On Nov. 7, Wake County broke ground on a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. The groundbreaking marks the start of a years-long effort to bring a more efficient public busing system to specific corridors of Raleigh and beyond.
The Federal Transit Administration states that “BRT is a high-capacity bus-based transit system that delivers fast and efficient service that may include dedicated lanes, busways, traffic signal priority, off-board fare collection, elevated platforms and enhanced stations.” The goal is to cut transportation time by 10-20 minutes roundtrip.
The buses will have their own lanes in traffic in order to prevent delays and collision risks. They will be able to coordinate with traffic signals along the route, meaning they will receive a longer green light if they are running late. BRT aims to provide frequent on-time service, and the buses will be equipped with GPS tracking so that stations can display live, accurate updates. Passengers will pay the fare, which is the same as all regular GoRaleigh fares, at the station instead of on the bus to eliminate excess wait time. The updated stations will feature raised platforms for easy boarding and will not contain any gaps between the station and the bus, making BRT more accessible to users. The buses will be 20 feet larger than conventional buses, bend in the middle, and will have their own branding and design to distinguish them from other transit services.
By 2027, four BRT corridors will stretch out from downtown: A southern leg to downtown Garner, a western leg to downtown Cary, a northern leg to North Hills and Triangle Town Center, and an eastern leg on New Bern Avenue. The New Bern corridor will be the first one built and will run 5.4 miles down New Bern Avenue between downtown, WakeMed, and New Hope Road.
Wake County hopes that implementing BRT will take drivers off the road, thus meaning less congestion for those who still choose to drive themselves. However, in the short term, the construction will mean more traffic on the roads. The chaos has already begun with construction on New Bern Avenue, which is in a prime location to impact Enloe students who drive or ride the bus. Students can expect construction traffic until mid 2025, when the New Bern corridor will be ready for launch.
While the physical start of Wake County’s BRT project may have occurred quite recently, plans have been in the works for over seven years, ever since voters approved the plan in November 2016. Funding for the system also started in 2016 with a half-cent tax passed by Wake County. The estimated cost is $180 million, with $96 million for the New Bern Avenue corridor alone. In addition to the tax, funding will come from the Federal Transit Authority and the city of Raleigh.
BRT is new to Wake County, but it is not a new idea. The system will be modeled after BRT in Richmond, Virginia, and Chapel Hill is looking to build its own BRT lines in the future. The biggest BRT line in the world, called Transjakarta, spans nearly 244 km in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.
Despite its benefits, large numbers of citizens are opposed to the BRT plans, especially for the New Bern Avenue corridor. The county is looking to rezone 744 properties, which totals to 726 acres along and near the line. But many people are taking action to preserve their neighborhoods and prevent the destruction of historic properties that occupy BRT-designated land.
Upon completion, BRT will be a game-changer for transportation across Wake County. Short-term construction traffic is sure to be an annoyance for Enloe students, but the long-term benefits of efficient transportation will hopefully prove to be worth it.
For more updates on Wake County’s Bus Rapid Transit system, visit https://raleighnc.gov/bus-rapid-transit.
Works Cited:
“Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Projects.” City of Raleigh, 6 Dec. 2023, https://raleighnc.gov/bus-rapid-transit. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
Eanes, Zachery. “Raleigh Breaks Ground on Its Future Bus Rapid Transit Line.” Axios Media, 8 Nov. 2023, https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2023/11/08/raleigh-breaks-ground-new-bern-ave-bus-rapid-transit-line. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
Gallup, Jasmine. “Raleigh Council Accepts Funding for Bus Rapid Transit, Approves Redevelopment South of Moore Square.” INDY Week, 5 Oct. 2023, https://indyweek.com/news/wake/raleigh-council-accepts-funding-for-bus-rapid-transit-approves-redevelopment-south-of-moore-square/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
Talhelm, Matt, and Kelsey Coffey. “‘Game Changer:’ Work Begins on NC’s First Rapid Bus Line in Raleigh.” WRAL News, 7 Nov. 2023, https://www.wral.com/story/game-changer-work-begins-on-nc-s-first-rapid-bus-line-in-raleigh/21136880/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
Talhelm, Matt. “Here’s How Raleigh’s Planned Bus Rapid Transit Line Will Compare to Richmond, Virginia’s Service.” WRAL News, 18 May 2023, https://www.wral.com/story/here-s-how-raleigh-s-planned-bus-rapid-transit-line-will-compare-to-richmond-virginia-s-service/20868418/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
“What Is BRT (Bus Rapid Transit)?” City of Raleigh, https://raleighnc.gov/transportation/services/what-bus-rapid-transit-brt. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
“What Is BRT?” GoRaleigh, https://goraleigh.org/what-brt. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
