Iredell County commuters to Charlotte know that rush-hour congestion on I-77 can slow traffic to a snail’s pace. Some advocate commuter rail as a solution. Iredell County is being asked to fund part of the cost of extending Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) rail service to Mount Mourne and Mooresville.

Speaking to a recent meeting of the Iredell Republican Men’s Club, County Commissioner Steve Johnson said that county participation in the rail project would be very costly to local taxpayers.

The South Corridor of the CATS project was originally estimated to cost $227 million. The figure has now risen to $509 million, Johnson noted. Rail supporters have estimated the cost of a line from Charlotte to South Iredell at $190 million, but at the national average cost per mile, the project would total $389 million. Thus far, CATS’ costs per mile has exceeded the national average.

Johnson said that, at this point, it is not clear how much it would cost the county to participate in the project, but the total is certain to be tens of millions of dollars. In addition to funding part of the cost of constructing the railway, local taxpayers would pay to build the stations and operate the system within the county.

Rail supporters have suggested a property tax increase, an additional half-cent sales tax, or an increase in license tag fees as options for financing the project.

Commuter rail would do little to alleviate traffic congestion, Johnson asserted. Many commuters support light rail because they believe others would ride the train, thereby reducing highway congestion. But when asked, few say they would ride the train themselves.

Johnson said that, based on some projections of the number of users, it would be cheaper to buy each passenger a new Chevrolet Suburban than to build a commuter rail system. In some cities, high-density residential development near the stations has actually made traffic congestion worse.

In the coming months, Johnson expects rail supporters to vigorously lobby the commissioners for county funding.