CAMPO outlines design progress, outreach and funding options for Triangle Bikeway East

CAMPO senior planner Kara Russell told the Raleigh City Council that preliminary design work for the eastern segment of the Triangle Bikeway — planned to connect Research Triangle Park and West Raleigh and, ultimately, Chapel Hill — is underway and being positioned for future construction funding.

"It is that multi use path, that is projected to connect Chapel Hill, all the way to Raleigh," Russell said, describing the corridor and the 2022 feasibility and implementation study that identified a preferred alignment primarily along the I‑40/NC‑54 corridor. She said the study was adopted by Triangle West TPO and CAMPO executive boards in 2022 and that the plan and design guidance are available at trianglebikeway.com.

The current CAMPO‑led design effort covers the eastern section from Research Triangle Park to a bridge near the Art Museum in West Raleigh. Russell said Wake County and the Research Triangle Foundation are funding the preliminary design, with CAMPO managing the 30% design phase in close coordination with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and local jurisdictions, including work that crosses into Durham County.

Russell outlined recent work and next steps: site visits in 2024 at RTP, Lake Crabtree and Wade Avenue, environmental documentation in case federal construction funds are sought, and public engagement beginning with a survey scheduled to run Jan. 21–Feb. 25 and community meetings in RTP, Morrisville and at Laurel Hills Community Center in Raleigh. "Our survey will go live next week, January 21, and it will run all the way through February 25," she said.

Council members pressed CAMPO and city staff on several practical issues. Councilor Lambert Melton asked whether jurisdictions are coordinating rules for personal mobility devices so users would face consistent policies across municipal greenways. Paul Kalman of Transportation said aligning mobility policies "would definitely be something we would want to do" but that the effort is at an early stage.

Design details discussed included a typical 16‑foot cross section (10 feet for biking, 6 feet for pedestrians) and a preference to keep the facility within existing right of way and away from the interstate where possible. Russell said separation from the interstate is variable by location but "could be 50, 50 feet or greater" in many places.

On costs and schedule, Russell said the 2022 implementation study broke down segment costs and that a combined ballpark for the eastern corridor was about $83–89 million; she emphasized those figures are out of date and will be refined as the project advances. She also said the study had assumed a 2030 construction year, but that many conditions — including funding sources and sponsor decisions — must align before construction can proceed.

Councilors asked how construction and maintenance might be handled across jurisdictions. Russell listed multiple funding and delivery options under consideration: federal grants, incorporation into NCDOT/STIP projects, parceling the corridor into smaller construction segments, public‑private partnerships, nonprofit sponsorships or the creation of a regional authority or district. She said CAMPO is not a construction agency but can be a regional project manager and partner; actual construction sponsors could include NCDOT or local partners depending on how projects are packaged.

Public safety and amenities were another focal point. Charles Harrison asked whether long, isolated stretches would include safety features such as lighting, blue‑light call boxes or restrooms. Russell said lighting was considered in the implementation study and that CAMPO is seeking input from police and EMS during documentation; final design will evaluate specific safety amenities.

Russell said CAMPO expects to arrive at a final alignment and carry the eastern segment to 30% design by this summer, after which staff anticipates additional stakeholder sessions and more detailed briefings to elected officials. "We should be arriving at a final alignment to carry the 30% design this summer," she said.

Next steps include the public survey and community meetings, continued environmental and technical documentation, coordination with NCDOT and local jurisdictions, and further discussions about construction sponsors and long‑term maintenance arrangements. No formal votes or binding commitments were made at the work session; the council reconvened for public comment at 7 p.m.