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Council backs changes to Neighborhood Traffic Management Program; raises qualifying threshold amid debate
Summary
Raleigh City Council approved several NTMP policy updates on March 11, including proactive speed-limit reductions and broader intersection-safety evaluations; council separately approved raising the future traffic-calming qualifying threshold to greater than 7 mph, a measure that passed with two no votes.
Raleigh City Council on March 11 received the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP) annual report and approved multiple policy updates and project authorizations intended to accelerate work while managing resources.
Will Shoemaker (Transportation) presented program data showing a recent surge in resident requests and an active pipeline of projects. Staff recommended several changes: 1) authorize staff to proactively implement speed-limit reductions (rather than only responding to resident petitions); 2) broaden the multi-way stop request category to a general intersection-safety evaluation that can consider tools beyond stop signs; 3) raise the qualifying speed-compliance threshold for traffic-calming project consideration from 5 mph over the posted limit to greater than 7 mph for future evaluations; and 4) compress the project engagement process into one continuous outreach effort rather than separate preliminary/final phases.
After discussion, council approved policy items 1, 2 and 4. On item 3 (raising the speed threshold to greater than 7 mph), council approved the change as a separate motion; the vote passed with two councilors recorded as opposed. Staff said the change would reduce the number of new qualifying streets annually — historically 8–12 per year — back toward that range, while staff also noted that existing qualifying streets would not be removed from the current list. Shoemaker told council that, with current staffing, one additional full-time employee could increase throughput (to roughly 30 offered streets per year) but that each additional project carries construction costs; staff estimated roughly $1.5 million to deliver about 20 streets and approximately $3 million to deliver 40 streets per year.
Council also voted to authorize construction on 14 streets (13 that met policy thresholds from the 2024 offering plus Bent Creek Drive) and to remove Quail Hollow Drive from NTMP's 2025 list so it can be coordinated with a broader active-transportation/greenway feasibility project. Council approved the 2025 project list and asked staff to return with more detailed committee review for several Falls River Avenue segments requested for committee consideration.
