Morrisville Public Transportation Study

Needs Assessment

1 Needs Assessment Previous Plans and Studies Wake County Public Transportation Plans Wake Transit Plan: Wake County Transit Investment Strategy (2016) The Wake Transit Plan was led by Wake County along with six funding partners and municipal, railroad agency, business, and public transportation advocacy groups. Prior to the 2016 Transit Investment Strategy, the County had prepared a Transit Choices report and a Transit Alternatives report. The planning effort included extensive analysis of existing conditions, including existing services, travel patterns, and market demand factors including population and employment patterns. Trade-Offs: Major emphasis was placed on navigating tradeoffs to identify priorities, such as orienting service towards high ridership versus coverage, or emphasizing infrastructure versus service levels.  Public Input: The planning effort included extensive public engagement. Public feedback indicated strong support for investment in bus rapid transit (BRT), commuter rail, and expanded bus service. A public survey revealed a strong preference for service focused on serving higher ridership (70%) over maximizing coverage area (30%).  Corridor Assessment: A public transportation suitability analysis was conducted for major corridors, considering both 2010 and 2040 conditions.  Scenario Planning: Four scenarios were developed for Wake County to demonstrate trade-offs between ridership and coverage. Big Moves The plan identified four Big Moves, which are written as key areas of improvement for public transportation service in Wake County: 1. Connect Regionally : Commuter rail with connections to express bus and light rail (As of June 2019, plans for light rail service have been discontinued) 2. Connect All County Communities : Serve all 12 municipalities, RDU, RTP, and Durham 3. Frequent, Reliable Urban Mobility : 83 miles of frequent routes, 20 miles of BRT 4. Enhanced Access to Transit : Increased service span and frequency while leveraging municipal matching dollars (see Figure 1) As part of the “Enhanced Access to Transit” Big Move, a Community Funding Area Program (CFAP) was created to provide an opportunity for places in Wake County that would otherwise have limited fixed- route public transportation service to develop or support local public transportation. The plan identifies Research Triangle Park (RTP) and 10 Wake County municipalities, including Morrisville, as eligible to participate in a competitive process to receive match funding for planning, capital, operating, or combined capital/operating public transportation projects. Process and Methodology 

Morrisville Public Transportation Study | 1