City of Charlotte Southeastern Rail-Highway Safety Conference Collaborating for Success With Railroads Carolyn Flowers, CATS CEO November 7, 2012

City of Charlotte Transit Plan The Charlotte- Mecklenburg region approved a transit plan for each major corridor Current projects include the LYNX Blue Line Extension and Red Line Commuter Rail

City of Charlotte LYNX Blue Line Success! LYNX Blue Line ridership averaging 15,000 daily trips –Original projection: 9,100 by the end of the first year; 18,100 by 2025 –Vehicles often at capacity –1,100 space deck often full; Phase I surface lot expansion completed –Ordered 4 more LRVs Special Events $1.5 billion + in actual and proposed corridor development through 2011

City of Charlotte Railroads –North Carolina Railroad –NS Intermodal Yard –AMTRAK/High Speed Rail –NCDOT Rail Division (CRISP) –CSX NCDOT –North Tryon Street –Grade separations –Access needs UNC Charlotte –Charlotte Research Institute –Wetlands Tryon/Harris grade separation UNC Charlotte entrance grade separation Railroads & Stakeholders Norfolk Southern Intermodal Yard

City of Charlotte Partners May have different purposes: transporting goods; transporting people; ensuring safe rail system, etc. But….. Understanding the needs and desires of each party helps to find common goals.

City of Charlotte Coordination Regular scheduled meetings between CATS and NCRR Extensive design coordination with NCRR, NS, CATS and NCDOT –Agreement on LYNX Blue Line Extension alignment within NCRR Right-of-way –Agreement of location of Parkwood Station and alignment across 16 th Street –Development of future use of NS Intermodal Yard

City of Charlotte Railroads Charlotte Rail Improvements and Safety Project (CRISP) Sponsored by NCDOT Rail Division Plans for future rail needs (freight, high speed rail and transit) inside the corridor Project identified 3 freight tracks, and 2 high speed passenger tracks, in addition to the 2 light rail tracks NoDa N Tryon St. Davidson St. 36 th St. Sugar Creek Rd. Craighead Rd. LYNX BLE NS Freight High Speed Passenger Joint Passenger/Freight

City of Charlotte Railroads 36 th Street Station Station moved to NoDa side of freight tracks as part of CRISP Station will be located on bridge above (lowered) 36 th St. Station will have direct access from NoDa NS Freight High Speed Passenger LYNX BLE 36 th Street Grade Separation 36 th Street Station NoDa 36 th Street. Davidson Street.

City of Charlotte Norfolk-Southern Intermodal Yard City of Charlotte has negotiated the option to purchase property from Norfolk Southern Only trucking yard would move, not the rail yard BLE needs storage tracks and dispatch facility

City of Charlotte Norfolk-Southern Intermodal Yard Storage yard will house the additional light rail vehicles necessary for the LYNX BLE and future corridors Vehicle Storage Yard and Dispatch Facility 25 th Street Station

City of Charlotte Mutual Goals Sugar Creek Grade Separation 36 th Street Grade Separation Relocation of Intermodal Yard/Shared Property use Implementation of CRISP Continued funding of High Speed Rail Effective use of corridor

City of Charlotte Recent Success NCRR Master Agreement – Complete –Covers funding –Right-of-way use (Lease) –Construction, operation and maintenance NSR Right-of-entry Annual Agreement – Complete NSR Construction Agreement – Complete NSR Operation and Maintenance Agreement – Complete NSR Design Review – Complete NSR Intermodal Yard Option Agreement- Pending CSX Reimbursement Agreement – Complete CSX Design Review – Complete

City of Charlotte MilestoneDate State FFGA ExecutedMarch 2012 Request to Enter Final DesignMarch 2012 FTA Approval to Enter Final DesignJuly 2012 Federal FFGA SignedOctober 2012 Advanced Utility Relocation BeginsMay 2013 Right-of-Way Acquisition CompleteJanuary 2014 Complete Final DesignMay 2014 Start ConstructionNovember 2013 Initiate Revenue ServiceMarch 2017 BLE Milestone Schedule Schedule subject to change.

City of Charlotte Red Line About the project Commuter rail from Mooresville to Uptown Charlotte Along the Norfolk Southern “O” line Meeting with Norfolk Southern to conduct a rail capacity study Win –Address and respect the business needs of Norfolk Southern –Meetings can help highlight the benefits of the Red Line

City of Charlotte Steps for collaboration 1.Identify key decision makers and develop collaborative relationships 2.Identify mission and business needs 3.Communicate early in the process Success: Discover and implement solutions that are valuable for both parties Summary

City of Charlotte Questions