Transit safety plan updated and drug-and-alcohol policy revised; committee ratifies railroad bank-stabilization agreement

The High Point Finance Committee approved two transit-related policy updates and ratified a railroad bank-stabilization agreement during its April 2 meeting.

Transportation Director Greg Venibal introduced Transit Safety Officer Brandon Parker, who presented revisions to the public transportation agency safety plan. Parker highlighted that the 2026 update adds reporting and tracking for assaults; staff noted four assault incidents in the report, many categorized as verbal. Committee members probed the methodology used to compute major-event targets and variance measures; Parker said targets are set using averages of gathered data and that a zero current rate is used as a placeholder in the variance table when required. The committee approved the updated safety plan and, in a separate action, adopted the revised transit drug-and-alcohol policy; staff said there were no budgetary impacts for those policy updates.

Separately, the committee approved item 2026-94, a three-party agreement among the North Carolina Railroad, Norfolk Southern and the city to complete a bank-stabilization project linked to the earlier Washington Street project. Venibal said funding resurfaced from the railroad/state side, enabling completion of what he described as about a $5 million stabilization project. A committee member publicly thanked Venibal and Engineering/Facilities Director Trevor Spencer for persistent efforts that helped restore state funding; staff presented the previously unratified agreement for approval and the committee passed it.

The committee moved and approved each motion on voice votes with no opposition recorded. Staff said it will continue to provide updates on implementation and scheduling for the bank-stabilization and transit safety follow-ups.