The North Carolina Department of Transportation is seeking public input on a new plan to improve transportation access for seniors and individuals with disabilities in small urban and rural areas statewide.
[Above photo by NCDOT]
NCDOT will host three virtual workshops in September regarding the draft of its “Statewide Locally Coordinated Plan,” which outlines planned transportation improvements between 2025 and 2029. Feedback can also be provided through a public survey that will remain open until September 28, the agency said.
“Our goal is to improve mobility options for older adults and people with disabilities,” said Hart Evans, the statewide planning and programming manager of NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division, which oversees bicycle, pedestrian and public transportation.
“The public’s feedback will help us develop strategies that give people in need better access to reliable public transportation around the state,” Evans pointed out in a statement.
During the virtual workshops – with one scheduled for September 7 and two for September 13 – the public can receive information on the plan as well as interact with NCDOT’s project staff to provide commentary.
In a related effort, the NCDOT recently issued a new study designed to help communities along the S-Line rail corridor in the central part of the state develop Transit Oriented Development or TOD projects.
The agency explained that TOD creates a “compact development” mix of housing, office space, retail, civic spaces, and neighborhood amenities near a “mobility hub” that brings together in one location public transit, ride-sharing services, and other modes of travel.
The study explores the development along the S-Line rail corridor, which is a key missing link between Raleigh, NC, and Richmond, VA – a corridor that aims to improve rail connections between the Southeastern U.S. and Washington, D.C., and places further north.