Cary City Council — Transcript

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Story

Cary Council votes to redirect bus service hours to underserved areas

Drought Conditions and Water Conservation Strategy

Western Regional Wastewater Partnership Expansion

Go Cary Transit Updates (BRT, Multimodal Center, Downtown Loop)

Votes (1)

Repurposing Go Cary Downtown Loop Service Hours

Passed Unanimously

Dissent: None

Moved by Council Member Bansaw [59:20] · Seconded by Speaker (Council Member) [1:00:45]

The Go Cary Downtown Loop service was suspended due to a driver shortage. With drivers returning, staff discussed maintaining a baseline of service hours to retain Wake Transit funding eligibility. Council Member Bansaw advocated for reallocating the Downtown Loop's 48 hours per week (approx. $250k-$270k value) to improve connectivity and accessibility in District D, especially for seniors and students, aligning with findings from the Microtransit Study regarding service gaps in western and southern Cary. Other council members suggested expanding the scope to include District C, Koka Booth area, and Wake Tech. It was clarified that outright cutting the service would result in a loss of funding, so repurposing the hours within the system is the viable option.

Notable Quotes (3)

Well um this is one of the things that you know that have come up time and again with the residents in district D where the connectivity is an issue and um you know every district has its own challenges. I think for district, majority of the issues um kind of seem to be with accessibility and the connectivity with the downtown and having that you know that service available is going to help a lot of like senior citizens, lot of students.

Council Member Bansaw [50:10]
Repurposing Go Cary Downtown Loop Service Hours

So when Wake Transit first began in 2016, um, and we knew that as part of that plan, we would be receiving funding to expand public transit service in Kerry. They looked at the level of service that was currently being provided um, through local um, funding and that um, was set as a baseline going forward. And so we need to maintain a baseline of service to continue to be eligible for all of the funding that we receive through Wake Transit.

Kelly Blazy [53:00]
Repurposing Go Cary Downtown Loop Service Hours

I could see a resident saying, 'Well, there's low writership here and it's $200,000 plus dollars. Just eliminate the route and save that money.' But what you're saying is we have to maintain this baseline of hours per week. And so there is not a scenario where we cut service and Car's bottom line saves money. we lose dollars. So, you lose service and lose funding.

Russ [57:30]
Repurposing Go Cary Downtown Loop Service Hours

Ordinances & Resolutions (11)

AquarOther

Current utility billing portal, implemented 15 years ago, in need of modernization.

NavalineOther

Aging legacy back-end system for utility billing, older than Aquaar, being replaced.

Oracle FinancialsOther

Cary's financial system that the new utility billing system must integrate with.

Oracle Customer Cloud Service (CCS)Other

New, modern industry-leading platform being adopted for utility billing.

ADA standardsOther

Accessibility standards that the new customer portal must meet, a key driver for its development.

Water Shortage Response PlanPlan

State-required plan outlining stages of restrictions, triggers, and communication for water shortages.

Wake Transit Plan (2016)Plan

Outlined four BRT corridors for Wake County and provides funding for transit projects, including the Downtown Multimodal Center.

Locally Preferred Alternative (2020)Other

Council endorsement of the Western BRT alignment, station locations, and termini, a requirement for federal funding.

Bus Plan UpdatePlan

Ongoing study as part of the Wake Transit Plan, looking at service over the next 5-10 years and funding priorities.

Microtransit StudyStudy

Previous study that identified the biggest gaps in service in western and southern Cary.

Pulse ReportOther

Monthly report detailing 301 calls for service.

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