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2017 R ena i s s anc e P l an U pdat e | T own of W ak e F or e s t
3.7 Regional Transportation
Wake Forest has a rich regional road network, which is one of the qualities that make this town so attractive to live in. In less than 30 minutes by car (and without much traffic), one can travel to downtown Raleigh, three major shopping malls and the RDU International Airport. Just beyond is downtown Durham and the Durham Performing Arts Center. Regional highways like I–40, I–85 and I–95 that connect the eastern United States are also relatively close to Wake Forest. Locally, this transportation network has connected Wake Forest citizens to nearby jobs and amenities. But, the major arterial corridors of US 1/Capital Boulevard, US 401 and NC 98 are often clogged with traffic. Wake Forest offers a great alternative to commuting to Raleigh — the Wake Forest–Raleigh Express. This bus runs from downtown Wake Forest to downtown Raleigh with a stop at the Triangle Town Center. There are morning and afternoon departures during rush hour. At only $3 per one way trip, the Wake Forest–Raleigh Express is a very convenient transportation option, an alternative to commuting by single occupant vehicle.
Soon, Wake Forest residents will begin to make the choice to avoid the commutes to Raleigh for employment and North Hills Mall for shopping; in fact, many already do. They will choose instead to live, work and play in Wake Forest almost exclusively. The best way to prepare for this growth and change in lifestyle that the data and trends are predicting is to give people mobility options. If the main roads are more congested, then well-connected neighborhood streets will offer our residents many other choices to get around. We will prioritize interconnected two-lane streets over multi-lane thoroughfares. In addition, in dispersing this traffic around the community on smaller, lower speed streets rather than concentrating it on a few large, high-speed roads, we will continue to move the same amount of vehicles while ensuring safe options for pedestrians and cyclists. Ultimately, this vision of a street network will be the bones of our walkable and bikable urban neighborhoods as we develop in a smart way over the next few decades.
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