MORRISVILLE - The truth about Morrisville's monumental traffic problems can't be escaped, current and aspiring council members say.

Busy intersections can turn into rush-hour parking lots. Frustration over streets burdened with heavy traffic often shows on the faces of wearied drivers.

The nine candidates seeking seats on the Town Council this fall also feel the pain. More than any other topic, traffic -- and how to deal with it -- at times dominated the discussion during a forum held last week at Town Hall.

"If we did nothing over the next four years except solve traffic on [N.C.] 54, I'd say we would have done a lot," said Stephen Diehl, who is trying to unseat incumbent Mark Stohlman in District 2.

Solving the problem won't be easy.

As incumbent at-large candidate Tom Murry observed, several of Morrisville's main thoroughfares are owned and managed by the N.C. Department of Transportation.

That means the town has no legal right to make improvements on N.C. 54, for example, without the DOT's permission.

Murry and several other candidates said that with the economy still in limbo and with the town continuing to grow, partnering with surrounding towns could be crucial to ensuring future transportation improvements can be made in a timely fashion.

In the meantime, said Murry and fellow at-large candidate Lydia Martin, the town should proactively promote transportation alternatives.

"Something like carpooling is a great idea," Martin said. "We could make better use of how we traverse the roads."

The Wake County League of Women Voters sponsored the forum. Marian Lewin, representing the organization, moderated the event.

The fast-paced forum, which was slated to last for two hours, finished nearly an hour ahead of schedule. Candidates were limited to one-minute responses to a variety of questions about growth, economic development and other topics.

Some highlights:

In the mayoral race, Mayor Jan Faulkner and challenger Jackie Holcombe, a former council member, were asked how they would improve transparency among Morrisville officials. Council members have been criticized at times for time limits placed on citizen comment during public hearings.

Holcombe said she would push to extend time limits and that she would also work to improve access to public information and records for residents without Internet access.

Faulkner said Morrisville has already taken strides to improve government transparency.

In addition to uploading "everything that we talk about, think about" to the Web, Faulkner said the town produces audio recordings of council meetings.

"We have added ways to increase public involvement," she said. "We're very aware of the laws in place and stress to make sure we're following those laws."

In District 2, Stohlman said the town needs to help citizens better understand the costs that are associated with proposed projects and how it could affect taxpayers' wallets.

"We have to educate the public on what things cost," he said. "Today's economy doesn't allow for many improvements. I think it's important in our deliberations to have a price note to say how much things will impact residents' property tax bill."

At-large challenger Michael Roberts said Morrisville should tighten the belt on developers when it comes to regulating storm water runoff.

"When developers come to us, we need to look at those developments and make sure their impacts to citizens are not negative," he said.

When asked what one thing he would like to accomplish as a council member, District 4 candidate Creighton Blackwell said he hoped to "bring more people that are not involved" in shaping their town's future into the fold. Among other options,

Blackwell suggested creating an interfaith council to "bridge faith-based organizations."

His opponent, Margaret Broadwell, a former mayor, said she wouldn't stop at encouraging greater citizen involvement.

"I would also bring uplifting programs for the emotion, for the camaraderie, for the community spirit," she said. That could come in the form of a community choir or perhaps a community garden club, she said.