Morrisville presents draft transportation plan with new cross sections, 146 project concepts and tighter prioritization

Bridal Martin, transportation project manager for the town, and consultants from Kimley Horn told the Planning and Zoning Board on April 2026 that the draft comprehensive transportation plan (CTP) update focuses on clearer, more prescriptive roadway cross sections, a universe of 146 potential projects across modes, and a data‑driven prioritization framework to help secure outside funding.

The presentation, led by Bridal Martin with technical detail from Lisonbee Bluitt and Will Anderson of Kimley Horn, emphasized design changes intended to improve safety and predictability for developers and road users. "The town of Morrisville needs more prescription with each of their cross sections," Will Anderson said, describing the removal of wide outside lanes and sharrows in favor of separated side paths, narrower travel lanes where appropriate and wider sidewalks (the draft moves the standard from five feet to six feet).

Why it matters: the CTP guides where the town will focus limited construction and grant resources, and its scoring approach must align with CAMPO and NCDOT (SPOT/LAP) funding rules to make projects competitive. Lisonbee Bluitt told the board the evaluation framework is designed to balance local priorities such as multimodal accommodation, safety and connectivity while also addressing the metrics external funders use.

Key recommendations and project concepts included: a center turn lane along Church Street to separate turning movements; continued access management and potential median improvements on NC‑54; a proposed extension of Southport Drive from International Drive to McCrimmon Parkway for east‑west connectivity; grade‑separated bike/ped crossings over the railroad at Kitts Creek, Providence Place and Shiloh; new greenway and side‑path connections through the TOD and to regional trails; nine candidate smart‑shuttle nodes and four proposed bus rapid transit alignments (one with committed funding from the regional MTP).

Staff noted a previously discussed connector between Town Hall Drive and the NC‑885 Tollway remains controversial. "Town council was not supportive of a connection from Town Hall Drive extension to the Tollway extension," Bridal Martin said, and staff emphasized that many elements of the Tollway are outside the town's jurisdiction; staff committed to modeling the proposal and reporting results during the public engagement period.

The draft evaluation framework maps local criteria to SPOT and LAP scoring so the town can better position projects for outside funding. Lisonbee Bluitt added the CTP includes a local connectivity measure – the "directness of travel" – because that metric does not appear in statewide or regional scoring but is a recurring local concern.

Public engagement is in Phase 3: the consultants said an interactive online survey (open through April), two pop‑up events (one at Springfest), a public workshop and targeted outreach will collect input. Will Anderson said staff will review demographic responses for representativeness and conduct targeted outreach if groups such as seniors or people with disabilities are under‑represented.

Board members pressed on accessibility and safety: one asked whether people in wheelchairs could use the proposed side paths; Bridal Martin replied they must be accessible and comply with federal law, and that the wider sidewalk standard (6 ft) was proposed to help mobility for people using wheelchairs and other devices. Board members also debated lane widths and the safety tradeoffs of narrowing travel lanes to reduce design speed.

Next steps: staff said they will compile engagement feedback, run model runs where requested, score projects through the draft prioritization matrix and return to the Planning and Zoning Board and Town Council in June with a prioritized project list and draft plan.