Garner selects consultant for transportation plan update; council to consider contract Oct. 21

Garner officials presented a draft scope of work and the recommended consultant for the town’s long‑overdue transportation plan update, with council expected to consider a contract on Oct. 21.

The recommendation comes from Julian Griffey, the town’s senior planner, who told the council the request for qualifications drew four submissions and that a multi‑department interview panel selected Bolton & Menk as the most qualified firm. Griffey said the draft scope focuses on community engagement, a data‑heavy origin‑and‑destination analysis, policy review and recommendations, and identification of funding opportunities including grant assistance.

The update will replace elements of the town’s 2010 plan and the 2018 update and is intended to feed into Garner’s 2023 comprehensive plan. Griffey said locally adopted, up‑to‑date transportation plans improve a project’s chances for regional and federal funding because the Metropolitan Planning Organization evaluates consistency with its MTP and prioritized project lists.

The scope presented to council includes public workshops (in‑person and digital), creation of advisory and stakeholder groups, a data inventory and analysis component aimed at clarifying where residents and commuters travel, and network‑level recommendations such as microtransit, BRT or roadway cross‑section changes. The consultant was selected in part because staff said the firm will assist with grant writing for at least one project that emerges from the plan.

Councilmembers asked for specifics about timeline and funding. Griffey said the town is aiming for adoption in December 2026. He said the consultant selection and scope assume a close coordination with department budget staff so that plan recommendations can be aligned with Garner’s emerging capital improvement program (CIP).

Councilmember questions ranged from corridor‑level analysis — including New Bethel Church Road, Benson/White Oak and the Jones Sausage Road/Wilmington Road area — to whether the plan would separate pass‑through traffic from locally generated trips. Griffey said the origin‑and‑destination analysis is intended to do exactly that: distinguish through traffic from trips that begin or end in Garner and to refine capacity and project recommendations accordingly.

Mayor Pro Tem Elmo Vance and others described the update as overdue and urged council colleagues to continue substantive review and dialogue before the Oct. 21 decision. No contract vote was taken at the Oct. 7 meeting.

Votes at a glance

No formal vote on the transportation contract occurred on Oct. 7; council was scheduled to consider the matter at its Oct. 21 meeting.

What happens next

Staff will bring the draft contract and scope back to council on Oct. 21 for formal action. If approved, the consultant will begin the data collection, stakeholder outreach and drafting phases that staff and council said would inform priorities, funding strategies and project phasing.