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HARRISBURG AREA LAND USE PLAN Rafi The existing Norfolk Southern Railway line bisects the planning area, running east - west and roughly parallel to NC -49 on the south side of the corridor. Established in the 1850s, this line is a major freight route that serves industrial sites in Harrisburg. The 200 -foot wide right -of -way is owned by the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR), which leases the corridor to Norfolk Southern Railway. This line is also utilized for passenger service. The NCDOT Rail Division works with local communities and host railroads to facilitate passenger rail service within the state and to destinations outside of North Carolina. The Piedmont is a daily passenger service between Charlotte and Raleigh. Another daily passenger route in this corridor is the Carolinian offering daily service to New York City from Charlotte. Both are operated by Amtrak. The Amtrak corridor is the topic of discussions among local leaders regarding commuter rail service. Officials representing the Harrisburg area are engaging their peers from Salisbury, Concord, and Charlotte in exploration of a heavy rail service that would operate at peak commuting hours. Paralleling Interstate Highway 85, the railroad directly links the cores of the three towns to Charlotte City Center, where a major multi -modal transit station is being discussed in concept. This line is a segment of the proposed high speed rail (HSR) corridor from Washington, D.C., to Atlanta. Improvements to accommodate high speed rail service in the future include realignment of some curves and double tracking, which are being studied now by NCDOT's Rail Division. The high speed rail /double rail improvements are planned to begin construction in 2012. Most of the double tracking can be accomplished within the existing right -of -way. Such improvements will allow for train speeds of 90 to 110 miles per hour. The current maximum speed is 70 miles per hour. While a HSR stop is not anticipated in Harrisburg, the number of trains and rate of speed will have an impact on the properties adjoining and in close proximity to the rail line. The greatest impact, however, will likely be to the circulation patterns. To safely move trains through Harrisburg at increased speeds and volumes, the following changes are under consideration during Plan development (July 2010): All five at -grade road crossings throughout the planning area will be closed. Three bridges will be constructed across the railroad, aligning with Caldwell Road, Roberta Road, and Blackwelder Road. Roberta Road will continue across NC -49, pick up a segment of School Circle, and intersect Stallings Road across the tracks. Blackwelder Road will link to Phar Mill Road. NC Rail will be constructing service roads to accommodate and service the private and public rail closings. Transit Presently, local transit options are limited in the study area. Cabarrus County Transportation Service (CCTS) provides a connection to Concord Mills via the Cabarrus Links service, which has a stop in Harrisburg's town center. This PART II: EXISTING CONDITIONS AUGUST 010 Attac ment number 1 G -1 Page 337