Plans for Bus Rapid Transit in Raleigh Face Delays Amid Bid Challenges

Plans to bring Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to the Triangle region have encountered a setback as the City of Raleigh continues efforts to secure a bid for development along the New Bern Avenue corridor.

This BRT project, which would mark Raleigh’s first, is also the first of its kind in North Carolina. However, challenges have emerged in the bid process.

“There are challenges when you’re the first to undertake a project like this, and market conditions have made some of those challenges more pronounced,” said Het Patel, Transit Planning Supervisor for the City of Raleigh. “Our initial round of advertisements didn’t yield any bids, and in the second round, while we did receive a bid, it came in significantly higher than our engineer’s estimate,” Patel explained.

Patel provided an update on the project during a city council work session on Tuesday.

Despite the delays along the New Bern Avenue corridor, the city is moving forward with plans for additional BRT services. These include a southern route connecting to Garner, a western route to downtown Cary, and an exploration of a potential northern route to Midtown and North Raleigh.

Other local areas, such as Chapel Hill and Durham County, are also considering BRT projects as part of their transportation future.