North Carolina Today

When the N.C. Department of Transportation formed in 1915, the state’s population was just over 2.5 million. The Wright Brothers had made their historic flights only 12 years prior. Streetcars would run through Raleigh and Charlotte for another 20 years before giving into the popularity of personal vehicles.

Images of transportation technology in North Carolina in the past century

The world has changed drastically over the past 100 years, though one only needs to look back to the past 20 years to see how much the transportation industry has changed.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has greatly improved navigation and is available to many people using mobile phones. On-demand ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft deliver you when and where you need to go in most regions of the state. Improvements in logistics means that packages from around the world are often delivered within two days or less. Infrastructure for self-driving cars and high-speed rail in North Carolina seem only years away.

Images of transportation technology in North Carolina in 2020

The amount of change over the past 20 years highlights the importance of looking ahead so we can prepare for the upcoming challenges and opportunities.

Where Are We Today?

Without transportation in North Carolina, the state’s 10 million residents would have limited access to jobs, school, healthcare, social events or commerce. Transportation allows for efficient and safe movement of people and goods into, out of and around the state. North Carolina’s economy and quality of life rely upon it.

1,000 miles of Mountains-to-Sea Trail and 400 miles of East Coast greenway continue to expand in North Carolina.

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77% (over 429 million tons) of goods were carried across North Carolina's roads & highways by truck in 2015.

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70% of the state's population is within a 30-mile radius of a passenger rail station.

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94% of North Carolina's residents live within a 30-minute drive of an airport.

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98 public transportation systems provided 78 million passenger trips in 2017.

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21 ferries provide service to North Carolina residents and visitors on seven regular routes.

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557 million tons of freight valued at $955 billion moved in North Carolina's transportation system in 2015.

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Drivers and Opportunities

NCDOT's multimodal network is continuously impacted by rapidly evolving technology, changing demographics, extreme weather events and shifting economic forces. These possible changes and uncertainties may affect North Carolina’s future. Learn more about each topic below.

Demographics

Where people live and businesses choose to operate will shift, but trends suggest urban areas will grow larger while rural areas, and their aging populations, will grow incrementally.

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Climate Change & Resiliency

NCDOT must prepare for more extreme weather events, coordinate closely with other agencies and ensure infrastructure such as bridges and roads will withstand harsher future conditions.

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Emergency Management & Security

Maintaining and providing security at airports and seaports, pipelines and fuel terminals, railroad right of way, ferry and transit stations and along North Carolina's entire transportation system safer and more resilient to emergencies and natural disasters.

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Economy

Improving and expanding ports and gateways, strengthening business partnerships, supporting new industries and building long lasting roads and bridges are necessary to support North Carolina as the state's economy continues to grow.

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Technology

New technologies, such as drones, self-driving vehicles and mobile applications like Uber and Lyft may transform how transportation services are provided and how people use them.

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Travel & Tourism

Partnerships and programs such as convenient public transit, well-connected sidewalks and greenways, anti-litter campaigns, Adopt-A-Highway and the wildflower program support the tourism industry and improve visitors' experience, which helps drive our economy.

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Funding

NCDOT may be required to find new ways to pay for future transportation improvements as fuel usage is declining and today's revenue sources may be less sustainable going forward.

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Partnerships

As the process of delivering transportation becomes more complex, NCDOT will need to develop and strengthen partnerships with public agencies and private organizations to produce effective solutions.

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