The Lake Norman Transportation Commission, which includes representatives from area towns, will hold its monthly meeting Wednesday, 6 :30 p.m., at Huntersville Town Hall.

The agenda includes discussion of the organization’s name, a presentation by Huntersville transportation planner Bill Coxe on “Comprehensive Transportation Planning,” committee updates, and updates from the director on Red Line and I-77 widening. Read the full story

John Woods

John Woods is chair of the Metropolitan Transit Commission’s Red Line Task Force and mayor of Davidson.

By JOHN WOODS

Everyone, please take a deep breath! There has been a great deal of discussion, and misinformation, regarding the Red Line Regional Rail Project, and I would like to set the record straight on several issues.

Let’s first remember that we are not debating whether to implement the Red Line. We are instead working together on how and when to bring this project to life. Our communities have twice voted in support of transit, and our citizens continue to voice their support for bringing passenger rail to the North Corridor. So now we are doing the hard work: Figuring out the details of how to fund this initiative and make it a reality. Read the full story

Davidson Democrats in both local precincts, 127 and 206, will hold meetings on Tuesday night. The meetings are open to registered Democrats. Here are the details: Read the full story

Dr. Donald Copeland, Troy Stafford and Robby Benton all signed up to run for the Republican nomination for the new state Senate District 41 seat as candidate filing wrapped up Wednesday. They’ll be squaring off in a May primary against the two previously declared candidates: Cornelius Mayor Jeff Tarte and Huntersville business owner John Aneralla. Read more on our ELECTION 2012 page.

Precinct 127 will hold its annual precinct meeting March 6 in the fellowship hall of Hopewell Baptist Church, 18841 Davidson-Concord Road, in Davidson.

At the meeting, that begins at 6:30 p.m., the group will elect a vice president and delegates to the April 14 county convention. Those delegates also may represent the party at  the 2012 National Convention, party chair Gary Davis said.

Davidson’s Town Board has meetings Monday and Tuesday nights this week, in part to look at planning issues. On Monday night, the commissioners hold a joint session with the Planning Board to review a proposal for a multistory retirement housing project off I-77 Exit 30. Then on Tuesday, it’s the board’s monthly work session, with presentations about the downtown rail station area plan and town Economic Development Strategic Plan. Read the full story

By CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
DavidsonNews.net

CHARLOTTE – The Red Line Task Force is looking to extend the deadline it set for reviewing plans for a commuter rail line north of Charlotte to give local governments, the state, Charlotte Area Transit System and Norfolk Southern Corp. more time to analyze financial and operational assumptions.

The task force had hoped to get feedback from the seven local governments along the line, CATS and the N.C. Department of Transportation by the end of March. The plan then would be revised and sent to back local governments for approval in June. But recent feedback from Norfolk Southern Corp., which owns the tracks between Charlotte and Mooresville, has thrown a wrench in the original plans. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS and CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
DavidsonNews.net

Updated 5:18 p.m.
Norfolk Southern Corp. has taken another big swipe at the proposed Red Line Regional Rail Project, saying in a letter to the N.C. Department of Transportation Tuesday that while the company “stands ready to study” the project, it believes the current plan to bring commuter rail to the Lake Norman area is “fatally flawed” and based on outdated assumptions. Read the full story