But a proposal approved by Zebulon commissioners earlier this month puts the onus on developers to pay for the growth they create.

Under the new rules, developers who renovate existing buildings and turn them into something new, will have to conduct a traffic impact analysis.

That study would provide the town with estimates on how much traffic a particular use might create during peak traveling times.

If the numbers are high enough, the town would be armed with solid evidence for making the developer pay for additional improvements to the roadway to accommodate the additional traffic.

And that's a trend that has been around in other communities for a while now. Even in Zebulon, developments on otherwise undeveloped land are already required to undertake a similar study and they are required to pay for the cost of building roadways sufficient to meet the demand that will arise with their new development.

The studies are not likely to be too time-consuming or too expensive. That means delays in time and added cost won't sabotage a potential project.

The new rules also help protect the town from the long wait that often comes with any road improvements in North Carolina. N.C.'s Department of Transportation has always been a tough nut to crack when it comes to getting money for such projects. That is only likely to worsen as the state cuts funding for all but the biggest projects on the table. It can often be years before a project rises to the top of DOT's to-do list.

By having developers foot that bill, the town properly places the responsibility for keeping pace with the town's transportation needs squarely on the shoulders of those who stand to benefit the most.