Seaboard Fellow

I believe an Interstate upgrade to US 421 makes sense. In my opinion the creation of another spur would further add to motorist confusion in and around Guilford County. Unfortunately the politicians will not identify this issue. The I-74 designation should be decommissioned in NC. It will never connect to the existing I-74 in Cincinnati, I-74’s routing via US 220 is redundant to I-73’s planned route, and the multiplex with US 74 is confusing for motorists. An I-79 designation should be used instead. I-79 fits within the grid and can easily connect with the existing I-79 in WV via a multiplex with I-77. In North Carolina I-79 would follow I-74’s routing to Business 40/US 421 then follow US 421/NC 87 to Fayetteville/I-95. This interstate would enhance the profile of the Chatham County Megasites and provide a viable alternative to I-40 through the Triangle. I-79 would provide a direct route between Pittsburgh, the Triad and Southeastern NC Beaches (especially if I-79 was routed along an upgraded US 19 out of Beckley which would provide many benefits to WV tourism and reduce congestion on that dangerous stretch of the WV TPKE). Existing US 74 between Asheville and Wilmington should be I-3X to provide Charlotte with a true east/west interstate route to Wilmington. The existing I-74 between Winston-Salem and Randleman should be receive a 3 digit interstate designation. If a tollway was constructed between Sanford and Spring Lake this highway could be completed within 10-15 years. Who am I kidding though? I’d bet my paycheck that this new freeway ends up being a 100+ mile I-895.

Being an NC native (Graham) that now resides in Wawa Country, I’ve always been amazed that Wawa has not followed Sheetz into the North Carolina market. Anecdotally I would say people generally prefer Wawa over Sheetz where their markets overlap. Undoubtedly Wawa would be a major success in NC. I’ve also wondered similar things about Biscuitville, and why it hasn’t expanded into Metro Richmond for the same reasons.... Damn I miss Biscuitville.

Good catch @Jones_ . That would be a great spot for a commuter rail station if this project along with the Seaboard Station redevelopment happens.

Yes, 23’ vertical clearance above the top of rail. This is an important intermodal line, with more growth expected in the near term.

CSX would not be opposed to any form of grade separation at this location as long as it meets CSX design standards. -CSX Guy

Red pavement markings for BRT may become a new standard when the new MUTCD is released. Hopefully this improves driver behavior in and around BRT lanes.

The Phillip Morris site is the best site for an auto manufacturing plant out of the NC mega sites. It has the best combination of high capacity rail (NS/NCRR Main) and highway access (recently widened I-85). Unfortunately the other States have established supply chains to support auto manufacturing. I think Michigan has the best chance to land this based upon the reasons listed in the article, including the potential use of the now defunct Buick City site. I hate that Auto Manufacturers use NC as a stalking horse to maximize incentive offers elsewhere on an annual basis. I still hear about Mercedes Benz not coming to Mebane in the early 1990s when I visit my childhood home. This has been happening for a long time. I hope that I am wrong.

Fayetteville has a lot of development happening right now with the new ballpark that just opened, the recently renovated historic Prince Charles hotel and the new downtown Hyatt Place hotel. Every time I visit, most of the downtown bars and restaurants appear to be doing quite well.

Its amazing what lawmakers can accomplish when they work together. There is so much potential revenue that would come from relaxing alcohol laws in NC. At the very least last call, abc store hours of operation, open carry in special designated areas, etc should be up to each County like in GA.

Truliant to the rescue!

It might have been this Top Golf location currently under construction. https://topgolf.com/us/richmond/

I had an uber driver reference the late 70s hub a few weeks ago on a ride from the airport back home. On the other hand, I spoke with some folks who have been in Richmond their entire life, no one seemed to know anything about it. This appears to be a hard story to pin down.

I struggled to keep my wife out of that store when it first opened, she loved it so much. I agree Wegmans would do well in the Charlotte Metro. The Grocery Store war being waged in NC has been largely avoided in VA. The Food Lion/ Martins merger left a void in the Richmond area with several store closures that Publix has been able to fill. On another note, I always been curious as to why Harris Teeter doesn’t have a presence in the Richmond Metro while having locations to the north and east?

I really applaud the developers for pursuing this, the field next to Fulton Yard(CSX) that fronts Orleans Street is bisected by Richmond and Henrico. That has been an issue for many past prospective buyers. I always oftentimes wish for a bridge across the James River to Manchester & I-95 at this location. A bridge at this location would help to mitigate the traffic impact on Dock St and Main St. as this area continues to develop. Unfortunately I know it will never happen.

As someone who works at Fulton Yard for CSX, I couldn’t be more excited!

Great point, I would like to see a spur off of the Silver Line to Eastland via Albemarle Road. It would be a relatively short spur that provides a major positive impact on development and opportunity in East Charlotte. Ofcourse this spur would be in addition to South Park and Ballantyne connections via the Blue Line

It’s been a quite awhile since I’ve driven Central. You’re right, dedicated lanes aren’t an option. Since that’s the case, a better option for Central would be to serve that route with articulated busses (NC would have to change the law that prohibits them) improved bus stops, and pedestrian improvements. CATS could use the streetcar extension money to help fund a spur off of the Silver Line to Eastland via Albemarle Rd to provide East Charlotte with rail access.

I hope they’re able to incorporate segments of dedicated lanes to make the streetcar extension viable.

CityFair had an uncanny resemblance to The Landing in Jacksonville, FL which appears to be headed for a similar fate.

Looks like a damn good party to me!

NCDOT is making a huge mistake by not making a seamless connection from I-85 to the US 321 freeway section. Traffic flow and safety should be of importance to NCDOT. They should correct this mistake now rather than 20 years from now.

All identifiable High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV3+) vehicles with a HOV3+ NC Quick Pass transponder and at least three occupants are entitled to use the express lanes for free. I believe the only difference if my memory serves me correctly is the former HOV lane was HOV2+

I think it’s reasonable to be upset that a third free lane was not constructed between 485 and Mooresville for many of the reasons listed previously in this thread. This primary north-south interstate highway through one of the most populous counties in the southeastern US should have been widened to at least 6 lanes in the past, but that ship has sailed. If the shoulder lane option is ever utilized, that will be a fair compromise considering the past history of this project. The shoulder lane option during rush hour will essentially add a third free lane during the time of day that stretch of highway can best utilize it. Driver behavior will adjust to the new toll lanes, you’ll see an increase in carpooling, bussing, and people leaving earlier in the day to avoid the tolls or pay lower toll rates. If you want to know the future of the I-77 toll lanes look no further than the northern Virginia I-95 toll lanes. We Virginians can’t wait until they’re extended to Fredericksburg next year. Guaranteed travel times to the District are within reach, guaranteed travel times to Uptown will be equally appreciated in the future.

I love this site, I’ve often thought about the best routing from Charlotte to Asheville. I would be curious to see what the challenges are with following the NS line past Gastonia then following roughly 10 miles of new track on new location from just west of Bessemer City to the CSX line near Waco. From there this proposed route would follow the CSX line to Marion via Bostic Jct. There would be a connector track in the Marion area to the East-West NS line. From there this proposed passenger service would follow the NS line into Asheville.

As someone who’s lived in both Greensboro and Burlington the people I knew chose RDU as their second option. The ticket prices from RDU were always substantially cheaper. Also flying directly in and out of Charlotte tends to be more expensive than originating at PTI or RDU with a connection at one of the hubs. I do see a large potential airport market for commuter rail/regional rail.