Iredell County has said no to CATS for the final time. County commissioners turned down a chance to spend $1.2 million upfront and at least $100,000 a year in operating expenses in order to help pay for CATS’ North corridor commuter rail line. In exchange for the money, CATS would’ve run the train into Iredell.
CATS badly wanted to reach the Lowes corporate headquarters and its 15,000 workers with its North line. Now CATS must turn to cobbling together funding for the $250 million Meck-only line with the prospect of federal funding for the line unlikely due to low ridership projections. The feds paid for almost half of the cost of the $463 million (last official CATS number) South Blvd. light rail line.
More on this as developments merit.
