News

Here is a brief weekly update from the RTA business coalition — the voice of the regional business community on transportation.

RTA FAST network study now underway
RTA has launched a regional Freeway And Street-based Transit (FAST) network study — jointly funded by RTA, GoTriangle, and NCDOT. A future FAST network will consist of rapid, frequent, reliable, and easy-to-use transit service along a series of interconnected corridors across the Triangle, enhanced and strengthened by scalable investments in “transit advantage” infrastructure. Taruna Tayal, the FAST study consultant project manager with RTA leadership team member VHB, provided a great overview of the study during this week’s RTA Innovations and Solutions Series webinar. Thank you in advance to VHB, Stantec, and Catalyst Design for their consultant team’s efforts this spring and summer on this vital regional study.

Dynamic Left Turn intersection — two months on
Dr. Joe Hummer with NCDOT gave RTA Innovations and Solutions series attendees an update on the nation’s first Dynamic Left Turn intersection in Cary — now a little more than two months in operation. This intersection concept enables the display of the flashing yellow arrow during off-peak periods by closing the right-most left turn lane at dual left turn locations during those times. Compliance appears to be improving, and given the lower traffic volumes, every hour is an off-peak hour, which means the flashing arrow is now available during signal cycles 24 hours a day. RTA applauds NCDOT and the Town of Cary for their continued partnership with intersection innovations including this first DLTi in America.

NC 54 bypass opens in Morrisville
The McCrimmon Parkway extension connecting Aviation Parkway, Airport Boulevard, and Chapel Hill road is now complete and open to traffic. The final 1.6 mile section of new four lane roadway begins at Evans Road and Aviation Parkway and connects to the other new segment of McCrimmon Parkway that links Airport Boulevard and NC 54, which the Town of Morrisville built last year.  Kudos to NCDOT and Morrisville for their partnership on the McCrimmon Parkway corridor to provide an alternative to NC 54 traffic and create a vital suburban grid network in the growing heart of the Triangle.

RTA is how businesses gain insight and impact on regional transportation. Thank you for your investment!

Let’s get moving,

Joe

Joe Milazzo II, PE
RTA Executive Director