle and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization approved the FY 2022 Wake Transit Work Plan in June, continuing funding for GoCary operational and capital improvements. In addition to providing funding for the construction of a new bus operations and maintenance facility, almost 60 existing bus stops will see accessibility and amenity improvements while 30 new bus stops are planned for Route 9A that will connect downtown Cary to the state fairgrounds. The plan also supports ongoing fixed route service improvements and administrative costs.

To address neighborhood concerns about traffic flow and speeds along Edgemore Avenue in The Reserve neighborhood, Cary collaborated with the community to come up with solutions that fit the neighborhood’s needs. This quarter, Cary finalized a design for traffic calming along Edgemore Avenue, and staff is moving forward with a phased implementation of the plan. Construction is expected to start this summer with the installation of speed humps, and other elements of the design will be constructed throughout the remainder of the year and into spring 2022. This collaborative approach has also been used for traffic calming in other neighborhoods, including Loch Highlands, Hortons Creek, and Trappers Run.

In 2020, when the N.C. Department of Transportation fell below its state-mandated cash floor, many state- and federally funded projects paused. Now that NCDOT is above its cash floor, projects are proceeding, including the redesign of the Interstate 40/Interstate 440/U.S. 1/U.S. 64 interchange, also known as Crossroads Junction. As part of this project, NCDOT also plans to widen Interstate 40 from the interchange to Lake Wheeler Road from six lanes to eight lanes. Staff will continue to work with NCDOT throughout this project as it will have significant impact on the street network around Crossroads. 

Three other NCDOT projects in or near Cary are now under construction, including:

• Extending N.C. 540 from Apex to Knightdale to complete the loop around the Triangle.  
• Redesigning the Interstate 40 interchange at Airport Boulevard. 
• Widening Aviation Parkway from Interstate 40 to N.C. 54.

In June, NCDOT opened Louis Stephens Road to the public following an extension to Research Triangle Park, Parkside Town Commons, and Durham. As part of this project, Cary partnered with NCDOT and Morrisville to build a street-side trail to connect with the trails in RTP.

Construction of Reedy Creek Road is 60% complete.Plans include widening the street between North Harrison Avenue and Northeast Maynard Road while incorporating multimodal transportation amenities. As of May 2021, traffic shifted onto the newly constructed northbound lane, allowing phase 2 construction to begin on the southbound lane. The contractor will install storm drainage, curb and gutters, sidewalks, and additional travel lanes. Phase 2 is expected to be compete in fall of 2021. As part of this project, Cary is testing an alternative sidewalk design that uses reinforced concrete sidewalk to bridge over the tree roots of canopy trees. Visually this sidewalk appears the same as a regular sidewalk, but the thicker reinforced concrete allows the contractor to build the sidewalk over noncompacted soils, limiting the disturbance within the critical root zone. Cary anticipates this alternative design will better protect the health and root structure of the existing champion trees.  

In June, Gov. Roy Cooper signed a bill designating the East Coast Greenway a North Carolina State Trail and part of the State Parks system in recognition of the statewide significance of the East Coast Greenway, which includes the American Tobacco Trail, the White Oak Creek Greenway, and the Black Creek Greenway. This State Trail designation means the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will support, promote, encourage, and facilitate the establishment of the trail. It does not change Cary’s ownership, operation, or maintenance of its greenways. North Carolina is fortunate to have 75 miles of continuous East Coast Greenway through the Triangle completed. This State Trail designation will help funding efforts to construct remaining segments of the East Coast Greenway through North Carolina. 

In June, Cary held a second public meeting as part of its work to study Chapel Hill Road. This meeting strategically focused on the preferred number of travel lanes between two and four lanes. Chapel Hill Road users responded to a poll regarding their priorities when it came to the future of the street; sidewalks/bikeways, safety improvements, and limiting right-of-way and property impacts emerged as the top three priorities. A multiday design workshop this fall/winter will be the focus of the next phase in the project. 

This quarter, Council voted to accept Glenpark Street as a publicly maintained street. This is the first private street approved as part of a pilot program to accept private streets to public streets. Staff continues to engage other communities as part of this pilot project, and the feedback from those communities will help develop future policy.

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization commenced a study to review the feasibility of creating a regional traffic signal system in western Wake County. This regional program would use Cary’s Advanced Traffic Signal Management system and Traffic Operations services to maintain and operate all traffic signals in the western portion of Wake County, including those in Morrisville, Apex, Holly Springs, and Fuquay-Varina. The intent of the study is to review existing assets, develop a concept of what a regional system could look like, and determine which resources and agreements/relationships would be necessary. It is expected to wrap up in early 2022.

With an estimated 1 million additional people expected to move to the region by 2050, local metropolitan planning organizations are working together to develop the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan for the Triangle region. The plan, which will update the existing long-range plan for transportation improvements across the region, will include roadway, transit, rail, bicycle, pedestrian, and other transportation-related projects to be implemented through the year 2050. The plan takes about 18 months to update.  

Cary celebrated Bike Month in May and continued the festivities through June 5 in recognition of National Trails Day. This year, community outreach and virtual engagement were critical components to a successful campaign. Social media platforms focused on bike education and safety and ride recommendations, as well as surveyed residents on their favorite greenway. Citizens and trail users voted Black Creek Greenway, the American Tobacco Trail, and White Oak Creek Greenway the top three favorite routes. In addition, Cary began a new partnership with LovetoRide, a bike engagement and encouragement platform. Residents clocked nearly 3,000 miles and more than 200 bike trips through this platform during the month of May. 

Cary also celebrated its greenways for National Trails Day with the Find Your Greenway challenge. Staff placed 15 “Find Your Greenway” decals on trails throughout the greenway network. Greenway users scanned QR codes on these decals for a chance to win prizes, including a backpack cooler full of greenways swag. Cary citizens responded enthusiastically with more than 2,000 entries.