The Cape Fear Commutes 2035 Transportation Plan kick-off event will be held at the New Hanover Public Library - Northeast Branch at 1241 Military Cutoff Road in Wilmington on Friday, March 20, 2009. The event will start at 2:00pm and feature speakers from the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization and NCDOT.

This plan will look 25 years into the future and address a broad spectrum of transportation requirements for the entire Cape Fear Region. Nothing will be off limits. The plan will include an examination and evaluation of potential highway, rail, bus, ferry, aviation and bicycle and pedestrian projects in New Hanover County and parts of Brunswick and Pender Counties.

The Cape Fear Commutes 2035 Transportation Plan will include extensive public participation. The committee drafting the plan has created a survey and plans to host open houses throughout area communities over the next 12 months to receive transportation recommendations. Residents of the Wilmington region will be able to offer their ideas by attending these meetings or completing the survey. Enthusiastic public participation is essential in preparing a realistic transportation plan.

All area transportation projects funded by the state or federal government must be included in the region’s long-range transportation plan, which is updated every five years. The Cape Fear Commutes 2035 Transportation Plan is a critical component of the long-range plan. The plan will look at the relationship between population growth and the transportation network. It will also look at impacts to quality of life, health and the environment.

Visit CapeFearCommutes.org for more information or to complete our survey in English or Spanish.