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.
Back to School Safety
Back to school season means more cars and buses on the road, especially during the morning commute.
While motorists should always drive safely and defensively, it’s important to follow these safety tips especially when sharing the road with school buses:
- When a school bus is stopped, do not pass it for any reason if you are following behind it.
- Traffic in the opposite direction must stop as well, unless traveling on a road with four or more lanes with a center median or turn lane.
- When a school bus’s lights flash yellow, that means the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children, and drivers should slow down and prepare to stop.
- When driving in neighborhoods, watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks.
RAISE Grant
This week in Winston-Salem, local, state and federal officials gathered to celebrate the awarding of a RAISE grant, which will transform an inactive railroad right-of-way owned by NCDOT into a new multimodal corridor. RAISE stands for Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity.
The new corridor will extend the existing Long Branch Trail and give more transportation options to some of Winston-Salem's most disadvantaged communities.
The $6 million grant will also pay for sidewalks, pedestrian bridge improvements and enhancements to make travel safer on the trail for bikers and pedestrians.
Football Train Returns
As football returns, so does a great way to get to the game from NC By Train.
For games that begin at 1 p.m., football fans can take Piedmont train 73 to Charlotte and arrive at 9:40 a.m. with plenty of time to enjoy the area around Bank of America Stadium before kickoff.
Passengers can then take their time and enjoy post-game fun and festivities before making their way back to the Amtrak station in Charlotte for a 7 p.m. departure.