Population growth in Johnston County creates demand for more road projects
NOW THIS AFTERNOON, MORRIS
SERVED AS THE TOWN MANAGER
THERE SINCE AUGUST OF 2015.
WELL TURNS OUT MORE AND MORE
PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO JOHNSON
COUNTY. LOOK AT THIS OVER THE
LAST 3 YEARS, THE POPULATION
HAS GONE UP BY 36%. IT'S WHY
LEADERS ARE COMING UP WITH A
COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION
PLAN FOR THE NEXT. 25 YEARS.
>> WRAL'S BRETT KNESE TALKED
WITH PEOPLE THAT LIVING THERE.
BUT THE CHANGES THAT THEY WANT
TO SEE IN THE FUTURE. BRETT?
YEAH, ACTUALLY, ONE OF THE
BIGGEST THINGS THAT PEOPLE IN
THIS PART OF JOHNSON COUNTY ARE
MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO.
>> IS THE OPENING OF THE
CLEVELAND ROAD EXIT ALONG I-40
WHAT THEY'RE HOPING THAT WILL
DO IS REALLY SOME OF THE
TRAFFIC THAT YOU SEE HERE ON
NC. 42, ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF
DAY WHEN PEOPLE ARE GETTING
OFF OF WORK. BUT THOSE WHO LIVE
HERE SAY THIS IS JUST THE
BEGINNING OF A LONG LIST OF
NEEDS FOR THIS AREA.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT'S
LIKE TO DRIVE THROUGH JOHNSON
COUNTY JUST AS SOMEONE WHO
LIVES HERE, IT'S CHAOTIC
NIGHTMARE THAT CAN BE CRAZY OF
TIMES AND OTHER WORDS.
>> IT'S BUSY AND CONSTRUCTION
LIKE THIS CAN MAKE DRIVING EVEN
MORE CHALLENGING KALEN KIRK IS
LOADING UP HER SUV AFTER
GROCERY SHOPPING WITH HER
DAUGHTER. SHE SAYS SITTING IN
TRAFFIC CONSTANTLY BECOMES
FRUSTRATING STORY, BUILDING
MORE NEIGHBORHOODS. THERE'S
MORE PEOPLE ARE JUST NOT ENOUGH
ROADS FOR EVERYONE WHO'S HERE,
COUNTY LEADERS. NO CONGESTION
IS A BIG ISSUE. THE PROBLEM.
>> IT'S ONLY GETTING WORSE.
JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBERS SINCE
2013 OVER 64,000, PEOPLE MOVED
TO JOHNSON COUNTY. THAT'S MORE
THAN A SOLD-OUT CARTER FINLEY
STADIUM. 24,000 PEOPLE MOVED
HERE IN JUST THE LAST 3 YEARS.
MORE THAN A SOLD OUT HURRICANES
GAME. AT PNC ARENA, WE'RE
GROWING SO IT'S IT'S REALLY
CHALLENGING TO MEET THE DEMAND.
>> AT THE PACE IN WHICH WE NEED
TO MEET THAT DEMAND IN NEWTON
IS THE COUNTY'S PLANNING AND
ZONING DIRECTOR. HE AND HIS
TEAM ARE PUTTING TOGETHER
WHAT'S CALLED A COMPREHENSIVE
TRANSPORTATION PLAN. IT WILL
LOOK AT THE NEEDS OF THIS AREA
WHEN IT COMES TO ALL FORMS OF
TRAVEL OVER THE NEXT. 25 YEARS,
WE WANT TO GIVE YOU WHETHER
IT'S TRANSIT THAT BUS COMMUTER
RAIL BY A BICYCLE AND
PEDESTRIAN SO WE'RE WE'RE
LOOKING
IN A MUCH BROADER SEE IS PART
OF THAT PLAN INCORPORATES
PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY
FUNDED AND UNDERWAY. LIKE ALL
OF THIS CONSTRUCTION HERE ON
NC. 42 WITH NO END IN SIGHT TO
THE EXPLOSIVE POPULATION GROWTH
DRIVERS JUST HOPE THESE
PROJECTS YOU CAN KEEP UP THE
PACE.
>> I SO IF YOU HAVE SOME IDEAS
FOR THIS COMPREHENSIVE
TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND YOU
WANT THEM HER COUNTY LEADERS
WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. THEY ARE
HAVING A MEETING, A MEETING IN
ABOUT 30 MINUTES OVER JOHNSON
COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THEY WANT
TO HEAR YOUR VOICE. THEY WANT
TO KNOW IF THEY ARE MISSING
ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE
INCLUDED AND THEY HOPE THAT
YOU GIVE ALL OF YOUR IDEAS LIVE