Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Greenway Raise topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City briefs committee on RAISE grant ‘High Point on the Rise’; right‑of‑way timeline may delay southwest greenway work
Summary
Transportation staff updated the committee on the federally funded RAISE project (High Point on the Rise), outlining Elm Street traffic‑calming and a Southwest Heritage Greenway; staff said right‑of‑way acquisitions, railroad coordination and federal approvals could delay construction start into late 2026 with a planned opening in 2028.
Transportation staff gave the Prosperity, Livability and Safety Committee an update on the federally supported RAISE grant project, dubbed “High Point on the Rise,” including plans for Elm Street improvements and the Southwest Heritage Greenway.
Greg Venable, transportation director, described Elm Street changes that would reduce traffic to one lane each direction, add on‑street parking, improved sidewalks and a 10‑foot side path on the west side to connect the Southwest Heritage Greenway to Armstrong Park. Venable said pedestrian signals, decorative crosswalks and enhanced landscaping are included; some plantings on the plaza will be removable so event flows are not impeded.
The Southwest Heritage Greenway alignment follows abandoned railroad right‑of‑way and will connect neighborhoods to Armstrong Park, Market Square, Fairview Elementary and the High Point Multimodal Transportation Hub. Venable said the project also crosses multiple commercial properties and roughly a dozen historic mill sites that are already being adaptively reused.
Venable reviewed the project schedule: environmental documentation approval from the Federal Highway Administration expected in April 2025; right‑of‑way (ROW) funding request in August 2025; anticipated ROW completion in 2026; ROW/railroad/utility certifications by September 2026; estimated bid date November 2026; federal construction obligation submission targeted by September 2027; planned project opening August 2028. Venable cautioned these dates could shift based on acquisition and certification timelines.
Council Member Patrick Harmon said he was disappointed by the length of the ROW and railroad process and noted prior meetings with railroad representatives. Damon Ducane, assistant city manager, and Venable explained that coordination with Norfolk Southern and negotiations with multiple private property owners are necessary steps tied to federal funding requirements and that certifications and approvals constrain when construction can begin.
Committee members discussed future programming of the greenway. The chair directed staff to explore public‑art and activation partnerships modeled on Greensboro’s Greenway efforts and to return with recommendations on whether a task force or other partnership structure would be appropriate. Staff said a project website and a greenway programming coordinator (Parks & Rec) are available resources.
No committee vote was required on the presentation; the committee accepted the update and directed staff to pursue public‑art partnership options and continue ROW and railroad coordination.
