Mooresville review narrows mobility priorities; commissioners ask for ward-level review and transit data

Town consultants presented draft priorities from the ongoing Mooresville mobility plan, asking the Board of Commissioners to identify which candidate projects the town should move forward to conceptual design and cost estimates.

Erin Musial, senior planner and project manager with the consultant team, reviewed a scored list of 18 potential new roadway connections, a refined list of greenway alignments carried forward from earlier planning, and sidewalk gap priorities. The scoring system combined quantitative criteria (mobility, safety including the Vision Zero high-injury network, development potential, readiness, and county master-plan alignment) with supplemental points for public support and design constraints. Musial said staff also prepared concept-level cost estimates for three intersections and would prepare up to four design/cost studies the board selects.

Commissioners emphasized local context and public reaction. Several members asked staff to send zoomable, ward-level maps so each commissioner could assess proposed connections in their ward and consult residents. Commissioners said public opposition should be weighed carefully: one member warned that a single-point penalty in the scoring system for strong public opposition might understate how politically sensitive some connections can be. Others urged balancing technical merits (for example, a Lineberger extension that could benefit traffic flow) against likely neighborhood opposition and long-term planning value.

On greenways and sidewalks, the consultant proposed doing design and cost estimates for one greenway segment and one sidewalk priority (with flexibility to choose two sidewalks). Commissioners asked staff to highlight sidewalk candidates that improve routes to schools, noting CRTPO discretionary grant programs score proximity to schools more favorably. Musial said the seam-trail (US-21) and Dooley Road and Dye greenway segments ranked highest by score but noted parts of the seam-trail lie outside town limits and would require coordination.

Musial and commissioners also discussed transit. The consultant relayed regional recommendations (Connect Beyond, CATS 2030) for bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors and noted the town can document positions in its local plan even if the regional MPO maintains a different alignment. Commissioners requested additional ridership and cost data for existing services provided by Iredell County Area Transit (ICAT/ICATS) and described interest in microtransit/on-demand services; staff said they will bring back examples from peer jurisdictions (noting Gastonia’s on-demand pilot) and try to compile ridership/funding data.

Musial asked the board for top project choices and suggested a two-week window for commissioners to review ward-level maps and return selections; several commissioners asked for more time and proposed to return selections by the end of the month. The transcript records the presentation and discussion; no final vote on project selection was recorded in the provided excerpt.