Commissioners defer vote on New Bern Neuse Boulevard RAISE grant support after safety study debate

Diana Treble, representing the Metropolitan Planning Organization, told the Craven County Board of Commissioners that a North Carolina Department of Transportation vulnerable user study identified Neuse Boulevard (from Glen Burnie to First Street) as a high-crash corridor and recommended measures including a road diet with a center turn lane, added pedestrian crossings, sidewalks and bike lanes. Treble said the MPO and NCDOT plan to apply for a federal RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) grant that could bring about $25,000,000 in federal funds plus roughly $1 million from the state to implement planning-level improvements; if awarded, design would take about two years and include public engagement.

The discussion focused on safety trade-offs and traffic flow. Commissioners and members of the public raised concerns about congestion at peak hours on the existing four-lane section, the…