RALEIGH—After hosting 250 community meetings and presentations and gathering input from more than 4,300 Wake County residents, officials released a recommended transit plan Tuesday.

“It's a good plan, I'm happy this is happening,” said Apex resident Antony Wambui. He has used public transportation in the county for several years. 

 “I ride route 305, you know and sometimes it's good, sometimes it needs some work, you know, to be improved on,” he said.​

The recommended plan also has more frequent, reliable busing, which would more than triple the amount of bus service in the county.

“We are not only looking at different ways to not only improve the buses that you see on the ground right now, but also through new technologies with bus rapid transit,” said Wake Co.Planning, Development & Inspections Director Tim Maloney.

Commuter rail transit is also part of the plan.

“A 37-mile rail corridor from Garner all the way to Durham and then future lines all the way to Wake Forest,” said Sig Hutchinson, vice vhair of the Wake Co. Board of Commissioners. 

With Wake Co. adding an average of 63 people per day, the transit plan could cut cars and congestion on roadways.

 “A robust transit plan can absolutely be a part of that solution,” said Hutchinson.

Wambui says he is on board.

“It's a futuristic plan, which is good, and I think that's the direction we should be headed,” he said.

The plan would cost about $2.3 billion to build and operate the first 10 years. It’s expected to be adopted this spring, which is also when Wake Co. Commissioners will consider placing a half-cent sales tax referendum on the November 2016 ballot.

Learn more about the plan, here.