John Woods

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

The lead spokesman for the Red Line Regional Rail Project said Tuesday that the contentious debate of recent weeks is “exactly what we want to see” as officials seek input and revise a business plan for the proposed $452 million rail line. John Woods, who is Davidson’s mayor and chair of the Red Line Task Force, also told a small gathering of reporters at Davidson Town Hall that outside analysis by people from other parts of the country is welcome, but final decisions about the project ultimately must be made by local leaders concerned how “to best enhance our community.”

Listen to Mr. Woods’s remarks and a Q&A with reporters below.

Read the full story

Mayor John Woods and the Davidson Board of Commissioners invite all Davidson residents to attend a community chat on Tuesday, Jan. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Ada Jenkins Center, 212 Gamble St. Read the full story

MI-Connection CEO David Auger gave a quarterly operations update Thursday.

MI-Connection Communications System completed its takeover of all the key technical and business operations of the local cable TV and internet network as scheduled Jan. 15, the system’s CEO said Thursday.

Chief executive David Auger told the MI-Connection board of directors at a Davidson Town Hall meeting that MI-Connection has set up a Network Operations Center (NOC) at its Mooresville headquarters – the final step in taking over day-to-day operations from Bristol Virginia Utilities. Read the full story

Consultant Mark Briggs explained the rail line financing plan Tuesday. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Davidson residents and elected officials at a public hearing on Tuesday quizzed consultants and offered their opinions about the proposed Red Line Regional Rail Project between Mooresville and Charlotte. Some wondered about plans to raise money through special tax districts, and about the business reasons for pitching the project as both a freight and commuter line. Others worried how the system might affect Davidson traffic and affordable housing.

About 50 people including town staff filled the Town Hall board room for the meeting. Speakers came from throughout town, and their questions and comments ranged from deep suspicion to support of the $452 million rail project. Read the full story

Updated Wednesday, 7:52 a.m.
By DAVID BORAKS
and CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
DavidsonNews.net

The Red Line Regional Rail Project is facing another major roadblock this week: Norfolk Southern Corp., which owns the tracks it would run on, is balking at the idea of commuter and freight rail operating on the same line.

In a meeting with N.C. Department of Transportation officials Jan. 11 – the first between the DOT and Norfolk Southern since planning for the rail was revived last year – company officials raised a long list of questions. And in a followup letter to the DOT’s top Red Line official, the company’s passenger policy director expressed “fundamental” concerns over the feasibility of the Red Line project. (See the text of the letter below.) Read the full story

Davidson’s Town Board on Tuesday will devote its monthly work session to a presentation and public hearing on the proposed financial plan for Red Line Regional Rail Project. The Red Line also is the topic of a Lake Norman Chamber Focus Friday issues session Friday morning in Cornelius. And also this week, there’s a MI-Connection board of directors meeting Thursday.

Meanwhile, a planned meeting of the Cornelius Rail Task Force that had been scheduled Thursday has been canceled. Read the full story

The Iredell County Commission’s vote Tuesday withholding support for the proposed Red Line Regional Rail Project came after nearly an hour of questions and discussion among commissioners. We offer audio replays of main comments from commissioners, as well as a reaction to the vote by John Woods, Davidson’s mayor and chair of the Metropolitan Transit Commission’s Red Line Task Force. Read the full story

Iredell County Commission Chair Steve Johnson speaks during Tuesday's meeting. (Christina Ritchie Rogers/DavidsonNews.net)

By CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
and DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

STATESVILLE – Iredell County commissioners stopped short of killing the Red Line Regional Rail Project Tuesday night, though they may have only delayed the inevitable. In a 5-0 vote, commissioners approved a statement saying they would not support the project unless concerns about financing plans and future development are addressed. Read the full story