North Carolina would study transportation options in the Piedmont Triad

The North Carolina Department of Transportation would study commuter rail and other transportation options. The study would cover transportation linking population centers in the Piedmont Triad, including Winston-Salem, High Point, and Greensboro and encompassing Forsyth and Guilford counties. The study would compare costs, likely passenger use, and feasibility using population and development forecasts through 2050. It would examine a regional transit authority connecting rail and buses, funding sources, shared costs, and the cost of needed land and property access. The act would take effect July 1, 2026, and expire December 29, 2026. Officials would send findings and any recommendations to legislative transportation committees and fiscal staff by December 29, 2026.

The state would set aside $250,000 from the Highway Fund for the North Carolina Department of Transportation to conduct the study. The money would be used for this study. The one-time funding would be for the 2026–2027 fiscal year.