RaleighForward Roundup

Sunday, July 30th

Hello,

RaleighForward hosted its first event on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at Trophy Brewing’s Maywood Taproom. David Meeker generously agreed to host the event. Eric Lamb, former Transportation Planner Manager with the City of Raleigh, “walked” attendees through many of the issues and considerations that the City must address when implementing a complex transportation system. If you would like to review Eric’s slide deck, click here.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the presentation:

Traffic is an indicator of Raleigh’s economic success
Counties do not build or own roads
Street networks have changed over the years
- Grid pattern prior to WWII
  - Most efficient network for all modes of transportation
- Then network evolved into variety of disconnected streets and cul-de-sacs
  - Results led to isolated neighborhoods:
    - More privacy
    - Less efficient for everyone, including for trash collection, mail carriers
    - Less safe because harder to navigate in emergencies
- Now cities are trying to reconnect neighborhoods
  - Adding different transportation modes (bikes, e-bikes, bike sharing, scooters, walking, frequent buses & bus rapid transit)
Density enhances “trip capture”
- More efficient because leads to less overall driving due to proximity
- Encourages walking and biking
- Creates higher return on investments in transportation infrastructure (bus, BRT, sidewalks, greenways & bike lanes)
- “Greener” due to enhanced efficiency
Raleigh’s transportation planning has “over-estimated” traffic impact of new mixed-use developments like North Hills during development review process (predicted more traffic than actually generated)
- New mixed-use developments generate substantially less traffic than large, homogenous, auto-dependent developments
Congestion, while less efficient, is safer for bikes & pedestrians
- Congested streets also lead to less serious auto accidents due to reduced speeds
Traffic will always be a concern as Raleigh grows
- Focus on creating new & more transportation options as Raleigh grows

RaleighForward is hosting its first in-person events this summer! Details below:

Our next program features Ben Stevens, author of Birth of a Building. It is entitled A Seat at the Table: Basic Development Finance for Planners, Urbanists and Housing Advocates. Register here. This program is scheduled for 10am on Saturday, August 19, at the John Chavis Community Center. Details in the graphic below.

Please mark your calendars and be on the lookout for more details.

As always, please reach out with any comments or suggestions, and consider making a donation to support our continued efforts to inform policymakers and the public.

Eric Braun, Founder

Above and below are pictures from Eric Lamb’s presentation on Wednesday at Trophy Maywood.

Articles we found interesting this week:

Residents seeking subsidized housing opportunities are experiencing waits ranging from 2-5 years and event longer. This article discusses the issue facing residents in Boston.
Single-Family Zoning Linked With Income and Race Segregation:
An analysis of zoning laws in Connecticut finds people in single-family areas are more likely to be white and have higher incomes than those in areas that allow more housing. The findings add to a growing recognition of how zoning is linked with segregation and exclusion.
This interview with the author of the book Inclusive Transportation explores how to repair the damage caused by roads and highways that divide many communities.
Many people are not aware of a fund established by Wake County with additional contributions from Raleigh, as well as several banks and local businesses to help preserve naturally occurring affordable housing (“NOAH”). This article explores the acquisition of a property in Raleigh that used the fund to help finance the deal. Unfortunately, it also shows how even with this help, keeping communities affordable for the low and very low-income residents remains challenging. Read it in INDY Week.
This is a fascinating article that takes a very different approach to YIMBYism, exclusionary zoning and NIMBYism. And here is a SLATE article criticizing the article and Liberal Suburbs Have Their Own Border Wall.
Acknowledging that its aggressive inclusionary zoning laws and high development fees are hindering the construction of new housing, San Francisco is reducing fees and the inclusionary zoning mandate in the hopes of spurring more housing construction. It’s also worth noting that San Francisco also has rent control, which some argue also restrains the construction of new rental units, via Urban Institute.
Your Next Landlord Might be a Few Hundred Random People. Read it here.
Raleigh’s first tiny home village broke ground this past weekend. It will be interesting to see if this new form of housing gains traction. Via ABC11.
How Parking Ruined Everything. Read it here.
Triangle Business Journal’s Soughata Mukherjee suggests an interesting approach to encourage builders to build smaller homes on land purchased at subsidized prices with help from municipalities. Read it here.

Long Read: People often cite Portland as an urban oasis, but the reality is anything but. Fighting for Save Anthony: The Struggle to Save Portland, in the New York Times.

Upcoming meetings to keep track of:

City Council is still on summer break. Its next meeting is August 15th. The agenda will be posted by August 11th.

The Board of Adjustment will continue its hearing on the neighbors’ appeal of the Hayes Barton Missing Middle townhome proposal on August 9 at 9:30 and August 14 at 11:00 (if needed).

Planning Commission meets on August 8 at 9:00. The agenda will be published by Friday, August 4.

City/County Joint Homelessness Task Force meets on August 10 at 10:00. More details here.

Articles we found interesting this week:

Upcoming meetings to keep track of:

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