Bus Project Prioritization & Programming Policy
Bus Project Prioritization & Programming Policy
Bus Project Prioritization and Programming Policy
for the 2035 Wake Bus Plan
Public Review and Comment Period: November 2–20, 2026
What we are asking the community to weigh in on
There are two prioritization policies that guide Wake Transit investment.
The first was adopted in 2025 as part of the Wake Transit Plan update, which established a 10-year vision for transit system improvement and expansion through FY2035. That policy identified the various project types or categories for future investment. One of those categories is bus service expansion and the capital infrastructure needed to support more service. About $1.3 billion was set aside for investment in this category.
The question we are asking now is: how should those category funds be spent.
Your input, provided through November 20, 2026 will help staff finalize the Bus Project Prioritization & Programming Policy. This policy will guide the development of the 2035 Wake Bus Plan, a year-by-year list of projects scheduled to receive funding between FY2028 and FY2035.
Background
We are not starting from scratch. The feedback received from partners and the public will help to update the policy that was adopted with the previous Wake Bus Plan. It builds on the input received in Phase 1 of the Bus Plan outreach process.
How the draft policy was developed
The Wake Transit program is celebrating 10 years of Wake County investment, 2016–2026. Public input is a critical element of all planning and implementation processes. Staff work to ensure that the projects being funded by the program align with community desires and address long-time and emerging travel needs. We check in regularly with transit riders and Wake County residents to ensure that we understand what is important and are developing plans to accomplish those priorities.
Phase 1 of the 2035 Wake Bus Plan engagement process wrapped up in September 2026. The information gathered confirmed the community's transit investment priorities and provided some direction on specific route improvement concepts.
With that information in hand, the draft Bus Project Prioritization & Programming Policy has been developed and is being provided for review and comment through November 20, 2026.
Policy Overview
The updated policy has a few notable features: revised project type categories; guidance for capital investments like bus stops, bus transfer points, and Community Mobility Hubs; a revised scoring process that compares each project with similar projects using measures of transit demand, network improvements, and expected ridership; and a step-by-step process for scheduling projects within available funding. Use the policy guide below to click through how it works.
Policy guide
How bus projects are scored and scheduled
Six short sections summarize the draft policy. Select a section title to open it. Opening one section closes the others, so you can click through them in order.
The big picture
The policy is how Wake Transit partners choose and schedule the bus service and bus-related projects in the 2035 Wake Bus Plan. It works in three phases:
- Identify projects that could be funded.
- Score and rank them using data.
- Schedule them year by year, from FY2028 to FY2035, within available funding.
A project management team made up of CAMPO, the City of Raleigh, the Town of Cary, GoTriangle, and Wake County staff is focused on this work with input from a broad Core Technical Team made up of municipalities and stakeholders across Wake County and into Durham County, as well. The Wake Transit Governing Boards (the CAMPO Executive Board and the GoTriangle Board of Trustees) adopt the policy.
Identify projects
Where project ideas come from:
- Commitments in the 2035 Wake Transit Plan
- Projects from the last Wake Bus Plan that haven't been started yet
- Service gaps found by transit agencies and the latest market analysis
- Buses and facilities needed to support more service
Service projects are grouped into three types: Frequent Urban Routes; Regional and Express Routes; and Local Services, which include community routes and microtransit.
Capital projects (things built or bought) include Community Mobility Hubs, park-and-ride lots, transfer points, transit centers, bus stops, buses, and maintenance facilities.
Each project is assigned a sponsor agency. Community Funding Area Program projects and items like fare payment systems are handled through a separate process.
Score service projects
Each service project is measured in three areas:
- Transit demand: people and jobs nearby; residents with low incomes, minority residents, and households without a car; and key places served, like downtowns, colleges, hospitals, and large shopping centers.
- Network improvements: how many people and jobs would gain bus service, frequent service, all-day service, or weekend service.
- Service productivity: expected riders for each hour the bus runs.
How scoring works: projects are compared only with projects of the same type. For each measure, the top quarter earns 4 points, the next quarter 3, and so on down to 1. The points are added into a total score.
All service projects are then combined into one ranked list, from highest score to lowest.
Score passenger facilities
Four types of capital projects are scored using the same three areas, with measures that fit each type:
- Community Mobility Hubs and park-and-ride lots are meant to bring in new riders. They're scored on people within biking or driving distance, and on service hours and expected riders on the routes that connect to them.
- Transit centers and transfer points help current riders change buses. They're scored on people and jobs along connecting routes, the number of routes that stop there, and how many people use the location today.
Each of the four types is ranked separately, because each has its own funding in the Wake Transit Plan.
Not scored: buses, maintenance facilities, and new bus stops are funded as needed to support new service. Bus stop improvements follow each agency's standards and a new Access to Transit tool.
Schedule projects
The ranked lists and yearly funding estimates are used to draft a year-by-year schedule. Higher-ranked projects generally come first. Buses and bus stops are scheduled about 18 months before a new route starts.
Staff also consider:
- Commitments made in the Wake Transit Plan
- Balance across the county and across types of service
- Project cost and the funding available each year
- Projects planned earlier that are ready to go
- Whether staff, drivers, and buses are available
- Timing with other projects, such as road work or bus rapid transit
Sponsor agencies can propose moving a project earlier or later, with a reason tied to these considerations. The draft schedule is checked against the Wake Transit Plan's access goals, such as having 75% of Wake County residents within a half mile of all-day transit.
Share your thoughts
As you review the draft, consider:
- Do the measures reflect what matters to you about bus service?
- Is anything missing when deciding which projects come first?
- When scheduling projects, what should matter most?
- Is the process clear and easy to understand?
Comments are due November 20, 2026.
Go to the comment form to share your thoughts. The button to view the draft policy is at the top of that page too, so you can refer to it as you comment.
How your feedback will be used
We are asking partners, stakeholders, and members of the community to let us know if the draft policy captures your priorities correctly and if the way project selection and scheduling is being proposed makes sense.
Feedback received will be collected and compiled for review by the project management team, and needed edits will be made to the draft policy before it is reviewed and recommended by the Bus Plan Core Technical Team and the TPAC.
The TPAC-recommended version of the policy will then be brought before the two Wake Transit Governing Boards, the CAMPO Executive Board and the GoTriangle Board of Trustees, for adoption.
Next Steps
The Wake Bus Plan relies on this prioritization guidance to select and schedule projects to receive funding through FY2035. The year-by-year schedule is then used to develop the annual Wake Transit Work Plan, which includes the Multi-Year Operating Program (MYOP) and the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
In late February, staff will release the draft Wake Bus Plan and Work Plan for public review and comment. Members of the community will be able to view the draft Wake Bus Plan, see how it is reflected in the Work Plan, and comment on both.
Project Development Team
Project Lead: Steven Mott (CAMPO)
CAMPO's Wake Transit staff are leading the development of the 2035 Wake Bus Plan and all of its associated components. Adoption of the project prioritization policy is a critical step in the plan development process. A project management team, made up of Wake Transit partners, helps to guide each step of the process.
Project Management Team
Coordinated with consultant team led by Nelson-Nygaard: CAMPO Wake County GoCary GoRaleigh GoTriangle