Wake Transit 2035 draft investment strategy presented to Wendell board; town not on core regional rail map

Wendell — CAMPO staff and the Wake Transit program manager presented the draft Wake Transit 2035 10‑year investment strategy to the Wendell Town Board, outlining expected revenues, project priorities and results of recent public engagement.

Ben Howell, Wake Transit program manager for CAMPO, summarized the plan’s four guiding “big moves”: connect regionally, connect all Wake County communities, create frequent reliable urban mobility and enhance access to transit. Howell said the original Wake Transit plan was adopted in 2016 and that the update is built on public engagement; he described raising approximately $750 million through 2023 and projected another $700 million to $1 billion in the near term, with $3.3 billion of revenue projected for the next 10 years.

Howell said about $1.8 billion of the projected revenue is already committed to projects, leaving roughly $1.5 billion for new investments. He noted potential uncertainty about vehicle rental tax revenue and about how farebox revenue will be accounted for as two items being discussed by lead agencies. The draft strategy sets aside roughly $250 million for “rail ready” projects, advances bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors including a proposed I‑40 BRT, and commits funds toward frequent bus network expansion, more service hours and community transportation hubs. The plan proposes increasing the Community Funding Area program (which funds services such as the North/Northeast Wake SmartRide that serves Wendell) from $40 million to $60 million.

Howell said public engagement phases produced feedback including a preference for regional rail over commuter rail among 76% of online respondents to one question, 70% support for using BRT on the I‑40 corridor among survey respondents, and a near 50/50 split on whether to prioritize serving more people or more places first. Casey from the board asked specifically about a rail line that bisects Wendell; Howell said he did not know the exact freight owner but described the plan’s distinction between the “connect the region” network (centered on core region connections such as Raleigh–RTP–Durham) and the “connect all communities” move, which targets connections for Wendell, Knightdale, Zebulon and other municipalities.

Howell said the public engagement period was nearing its close and staff expect a draft plan by June with adoption considerations at regional boards in the fall. Wendell commissioners asked questions about local rail opportunities and were told the plan’s regional map focuses on central-region corridors while the county-level connections and community funding programs would serve Wendell’s needs.