Overview (Summer 2010)

The Town of Cary plans to extend Walker Street 1,200 feet from its current end at Cedar Street northwards to Chapel Hill Road. The project includes a grade-separated railroad crossing and realignment of cross streets.

View a map of the selected alignment, option 2: Public Hearing Map

View maps of the proposed road extension area: Option 1 / Option 2 / Option 3 / Option 4

Public Involvement

November 2009 Community Information Workshop
View feedback.

March 2008 Community Information Workshop
View feedback.

TIGER II Discretionary Grant Program

The Town of Cary has applied for a Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) II Discretionary grant to fund the Walker Street Extension Project. Links to supporting documents as well as Letters of Support provided by project partners are provided below.

Supporting Documents

The Categorical Exclusion Environmental Document approved August 11,2010.

NCDOT approved the right of way drawings in the Location and Design Approval memorandum.

Federal Wage Rate Certificate

Detailed cost estimate at the 75% design.

Town of Cary Plans and Studies

The Town Center Area Plan (TCAP).
Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan 
Downtown Streetscape Plan
Comprehensive Transportation Plan and associated Thoroughfare Map
Land Use Plan and Plan Map
Parks, Greenways & Bikeways Master Plan and PRCR Master Plan Map

Project Partners

• North Carolina Congressional District 4 – Congressman David Price
• North Carolina Congressional District 13 – Congressman Brad Miller
• North Carolina Railroad
• Capital Area MPO
• Federal Railroad Administration
• Federal Highway Administration
• NCDOT
• Norfolk Southern
• CSX Transportation
• Triangle Transit Authority

Letters of Support

The North Carolina Railroad is supportive of this project, and has offered to sponsor $1 million in private funding.

The North Carolina Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) offered this letter of support.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s letter of support.

The Town of Cary’s letter of support.

A letter of support from Norfolk Southern railroad.

Triangle Transit provided a letter of support.

Cost

Congressman David Price has set aside $980,000 of federal funds towards this project for the Town of Cary. The Town's Fiscal Year 2007 budget included $1.2 million for the preliminary planning of this project. The Fiscal Year 2008 Capital Improvements Plan indicates allocating $1,050,000 in fiscal year 2009 and an additional $13,125,000 in fiscal year 2011 for easements and construction funding.

The Town of Cary Walker Street Extension will be funded by a combination of federal and local funds. Of the $28.7 million cost estimate, Town of Cary has previously secured $4.5 million in Federal grants, which consist of two federal earmarks supported by Congressman David Price (FFY 2008 appropriations - Sec. 129 Surface Transportation Projects - $980,000 and FFY 2009 appropriations - High Speed Rail Program Sec. 1103(f) - $1,104,000 and a Federal Surface Transportation Project – Direct Allocation (STP-DA) grant administered by the local MPO . The Town has committed $1.2 million of its own funds for design and engineering. The estimated project cost, less the Federal grants received previously and design and engineering services, is $22.2 million.

The TIGER II grant request was submitted based on the net cost of the project. The grant program requires a local match of 20 percent that will be contributed by Town funds and NCRR.

Contact

For questions, comments, or to see other information regarding this project contact:
Eric Simpson, P.E.
Town of Cary Engineering Department
P.O. Box 8005
Cary, NC 27512-8005
(919) 380-4204
Eric.Simpson@townofcary.org

For information on Walker Street Extension Public Art, contact:

Denise Dickens
Public Art Coordinator
Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources, Town of Cary
(919) 465-4791
denise.dickens@townofcary.org