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The conclusion report for the RCRX Study is available here. A summary of the recommendations with a map is available here. 

The area between NC State University and downtown Cary continues to grow with residential, commercial, and institutional development. Based on projected increases in road and rail traffic, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) and its partners studied land uses and mobility at railroad crossings between NE Maynard Road in Cary and Gorman Street in Raleigh.

The first public meetings were held in November 2014 to gather information about the study corridor. A second set of meetings was held in March 2015 to present a range of alternatives to address the issues and improve the corridor. A final public hearing was held in April 2016. Based on input from the public and analysis of potential impacts, a recommended set of alternatives has been selected and refined to minimize impacts.

The following alternatives were determined to be the most feasible at existing at-grade crossings and several proposed new crossings:

  • NE Maynard Road - Railroad bridge over NE Maynard Road, shifting the Maynard Road/Chatham Street intersection to outside the 200-foot railroad corridor
  • Trinity Road - Trinity Road bridge over the railroad with Trinity Road extensions to Chapel Hill Road and Cary Towne Boulevard
  • Corporate Center Drive - Corporate Center Drive extension to Bashford Road with a bridge over the railroad
  • Nowell Road - Close Nowell Road crossing in conjunction with extension of Corporate Center Drive and/or Edwards Mill Road
  • Edwards Mill Road - Edwards Mill Road extension to Hillsborough Street with a railroad bridge over the new road
  • Jones Franklin Road - Jones Franklin Road extension to Chapel Hill Road with a railroad bridge over the new road
  • Powell Drive - Realign Powell Drive to connect with Youth Center Drive with a railroad bridge over the realigned road, and close the existing crossing
  • Beryl Road/Royal Drive - Close Beryl Road and add a new connector from Beryl Road to Royal Drive

The location of each recommended alternative is shown on the following map: RCRX Recommended Alternatives. 

 

A map of the corridor is shown on the Study Area page. This project intends to accomplish the following:

 

1 To improve safety at the locations where the road crosses the railroad tracks at-grade, or where local plans propose new roads across the railroad.

 

Safety improvements may include:

 

Improved Signs

 

 

  

 

 

 

Medians and median barriers

 

 

 
 
 
 
Crossing closure

 

 

   

 

 

 

Grade-separated crossing (road bridge over railroad or road under railroad)

 

 

 

 

 

2 To study how potential road/railroad safety improvements will affect the community. 

 

There is currently no funding available for construction of any long-term improvements of the road/railroad crossings being studied. This is a preliminary planning study, to determine which options may be feasible and begin to identify priorities within the project study area. Therefore this project:

  • Will not study future bus or rail transit plans. Wake County is currently studying this topic in another study. The Raleigh-Cary Rail Crossing Study will consider options independent of the presence, mode, or amount of public transportation in the study area. The goal will be to not preclude any transit planning decisions and to identify any issues that may inform the planning process. Once transportation improvements at the crossings have been identified, potential changes in land use will be studied. Changes in land use will incorporate the transportation alternatives as well as potential enhanced transit stations. 
  • Will not choose a final design. One recommended alternative will be identified as the “most feasible” at each road/railroad crossing, but future studies will be needed to make identify a preferred alternative and any specific design elements.
  • Will not determine the final list of projects. This study will identify performance measures based on input from the public and local agencies. However, the agencies and municipalities will not be required to move forward with projects in any particular order, or at all.

 

Related Projects

The following links provide more information about other projects in the study area.

 

City of Raleigh

 Town of Cary

Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO)

Wake County

Project Partners