Cambridge Econometrics worked directly with the consultant team to guide their work, contribute to the TOD market analysis and finance plans, and review all interim and final deliverables for NCDOT.  This project would be a first-of-its-kind passenger rail service for North Carolina in the Raleigh region, with the study identifying the market and funding opportunities to establish TOD districts in a wide-range of urban, suburban and exurban communities.

Cambridge Econometrics supported analysis about potential station locations and mobility hubs, reviewed ridership projections and how TOD could support additional rail trips, advised on rail service scenarios and other elements of rail corridor planning. The results of this work included customized TOD visions for each community and TOD study area along the corridor (Sanford, Apex, Raleigh, Wake Forest, Franklinton, Henderson and Norlina).  The team also compiled detailed playbooks to implement TOD including potential changes to zoning, policy and regulations to encourage walkable, mixed use development with enhanced multimodal connections.

As a follow-up project, NCDOT led multimodal mobility hub feasibility studies for many of the proposed station locations, evaluating sites for these hubs and how they can support a wide-variety of modes (rail, bus, bike, ped, micromobility).