4-min interview: Carroll Gray of Lake Norman Transportation Commission talks about how a federal rules change might affect the proposed project, and about an upcoming Urban Land Institute panel to help towns plot the future
Federal officials last week adopted a new policy on evaluating mass-transit funding applications, reducing the heavy emphasis on cost and ridership and giving more weight to the potential economic development benefits of transit projects. That could give a boost to the proposed 25-mile North Commuter Rail Line from Charlotte to Mooresville, says Carroll Gray, executive director of the Lake Norman Transportation Commission.
Mr. Gray talked Friday, Jan. 22, with DavidsonNews.net editor David Boraks about the rail project – now called the Red Line. He also gave a preview of the expert panel that Urban Land Institute is bringing to the area next week to help the towns evaluate their transportation options.
AN ‘ENCOURAGING’ CHANGE
The Cornelius resident and former head of the Charlotte Chamber, Mr. Gray is charged with helping the towns develop a unified voice on road and transit issues. The commission was formed last year by the towns of Davidson, Mooresville, Cornelius and Huntersville.
Last week’s announcement that the federal government will reduce its emphasis on cost and ridership gives local officials in north Mecklenburg and south Iredell new hope. Previous rules adopted under the Bush administration had made it impossible for the North Line to qualify for federal funding. The rules change is encouraging, Mr. Gray said, because it makes economic development a more important factor in federal funding decisions and that could help the Red Line.
“We think this is a very positive change for the Red Line because the economic impact of the commuter rail line in north Mecklenburg and south Iredell counties could be between 4 and 5 billion dollars in investment, and several thousand jobs that would be created,” Mr. Gray said. “However, if we don’t have that line, much of that investment wouldn’t happen.”
There’s still the problem of how to provide the local matching funds needed to build the line. Given the poor economic environment, Mr. Gray says it could be a decade before the Red Line gets built. That could change if local government revenues increase. For now, transit planners in Charlotte have decided to focus on development of the $1 billion-plus Northeast Line, from downtown Charlotte to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte area of Northeast Charlotte.
Can’t see the video above? Go directly to the Youtube version, 4:10, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeCOttVf9Bk
Urban Land Institute public events
The Mayors, Board of Commissioners, and Manager’s Offices of Charlotte, Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Mooresville, and Mecklenburg County will participate in an Urban Land Institute National Advisory Panel for the Lake Norman area. Public sessions include the following.
MONDAY, JAN. 25, 7-10 p.m., Peninsula Club, Cornelius – Lake Norman Transportation Commission/Urban Land Institute public reception and dinner to kick off the panel.
TUESDAY, JAN 26, 5-6 p.m. – 5 to 6 p.m., Homewood Suites, Griffith Street at I-77 Exit 30, Davidson – Public meeting with Urban Land Institute visiting experts.
FRIDAY, JAN. 29, 8:30 a.m., CPCC-North Campus, 11930 Verhoeff Drive, Huntersville – Presentation of the panel’s final report. Open to the public.
RELATED LINKS
Lake Norman Transportation Commission website, with information about the Urban Land Institute panel and other issues, www.lakenormantrans.org
Sept. 25, 2009, “CATS chief: 2006 transit plan ‘no longer feasible'”
Previous coverage of the North Commuter Rail Line on DavidsonNews.net, under the North Commuter Rail Line category.
Carroll Gray of Lake Norman Transportation Commission. (David Boraks photo)
