CAMPO presents draft 10‑year Wake Transit investment strategy, prioritizes BRT and community funding areas

Ben Howell, Wake Transit program manager at the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), briefed the Wake County Board of Commissioners on April 14 on a draft update to the Wake Transit Plan that would set transit funding priorities for the next 10 years.

The draft plan assumes roughly $3.3 billion in available revenue over the next decade — led by the local half‑cent sales tax and long‑term bond proceeds — and, Howell said, “please note everything. All the numbers in this presentation are draft.” He told commissioners the draft would be released for public review and that final adoption is expected later this year by CAMPO’s executive board and the GoTriangle board.

Why it matters: the plan guides how Wake Transit sales tax revenue will be programmed across capital and operating needs. The draft directs new money toward a core bus rapid transit (BRT) network, regional rail readiness, more frequent bus service, and expanded community funding area (CFA) grants for municipalities without established transit service.

Key elements of the draft investment strategy

- Revenue and capacity: Howell said the team expects about $3.3 billion over 10 years, with 54% from the sales tax and about 26% from long‑term debt proceeds. He said roughly half of that money has already been programmed for existing obligations and projects, leaving about $1.2 billion for new investments over the decade.

- Rail and regional strategy: the plan continues to advance regional rail readiness rather than building full commuter rail in the coming 10 years. CAMPO is coordinating a regional rail implementation plan due in June, and Wake Transit intends to set aside approximately $216 million for rail‑ready projects (stations, track improvements and related items) that would roll over annually until spent.

- Bus rapid transit and frequent service: the draft calls for a core BRT network (New Bern Avenue, Western Boulevard linking Raleigh and Cary, the Southern Corridor to Garner and Northern Corridor/Capital Boulevard alignments) and capital support for an I‑40 corridor BRT. Howell estimated about $1 billion in BRT capital investment and expects the county’s frequent bus network to grow from roughly 100 miles to about 300 miles over 10 years, adding about 13 new frequent routes.

- Community funding areas and local services: the CFA program would receive increased funding under the draft, including a proposal to reduce local match requirements from 50% to 35% (Wake Transit covering 65%) and to double CFA allocations over the next decade. Howell said most Wake County municipalities have already accessed CFA funds for planning, capital and startup operations.

Public engagement and responses

Howell summarized two engagement rounds: an earlier phase that asked participants to allocate a limited budget among modes, and a more recent phase (online surveys, pop‑ups and four focus groups) that tested three themes: postponing commuter rail in favor of regional rail readiness; a BRT link between Raleigh and Durham; and whether to prioritize serving more people or more places first. He reported that 76% of respondents supported the draft approach favoring regional rail readiness over immediate commuter rail and that 70% supported a Raleigh‑Durham BRT connection. Responses showed a near split on serving “people” versus “places,” with transit riders favoring people‑first investments.

Commissioners’ questions focused on implementation details: staffing and whether operators can hire enough drivers as service expands, confidence in revenue assumptions (Howell said the model is “pretty confident” but noted uncertainty in vehicle rental tax and farebox revenue), the role of federal funds on large projects (Howell said the draft mostly assumed no federal funding but anticipates federal participation on major corridors), and vehicle energy types (Howell said most new vehicle purchases are in the clean‑energy spectrum: compressed natural gas, hybrid/electric and similar technologies).

Next steps: Howell said the draft investment strategy and supporting materials will be released for public engagement from May 1–30, with the FY‑2026 Wake Transit work plan engagement in the first two weeks of May. CAMPO and GoTriangle boards will consider the final plan and recommendations later in the summer and fall.

Ending: Commissioners were asked to provide feedback before CAMPO and GoTriangle consider the plan. Howell and staff said they will return with the final recommended draft and noted the May public outreach period as the primary window for public comment.