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3 <br /> Town —, <br /> of <br /> Hills.0 ! gh <br /> Since 1751 -,..., <br /> it:1994 Town oft Insbor utp �..,.�...,,� . <br /> June 8, 2016 <br /> President Pro Tempore Phil Berger <br /> North Carolina Senate <br /> 16 W Jones St, Room 2007 <br /> Raleigh,NC 27601-2808 <br /> RE: Senate Budget impact on Hillsborough Passenger Rail station <br /> Dear Mr. President: <br /> I'm writing to highlight and avert what may be an unintended negative consequence of an item in the <br /> senate budget(Sec.35.12) that addresses how transit services (specifically light rail) are to be well <br /> supported at the local and federal levels and limits the burden of financing rail infrastructure by the state. <br /> While aimed primarily at light rail services, it appears that this section would upend funding for an <br /> Amtrak station located in Hillsborough (STIP#P-5701). <br /> The current State TIP includes full funding to build a passenger rail station in Hillsborough adjacent to the <br /> existing rail infrastructure and served by Amtrak. Amtrak has assessed the stop location and determined it <br /> was cost effective for them to provide service in Hillsborough, if the station was provided. This will re- <br /> establish a missing link in intercity heavy rail service in the Carolina Crescent as well as allow <br /> connections to the national heavy rail network. This project operates adjacent to the existing corridor and <br /> doesn't trigger the need to expand capacity on the rail network or road network. <br /> Our citizens already drive to Burlington and Durham to access this existing commuter rail service, which <br /> is why we began the investigation for a station in town. Adding the station in Hillsborough makes it <br /> feasible for more residents to select this option and stop driving in the congested I-85 and I-40 corridors. <br /> This helps relieve pressure to widen these expensive facilities and takes advantage of existing capacity on <br /> the rail network. The Hillsborough station has remarkably widespread support from citizens of all <br /> political persuasions, and helps connect our more rural areas of county to the Triad, Triangle, and <br /> Charlotte as well as points in-between and beyond. This investment benefits the entire state, not just <br /> Hillsborough. <br /> The town acquired the property for the station to be built and funded the conceptual design to inform the <br /> environmental review of this project. Local funds are also committed through the local transit tax to this <br /> project. The support for this project has been constant, both verbally and financially, since the process <br /> was initiated in 2009, and is based on a non-political and empirical assessment of cost-benefits. The town, <br /> the North Carolina Rail Road, Amtrak, and NCDOT staff have all worked together to study the impacts <br /> and the best path forward. Station locations in Hillsborough and in Lexington complete a well-spaced and <br /> planned network of rail access points along the existing corridor in North Carolina in the most efficient <br /> and cost-effective manner, and contribute to an important multi-modal system of transportation important <br /> for all of North Carolina. <br /> 101 East Orange Street • P. O. Box 429 • Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 <br /> 919-732-1270 • Fax 919-644-2390 <br />