(1) Increased use ofrail for transport of freight will reduce highway congestion as well as alloweconomic expansion in a way that lessens the impact on the State highwaysystem.
(2) Public transportation,in addition to a program of urban loops and toll roads, will enable NorthCarolina to have a balanced 21st century transportation system.
(3) As part of itsinitial program of internal improvements, the State capitalized the NorthCarolina Railroad in the 1840s and invested in other railroads, and thoseinternal improvements led to North Carolina's rapid economic development. TheNorth Carolina Railroad, with a 317‑mile corridor from Charlotte toMorehead City, is still owned by the State.
(4) Improved railfacilities and restoration of abandoned rail lines can allow increased accessto the North Carolina State ports and military installations located within theState.
(5) Session Law 2005‑222found that expanding and upgrading passenger, freight, commuter, and short‑linerail service is important to the economy of North Carolina; and provided thatthe State would seek to provide matching funds partly so it can leverage themaximum federal and private participation to fund needed rail initiatives, suchas the restoration of the rail corridor from Wallace to Castle Hayne and a railconnection between north‑south and east‑west routes in the vicinityof Pembroke.
(6) Rail freight plays avital role in economic development throughout the State. Intermodal servicedepends on partnerships with railroads, trucking companies, seaports, andothers in the transportation logistics chain. North Carolina has 3,250 mainlinemiles of track, with Class I railroads holding seventy‑nine percent (79%)of the trackage rights, the remainder controlled by local railroads andswitching and terminal railroads. The 2006 Mid‑Cycle Update to the NorthCarolina Statewide Intermodal Transportation Plan identified seven hundredninety‑nine million dollars ($799,000,000) in freight rail needs over thenext 25 years, including maintenance and preservation, modernization, andexpansion.
(7) North Carolina'sshort‑line railroads play a key role in the State's economic developmentand transportation service and are needed to provide essential services toother modes of transportation and the North Carolina port system. NorthCarolina agriculture is dependent upon essential service by short‑linerailroads. State funds are needed to maintain short‑line railroads asviable contributors to economic development, agriculture, and transportation inthis State in order to prevent the loss of regional rail service. TheDepartment of Transportation reported that 44,992 rail cars handled by short‑lineskept 179,688 trucks off North Carolina highways. Short‑line railroads areessential to preserve and develop jobs in rural and small urban areas of NorthCarolina.
(8) Intermodalfacilities and inland ports can greatly reduce freight traffic on NorthCarolina's highway system, reducing demand, congestion, and damage.
(9) The proposed NorthCarolina International Terminal will need high‑capacity intermodalaccess.
(10) Most of NorthCarolina's growth is in its urban regions. According to the State Data Center,during the first decade of the 21st century, sixty‑six percent(66%) of the projected 1,270,000 growth in population is in 15 urban countiessurrounding Charlotte, Raleigh, and the Triad, while forty percent (40%) is injust six counties: Mecklenburg, Wake, Durham, Orange, Forsyth, and Guilford.
(11) This large urbanpopulation growth greatly taxes resources. Despite the visionary creation ofthe Highway Trust Fund by the 1989 General Assembly and the funding of urbanloop highways, congestion continues to worsen. Creation of a special fund tohelp meet urban transportation needs with alternatives such as rail transit andbuses, coupled with land‑use planning, will spur and guide economicdevelopment in a more economically and environmentally sound manner. Investmentin public transportation facilitates economic opportunity to the State throughjob creation, access to employment, and residential and commercial development.Public transportation also protects the public health by decreasing airpollution and reducing carbon emissions. It reduces traffic congestion, roadexpenditures, public and private parking costs, and the number of trafficaccidents. Charlotte's recent success in opening the first phase of its lightrail system, with ridership significantly over projections, shows that NorthCarolinians are willing to use transportation alternatives.
(12) Significant localrevenues are needed to match State funds so that a major portion of theexpenses is borne by the localities receiving the majority of the benefits. Alocal option sales tax for public transportation was approved by a fifty‑eightpercent (58%) favorable vote in Mecklenburg County in 1998 and reaffirmed by aseventy percent (70%) favorable vote in 2007. Extending this authority toadditional jurisdictions, along with other revenue options, will enablelocalities to demonstrate local support for additional transit options.
(13) Surveys haveindicated broad public support for providing additional public transportationoptions and for allowing localities to generate revenue to match State grants. (2009‑527, s. 1.)
(1) Increased use ofrail for transport of freight will reduce highway congestion as well as alloweconomic expansion in a way that lessens the impact on the State highwaysystem.
(2) Public transportation,in addition to a program of urban loops and toll roads, will enable NorthCarolina to have a balanced 21st century transportation system.
(3) As part of itsinitial program of internal improvements, the State capitalized the NorthCarolina Railroad in the 1840s and invested in other railroads, and thoseinternal improvements led to North Carolina's rapid economic development. TheNorth Carolina Railroad, with a 317‑mile corridor from Charlotte toMorehead City, is still owned by the State.
(4) Improved railfacilities and restoration of abandoned rail lines can allow increased accessto the North Carolina State ports and military installations located within theState.
(5) Session Law 2005‑222found that expanding and upgrading passenger, freight, commuter, and short‑linerail service is important to the economy of North Carolina; and provided thatthe State would seek to provide matching funds partly so it can leverage themaximum federal and private participation to fund needed rail initiatives, suchas the restoration of the rail corridor from Wallace to Castle Hayne and a railconnection between north‑south and east‑west routes in the vicinityof Pembroke.
(6) Rail freight plays avital role in economic development throughout the State. Intermodal servicedepends on partnerships with railroads, trucking companies, seaports, andothers in the transportation logistics chain. North Carolina has 3,250 mainlinemiles of track, with Class I railroads holding seventy‑nine percent (79%)of the trackage rights, the remainder controlled by local railroads andswitching and terminal railroads. The 2006 Mid‑Cycle Update to the NorthCarolina Statewide Intermodal Transportation Plan identified seven hundredninety‑nine million dollars ($799,000,000) in freight rail needs over thenext 25 years, including maintenance and preservation, modernization, andexpansion.
(7) North Carolina'sshort‑line railroads play a key role in the State's economic developmentand transportation service and are needed to provide essential services toother modes of transportation and the North Carolina port system. NorthCarolina agriculture is dependent upon essential service by short‑linerailroads. State funds are needed to maintain short‑line railroads asviable contributors to economic development, agriculture, and transportation inthis State in order to prevent the loss of regional rail service. TheDepartment of Transportation reported that 44,992 rail cars handled by short‑lineskept 179,688 trucks off North Carolina highways. Short‑line railroads areessential to preserve and develop jobs in rural and small urban areas of NorthCarolina.
(8) Intermodalfacilities and inland ports can greatly reduce freight traffic on NorthCarolina's highway system, reducing demand, congestion, and damage.
(9) The proposed NorthCarolina International Terminal will need high‑capacity intermodalaccess.
(10) Most of NorthCarolina's growth is in its urban regions. According to the State Data Center,during the first decade of the 21st century, sixty‑six percent(66%) of the projected 1,270,000 growth in population is in 15 urban countiessurrounding Charlotte, Raleigh, and the Triad, while forty percent (40%) is injust six counties: Mecklenburg, Wake, Durham, Orange, Forsyth, and Guilford.
(11) This large urbanpopulation growth greatly taxes resources. Despite the visionary creation ofthe Highway Trust Fund by the 1989 General Assembly and the funding of urbanloop highways, congestion continues to worsen. Creation of a special fund tohelp meet urban transportation needs with alternatives such as rail transit andbuses, coupled with land‑use planning, will spur and guide economicdevelopment in a more economically and environmentally sound manner. Investmentin public transportation facilitates economic opportunity to the State throughjob creation, access to employment, and residential and commercial development.Public transportation also protects the public health by decreasing airpollution and reducing carbon emissions. It reduces traffic congestion, roadexpenditures, public and private parking costs, and the number of trafficaccidents. Charlotte's recent success in opening the first phase of its lightrail system, with ridership significantly over projections, shows that NorthCarolinians are willing to use transportation alternatives.
(12) Significant localrevenues are needed to match State funds so that a major portion of theexpenses is borne by the localities receiving the majority of the benefits. Alocal option sales tax for public transportation was approved by a fifty‑eightpercent (58%) favorable vote in Mecklenburg County in 1998 and reaffirmed by aseventy percent (70%) favorable vote in 2007. Extending this authority toadditional jurisdictions, along with other revenue options, will enablelocalities to demonstrate local support for additional transit options.
(13) Surveys haveindicated broad public support for providing additional public transportationoptions and for allowing localities to generate revenue to match State grants. (2009‑527, s. 1.)
(1) Increased use ofrail for transport of freight will reduce highway congestion as well as alloweconomic expansion in a way that lessens the impact on the State highwaysystem.
(2) Public transportation,in addition to a program of urban loops and toll roads, will enable NorthCarolina to have a balanced 21st century transportation system.
(3) As part of itsinitial program of internal improvements, the State capitalized the NorthCarolina Railroad in the 1840s and invested in other railroads, and thoseinternal improvements led to North Carolina's rapid economic development. TheNorth Carolina Railroad, with a 317‑mile corridor from Charlotte toMorehead City, is still owned by the State.
(4) Improved railfacilities and restoration of abandoned rail lines can allow increased accessto the North Carolina State ports and military installations located within theState.
(5) Session Law 2005‑222found that expanding and upgrading passenger, freight, commuter, and short‑linerail service is important to the economy of North Carolina; and provided thatthe State would seek to provide matching funds partly so it can leverage themaximum federal and private participation to fund needed rail initiatives, suchas the restoration of the rail corridor from Wallace to Castle Hayne and a railconnection between north‑south and east‑west routes in the vicinityof Pembroke.
(6) Rail freight plays avital role in economic development throughout the State. Intermodal servicedepends on partnerships with railroads, trucking companies, seaports, andothers in the transportation logistics chain. North Carolina has 3,250 mainlinemiles of track, with Class I railroads holding seventy‑nine percent (79%)of the trackage rights, the remainder controlled by local railroads andswitching and terminal railroads. The 2006 Mid‑Cycle Update to the NorthCarolina Statewide Intermodal Transportation Plan identified seven hundredninety‑nine million dollars ($799,000,000) in freight rail needs over thenext 25 years, including maintenance and preservation, modernization, andexpansion.
(7) North Carolina'sshort‑line railroads play a key role in the State's economic developmentand transportation service and are needed to provide essential services toother modes of transportation and the North Carolina port system. NorthCarolina agriculture is dependent upon essential service by short‑linerailroads. State funds are needed to maintain short‑line railroads asviable contributors to economic development, agriculture, and transportation inthis State in order to prevent the loss of regional rail service. TheDepartment of Transportation reported that 44,992 rail cars handled by short‑lineskept 179,688 trucks off North Carolina highways. Short‑line railroads areessential to preserve and develop jobs in rural and small urban areas of NorthCarolina.
(8) Intermodalfacilities and inland ports can greatly reduce freight traffic on NorthCarolina's highway system, reducing demand, congestion, and damage.
(9) The proposed NorthCarolina International Terminal will need high‑capacity intermodalaccess.
(10) Most of NorthCarolina's growth is in its urban regions. According to the State Data Center,during the first decade of the 21st century, sixty‑six percent(66%) of the projected 1,270,000 growth in population is in 15 urban countiessurrounding Charlotte, Raleigh, and the Triad, while forty percent (40%) is injust six counties: Mecklenburg, Wake, Durham, Orange, Forsyth, and Guilford.
(11) This large urbanpopulation growth greatly taxes resources. Despite the visionary creation ofthe Highway Trust Fund by the 1989 General Assembly and the funding of urbanloop highways, congestion continues to worsen. Creation of a special fund tohelp meet urban transportation needs with alternatives such as rail transit andbuses, coupled with land‑use planning, will spur and guide economicdevelopment in a more economically and environmentally sound manner. Investmentin public transportation facilitates economic opportunity to the State throughjob creation, access to employment, and residential and commercial development.Public transportation also protects the public health by decreasing airpollution and reducing carbon emissions. It reduces traffic congestion, roadexpenditures, public and private parking costs, and the number of trafficaccidents. Charlotte's recent success in opening the first phase of its lightrail system, with ridership significantly over projections, shows that NorthCarolinians are willing to use transportation alternatives.
(12) Significant localrevenues are needed to match State funds so that a major portion of theexpenses is borne by the localities receiving the majority of the benefits. Alocal option sales tax for public transportation was approved by a fifty‑eightpercent (58%) favorable vote in Mecklenburg County in 1998 and reaffirmed by aseventy percent (70%) favorable vote in 2007. Extending this authority toadditional jurisdictions, along with other revenue options, will enablelocalities to demonstrate local support for additional transit options.
(13) Surveys haveindicated broad public support for providing additional public transportationoptions and for allowing localities to generate revenue to match State grants. (2009‑527, s. 1.)
