Raleigh's cityscape is set for a transformation with the City Council's recent nod to enhanced public transportation infrastructure. In a decisive move on Tuesday, the Raleigh City Council approved a substantial bid for a groundbreaking Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project along the New Bern Avenue corridor.
Local company Rifenburg North Carolina, LLC secured the Package 1 bid with an offer of $28,664,500, standing out among a total of four competitive bids. This segment of Raleigh's project, as detailed in a statement released by the City of Raleigh, includes crucial paving, sidewalk, and utility work. These efforts span several key streets, from downtown right up to Poole Road, with the intention of propelling residents to their destinations faster.
The significance of this BRT project isn't lost on those watching the region's transit developments—it marks North Carolina's first flirtation with this mode of transportation. Post conversations with seasoned industry leaders, the City staff elected to slice the project into three manageable packages, thus stirring up more contractor interest and simplifying the undertaking. Their strategy appears to have paid dividends, as reflected in the keen interest seen in the bidding process.
Navigating the corridor's 5.4 miles, the BRT is enshrined to serve residents with 3.3 miles of dedicated bus lanes and 19 bus platforms across 10 stations. Along with these transit-specific upgrades on New Bern Avenue and surrounding streets, the project ambitiously incorporates sidewalk improvements and the addition of a multi-use path. Having kicked off with Package 1, the remaining parts of the project will see their own bidding wars later this year. Following a pre-construction meeting due at summer's end, construction is poised to commence in Fall 2025, according to the City of Raleigh news release.
