Special Event

The June 26 forum Transit: Is Wake County Ready for it? attracted almost 300 attendees and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Transit is an issue clearly gaining public support. Keynote speakers, Carol Coletta, CEOs for Cities, and Keith Parker, CEO of Charlotte's transit system, were dynamic and informative. Triangle J's John Hodges-Kopple explained the new proposal for regional transit recommended by the Special Transit Advisory Commission. Many more people viewed the forum live on WRAL's news channel and wral.com and will see it soon on the Raleigh Television Network. Elected officials from across Wake County attended the event, as did representatives of community organizations, business leaders and local government staff. Forum panelists were engaging and explained what opportunities transit can provide for economic development and a better quality of life. The extensive coverage in the television, print and radio media has further communicated the messages of the forum to a broader Triangle community. WakeUP plans to work with community leaders and organizations to build public education and support for transit in Wake County and the Triangle.

WRAListens recently went to Wake County to find out what are the most pressing issues to community leaders. The group met at the Raleigh City Museum where they talked about the revitalization of downtown Raleigh and the challenges of handling the county’s rapidly growing population and the demands on the area’s infrastructure.

Former WRAL-TV Anchor Charlie Gaddy hosted the half-hour program which aired on WRAL-TV on Saturday, Sept 22nd at 7:30pm.