Raleigh Northern Arc BRT Plan

The first of four BRT lines is coming soon to the City of Raleigh. The New Bern Eastern line will be first to break ground later this year with the Southern, Western, and Northern following suit over the next decade.

A fifth line connecting major destinations such as PNC Arena, Carter-Finley Stadium, UNC Rex, Crabtree Valley, North Hills, Duke Raleigh, and Wake Med would fill a major gap along the northern arc of the city.

Stations

Western Blvd

Transfer point to / from Western BRT line offering direct connection to Downtown. 40 acres of TOD (Transit Oriented Development) potential with existing strip mall, road realignment, and grid expansion.

Chapel Hill Rd

150 acres of vacant and underused light industrial parcels for TOD potential.

Arena / Stadium Complex

Offers direct service to PNC Arena, Carter-Finley Stadium and the State Fairgrounds and increases feasibility of possible stadium parking lot mixed-use development.

Bandwidth, UNC Rex South, UNC Rex North

These three stations provide direct access to Bandwith’s new mega campus, UNX Rex Hospital, the new State Health HQ, NC Museum of Art and offers around 100 acres of infill TOD possibilities.

Old Raleigh Village

Serves the Old Raleigh Village shopping center and surrounding areas.

Glenlake

Provides access to the Glenlake office park.

Crabtree Valley West, Crabtree Valley East

Two stations to serve the Crabtree Valley Mall and hopefully help facilitate a future redevelopment of the mall by allowing for lower parking ratios.

Glenwood Place

Provides direct access to the Glenwood Place mixed-use development featuring apartments, retail, and office.

North Hills, North Hills Innovation District / Midtown Exchange

Two stations serving North Hills and Midtown Exchange which may also be a transfer point for the future North BRT line. There’s also an opportunity here to work with the grades and create a cap over I-440.

Midtown

Provides access to the Duke Raleigh Hospital and Midtown shopping centers. TOD potential with the rezoned land just south of the line.

Capital North and Raleigh Blvd

Capital North would be the probable transfer point to the North line. According to the Capital Blvd North Study, the long term vision is for dense redevelopment to cover much of the area.

New Bern

The Eastern terminus of the Northern Arc would offer connection to the New Bern line and access to Wake Med. There’s also over 100 acres of TOD possibilities through redevelopment and infill. Some of the parcels are already undergoing the rezoning process.

Overall, the Northern ARC BRT line would travel roughly 13 miles and contain 17 stations while connecting some of the biggest destinations in the City of Raleigh. It should be seen as a crucial next step in the Transit future for the region.

What are some other feasible transit expansions we should explore?

For more photos, ideas, and insights on Raleigh visit https://philveasley.com/raleigh/

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Phil Veasley is a registered Professional Engineer in NC and GA. Opinions and insights are my own and are not representative of my employer or any organization. Any ideas displayed on this site are purely that – just ideas to help improve the future of the built environment and begin discussions.