The long wait for construction to begin on the New Bern Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor may finally be over. The “groundbreaking” ceremony happened back in November 2023, and now, almost two years later, transit fans like you and me are still waiting for something to happen. There’s plenty written about the challenges of finding contractors who could do the work within budget, but the city has finally found a path forward. This fall, construction should kick off on the first package of project deliverables. Let’s go through what we might expect over the next few years.
Are you sad that Cardinal Bikeshare is no more? Of course, you’re not. Like me, I’m not sure anyone is sad to see it go as it was more trouble than it was worth and those bikes were just falling apart. The former docked bikeshare system has already been removed and we now have dockless bicycles from Lime and Spin. It’s a shame as I was super excited when the system rolled out back in 2018 but I’ve since moved on.
During the July 1, 2025 city council meeting, there was an update on a collection of projects, most taking place in the downtown area and I thought briefly touching on these projects here would be a nice way to summarize what’s going on and coming up. If you want to dive in to the presentation itself, the video is above or can be seen here.
South Street, between McDowell and Dawson, is now closed. I think this is a pretty big deal as it marks the start of a second wave of the “Convention Center District”. That’s not a thing I’m embracing but something that I think we’re becoming more and more; a convention center downtown. That’s probably a topic for another day.
Lichtin Plaza, or the space in front of the performing arts center, will soon get a remake. Aimed at making the space more accessible, the plaza will make way for a drop-off lane and you can see what that might look like in the rendering below. This seems to make sense as South Street is jammed before large events at the performing arts center and an improved drop-off process helps groups access the area more easily.
Last week’s City Council meeting (watch on YouTube here) featured an important update on downtown Raleigh, covering public safety and ongoing improvements to our public spaces. The primary focus was on Fayetteville Street and security enhancements at GoRaleigh Station. There were some great takeaways, and overall, things seem to be moving in a positive direction.
What’s Been Done or Coming Soon
Downtown Businesses Holding Strong – Contrary to some concerns, (and TV news) more businesses are opening than closing. Get out there and support them.
Fayetteville Street Tree Lighting – Expect some fresh ambiance in May/June when new lighting is installed on the trees along Fayetteville Street.
City Plaza Enhancements – New shade structures, planter boxes, and “lookout” tables, all aimed at making the area more inviting, are coming this Summer.
GoRaleigh Station Security Upgrades – The city has hired its first-ever safety director to oversee security at the transit hub.
Crime Trends – Violent crime in downtown is down 3%, while property crime has seen a significant 29% decrease.
More Active Patrols – Expect to see increased foot and e-bike patrols to improve visibility and safety. Also, Raleigh’s ACORNS unit is fully staffed.
On the Glenwood South front, Raleigh Police Department (RPD) is satisfied with its current strategy, and we’ve shifted from focusing on violent crime to managing noise issues. That, in itself, is a positive sign.
Looking further ahead, the Fayetteville Street Streetscape Plan is expected to be officially adopted by Winter 2026. What does that mean? I take it to mean that the plan is agreed upon and when looking into my crystal ball, I hope the following takes place:
Winter 2026: Plan adoption and cost estimation
Spring 2026: Budgeting process begins
Summer/Fall 2026: Procurement and request process
Beyond that: Implementation—hopefully aligning with the opening of major downtown developments like the Omni Hotel, Convention Center Expansion, and Red Hat renovations.
This week, we have a not so great photo of the new sign on the Union Station Transit Facility. I thought this would be significant as we are months away from the station opening. The area looks very unfinished and future development is still to come to the area.
Have you ridden any GoRaleigh buses lately? It’s been about six months or so since fares have returned and at the same time, the number of ways to plan your trips and pay for your fare have increased. All those options are meant to help you, not confuse you, and so with lots of options out there, I wanted to take a second and get a list going of all the tech available for connoisseurs to get around Raleigh stress-free and fully informed.
