Cornelius seeks consultant for Bailey Road corridor transportation study

Cornelius has begun seeking a consultant to study transportation along the Bailey Road corridor, a planning effort that could shape future discussions about traffic, road access, transit, pedestrian connections and development in the area.

The town issued a request for qualifications on June 9, 2026. Firms interested in the work must submit proposals by 5 p.m. July 10, 2026.

What the consultant would do

The selected firm would prepare maps and other study materials, organize meetings and produce a final report. The scope also calls for public engagement during the study, including at least one public open house or an equivalent digital survey.

That engagement is intended to give people who live, work, travel or operate businesses along the corridor an opportunity to review the study and provide input as the work moves forward. The request does not set out a specific road or transit project for construction.

The consultant’s work would also include presentations to the Cornelius Transportation Advisory Board and up to two meetings with the Town Board. Town staff are expected to coordinate with the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization, known as CRTPO, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, or NCDOT.

Planned review schedule

Cornelius planned to interview firms and select a consultant by mid-August 2026. After that selection, the Town Board was expected to consider the contract by the end of September.

The sequence gives the town several points to review the work: initial consultant selection, Transportation Advisory Board presentations, public engagement and Town Board consideration. The final report is expected to provide a basis for future transportation discussions involving the Bailey Road corridor.

Those future discussions could address the corridor’s transportation needs, including traffic conditions, access, pedestrian movement, transit and the relationship between transportation and development. Coordination with CRTPO and NCDOT would connect the local study with regional and state transportation planning.

The request for qualifications is for a study and consulting services, not approval of a construction project. Any later road, transit or development action would require separate decisions by the town or other agencies.

Cornelius had not identified a selected consultant or contract amount in the request. The document also does not determine which construction projects, if any, could result from the study. The next stated deadline is July 10, when firms must submit their qualifications for consideration.