Raleigh City Council Public Comment Session - April 14, 2026

This session of the Raleigh City Council on April 14, 2026, was devoted entirely to public comments. Mayor Pro Tem presided in the absence of Mayor Cow. Fourteen residents addressed the council on a wide variety of topics.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Octavia Rainey (Civil Rights Activist) strongly opposed the relocation of the Moore Square Bus Station, declaring it a civil rights issue rather than a crime issue. She warned council members against political pressure from endorsement considerations.
• William Smith (COO, Priority Care Ambulance) opposed newly installed 'No Parking' signs on his business street, which he stated were based on a single unverified complaint. He reported that the restriction forces overnight employees to park far away and walk in the dark, despite zero prior complaints over seven years of operation.
• Matthew Brown (Resident) opposed the blanket 'No Right on Red' policy downtown, arguing it creates danger due to widespread non-compliance, increases congestion and pollution, and discourages visitation to downtown. He credited safety improvements to concurrent speed limit reductions and traffic signal retiming rather than the no-right-on-red policy.
• Ashley Heath Armstrong (Resident) raised concerns about road safety and budget, criticized the 911/311 phone routing system (stating 311 calls still route to Cary), and questioned the $500,000 appropriation for July Fourth fireworks during drought conditions.
• Chris Crew (Resident) voiced support for recent council preservation votes but urged a moratorium on zoning change requests until the comprehensive plan update is complete, warning against piecemeal decision-making that erodes Raleigh's character.
• Eugene Meyer (Resident) questioned the transparency of the Diggs Trail and related city projects at Shaw University, the use of federal funds, and the neutrality of specific councilmembers during the Shaw rezoning process. He called for all side conversations and decisions to be a matter of public record.
• Keisha Monk (Resident, Biltmore Hills) criticized the implementation of bike lanes in Biltmore Hills, describing the engagement as a 'decision followed by a presentation.' She stated the resulting infrastructure is unsafe and incomplete for residents, prioritizing cyclists over pedestrians and seniors. She demanded immediate correction of roadway markings, a full safety review, a pause on future rollouts, and equitable community engagement.
• Athena Wallen (Resident, Brookside) advocated for the installation of a sidewalk on a 70-year gap in North Brookside, highlighting the danger to high school students who must walk along the street in the dark to reach bus stops.
• Alex Brissett (Resident) opposed the use of public funds for a potential Major League Baseball stadium or the new soccer stadium, citing studies on the economic ineffectiveness of publicly financed sports venues.
• Jane Hubbin (Resident) opposed the Anderson Drive route for the Big Branch Greenway, noting potential cost escalation from an initial $4.5 million bond to $11 million. She urged the council to choose less expensive alternatives to free up funds for the city budget.
• Maggie Bailey (Exec. Dir., We Plant It Forward) urged the council to fund the 'Leaf Out' goal of planting 24,000 trees by 2032, citing a successful pilot partnership with the city that planted nine trees at South Raleigh bus stops.
• George Jones (Exec. Dir., Partners for Environmental Justice) supported the tree initiative, describing trees as essential infrastructure for cooling, stormwater management, and ecosystem health. He advocated for native species replacement in new developments.
• Nikki W. (Resident) requested public water coolers for the unhoused population, highlighted mobility challenges for seniors from relocated bus stops, raised safety concerns about e-scooters, reported an inoperable elevator at 2800, and announced an upcoming May Day protest.
• Mama Kai Sanders (Resident) criticized the recent tax reassessment and identified a mismatch in housing production, stating the city has overproduced housing for those earning over $80k while losing thousands of units for those earning under $50k. She proposed an enterprise model for Parks and Recreation community centers to increase access and utilization.

No formal council deliberation, debate, or votes occurred during this session, which was solely dedicated to hearing public input.