Raleigh City Council has awarded the bid for Package 1 of its New Bern Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project to Rifenburg North Carolina, LLC.

Package one includes paving the sidewalk and utility work along New Bern Avenue and Wilmington, Blount and Edenton streets between downtown and Poole Road. The project is approximately 5.4 miles with 3.3 miles of dedicated bus lanes and 19 bus platforms at 10 stations along New Bern Avenue, Morgan Street, Edenton Street, Blount Street and Wilmington Street. The project will add a sidewalk and a multi-use path along New Bern Avenue from the downtown core to Sunnybrook Road. The estimated cost for Package 1 is US$28.7 million. 

The remainder of the project will be advertised for construction bids later this year. The city will host a pre-construction meeting at the end of summer 2025 prior to any construction activities. Start of construction is anticipated in fall 2025.