Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Draft comprehensive transportation plan emphasizes multimodal network, recommends right‑of‑way policies
Summary
Consultants delivered a draft countywide comprehensive transportation plan that prioritizes multimodal improvements—170 miles of roadway recommendations and 88 miles of bicycle/pedestrian facilities—and recommends right‑of‑way dedication or reservation policies for development frontage and new routes.
Will Lechworth of McAdams presented a draft of Johnston County’s comprehensive transportation plan on July 21, telling the Board of Commissioners the plan moves the county to a more multimodal, locally focused approach than the 2014 plan.
Lechworth said the draft includes recommendations across six modes—vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit, rail and aviation—and contains roughly 170 miles of roadway recommendations and about 88 miles of bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The draft documents also include a digital, interactive map with cross sections that Lechworth said would make the plan easier for developers, staff and the public to use.
The plan recommends that, where development or rezoning proposes new frontage on a roadway with a planned cross section, the developer should dedicate half the future cross‑section along the frontage rather than build half the cross‑section. Lechworth and county staff said dedicating right of way reduces the cost and disruption of future corridor construction and avoids unused pavement when projects are built piecemeal. For new‑location roadways that are adjacent to constructed segments, the plan recommends constructing the new segment; for unfunded routes that are not yet ready for construction, staff suggested reserving right of way rather than immediately requiring dedication.
Commissioners asked for clarity on the difference between dedication and reservation and on likely widths. Lechworth said typical two‑lane NC route right‑of‑way is about 60 feet, and that reservation or dedication decisions should be made with planning staff to avoid creating maintenance burdens for property owners. On greenways, Lechworth recommended dedication because greenway segments tend to have shorter construction horizons and are typically county‑owned.
The presentation also discussed a new passenger rail station recommendation east of Clayton along the existing Raleigh‑Selma line and coordination with regional agencies on transit and airport planning. Lechworth said the draft has been circulated to planning staff and public engagement included three rounds of public meetings and an online survey with more than 1,000 participants. Staff recommended an adoption schedule that would present the plan to the board on Aug. 18, to the planning board on Aug. 19 and include a public hearing and adoption on Sept. 2; McAdams and staff said they will confirm timing with the MPO and RPO.
