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Johnston County holds public hearing on draft Comprehensive Transportation Plan; adoption deferred for review
Summary
Consultant Joel Strickland presented a draft multimodal plan that recommends roads, bike/ped facilities, transit and intersection improvements. Commissioners and the public discussed right-of-way reservations, microtransit and accessibility; the board deferred adoption to allow further review and to incorporate comments.
The Johnston County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing Sept. 2 on a draft Comprehensive Transportation Plan presented by Joel Strickland of McAdams. Commissioners heard an overview of the plan, asked questions about right-of-way recommendations and funding pathways, and agreed to place the plan on the board’s next meeting agenda for further review rather than adopting it that night.
The draft plan lays out a multimodal vision aimed at safety, efficiency and connectivity. Strickland told the board the plan recommends about 170 miles of roadway improvements, 88 miles of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, seven transit and rail recommendations, seven aviation recommendations and 14 intersection improvements. He said the process included three rounds of public meetings, a two‑month survey and outreach that produced more than 1,000 respondents and roughly 3,000 comments.
"We wanted this to be truly multimodal," Strickland said, describing an emphasis on bicycles, pedestrian options and transit as well as roadways. He also described ordinance recommendations intended to coordinate land development with the plan, including language to reserve or dedicate right of way for future road or greenway corridors.
Commissioners pressed officials on what reservation of right of way would mean for property owners. Strickland said the plan’s reserve language would ask property owners and developers to show a reservation on submitted plans rather than immediately dedicating land. "Reservation is we work with the developer to ensure that they have a design and they make a reservation on the physical plan," he said, adding that reserved corridors are intended to avoid later costs to taxpayers if the right of way becomes public.
County staff and the consultant emphasized that placing projects in a documented plan is a necessary first step to compete for funding through CAMPO and the NCDOT strategic prioritization and Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). "Getting these projects in a documented plan is a key first step to getting that funding," Strickland said. Commissioners and staff also noted the plan will make it easier to pursue alternative funding sources, such as CMAQ or TAP grants, for specific project types, including greenways.
Several members of the public urged attention to transit and microtransit options. Jeff Holland, representing a planned Smithfield subdivision called Findlay Landing that will house residents with disabilities, asked commissioners to consider how residents without access to private vehicles will reach jobs, shopping and medical care. Anne Garrett, a Wake Forest resident whose daughter will move into what she described as an intentional community in Johnston County, urged commissioners to study Wake Forest’s microtransit pilot, which she said is free to users and operates on demand, including ADA‑accessible vehicles.
Joel Strickland and county staff said the draft does address transit options and noted recent local efforts to expand on‑demand services. Strickland said JCATS is attempting to expand a countywide microtransit pilot called Quick Ride, and staff said JCAT’s executive director will brief the board at the Sept. 16 meeting to provide an update on Quick Ride and other services.
The plan’s materials and an interactive map remain available for public comment at the county website. Strickland directed residents to the county planning webpage for the comprehensive transportation plan, where project‑level comments may be submitted. Staff confirmed the online map and comment portal will remain live while the county considers adoption; the comment function would be removed if and when the board adopts the final plan.
After questions from commissioners and public comment, one commissioner suggested postponing adoption to allow the board and staff more time to review the plan and the site maps. The board agreed to add the plan to its next meeting agenda for possible adoption after further review.
Next steps: staff will continue to receive public comments through the county’s interactive map and planning email, commissioners will review materials before the next meeting, and the board expects a further discussion and possible adoption on the next scheduled agenda.
