Title
Adoption of the Recommended 2035 Wake Transit Plan
Ben Howell, MPO Staff
Body
The Recommended 2035 Wake Transit Plan, guiding transit investments in Wake County for the next 10 years, has been completed by the consultant and the TPAC recommended adoption by the Wake Transit Government Boards at its meeting on October 23, 2025. The TPAC released it for a 30-day public comment period from September 5 through October 5, 2025. A Joint Public Hearing on the Plan was held by the GoTriangle Board of Trustees and the CAMPO Executive Board (the Wake Transit Governing Boards) at the CAMPO Executive Board meeting on September 17, 2025. The GoTriangle Audit & Finance Committee considered and took action on the Recommended Plan at their meeting on November 5, 2025. The Wake Transit Governing Boards are expected to take action on adoption of the Plan at their respective meetings on November 19, 2025.
The Recommended Plan document has been updated since the presentation in September based on additional review and comments from the TPAC at their September meeting. Also included as an attachment are the draft Appendices, consisting of the Market Analysis, Engagement Summary (which will be completed following the final engagement period for the Plan after adoption), an update to the Community Funding Area Program Management Plan, and new Microtransit Guidelines. The Community Funding Area Program Management Plan will be considered for recommendation by the TCC and approval by the Wake Transit Governing Boards at their meetings in November, and the Microtransit Guidelines were approved by the TPAC in September. An additional document, Project Prioritization Guidelines, will be added once finalized and approved by the TPAC.
Staff will present the revisions to the Recommended 2035 Wake Transit Plan that were made since the presentation of the Draft Plan in September, as well as the Engagement Summary from the Phase 4 Public Engagement (also included as an attachment). The TPAC considered a minor language addition to the footnote regarding the Vehicle Rental Tax revenue assumption in the Plan provided by GoTriangle, but did not recommend inclusion of the language due to concerns about how the language appears to presuppose a decision by the Wake Transit Conference Committee on the inclusion of the Vehicle Rental Tax revenue in the Plan, which will be binding on the TPAC.
The GoTriangle Audit & Finance Committee met on November 5, 2025 to consider recommending adoption of the Recommended 2035 Wake Transit Plan to the GoTriangle Board of Trustees. The Committee heard a presentation by CAMPO staff and discussed the proposed language addition to the footnote on the VRT revenue by GoTriangle staff. The Committee unanimously voted to endorsed the additional language for the footnote, which will now read (new addition underlined) “The portion of the Regional Vehicle Rental Car Tax Revenue attributable to Wake Transit continues to be under discussion by the Wake Transit Conference Committee formed in the Spring of 2024 and is subject to annual allocation by the GoTriangle Board of Trustees.” Attached is the GoTriangle staff report to the Audit & Finance Committee.
The TCC received the TPAC recommendation on the Recommended 2035 Wake Transit Plan and heard an update on the action by the GoTriangle Audit & Finance Committee at their meeting on November 6, 2025. The TCC voted unanimously to recommend the Executive Board adopt the Recommended 2035 Wake Transit Plan with the proposed additional language pertaining to the VRT annual allocation endorsed by the GoTriangle Audit & Finance Committee and recommended that the three Lead Agencies continue the dialogue towards a long-term solution moving forward. Following the action by the TCC, Wake County requested a technical correction to the subject footnote, to which CAMPO and GoTriangle agreed. The footnote referencing the VRT revenue now reads as follows in the Plan (modifications to original footnote recommended by the TPAC are underlined):
“The portion of the Regional Vehicle Rental Car Tax Revenue attributable to Wake Transit continues to be under discussion by the Wake Transit Conference Committee formed in the Spring of 2024 and is subject to annual allocation by the GoTriangle Board of Trustees. If there is a decision by the Conference Committee to remove or amend the revenue assumptions for the portion of the vehicle rental tax attributable to the Wake Transit Plan, an amendment to this Plan will be required.”
Requested Action: Action Adopt the Recommended 2035 Wake Transit Plan with the proposed language modifications recommended by the TCC, GoTriangle and the Lead Agencies