Member Briefing: May 26
- May 26, 2023
- Posted by: Jacob Rigg
- Category: Member briefing
RTA designates proposed upgrade of US 1 / Capital Boulevard as top freeway priority
This week, the RTA Steering Committee designated the upgrade to freeway of US 1 / Capital Boulevard between I-540 and Wake Forest as our top freeway priority, with companion support for advancing the vision of removing all stoplights along US 1 between the I-440 Raleigh beltline and Franklin County.
NCDOT and the Capital Area MPO have planned for many years to convert US 1 north to a freeway and we have consistently supported these efforts. The regional business community will work with our local, county, regional, state, federal and community partners to accelerate the proposed freeway upgrade.
We have an opportunity to advance multimodal goals including incorporating BRT and/or FAST transit into the upgrade. In addition, we applaud the Wake Forest Area Chamber, a member of the RTA Regional Leadership Team, which recently named improvements to Capital Boulevard as their top government affairs priority.
The upgrade of Capital Blvd between I-540 and Wake Forest will remain our top freeway priority until it is fully funded, committed, and on a glide path to construction. Read more in this week’s blog. Please note that identifying sustainable funding for RDU International Airport remains RTA’s overall “priority one.”
RTA posts updated, simplified summary position on transit
We have developed a simplified overview of RTA’s overall position and perspectives on regional transit, based on discussions with our members at recent RTA Steering and Leadership team meetings, RTA outreach, research, and reflection this winter and spring. We believe this consensus view is also broadly shared by many of our local, regional, and state partners, and will help galvanize the region’s focus on achievable, enhanced transit. More to come in future briefings.
The State of Transportation in North Carolina
I had the pleasure of speaking to almost 200 industry leaders at the NC Chamber’s annual Transportation & Infrastructure Summit last week to discuss the importance of transportation to the regional business community, and the opportunity to modernize transportation funding through an access user fee approach. RTA and the NC Chamber have been championing the access user fee concept together to help stabilize NCDOT highway revenue and provide a more resilient alternative to the gas tax.
Thank you, as always, for your membership and support.
Let’s get moving,
Joe
RTA Executive Director
Click here for prior RTA Member Briefings and RTA Blogs.
