Red Line Regional Rail (beyond CATS) 2017? (Charlotte, Gastonia: sales, sales tax, cost)
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I just wish that McCrory could twist the arm of Foxx and get funding for rail transport for the Red Line.
Foxx never cared about building the Red Line when he was mayor. It was his lack of support, as the Mayor of Charlotte, that hurt the prospects of the Red Line. He wanted the street car built instead.
But that part really doesn't matter. Foxx can't fund rail lines or anything else. It's congress that decides to fund projects. There isn't a pot of money just sitting there to spend from. The way it works is that every individual rail, road, marina, airport, etc project gets individual funding and that is placed by Congress in a spending bill.
I know, but he does know people and can possibly push or give some guidance and/or advice on persuing the issue. Just wishful thinking.
Maybe... But the Obama administration is quickly losing credibility with almost everyone including members of their own party. Foxx's influence in DC is going to minimal and if the GOP wins the senate in Nov., then non-existent for the rest of his term.
If Tillis were to win Hagan's seat then this would be a much better avenue for getting funding for the Red Line.
How have they made it worse? Was Pardue better in your opinion? You would thnk that ex-mayor Foxx would remember the city that made it all possible for him to somehow obtain the position he holds.
I don't know about better but the highway funding distribution formula modification started during her governorship. She pushed the sorry a$$ NC DOT to come with creative was to fund the Yadkin river bridge expansion and the completion of I-485.
The red line has nothing to do with Foxy, he's pro mass transit and would like to have seen the entire plan built-out. You have to have uniform support from the folks up there.....
Maybe... But the Obama administration is quickly losing credibility with almost everyone including members of their own party. Foxx's influence in DC is going to minimal and if the GOP wins the senate in Nov., then non-existent for the rest of his term.
If Tillis were to win Hagan's seat then this would be a much better avenue for getting funding for the Red Line.
If Tillis wins, the Red Line will be officially dead unless he or his buds are involved in securing some of the contract revenue. Obama is going to have to take executive action on infrastructure projects...congress is simply too dysfunctional and politicized to agree on anything. It's ridiculous, the congress refuses to negotiate without moving the goal post...I think "King" Obama has had it with that nonsense.
Tillis bucked his own party in 2011 and put back in the millions from the NCDOT to fund the Blue Line extension. Those matching funds were required before the Feds would put up the rest. So I think he is a supporter of rail transit. The Red Line would run right through his home town, Cornelius.
With that said, I don't think the line will ever be built. It's best chances were a decade ago and like the CR project that languished in Raleigh for 10 years, the longer they waited the more the costs went up, and eventually the line was canceled. The Red Line plan has been around even before CATs existed.
Without that Norfolk Southern ROW, it's never going to happen. After the Blue Line is finished I think the local transit people, politicians, and interested public should sit down and revisit the 2030 plan. It's probably time to come up with a new one.
That, last year, McCrory scrapped the system of road money apportionment which so unfairly favored rural areas which everyone here is complaining about. It's much better now because CLT will get more of the pie. It takes time for that money to start showing up as real projects in the area.
That, the NCDOT is also paying for 25% of the cost of the Blue Line extension to UNCC. No other metro in the state has gotten this kind of money, and it's in the 10s of $millions, for a project like this from the state government.
I'd say it's better, much better.
I realized it was scrapped and I knew it was, so that means we should get the money to build I77 out like it's supposed to? Right
Tillis bucked his own party in 2011 and put back in the millions from the NCDOT to fund the Blue Line extension. Those matching funds were required before the Feds would put up the rest. So I think he is a supporter of rail transit. The Red Line would run right through his home town, Cornelius.
With that said, I don't think the line will ever be built. It's best chances were a decade ago and like the CR project that languished in Raleigh for 10 years, the longer they waited the more the costs went up, and eventually the line was canceled. The Red Line plan has been around even before CATs existed.
Without that Norfolk Southern ROW, it's never going to happen. After the Blue Line is finished I think the local transit people, politicians, and interested public should sit down and revisit the 2030 plan. It's probably time to come up with a new one.
Well, it'll get built/approved one day and like most projects, people will wonder what took so long. I do think it's time for a new plan.
Red Line via Norfolk Southern Railroad
I-77 widened from the SC state line to Statesville to handle current capacity.
Hovercraft monorail down the center lane of Independence Blvd.
Only way I see the Red Line getting built is if the state and counties pony up some cash to build a parallel line running with NS' O-Line, or if the state buys out the O-Line completely, with an exclusive contract with Norfolk-Southern to continue using the tracks. It seems like other cities in the US did one of the two with some of their commuter lines.
In any case, best short term solution for the northern corridor is to utilize the new toll lanes on I-77 for BRT. They could also expand services to Mooresville (and maybe even Statesville, one day). I also agree that CATS and the CRTPO should revise the 2030 transportation plan. Especially with the Silver Line, and a line to the airport.
^There is a big problem with this. Nobody has ever explained to Iredell county, with proper due diligence, why it benefits them to raise taxes to fund CATS projects.
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