After several months of pop-up events and open workshops, the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and the City of Sanford are getting a fuller picture of what a mobility hub in Sanford could look like – including where it might be located.
A mobility hub is an accessible, central location for transit services, such as rail, bike, and rideshare options. Typically, mobility hubs also offer other amenities and supporting technologies like charging stations, a plaza or mini park, and bike and scooter rentals.
Through a $3.4 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant, City staff and NCDOT consultants have studied how a mobility hub could connect Sanford to communities north and south through the S-Line rail project. This potential 95-mile corridor would bring passenger rail back to Sanford through the mobility hub.
While the S-Line may be another decade in the making, Amtrak stops could start sooner, says David Montgomery, the City’s long-range planner and lead on the project. Currently, Amtrak passes through Sanford twice daily, but does not stop. A mobility hub would provide the infrastructure needed to make Sanford a destination.
With that in mind, two potential sites were presented to Sanford City Council. One identified location was the corner of Charlotte Avenue and Hawkins Avenue overlooking the property being developed as Sanford Central Green. The second option was a cluster of properties bounded by Cole, S. Steele, and S. Moore streets.
The decision came down to which site would best benefit the community as a whole – and that was the Cole Street location, Montgomery says. “The Cole Street site can accommodate a larger hub, is better situated for train access, and opens up economic development opportunities to the southern side of Downtown,” he explains.
The next step in the process was to gather community feedback about the potential hub, its identified location, and the possible amenities. Consultants held a multi-day design workshop to conceptualize what the potential hub might look like and how the area surrounding it could be redeveloped.
Along with being a point of connection, the mobility hub could add retail and meeting space to Downtown Sanford, Montgomery points out. Ideas for the grounds include a new municipal park, outdoor dining, and a greenway.
Staff and consultants presented several concepts to Sanford City Council at its December 10, 2024, workshop. The public is encouraged to view the options and follow the progress on our projects hub.
As the project nears the end of funding provided by the $3.4 million RAISE grant, staff and consultants will work with NCDOT to pursue additional grant funding to complete the project design and eventual construction.
For more information about a potential mobility hub in Sanford, visit www.sanfordnc.net/mobilityhub.