Latest news with #JanetCowell
Axios
17-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
To speed up Capital Blvd. expansion, the Triangle could add tolls
The Raleigh City Council appears ready to support using toll lanes to speed up the expansion of Capital Boulevard into a six-lane highway between Raleigh and Wake Forest. Why it matters: The section of Capital Boulevard, also known as U.S. 1, is among the region's most congested roadways, with an increasing number of commuters from fast-growing Wake Forest and Franklin County using it to get to and from Raleigh for work and shopping. But the long-planned widening of the roadway has been stalled several times, and it faces further delays due to competition from other projects and rising costs, according to the state Department of Transportation. Driving the news: The ultimate decision will be in the hands of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) — the regional planning organization for Chatham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston and Wake counties — which plans to vote on the matter in May. The Raleigh City Council, which was given a presentation this week on the potential of toll roads, indicated it would write a letter in support of the move. "The sense is, pragmatically, that this project will never get built unless there is some sort of toll," Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said at Raleigh's Tuesday council meeting, "and if there is a toll it would be best to do the whole road and not just express lanes." Zoom in: The N.C. Turnpike Authority has studied a 10-mile section of Capital Boulevard, stretching from Interstate 540 to Purnell Road at the Wake-Franklin county line. Currently, the project is not expected to begin until 2031 — though that timeline could be delayed. If it's transformed into a toll road, construction could begin as early as 2027. It is anticipated to be a six-year construction project, and only local governments can request a toll road. The N.C. Turnpike Authority has presented four options to CAMPO: Toll the entire 10-mile section, which would raise around $800 million and begin construction in spring 2027. Toll the entire section but add it to the Triangle Expressway system, raising $1.4 billion and beginning construction in spring 2027. Toll one express lane, which would raise $100 million and begin construction in fall 2030. Toll one express lane but add it to the Triangle Expressway system, raising $600 million and beginning construction in fall 2027. Options 1, 2 and 4 would require some legislative action from the N.C. General Assembly. What they're saying: Raleigh City Council Member Megan Patton said many residents in north Raleigh are worried they will lose crossing access to Capital Boulevard and be forced to use the toll road. She said many of her constituents would prefer that this project not happen at all. "I think everyone would probably agree, if we can get something not tolled, we would take it," Chris Lukasina, executive director of CAMPO, responded. "The real issue came in that this is the fifth delay [for this project already]. .... Do we want to wait two more years for what is likely another delay to the project?"
Axios
27-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell laid out priorities for the next 2 years
Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell says building more housing and hiring additional police officers and firefighters top her priority list for her first term. State of play: Cowell, a veteran of both local and state politics, said in her first state of the city address Wednesday that growth is the "defining issue in our city." Driving the news: Cowell has been in office for a little more than 100 days, a period marked by several key decisions like taking initial steps to moving Red Hat Amphitheater and launching a pilot program to address homelessness. She's also used the time to build relationships with City Council members and staff, and to lead strategy workshops for the rest of her term. Zoom in: Cowell laid out four areas that she will prioritize: housing, public safety, transportation and quality of life. Housing continues to be a paramount issue, with Cowell saying there is a 37,000-unit housing shortage in the city today. "One of the things we all agreed on at our workshop is that we need mixed-income, mixed-use housing ... so that we can continue to make progress to house people in the city," she said. In her first 100 days, the council has approved a potential 3,000 new units across 13 projects — five of which had elements of affordable housing, she said. "We are definitely working on trying to increase the housing supply." Public safety: Cowell is hopeful that after the next police academy class graduates this summer, the Raleigh Police Department will have no remaining vacancies. But she said over the next two years she wants to increase pay for public safety workers in the city to increase retention and grow the number of police officers and firefighters to keep up with the population growth — something outgoing Police Chief Estella Patterson has called for. Transportation: Despite some uncertainty in Washington over federal dollars, Raleigh will continue to prioritize its transit projects, like the Bus Rapid Transit project and S-Line rail expansion, Cowell said. "We are going to be lobbying the federal government to try and keep our money," she said. "I am working with the other mayors of Wake County to write letters to the whole delegation. In fact, the mayor of Holly Springs is up in D.C. right now delivering those letters." Raleigh is still trying to re-work its bidding process on the New Bern Avenue section of the Bus Rapid Transit line after failing to receive a suitable construction bid. Quality of life: Cowell, the former CEO of the Dix Park Conservancy, said she is committed to increasing the number of parks and green spaces that make the city more resilient to extreme weather.
