New CAT Facility!

Last week, Capital Area Transit unveiled a new operations and maintenance facility! Capital Area Transit operates forty public transit routes in Raleigh, and also operates three additional routes for Triangle Transit, providing transportation for more than 20,000 people daily.

The new facility covers a little more than 23 acres, with room to service up to 125 buses. Also, this new facility replaces the thirty-year-old 4 acre facility on Wilmington Street. CAT's passenger trips have grown by 87% in the last ten years, and that growth is expected to increase even more in the next ten years. This wonderful new facility should help to meet the continually growing demand for transportation options in Raleigh!

This facility is the newest in Raleigh that is expected to receive LEED certification. This facility was designed and built to incorporate as many sustainable features as possible, and is expected to receive LEED Platinum certification. The facility includes a geothermal heating and cooling system, radiant floor heating, reflective roof membranes, natural lighting, occupancy and photo sensors, water-saving plumbing fixtures, and a rainwater cistern!

Several folks were on hand for the grand opening of this facility - Representatives Brad Miller and David Price, along with Bob Etheridge, Jim Westmoreland, Tom Thompson, and Mayor Meeker. A special thanks to CAT for inviting all of us to participate in the Grand Opening!

CityCamp Raleigh!

June 3-5, Raleigh will host our first ever CityCamp! CityCamp will bring together government, business, neighborhood, non-profit, and academic affiliates to work together toward next generation solutions for Raleigh! The event is the only one of it's kind, a City-focused "unconference."

Admission is free and open to the public, but space is limited! The event will include speaker presentations, workshop sessions, and breakout sessions. Some of the topics that will be included are crime, trash, water/sewer, property taxes, street maintenance and traffic, parks and recreation, storm water management, and transit!

Even if you can't attend, you can participate! Citizens are encouraged to submit ideas, suggestions, and discussion topics on CityCamp's website. The sessions on Friday and Saturday will be held at Vintage 21, Sunday's sessions will take place at The Stockroom.

Recognizing Raleigh!

In the last few weeks, our City has received two awards that I wanted to share with you all! The first I would like to share with you came from the United States Chamber of Commerce. Raleigh has been recognized as the 2011 Siemens Sustainable Mid-Size Community of the Year! The award recognizes a commitment to cultivating a green economy. US Chamber Executive Vice President, David Chavern was on hand, along with Alison Taylor, Vice President of Sustainability to present the award to Mayor Meeker, and Harvey Schmitt of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. This award is a great honor to our community!

From left to right: Julian Prosser, assistant City manager, Mayor Meeker, Harvey Schmitt, Paula Thomas, the City's sustainability manager

Raleigh has also been recognized for our Petro Reduction Policy. The award was presented as part of the fifth annual North Carolina Mobile Clean Air Renewable Energy (CARE) Awards. The CARE Awards recognize transportation emission reduction efforts that are advancing alternative fuel and transportation technology activities in our state. In 2008, Raleigh passed a resolution mandating a reduction in consumption and put into place a fuel consumption budget. The City has also done a great job of encouraging and facilitating the use of electric vehicles.

I am happy to be a part of a community with such a focus on sustainable initiatives, within our local economy and energy consumption policies!

Upcoming Events!

There are several exciting events coming up around Raleigh that I wanted to let everyone know about!

The first is the Viva Raleigh Festival, taking place this Saturday at the Spring Forest Road Park. The Viva Raleigh Festival intends to connect local Spanish-speaking residents with public programs and services. There will members of the City's Community Services Department on hand, along with representatives from more than fifty local non-profit organizations. There will also be live music and plenty of activities for children! For more information, please contact Aracelys Torrez in the Community Services Department at 996-5717. Another upcoming event that I wanted to let you all know about is the WakeUp Wake County Forum being held on Thursday, April 14 at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum. The forum centers around Wake County's water and sewer needs as the County continues to grow. There will be several staff members from the City and County on hand to answer questions and discuss the future of Wake County's water supply. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the challenges and complexities of maintaining a high-quality water and sewer system in a rapidly growing community. In July, Raleigh will host the Plug-In 2011 Conference and Exposition. This is the first time that the conference is not being held in California, and we are thrilled that they are coming east! The conference is being held at the Convention Center, July 18-21. It will include four plenary sessions, sessions on component and infrastructure technologies, pilot programs, PEV/PHEV readiness plans, and discussion of future opportunities for the plug-in industry. Raleigh has been recognized as a national leader in preparation for PEV/PEHV vehicles, and I am excited to learn more about how we can continue on the same path!

Blue Ridge Corridor Study

This Saturday, April 2, the City will host a public workshop as a part of the Blue Ridge Road Corridor Study. The workshop will take place at 10am, in the Martin Building at the State Fairgrounds, 1025 Blue Ridge Road.

Discussion will center around the emerging vision for the Blue Ridge Road corridor, it's current conditions, existing plans for properties along the corridor, and the scope of the study. Also, participants will be able to ask any questions they may have.

The workshop is free and open to the public. More information is available by calling 807-8479 or visiting the Urban Design Center.

Hope to see you there on Saturday!

New Bern Avenue Corridor Study

The second workshop on the New Bern Avenue Corridor Study will be held on March 3rd from 6-9pm at Milner Memorial Presbyterian Church. Local residents are invited to attend and share ideas and visions for updating the corridor.

The Corridor Study is focused on the area between Swain Street and Wake Medical Center. The second workshop will primarily center on streetscapes and urban design, multi-modal transportation, environmental considerations, public safety, historic and cultural heritage, and land use and economic development.

For more information, contact Dhanya Sandeep in the City of Raleigh Planning Department at dhanya.dandeep@raleighnc.gov or visit the City's website and search for "New Bern Avenue Corridor Study."

Terminal 2 at RDU

This morning, I was on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony for Concourse D in Terminal 2 at RDU Airport! The ribbon cutting comes just in time for NHL All-Star weekend!

The new terminal will be home to US Airways, Continental Airlines, and United Airlines. It is expected to boost revenue by $3M a year, which is about 3.5 percent of their annual operating budget.

I was happy to be on hand for the ceremony, and have continued to be impressed with RDU's expansion!

Temporary Road Closing

Beginning tomorrow, January 10, a short section of Harps Mill Road will be closed to traffic. The section of Harps Mill at Haymarket Lane in North Ridge will be closed for about a month. Work is being done on the first phase of the City's Harps Mill/Haymarket Lane stormwater drainage improvement project.

This will be a major upgrade for the North Ridge stormwater drainage system. New sanitary sewer lines will be put into place, water and gas lines will be relocated, and the area will be repaved.

There will be detour signs posted directed traffic around the construction. For more information, please contact the City's Stormwater Utility Division at 996-3940.

Two Great Workshops Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, there are two great workshops being held. The first is being hosted by the Arts Commission. The workshop is aimed at non-profit organizations that are interested in applying for a 2011-2012 arts grant from the City. The workshop will review grant guidelines, application process, and the legal and financial requirements of grant recipients.

We have a great system with our Arts Grants Programs, and since 1989, more than $19 million has been distributed to qualifying organizations! The workshop will be held on December 2, from 8:30am to 1:00pm at the Urban Design Center, located at 133 Fayetteville Street. For more information about the workshop, and the Arts Commission, please click here.

The second workshop will focus on the future of New Bern Avenue. Since New Bern Avenue is one of Raleigh's most heavily used corridors, and the workshop will focus on the portion between Swain Street and Wake Medical Center. Discussion will center on ways to improve New Bern Avenue, specifically through support of pedestrian, bicycle, and transit use along the corridor, and economic development in the area.

The workshop will be held from 7:00 to 9:00pm at Milner Memorial Presbyterian Church, located at 1950 New Bern Avenue. For more information, please click here.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Yesterday, the City unveiled our first two electric vehicle charging stations! These two stations are both downtown, located across from the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex. During the next several months, you will begin to see more and more charging stations popping up. There are plans for a total of thirty stations to be installed throughout the City by next September! State and Federal Grants cover the complete costs of the stations.

Raleigh was selected to receive the grants because of our participation in Project Get Ready. We are one of three cities in the nation that is a part of the initiative to encourage the use of electric pug-in vehicles. Raleigh was declared to be one of just fourteen major cities that is "leading in rediness for plug-in electric vehicles." The other two cities are Portland, Oregon and Indianapolis, Indiana.

I am looking forward to seeing more and more plug-in stations and vehicles in Raleigh!

NCDOT Asks for Your Help!

The State's Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is holding a series of listening sessions to develop its next step in their strategic planning process. The listening sessions will include DOT planning partners, stakeholders, and the public. It is important that they hear from you on which transportation issues in the area concern you most.

During these sessions, you will find out more about their prioritization process and accomplishments, and to learn more about alternate transportation plans for our area.

The sessions will begin tomorrow morning at the RDU Airport Authority, located at 1000 Trade Drive at 9am.

There will also be a few more sessions throughout the week, located in other areas of the state.

This Saturday, October 30, the City will host an all-day public workshop to discuss the future of Capital Boulevard. Capital Boulevard is one of the main veins of Raleigh and it sets an important stage for other thoroughfares of the city.

During the workshop, folks will be organized into small groups and each group will focus on a different topic. The topics will include transportation, water, land use and urban design. This workshop will give everyone a chance to work together to conceptualize the possibilities for the future of Capital Boulevard.

The meeting will take place at The Stockroom at 230, in the historic former Carolina Trust Bank Building, at 230 Fayetteveille Street from 9:00-5:00. If you plan to attend, you can register here, or you can arrive a little early on Saturday. Also, more information on the complete project is available here.

Public Meeting for Landscape Improvements

This week, the City is hosting a public meeting for proposed improvements to Newton Road. The meeting will take place at the Marsh Creek Community Center on Tuesday, October 26, from 5:00-7:00. Representatives from the City, as well as design consultants will be available to answer any and all questions and thoroughly discuss the proposed changes. Along with Newton Road, upcoming changes to Sunnybrook Road and Rogers Lane will also be discussed.

The following night, Wednesday the 27th, a similar meeting will take place at Carolina Pines Community Center. Wednesday, the proposed landscaping improvements of Tryon Road and Edwards Mill Extension will be discussed.

Both meetings will have an open house format, and more information is available by calling 996-3030.

Hillsborough Street Celebration this Weekend

This weekend, we will be celebrating the recently completed construction on Hillsborough Street! Live It Up! on Hillsborough Street will bring together local business owners, artists, musicians, students, and folks from all over town.

There will be tons of live music, spread across three stages (learn more about the bands and check out the schedule here). There will also be tons of stuff for kids to enjoy: special visitors from the Hurricanes, giant inflatables, rock climbing walls, and hot dog eating contests. The adults will be able to enjoy Whole Foods' Iron Chef Contest and a beer garden!

Most events are free and open to the public, but for a few, tickets must be purchased. Learn more about the celebration and buy tickets here. Hope to see you all on Hillsborough Street this Saturday!

SEHSR Public Hearing

As many of you know, there has been a lot of conversation in Raleigh surrounding the Southeast High Speed Rail recently. Tomorrow, August 31, the City Council will be holding a public hearing to hear from all of you.

Our Passenger Rail Task Force, along with several of our CACs have done a great job prompting this discussion amongst Citizens, and we have already gotten a great deal of feedback. Please keep it up! I encourage everyone who is able to attend the public hearing tomorrow, this project will have a major impact on the future of our City!

Creedmoor Road Study, Public Workshop

This week, there will be a three night public workshop to discuss the future of Highway 50, Creedmoor Road. As some of you may already know, there has been an impact study taking place since January that is due to be complete in December. A team has been put together to look into the effects of widening Highway 50 to four lanes. Commuting traffic from Granville County and the town of Creedmoor is, and has been, steadily increasing for the last few years. However, Highway 50 drains into Falls Lake, and widening the road would inevitably lead to a more polluted drinking supply for Raleigh.

The discussion about widening Highway 50 began in 2003, and has been a heavily debated topic between Granville and Wake Counties ever since. In the last seven years, the regulations imposed on Falls Lake have certainly become more stringent, but Falls Lake is still considered polluted.

It will be very interesting to begin to publicly discuss what the future holds for Highway 50. I encourage everyone who travels on Creedmoor Road to take part in the discussions this week. The meetings will be held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings at the Shriner's Temple located at 11101 Creedmoor Road. Please click here for more information on the project and to take part in a survey being conducted on the future of Highway 50.

High Speed Rail Public Hearing Tonight!

Tonight, there will be a public hearing to discuss the future of the Southeast High Speed Rail. The discussion will center around the Tier II Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which covers the portion of the corridor between Richmond and Raleigh.

The SEHSR project proposes to implement about 162 miles of high-speed rail to extend the existing Northeast Corridor, which covers Boston to Washington, DC. The new, Southeastern corridor would include approximately 100 new bridges and overpasses that would create a fully separated system to ensure the safety of train passengers and crew, and also motorists and the surrounding communities. The complete project would provide another option of travel from the Northeast through Charlotte. This is a great opportunity for Raleigh to continue to be on the forefront of innovation in transportation!

More information on the Southeast High Speed Rail is available here!

Bicycle and Pedestrian Map

I wanted to share this new map with everyone - it shows where bicycle lanes and pedestrian friendly corridors are located throughout Raleigh. Please feel free to pass it along, and I hope you will utilize and enjoy our growing bike lanes! Also, the City recently established a Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission to provide guidance and leadership on the incorporation of relevant programs, policies, regulations and funding principles related to walkable and bike friendly streets. Thanks to Chair Steven Waters for his efforts in creating this wonderful new tool for citizens to use.

Transition Workshop and Focus Group Sessions

This week, the City's Planning Department hosted a series of Community Workshops and Focus Group Sessions to discuss plans for Raleigh's future. As we all know, Raleigh has been one of the fastest growing cities in the country for years and will continue on that path. It is important for us to have a clear vision for the future of our City. The workshops held this week were the first step in crafting that vision.



Two sessions were held at Greystone Community Center, and it was great to see so many District A folks come out to contribute to the discussion! Non-residential development will continue to occur alongside of residential development, and it is importnat for citizens to speak up about what is important to them through that process. We all worked through some activities to identify what specific issues are the most important and some potential ways to meet citizens' expectations.

The results of the Community Transition Workshops will be discussed in greater detail in similar meetings that are scheduled to be held later in the Summer. Please check back in the future to find out more information about the next round of workshops, and please come out and be sure your voice is heard!

2010 Inter-City Visit & Leadership Conference

With Congressman Brad Miller and Raleigh Chamber of Commerce chair Sepi Asefnia.

Last week, I traveled to Fairfax County, Virginia and Washington, D.C. with the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Inter-City Task Force. As many of you know, I grew up in the DC area, which made the trip especially exciting for me! This annual trip brings together business and community leaders from Raleigh to travel to other cities to learn about their successes and challenges. As a business woman and City Councilor I find it helpful to dialogue with stakeholders from other cities about how to develop a strong quality of life through economic and public investment. We often face similar circumstances and it is helpful to learn how others are navigating the growing process.

We focused on several challenges that growing cities face: public safety, education, transit, housing, and smart development. The Fairfax/DC area has done a tremendous job of equipping itself with community services and programs that make it a great place to live. It has developed into a metropolitan area rich with commerce, trade, and technology, which has, in turn, led to great schools and dynamic diverse communities. I believe that it is important for community leaders in both business and public service to always strive to improve the quality of life in the area which they live and work. This trip was an excellent opportunity for all of us to gain ideas and insight on how we can make public and private progress in Raleigh.

Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the trip for me was being able to take part in the forum "Task Force's Task: Conquering Congestion." I was privileged to serve as the moderator of the discussion, which was centered around Tyson's Corner in Fairfax County, Virginia. Having grown up in the area, I have witnessed the tremendous growth. This area is home to 105,000 employees but only 17,000 residents. The Tyson's Corner team is steadily working towards acheiving several long-term goals in the area, but face growing problems of congestion, land use, and need to find new and innovative ways to gain public support of the comprehensive project. While it is clear that Tyson's Corner faces many pressing challenges, perhaps the biggest will be reversing the consequences of inaction.

During the discussion on Tyson's Corner, I couldn't help but think of Crabtree Valley Mall and the problems we face with congestion there. As many of you may already know, the traffic at Crabtree Valley is a problem I am working hard to solve. Taking part in the forum on Tyson's Corner encouraged me to continue the dialogue surrounding a solution to the growing problem of traffic and congestion at Crabtree Valley.

Without a doubt this experience was beneficial for all who participated. I would like to thank the folks at the Raleigh Chamber for coordinating the trip and allowing me to serve on the Inter-City Task Force! I encourage other local business leaders to get involved with the program and consider joining us next year.

I would like to clarify that I did NOT use any public money to attend this trip. I provided my own funding for my participation.