RALEIGH – The following are highlights from this week at the N.C. Department of Transportation. The stories below are also featured in
NCDOT Now, the department’s weekly newscast.
Eastern NC Transportation Meeting
Several high-profile projects are currently underway in eastern North Carolina as the department works to improve safety, mobility and connectivity in areas that are essential for travel and our state’s military.
Transportation Secretary Jim Trogdon met this week with Governor Cooper and cabinet officials in New Bern to provide an update on major transportation projects in this area. Trogdon told the group how bypasses around Pollocksville and Maysville, Greenville and Havelock are being accelerated to improve mobility in eastern North Carolina.
He also gave a Hurricane Florence update. The storm closed more than 1,500 sections of road last September in this area, including parts of interstates 95 and 40. Only eight roads have closures at this time because of Florence damage.
Piedmont Service Customer Satisfaction
The department’s
Piedmont passenger rail service was ranked number one in customer satisfaction nationwide by passengers last November. Riders gave the service a 96.9 percent rating.
The
Piedmont service, called NC By Train, runs daily between Charlotte and Raleigh, stopping at seven stations along the way and making it easy for everyone to find a schedule that works for them.
Book your next adventure at
ncbytrain.org.
Watch for Me NC Applications
On a safety note, is your community looking for a way to help reduce the number of pedestrians and bicyclists hit and injured in crashes with vehicles? The Watch for Me NC program works to address this public safety issue by focusing on bicycle and pedestrian safety, education and enforcement.
Communities wanting to participate in this year’s Watch for Me NC program can now submit applications, joining 50 partners who have been part of the program since 2012. Those chosen to participate will receive free law enforcement training, technical assistance and safety materials such as bicycle lights and reflective arm bands. Areas may also be eligible for advertising such as transit ads and sidewalk stencils.
Visit
WatchforMeNC.org to learn more or download the application which is due March 1.
State Transportation Operations Center National Award
The Department’s Statewide Transportation Operations Center has earned a top national honor for its response to Hurricane Florence.
The STOC was named the overall winner of the inaugural Transportation Systems Management and Operations Awards during the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board in Washington, D.C.