County begins planning a 40-year transit facility after federal grant; consultants seek rider input

Sheila Blytheaux, Mitchell County transportation director, told the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners that federal grant money is available to build a new transit facility and that consultants are doing accelerated planning and outreach. "This is a 40 year facility since we're getting federal money," Blytheaux said, adding the team was soliciting rider input at a recent Walmart outreach.

Michael Stafford, senior project manager with NCDOT, said his office helped secure the federal grant and is working with the county and consultants to implement the project. Nathan Spencer, senior transportation planner for AECOM, described a process that began with 10 candidate sites; after site screening for fatal flaws (steep slopes, floodplain, insufficient space), the list was narrowed to four sites. "We started with 10 candidate sites throughout the county. We through a failed flaw process, we were able to eliminate, all but 4 of them," Spencer said.

Consultants said they have conducted van ride-alongs and passenger surveys to determine functional needs for the facility, including driver space, restroom access, vehicle washing/inspection and administrative and training spaces. Staff said the facility concept must support a 40-year planning horizon and meet Federal Transit Administration (FTA) NEPA and other federal requirements tied to the grant.

The consultants and county staff told commissioners they expect to return with a site recommendation around March 2026 and asked the board to remain engaged during site selection, NEPA, and procurement steps. No action or vote was taken at the meeting; the presentation was informational and intended to gather feedback and encourage public participation in the site survey.