Wake Transit unveils recommended 2035 plan; Garner to see BRT extensions, more local funding options

Ben Howell, Wake Transit program manager at the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), presented the agency’s recommended Wake Transit 2035 plan to the Town of Garner during the council work session on Aug. 26.

The plan shifts some emphasis from building new commuter rail to investing in regional rail and bus infrastructure. Howell told the council the program has raised nearly $750 million through 2023 and expects to raise about $1 billion more over the next 10 years; Wake Transit has invested more than $200 million since 2017 and “we're expecting to spend roughly $3,000,000,000 over the next 10 years on transit,” he said.

Why it matters: the update outlines where Wake County plans to direct sales-tax and other Wake Transit funds in the coming decade. Several changes would affect Garner directly, including proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) service extensions and an expanded grant program that gives towns more flexibility to design local service.

Key details for Garner - BRT and regional service: The plan keeps the core BRT network and identifies extensions, including a southern corridor that would run from downtown Raleigh toward Garner and a proposed Garner–Clayton extension that would use U.S. 70/Business 70 through Garner. CAMPO staff said Raleigh’s Southern corridor has design work funded and construction is anticipated in the coming years; CAMPO expects the Garner–Clayton extension to advance after studies and design work are complete. - Frequent network standards: CAMPO defines “frequent” as roughly every 15 minutes, with a weekday operating window of about 18 hours and at least 12 hours of frequent service. Howell said the plan aims to grow the frequent network from roughly 100 miles today to about 300 miles by 2035. - Local funding and community control: The plan triples the Community Funding Area program from roughly $20 million over 10 years to $60 million, and lowers the required local match from 50% to 35% starting fiscal 2027, a change Howell said is meant to reduce the barrier for towns to fund local service. CAMPO also plans to invest at least $3 million a year in bus stops, sidewalks and crosswalks countywide. - Microtransit and small-town pilots: Howell described microtransit as app-driven, on-demand small-vehicle service used by towns as a lower-cost alternative to fixed-route buses. He said examples vary widely: Morrisville runs a node-based microtransit, Holly Springs is starting a limited pilot (~$600,000/year), Apex operates circulator service (~$1 million for one route), and Wake Forest spends nearly $2 million a year operating a multi-van microtransit service.

Engagement and next steps CAMPO plans a public engagement phase beginning Sept. 5 for about a month, a joint public hearing with the CAMPO executive board and the GoTriangle board on Sept. 17, and hopes both boards will adopt the recommended plan in November. Howell asked local staff to help publicize the engagement materials and provided the public input website: publicinput.com/waketransit2035. CAMPO staff said they will follow the public process and return to partners with more-detailed corridor studies when data supports project sequencing.

What council members asked Council members sought clarification about likely corridors through Garner, construction timing for the Southern corridor, and how microtransit costs compare across nearby towns. CAMPO representatives said BRT projects are capital-intensive, that corridor sequencing will depend on ridership and funding, and that microtransit costs range from several hundred thousand dollars a year to multi‑million-dollar programs depending on fleet size and design.

Where to watch: CAMPO’s formal engagement begins in September; local stakeholders who want to shape routes, stops and potential community transportation hubs should monitor the Wake Transit public input site and CAMPO/GoTriangle board calendars.