Governor McCrory Announces $25 Million Grant For Charlotte Gateway Station | Eastern North Carolina Now

 Raleigh, N.C.     Governor Pat McCrory announced that North Carolina has secured a $25 million grant for the Charlotte Gateway Station project, a vital passenger rail connection for our state.

 "This announcement is fantastic news for the Charlotte region and our state," Governor McCrory said. "As mayor of Charlotte, this station was a major part of our 25-year transportation vision and served as an important recruiting tool to attract Johnson and Wales University, which helped revitalize the Trade Street corridor in Charlotte."

 The N.C. Department of Transportation obtained the grant, part of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) discretionary program, to expand transit options for North Carolinians. NCDOT is partnering with the City of Charlotte to plan, design and build the Gateway Station.

 The transit center will be a multi-modal facility in the downtown Charlotte area, connecting passenger rail services to local rail, local and regional buses and inter-city buses to improve connectivity throughout the region.

 "This is a significant step forward for better connections and more transportation choices for our workforce," Governor McCrory said. "We know companies want to locate where it's easy to move people and products and where their employees can enjoy a greater quality of life, which includes access to transit."

 The 2015 TIGER grant will be used to fund the design and construction of critical track and safety work, laying the foundation for the future transit center and improving planned freight operations. In 2014, NCDOT secured a $200,000 TIGER grant to develop transit options along the Piedmont corridor, including projects such as the Charlotte Gateway Station.

 "We are committed to improving and expanding transportation in North Carolina, and Charlotte Gateway Station is a prime example of that commitment," said NCDOT Secretary Nick Tennyson. "This grant is the result of careful planning and cooperation between N.C. Transportation and the City of Charlotte to provide for the city's future public transportation needs."

 Visit http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/cats/planning/facilities/gatewaystation/Pages/default.aspx for more information about the project.

• Contact: Crystal Feldman
•     govpress@nc.gov