February and March, Raleigh City Council meetings summary
It's been a busy couple of months. ICYMI, I announced I'm running for one of the two newly created at-large seats on the Wake County Board of County Commissioners by seeking the Democratic Party nomination in the March 3, 2026 Primary Election. I've got my kick-off event April 17 and hope to see you there.
I'm also still busy at work completing my third and final term on the Raleigh City Council. Below is a summary of our February and March City Council meetings:
1. We received an update about our e-bike rebate program. You might recall, last term I requested the City create an e-bike rebate program, to assist and incentive more folks purchasing e-bike. An e-bike is a more sustainable and affordable way to travel, and in many cases, an e-bike can replace a car trip, which helps us all by reducing traffic. We received a federal grant to fund 150 initial vouchers, and those vouchers were distributed in three groups. However, demand was overwhelming, and we received more applications than available vouchers. We were informed that we sought and were awarded $80k from the Bloomberg Foundation to fund additional vouchers. The additional vouchers will be awarded to the existing pool of applicants who were not yet awarded vouchers. I am hopeful we will continue to fund and expand this program.
2. We received an update about the Dix Park 10-year plan implementation. Since 2016, the City and the Dix Park Conservancy have been working together to transform the more than 300-acre site into a destination park. Many improvements have been made already, with the first major investment coming online very soon, the Gibson Play Plaza. Other upcoming projects include concessions, like food, beer and wine. In the near future, the Department of Health and Human Services will fully vacate all buildings in the park, relocating to their new headquarters on Blue Ridge Road, and the City and Conservancy will begin the process of rehabilitating certain buildings and removing other buildings. We will receive more updates as the 10-year mark nears.
3. We received an update (lots of update these past couple months), about our Bringing Neighbors Home pilot program that provides direct housing assistance to unhoused folks. We know that homelessness rates decrease when more housing units and types of housing are available, and rents are lower. We are making strides to make it easier to build more housing of all types, through our efforts to eliminate exclusionary zoning. In the meantime, we know folks need assistance now to find stable housing. Also, quite frankly, it costs tax payers less money to provide rental assistance than it does to address issues associated with doing nothing about homelessness. This pilot program has provided funds to 45 households, or 51 previously unhoused people, to move into housing.
4. We approved the recommendations of our Transportation and Transit Committee to fund pedestrian infrastructure improvements at the Iron Works District (Whitaker Mill Road and Atlantic Avenue) and at the 20 locations with the most safety concerns throughout the city. The Iron Works District has received a great deal of attention and concern, as that formerly industrial site has transformed into an adaptive reuse destination containing retail, residential, and office. An area that was originally designed to be hostile to pedestrians is now a place where folks want to walk, bike and enjoy. As such, the City will work to add signalized crosswalks, wheelchair ramps, and sidewalks in this area.
5. Another update! We received an update about progress being made downtown in our central business district. In sum, 10 new businesses have opened on Fayetteville Street, food and beverage sales are up 10% since last year, and crime is down. Raleigh Police Department has invested considerable resources in this area, including e-bike patrols, new cameras through ConnectRaleigh, and more foot patrols. Likewise, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance has a few projects beginning soon, including the illumination of all street trees along Fayetteville Street (installation May/June) and movable shade structures for City Play (delivery in May). The next major investment will be implementation of the streetscape redesign, adjusting the sidewalk space to provide more permanent spaces for outdoor dining and drinking!
Our next regular City Council meetings are Tuesday, April 1, at 1 PM and 7 PM. We have also started budget session, and we will have budget work session on certain Mondays at 4 PM.
jonathan.lambert-melton@raleighnc.gov
