www.wakeupwakecounty.org

Cary’s Summit of the Future Theme: Walkable urban development and public transit are the keys to staying great!

Marcie — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:51:31 +0000

Imagine Cary, multi-year long range planning effort by the Town of Cary is currently underway and was kicked-off last Thursday, May 2 with a widely attended public event, The Summit on the Future. The Summit attendance reached capacity as nearly 1,000 registered attendees shared their thoughts and opinions on a future vision for development, transportation, housing, environment and economy in the Town of Cary.

The Summit focused on growth, asking every attendee how they believed growth should be managed in Cary. Keynote speaker, Christopher B. Leinberger, a land use strategist, teacher, developer, researcher and Research Professor at George Washington University School of Business lead the event. The overriding theme throughout Mr. Leinberger’s talk: walkable urban communities are high in demand. Walkable communities encourage a type of sustainable urbanism that is most sought after by the widest spread of demographics that define a segment of the population.

Some highlights from his talk include:

Suburban v. Transit Oriented Real Estate Values

Real estate values in walkable neighborhoods adjoining downtown areas have far surpassed those in costly suburbs across the country. Building walkable urban places, he explained, has demonstrated that as you build more restaurants, housing, and offices in a walkable urban manner the quality of life improves. Mr. Leinberger reiterated that a common characteristic each of these walkable urban developed areas share is public transit!

Transit as Guide for Development

Transportation drives development and he used aerial photography to depict regions in our country developed around highways and asphalt infrastructure, versus other locations developed as walkable urban areas.

Cost Savings

Average household spending on transportation is considerably less in areas that are developed as walkable urban.

Importance of Light Rail

Light rail would enhance the Town of Cary and he explained how a minor local tax increase could effectively fund the implementation of an efficient transit system that could continue to ensure the Town of Cary maintains its renowned national reputation for being a great place to live.

The Summit to the Future emphasized enhanced, multi-modal transit systems fundamental benefits to the economy and overall quality of life of residents in Cary. This is the same message WakeUP Wake County and the Capital Area Friends of Transit Coalition have shared in support of the proposed Wake County Transit Plan since its release in December 2011.

Imagine Cary will end when the new Community Plan for Cary is finalized in 2014. In the next few months there will be several opportunities for the public to attend Area Conversations and provide feedback about the project’s progress. Please visit the Imagine Cary website to learn more and participate!

Imagine Cary: Creating a Long-Range Community Plan

Marcie — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:34:12 +0000

A multi-year long-range planning effort by the Town of Cary, the “Imagine Cary” project, is underway! Imagine Cary is an ambitious effort initiated by the Cary Town Council to encourage widespread, transparent public input in developing a Cary community plan. The community plan will address a future vision for development, transportation, housing, environment, economy, among many other topics. The goal is to ensure Cary continues to remain recognized nationally and that the Town’s character stays unblemished. The last time a community plan was devised for Cary was 20-30 years ago! Citizens, business owners and property owners in Cary can take advantage of this current opportunity to participate in a public planning process that will move Cary forward for the next 20-30 years.

The Imagine Cary process involves four major phases, each of which includes opportunities for the public to get involved and provide input.

Phase 1: The current Phase which is expected to extend through summer has included numerous strategic and planning sessions, and will bring the community together for a huge public kick-off event, The Summit on the Future. The Summit will be held in the Carolina Ballroom at the Cary Embassy Suites on May 2, 2013. The Summit will include keynote speakers, and be part presentation and part interactive workshop. The cost to attend the Summit is free; however, space is limited. For more information and to register for the event as soon as possible, please visit this link.

Phase 2: Commencing in the fall of 2013 and will include meetings where the community will have more opportunities to voice their thoughts and ideas. These community choices will be tested and the direction of Imagine Cary will be redefined during this period if needed.

Phase 3: The Plan Framework of Imagine Cary, which will involve developing policies and surveying the public, will commence in the winter of 2013 and spring of 2014.

Phase 4: The draft and final community plans will be completed and adopted during the summer and fall of 2014.

There currently are and will be so many opportunities to SpeakUP and provide your input on the long-range vision for the Town of Cary! The most important thing you can do is to get involved. Here are three ways:

1. Attend the Summit on the Future on May 2 and other public events throughout the year.

2. Spread the word about Imagine Cary to your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors

3. Volunteer directly with the process.

Learn more about how you can get involved.

Press Release: CAFT Coalition Proves the Public Supports Transit With Petition Signatures!

Marcie — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:49:26 +0000

The Capital Area Friends of Transit (CAFT), a coalition of over 40 organizations, civic leaders and thousands of Wake County residents released an online petition on February 8 to support the proposed, multi-modal Wake County Transit Plan. In a February 28 press release, CAFT reported that in just over two weeks, the public showed enormous support for the transit plan with 1,840 petition signatures! CAFT will continue to run the petition until the Wake County Commissioners take action on the transit plan.

WakeUP Wake County leads the CAFT and is promoting the petition and a short transit video, featuring Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst and Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane, on its website. Visit this webpage to sign the petition and learn more.

Mayors Urge Action on Wake Transit Plan. County is Ambiguous.

Marcie — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:44:39 +0000

At the Wake Board of Commissioners retreat February 15, mayors and town managers urged the Wake County Commissioners to move forward on the Wake Transit Plan. Officials from Wake Forest, Raleigh, Rolesville, Morrisville, Cary, and Knightdale stated it is time for official discussion of the plan and stressed the need for more bus service and rail for the betterment of their communities. When the Commissioners later discussed their priorities for 2013, taking action on transit was on the list, but no clear direction was given. Commissioners Betty Lou Ward, Caroline Sullivan, and James West all proposed having a clear time frame for action and for formal, public discussion. However, Commissioners Paul Coble and Phil Matthews said the plan needs to be reviewed by “outside experts” from around the country. They did not seem eager to take action soon. Coble characterized the cities’ desire for transit as wanting “free” service. The half-cent sales tax would be paid for by all citizens in the county.

On other priorities discussed, the Commissioners did state having a school construction bond on the October ballot is the top goal for them. No mayors mentioned the need to move forward on the bond this year.

WakeUP 2013 Annual Meeting and Reception

Tappan — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:28:21 +0000

On January 17. 2013 WakeUP held it’s Annual Meeting, featuring keynote speaker ULI Triangle District Chair Ken Bowers.

WakeUP Speaks To Cary Council about APFO

Marcie — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:11:28 +0000

On January 10, WakeUP Wake County spoke at the Cary Town Council public hearing on a possible repeal of the Town’s Adequate Public Facilities Planning and Development for Roads Ordinance. Karen Rindge, Executive Director of WakeUP, spoke on behalf of the organization, first praising Cary for its leadership in planning for growth, but pointing out the significant costs of the infrastructure to support that growth. Rindge explained that we should all share these costs, and those that will benefit the most economically from new development should also pay their fair share of the costs.

In the past, WakeUP has proposed options like impact fees, for example, to pay for growth-related needs like roads, transit, parks, schools, etc. Rindge urged the Cary Town Council to stay the course and vote against repealing Cary’s APFO so that growth can be adequately funded and fairly apportioned, or find new ways to ensure that new development helps pay for the costs of new growth.

WakeUP Comments on Raleigh Comprehensive Plan Changes

Marcie — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:02:20 +0000

WakeUP Wake County recently spoke at the Raleigh City Council public hearing on amendments to the Raleigh Comprehensive Plan. Tappan Vickery, WakeUP’s Outreach Director, spoke encouraging the Council to consider key good growth priorities in applying urban frontages for high growth centers on major corridors. These priorities include the public health benefit of biking and walking, and a consideration of the impact an action would have on the long-term environmental and economic sustainability of Raleigh.
Vickery also commented that WakeUP supports the new building height policies in the Comprehensive Plan that would allow for a more uniformed approach to design in Raleigh, especially near future transit stops. WakeUP is additionally positive about the proposed policies for transitions which categorize density areas (Edge, Core/TOD, and general); however, Vickery noted concern over the 100-150 foot range in the Edge category.
To read the full comment provided by Tappan Vickery, please click here.

Transit Ridership Soars in Wake and Beyond

katie — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 21:03:35 +0000

Can transit in Wake County be successful? For those that say no, we urge you to look at recent reports of growth in bus ridership in the county and train ridership across the state.

Ridership of buses in Eastern Wake has seen an unprecedented rise in the last year with double digit percentage growth along multiple routes. The arguement that transit is not a viable alternative to vehicles in low density population centers like Eastern Wake seems to be failing. As gas prices rise and transit planners find new ways to make buses accessible and convenient, more and more citizens are turning to transit. Unfortunately an expansion of bus service hours to Eastern Wake will only come through the Wake Transit Plan, which the Wake County Board of Commissioners have failed to take action on. Read the Eastern Wake News article to learn all the details of bus ridership growth in Eastern Wake.

But Eastern Wake isn’t the only area bus ridership is gaining momentum. Trianlge Transit has seen a 22.8% increase in overall bus ridership setting a record for both the number of riders and the growth of ridership! Read the N&O article to learn about the specific increases in bus ridership in the region and other areas of the state.

Not only has bus in the region seen unprecedented growth in ridership, but the Amtrak route between Charlotte and Raleigh had a larger percentage of ridership growth than any other Amtrak route in the nation with 16.2% more passengers than used the same route last year. Check out the WRAL story about this jump in ridership on the Piedmont route. The Piedmont route is having exceptional growth in a year of exceptional growth of rail ridership nation-wide. According to a recent AP Article, this year saw the largest number of Amtrak riders in history for the nation, proving that rail is an attractive option for people.

Raleigh’s Union Station Speeding Ahead

katie — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 21:02:51 +0000

The Federal Railroad Administration, Mayor Nancy McFarlane, and NCDOT Secrtary Conti announced additional funding for Union Station at a press conference Friday. Raleigh Union Station “will ensure one of America’s fastest growing regions will have transportation to sustain it for years to come,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joe Szabo at the announcement in the Dillon Supply building — future home of Union Station. Funds are coming from $24 million of re-purposed rail stimulus money.

The addition of these funds to the funds already generated by the city, TTA, and a Tiger grant from the federal government will allow the first phase of Union Station to move forward at a faster rate than expected! You can read more about the project as well as other scheduled rail imrovements that will help make travelling by train more efficient here.

EAB and SMAC Curb & Gutter Recommendations Sent to Comprehensive Planning Committee

katie — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 21:02:10 +0000

On August 7th, the Environmental Advisory Board(EAB) and Stormwater Management Advisory Commission(SMAC) presented a report to City Council on curb and gutter requirements. Members of both EAB and SMAC dedicated tremendous amounts of time and energy to researching and analyzing existing city curb and gutter codes and alternative stormwater management devices. The City Council has sent the report to the Comprehensive Planning Committee for review, and the committee is expected to discuss the report at their next meeting on August 29th.

In their findings the EAB recommended that City Council look at removing the requirement for curb and gutter on all streets within the city to allow for more innovative stormwater management practices. Removing the requirement for curb and gutter would allow the city to put in best management practices(bmps) such as rain gardens and vegetated swails, which would allow for on-site infiltration of stormwater and reduse stress on our existing stormwater infrastructure.

This is a very exciting report, and WakeUP Wake County hopes it is just the first step to incorporating Low Impact Design(LID) standards in Raleigh’s codes. We would like to thank all of the members of the EAB and SMAC that worked on this joint report for their hardwork and diligence; it is through the work of individuals such as these that Raleigh is becoming an even greater place to live.

To read the full report or view the presentation, click on one of the links below:

Full Curb and Gutter Report

Presentation to City Council