By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

CORNELIUS – Residents, businesspeople and local officials this week got a closeup look at several versions of a proposal to build high-occupancy toll lanes on I-77 to help relieve rush-hour congestion north of Charlotte.

At workshops in Cornelius Wednesday and Charlotte Thursday, NC Department of Transportation officials and consultants showed maps of the planned route and drawings of what toll lanes might look like. Read the full story

The Lake Norman Chamber will host a Focus Friday discussion this Friday morning, March 23, on the Red Line Regional Rail Project. Bill Thunberg, executive director of the Lake Norman Transportation Commission, and two property owners along the line – Bob McIntosh and Matt Gallagher – will be the featured speakers. Read the full story

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

By CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
and DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Commercial property owners along the proposed Red Line Regional Rail Project will be asked to make big up-front investments if area towns agree to move forward with the line, and some say that could make the project a tough sale.

To help pay for the commuter and freight rail line north of Charlotte, owners of commercial property in special districts around the tracks could begin paying extra taxes or fees years before rail service begins – and before they see any benefits. Read the full story

The Davidson Town Board’s meets Tuesday to say farewell to Commissioners Margo Williams and Tim Dreffer, who did not seek re-election, and to welcome the two men elected to fill their seats: Rodney Graham and Jim Fuller. Meanwhile, other public meetings this week include a Red Line rail line “summit” Tuesday in Mooresville, a MI-Connection board of directors meeting Thursday, and a public information session Thursday on the proposed Red Line commuter rail station off Jackson Street. Read the full story

By CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
DavidsonNews.net

CHARLOTTE – Consultants Wednesday night outlined a 5-year plan to build the Red Line Regional Rail, a 25-mile commuter train line from Charlotte to Mooresville, and to pay for the estimated $452 million project through a formal partnership among local governments, the state and Charlotte Area Transportation System.

Under the proposed plan, the partners would cooperate by setting up a Joint Powers Authority (JPA), which would govern construction and operation of the rail line. The plan calls for the sharing of construction and operations costs:  25 percent from CATS, 25 percent from the state of North Carolina, and 50 percent from local governments.

Wednesday’s presentation came at a joint meeting in Charlotte of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and its Red Line Task Force. It included an updated estimate of the project’s cost – $452 million in 2018 dollars, adjusted for inflation. That’s slightly lower than the $456 million number state and local officials had been using, based on previous estimates. Read the full story

Updated 5:52pm
By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Bill Thunberg, a former Mooresville mayor long active in regional affairs, is the new executive director at the Lake Norman Transportation Commission. Mr. Thunberg will take over Jan. 1 from Carroll Gray, who is stepping down after three years in the job.

Read the full story

Carroll Gray told members of the Lake Norman Transportation Commission Wednesday night he plans to step down as executive director at year’s end. The 71-year-old Cornelius resident helped launch and lead the regional lobbying group over the past three years. He told DavidsonNews.net he has mixed emotions about the decision, “but I think it’s time to move on.” Read the full story