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Read on and learn how to help support critical Chapel Hill transportation priorities, such as North-South Bus Rapid Transit, the Raleigh Road sidepath, the East Franklin Drive sidepath, the Bolin Creek Greenway extension, and the Morgan Creek Greenway extension.

Every few years, communities across North Carolina submit local transportation projects to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) for funding consideration. Local residents have an opportunity to influence which projects get selected; skip to the end to see how to make your voice heard, or read on and learn why your input is important.

In a state where funding for non-highway transportation projects is scarce, the project selection process descends into hypercompetitive, Hunger Games-esque grab for resources. Add to this the black box that is NCDOT’s “Strategic Prioritization Process” methodology and calculations and you have a recipe for disaster. Or, at the very least, burnt out public servants.

NCDOT claims “The SPOT [Strategic Prioritization Office of Transportation] process is a transparent, data-driven method used by the NCDOT to evaluate transportation projects based on various factors, including traffic volume, safety, regional growth, cost-effectiveness, and environmental impact.” On the surface, this sounds great. But, like all things bureaucratic, good intentions often go awry. The next time you wonder why transportation projects take so long (or never happen at all), processes like this one are the reason.

Now, if you’re a community that values big, fast highways, you’re probably going to make out okay. (The I-40 widening in Orange County was funded and moved forward at an incredibly rapid pace.) But, if you’re a community that prefers to invest in active, multimodal transportation? Well, godspeed and good luck. You’d better be prepared to fight for your very, very small share of a very, very small funding pool. And, woe if the community looking to invest in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure not connected to a roadway project. Restrictions on non-highway funding passed by the state legislature means those projects aren’t even eligible to compete for state funding. They can only be allocated federal funds that are “passed through” the state.

Transit projects only fare (pun certainly intended) slightly better. In a move even Panem’s President Snow would be proud of, when presented with an opportunity to invest in regional, sustainable mass transit improving the lives of tens of thousands of residents, North Carolina’s state government instead passed a bill limiting the amount of state funding that can be used to fund transit capital projects (light rail, specifically). So, the next time you’re sitting in traffic on 15-501 instead of zooming between Durham and Chapel Hill on a rail car, you can tip your hat to the folks under the dome in Raleigh. This restriction, combined with a relatively small funding pool, pits communities against each other in their quest for the coins left on the bottom of NCDOT’s coffers.

Perhaps an example will help illuminate this dynamic that creates strange bedfellows and a flurry of horse trading every two years. During the last successful round of SPOT funding, a deal was struck between GoTriangle and Chapel Hill Transit. Both service providers submitted large capital projects for funding consideration—the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit (DOLRT) and the North-South Bus Rapid Transit (NSBRT), respectively. There was not enough money to fund both projects. There was barely enough to support one, especially after the state legislature limited the state funding that could be used for the DOLRT. The crux of the issue was that the DOLRT project was further along, but the NSBRT project received a higher prioritization score, meaning it was more likely to receive funding than the light rail. A friendly deal was struck, and Chapel Hill Transit agreed to remove their project from funding consideration, bumping the DOLRT to the top of the list, with the understanding that this altruistic act would be remembered when NSBRT was ripe for funding.

Because each Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) can submit up to 25 projects per “mode” (i.e. transit, highway, aviation, etc.), numerous other projects ended up on our region’s transit list that year. Most have no basis in reality. But, because NCDOT’s prioritization methodology doesn’t emphasize project readiness (or feasibility), a project dreamed up on the back of a napkin can theoretically score the same or better than a project that is shovel-ready. This is a major flaw in the prioritization process. Which, in this case, directly contributed to GoCary, one of the region’s smallest transit service providers, receiving millions of dollars for a fantasy project when the DOLRT was discontinued and no longer needed the allocated state funding.

That was a twist no one saw coming.

Most people are likely unaware that, for many months, municipal staff across the state have been feverishly figuring out how to best position their desperately needed transportation projects in the current prioritization cycle—SPOT P7. (Yes, these names are inscrutable.) This round is extra special (i.e., horrible) because staff must balance not one but TWO cycles worth of projects following the untimely demise of SPOT P6 due to poor budgeting by NCDOT and the cost of making repairs from multiple natural disasters in the last few years.

But, the end is now in sight. And your feedback plays a critical role in helping fund the projects most important to our community. A public hearing will be held on November 19 at the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) Board meeting. Submit your public comments by that date to confirm your support for projects that reflect YOUR stated priorities.

How to comment

Public comments will be accepted until November 12, 2024. You can submit your feedback through the following methods:

Online: Visit this page to access the SPOT public comment form

Email: Send your comments to [email protected]

Attend: A public hearing will be held on November 19 at the DCHC MPO Board meeting. See this website for the meeting location and agenda.

Projects we like

The statewide and regional projects have already been scored and approved. NSBRT, the Raleigh Rd sidepath, the E Franklin sidepath, the Bolin Creek Greenway extension, and the Morgan Creek greenway extension are projects we like for their focus on walkers, bikers, and bus riders.

More on SPOT from the DCHC MPO

About the SPOT Process

The SPOT process is a transparent, data-driven method used by the NCDOT to evaluate transportation projects based on various factors, including traffic volume, safety, regional growth, cost-effectiveness, and environmental impact. Established under North Carolina’s Strategic Transportation Investments (STI) Law, SPOT aims to ensure that available resources are invested in ways that improve safety, mobility, and accessibility for all North Carolinians.

Through this prioritization, projects are evaluated and scored across multiple categories—roadway, public transportation, rail, aviation, bicycle, and pedestrian projects—addressing both regional and statewide transportation needs. After projects are evaluated, they are included in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which schedules and allocates funding for future development.

Public Input Matters

Your feedback on the SPOT process is essential. Public comments help inform decision-making, ensuring that investments align with community priorities and long-term goals for the region. By participating, you can voice your opinion on upcoming projects, share local insights, and contribute to a more connected and efficient transportation system across North Carolina. For more information on SPOT, visit the NCDOT website. More information on the projects that the DCHC MPO would like to prioritize can be found on the MPO website.

Geoff Green, AICP lives in Chapel Hill. In his day job he's a practicing urban planner; in his spare time he rides his electric bike around town and advocates for improved facilities so that everyone can...