2008/11/17 RESOLUTION RELATING TO NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD MCCULLERS INTERMODAL LOGISTICS & THE DEVELOP OF THE HC INTEGRATED LOGISTICS CTR LOCATED IN CHALYBEATE SPRINGS1 lnI0
Harnett
C 0 U N T Y
NORTH CAROLINA
www.harnett.org
A RESOLUTION OF THE HARNETT COUNTY COMMISSION RELATING TO
NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD, MCCULLERS INTERMODAL
LOGISTICS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HARNETT COUNTY
INTEGRATED LOGISTICS CENTER TO BE LOCATED IN CHALYBEATE
SPRINGS, HARNETT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA STATING SUPPORT FOR
A PUBLIC - PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE
HARNETT COUNTY INTERMODAL LOGISTICS CENTER IN ORDER TO
MEET NORTH CAROLINA'S CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS FOR THE
MOVEMENT OF FREIGHT AND PASSENGER RAIL AND VEHICULAR
TRAFFIC.
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Transportation ( NCDOT) is developing a
State Rail Plan that will address the present and future needs for rail in the State and provide a
strategy to address them; and
WHEREAS, the State Rail Plan will address commuter, intercity, higher speed and high speed rail
services as well as multimodal integration of rail with other modes of transportation; and
WHEREAS, the NCDOT has asked for public input on the needs, priorities and rail
improvements to be considered when developing the State Rail Plan; and
WHEREAS, the US401 (Norfolk Southern) rail corridor between Raleigh and
Fayetteville is home to a major National Security encampment (Fort Bragg); and
WHEREAS, the cities, towns and counties of the All America Defense Corridor have
experienced significant growth — both military, residential and commercial — and with it,
significant increases in highway traffic travel time for through - corridor trips; and
WHEREAS, the cities and counties along the Corridor expect significant needs for
transportation alternatives in light of growth, rising fuel prices, environmental concerns and
connectivity to the State Capital; and
WHEREAS, trains offer an environmental and energy efficiency at a level of safety unmatched by
other modes of transportation for both the movement of freight and people; and
WHEREAS, NCDOT studies of mobility alternatives and capacity enhancements have
included a passenger Vain service between Fayetteville -Fort Bragg and Raleigh -State Capital; and
WHEREAS, the relocation of more of the Federal Government's national security
activity from the Washington area into the All America Defense Corridor region, the activities of
the BRAC Task Force to develop economic synergies for the region, the rising cost of oil and the
environmental concerns brought on by carbon based emissions, have heightened the interest in
alternatives to the automobile and trucks; and
strong roots • new growth
WHEREAS, recognizing Harnett County and the All America Defense Corridor region
as an underserved market; and
WHEREAS, NCDOT has recommended that steps be taken to implement new High
Speed Rail Service from Raleigh to Washington be implemented "as soon as possible" — including
any capital improvements needed to the existing rail line and presently underused or inactive rail
right of way; and
WHEREAS, implementation of the All America Defense Corridor Rail Project will
result in overall safety, social, and environmental benefits, improve the quality of life in the state,
stimulate economic growth, create new employment opportunities, and serve as a positive growth
management catalyst; and
WHEREAS, the Harnett County Rail Project will become an integral part of central
North Carolina's balanced transportation system and with concurrent development of
improvements to roadways and transit, will greatly enhance the mobility of the traveling public and
freight movement; and
WHEREAS, the Harnett County portion of the All America Defense Corridor Rail
Project will support the efforts to accommodate the relocation of Forces Command and Reserve
Command from Atlanta to Fort Bragg and the increased traffic caused by the addition of more than
40,000 people which brings tremendous economic gains with higher paying jobs and increased
local spending to the region; and
WHEREAS, Harnett County is already home to a rail service provider known as
McCullers Intermodal Logistics located on a strategic one hundred acre site along the current most
direct freight rail route between Fort Bragg and the State Capital offering the most efficient rail
intermodal transportation alternative in support of North Carolina's efforts to attract companies to
the region; and
WHEREAS, the All America Defense Corridor through Harnett County proposes the
development of a seamless, efficient rail intermodal route from Atlantic Ocean gateways, opening
up a significant portion of central North Carolina currently excluded from international intermodal
markets, enhancing central North Carolina global market access, and connecting to existing
domestic and international distribution throughout the Nation, thereby strengthening the economic
vitality and improving the efficiency and capacity of North Carolina's and the nation's
transportation network; and
WHEREAS, the All America Defense Corridor will fundamentally alter the competitive position of
the ports of North Carolina, because intermodal containerized traffic between the ports and their
primary rail markets allow lower costs to accrue to shippers throughout the Nation as well as
Harnett County and the region, to the extent that they are favored by another competitive route for
the movement of their product, inbound and outbound; and
WHEREAS, much lower costs will accrue to shippers in central North Carolina, the Fort Bragg
region, and Harnett County, who today lack inexpensive access to intermodal freight options; and
WHEREAS, such facilities must be cleanly structured for ease of movement intemally, and they
must be well situated relative to other infrastructure, most critically, roadway connectors for which
Harnett County has the advantage of the McCullers Intermodal Logistics site adjacent to U.S.401;
and
WHEREAS, combining multiple market access with other economic development tools
will allow the region to leverage itself for the types of investment they today cannot easily attract
due to the higher cost of freight transportation; and
WHEREAS, the AADC - Harnett Rail Corridor will also benefit the traveling public and address
congestion by growing freight opportunities via rail instead of road, alleviating the magnitude of
higher highway maintenance costs and improving safety through less truck miles traveled on
existing infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the Rail Corridor will facilitate the diversion of freight from highways to rail, and
thereby achieve a better public outcome by providing for greater mobility for both motorists and
truck freight that cannot move by rail, reducing congestion, improving public safety, and providing
for freight movement which is environmentally beneficent and less expensive for shippers; and
WHEREAS, due to the overall cost of the projects associated with the All America
Defense - Harnett Rail Corridor, there is a recognition that this will require a public - private
partnership to bring to fruition; and
WHEREAS, ideally, that partnership should include support from federal funding
sources and the backing of the State of North Carolina, BRAC Regional Task Force, the
transportation, port and/or rail industry agencies of the state, Norfolk Southern Corporation,
McCullers Intermodal Logistics, the Airport Authority, and the specific localities best situated for
direct benefit (Harnett County);
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Harnett County Commission urges
the NCDOT to include enhanced rail intermodal freight and transload services and
passenger rail service for US401 (All America Defense Corridor) in the State Rail Plan,
specifically new daily direct service between Fayetteville and Washington, DC and on to New
York and Boston via Raleigh, as proposed by Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration and the
Southeast High Speed Rail supporters; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Harnett County Commission urges the North
Carolina Department of Transportation and the State Transportation Board to approve the addition
of the BRAC Regional Task Force recommendation of Fayetteville — Raleigh commuter rail and
Amtrak corridor service including funding needed for infrastructure investments to support new
passenger and freight service in the corridor; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Harnett County Commission urges the North
Carolina Department of Transportation and the State Transportation Board to approve the addition
of the Harnett County Intermodal Logistics Center and intermodal rail service to the State Rail Plan
including funding necessary for infrastructure investments to support new freight rail intermodal
transload service in the Corridor; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Harnett County Commission urges the North
Carolina Department of Transportation and the State Transportation Board to approve the addition
of the access road (Brown Street) for the Harnett County Intermodal Logistics Center to be
improved with State economic development and other appropriate funds meeting all state standards
and to be added to the State Highway System once improvements, including flashers and gates at
the highway /rail at -grade crossing, are complete; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Harnett County Commission recognizes the
importance of highway -rail at -grade crossing safety on the Raleigh - Fayetteville corridor and
commits to Norfolk Southern and the North Carolina Department of Transportation to make a best
effort to study and support the improvement of at -grade crossings along the corridor, including the
elimination of redundant and/or unsafe crossings, and will work with all parties to set specific goals
for this effort; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Harnett County Commission urges the
Governor, the Legislature, the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the State
Transportation Board to appoint the NCDOT Rail Division as the primary contact between Norfolk
Southern Railway Corporation and Harnett County — McCullers Intermodal Logistics to insure a
seamless development of the Harnett County Intermodal Logistics Center; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the increased use of rail for the movement of
freight in the All America Defense — Hamett County Rail Corridor will reduce air pollution,
dependence on fossil fuels and reduce traffic conflicts with passenger vehicles, that the
Commission has previously supported passenger alternatives including its participation in the
BRAC Regional Task Force "vision" for development of passenger rail service along an improved
Norfolk Southern direct route from Fayetteville to Raleigh, and in the interest of protecting and
promoting public health, safety and welfare strongly petitions for the development and promotion
of rail freight to further highway expansion construction through the development of the Harnett
County Intermodal Logistics Center.
Adopted this 17a' day of November, 2008.
KIM,, t- d4aclaad
Kay S. Blanchard
Clerk to the Board
HARNETT COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
% LXW &
T J. Byrd, Chairman