you could have gone New Market > Hedgelawn > Pony Run > North Ridge > Rainwater > Gresham Lake: Staying in North Ridge and avoiding Spring Forest altogether.
I grew up in North Ridge, and was all about cutting through the subdivision on my bike.
1 Like
I feel like I’ve seen this on this forum before but I can’t find it. If you haven’t already, please take the NC Clean Transportation Plan Survey. The purpose of the plan is to establish strategies to meet goals set by the governor to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in North Carolina. You can read more about the plan here. The survey is rather car-focused because it is a state-wide survey, but it is important for NCDOT to explore how their policies will affect the cities of NC. This survey isn’t getting the traction that NCDOT had hoped for so it would be helpful if you can spread it to as many people who live and work in NC.
1 Like
The City has released a few updates on the Lake Wheeler Road project (from Maywood to S. Saunders) and are asking people to watch a video and take a survey. Here is the link – Lake Wheeler Road Improvement Project Update | Raleighnc.gov
2 Likes
3 Likes
Durham is updating their Comprehensive Plan, just like Raleigh did in 2019, and is seeking feedback for potential city policies. It lists a lot of policies, but you can just comment on one or more categories of bullet-point summaries if that’s more of your jam.
This is a survey about Durham, so yeah it’s obviously weird that I’m posting this in a downtown Raleigh forum. But I’d argue that it’s relevant for Raleigh-lovers, too, because Durham’s needs and weaknesses (plus how they respond to them) are directly relevant to Raleigh’s future.
This is because the way most market researchers define metro areas has forced the two cities to look like separate markets even where it makes more sense to talk about “the Triangle” as a whole. This statistical quirk may have long-reaching, unintended consequences like missing huge job opportunities, needlessly duplicating transit planning, misrepresenting the threshold for who needs public help for housing, and self-perpetuating a chasm that makes regional collaboration in everyday local policies harder to do.
But I think it may be possible to take advantage of those rules and convince federal statisticians to bring the Raleigh and Durham urban areas back together. Properly unifying the Triangle requires denser, more walkable, affordable housing and mixed-use developments in both sides of the Wake-Durham county border, though, including in Durham’s side. A rewrite of Durham’s comprehensive plan is one of many steps that could help us get there; this survey is an opportunity to advocate for that.
If you also understand this isn’t a zero-sum game and you think a better-working Durham also helps make downtown Raleigh better, this survey may want to hear your thoughts by June 30.
5 Likes
Hope y’all like spreadsheets…
A draft of the state’s next long-range transportation improvements plan is now available for public review.
The State Transportation Improvement Program, or STIP, is the N.C. Department of Transportation’s guide that shows how and when transportation projects are expected to be funded over the next 10 years. Projects scheduled in the first five years are generally considered to be committed, while those on the latter half of the schedule are subject to be re-evaluated when the next STIP is developed.
People can view the draft 2024-33 document at www.ncdot.gov. There will be upcoming opportunities for the public to comment on the draft in person and online.
The draft STIP document is presented as a spreadsheet rather than the PDF from years past. The spreadsheet is more user friendly, allowing people to sort columns to explore projects that interest them.
The STIP is typically updated every two years, however, the draft plan was developed under unique circumstances.
Material and labor cost escalations led local, regional and state transportation planning partners to recommend and the Board of Transportation to concur with foregoing the usual process for prioritizing projects. Instead, they decided the new STIP should be built from existing projects in the current (2020-29) STIP to the extent that funding allows, while giving planning organizations the opportunity to propose project swaps that meet the needs of their communities.
The draft plan still adheres to the Strategic Transportation Investments law since the projects are derived from the 2020-29 STIP, which was developed using the required data-driven process and input from local officials and the public.
NCDOT plans to use public input and planning organization requests to produce a revised draft of the STIP by December. Transportation officials are expected to adopt the 2024-33 STIP in summer 2023.
More information on the STIP process can be found on the NCDOT webpage.
7 Likes
So many millions of dollars allocated for all these “improvements” it’s insane. We need to demand better vocabulary on transportation projects. “Safety improvements”, “corridor enhancements”, and “facility upgrades” are not adequate descriptions. They need to be called what they are.
Widenings
Tree removals
Clear zone expansions
Speed increases
Alignment smoothenings
11 Likes
Social District survey for y’all
3 Likes
That’s a really bad survey because it doesn’t have an “I don’t know” option to answer on questions, and it forces you to answer yes or no. How in the heck can we evaluate the district when it’s brand new?
2 Likes
3 Likes
I voted “Smoky Hollow” for #1 simply because it’s the most unique to the area, and “Gateway” as #2 because while more generic, does fit the theme of being a gateway to the northern entrance to downtown. Robinson-Greenberg just seems like grasping at straws to name the park for its baseball history, given that those players literally played one game there LMAO. That’d be like Connecticut naming a new park “Arnold Schwarzenegger Park” because he directed a made-for-TV christmas move there and it was used as a location for one scene 
8 Likes
The state DoT announced an updated draft for their State Transportation Improvement Plan. If there is any transportation improvement you want to see in the next decade (from new bridges or road layout changes to BRT and commuter rail) and/or things proposed that you don’t want that the state has control over, this is where you should tell them about it:
13 Likes
Just did this finally. I pretty much say Yes to anything rail, sidewalk, and greenway but no to anything road related. 
6 Likes
I’m not sure enough people know about this site here. It lists all active rezoning cases and links to their feedback portal. Clicking on a few, there aren’t that many public comments that I’m used to seeing. To me, that means that if you do post, it’ll most likely be seen by staff. Take a look and do make sure to drop in some support for some of this stuff.
11 Likes
The 2023 City Budget survey came out a few weeks ago: https://raleighnc.gov/hey-raleigh-share-your-thoughts-about-city-budget
4 Likes
Important: Commuter Rail Feasibility Study survey is out: GTCR Feasibility - Ready For Rail
12 Likes
I can’t help but 
when reading these. It’s so biased as if the writers of the survey are hoping respondents oppose it so they don’t have to actually go through with it. “significant monetary cost”, “considerable challenges”.
Yeah, I’m probably exaggerating a bit but you see this stuff frequently in transit surveys. Where are the highway surveys at?
10 Likes
New survey for a proposed bridge in Midtown:
12 Likes
Just reminding folks about the FY2023-2024 budget survey. Probably an important one.
4 Likes
Social District survey I’m sure the Downtown Raleigh Alliance and the City would love your feedback on.
6 Likes