DavidsonNews.net

Budget discussions at Tuesday’s Town Board work session raised a variety of long-range planning issues for Davidson, including this burning question: How will Davidson cope with being the terminus of the North Corridor commuter rail line planned by Charlotte Area Transit System?

Iredell County commissioners last week rejected CATS’ request to appropriate money to extend the line to Mount Mourne, in southern Iredell just north of Davidson. So at least for now, the rail service could end in Davidson.

And that means the town almost certainly will face a dramatic increase in traffic and parking pressures as hundreds, or thousands, of commuters (many from Iredell County) drive into town to take the train.

“We can park ‘em,” Planning Director Kris Krider said Tuesday night. “The issue is, can we handle the traffic?”

2012 START, IF THERE’S MONEY

The Metropolitan Transit Commission voted last November to push ahead with the $261 million North Corridor commuter rail project as well as another line from downtown northeast to the University area. Under the current scenario, the line would open to one-way rush hour trains by 2012.

Phase 2 of the north line project would cost another $112 million and bring two-way service by 2019.

But the project still faces a number of hurdles. CATS and the towns still have to line up funding for the line, which would have difficulty qualifying for scarce federal transit funds.

Meanwhile, one potential funding source, Mecklenburg County’s half-cent sales tax for transit, could face a repeal referendum this fall.

And CATS and Davidson officials still need to figure out now Davidson might accommodate commuter traffic, parking and train storage.

BEATY STREET LOT?

If the line does get built, where will commuters from outlying residential areas in Davidson and Iredell park? The town has identified a site near Jackson and Depot streets to build a transit station. But parking is already in tight supply downtown, and the town has long been studying how to boost the number of spaces.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, Mr. Krider suggested Davidson could put a temporary parking lot on town-owned land near the tracks on Beaty Street.

The idea came up because Mr. Krider’s department would like to see money added to the 2008 town budget to create a plan for the Beaty Street property. But development of the property could be put off while the town uses it as a temporary parking lot for commuters, he said.

EXTENSION INEVITABLE?

Mayor Randy Kincaid said at Tuesday’s session he believes Davidson would only temporarily be the end of the line. Officials in Mooresville and south Iredell, as well as those at the Lowes Co. headquarters in Mount Mourne, all support extending the tracks. But their hands are tied by Iredell County’s refusal to participate.

“It’s not a question of if, but when the line gets extended,” Mayor Kincaid said.

LINKS

Charlotte Area Transit System North Corridor Rail Line information, CLICK HERE>
http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/CATS/Rapid+Transit+Planning/North+Corridor/Home.htm

Filed under: Commuter rail line, Davidson town board, Links