An act TO study how to improve Transportation in The Piedmont TRIAD.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  The North Carolina Department of Transportation (Department) shall study the cost and potential economic benefits of a commuter rail service linking dense population centers in the North Carolina Piedmont Triad, and shall include the cities of Winston‑Salem, High Point, and Greensboro and encompass the counties of Forsyth and Guilford. The study shall also evaluate additional transportation options beyond rail and shall incorporate population and development growth projections through the year 2050. The study shall, at a minimum, include all of the following:

(1)        Governance & Implementation Structure.

a.         Evaluate the feasibility of establishing a regional transit authority to coordinate transportation across the Triad.

b.         Consider an authority that would integrate both rail and bus systems into a single, connected network.

c.         Include a review of the potential governance structure and representation across participating counties.

(2)        Mode Flexibility.

a.         Evaluate additional transportation options beyond commuter rail, including.

1.         Bus rapid transit (BRT).

2.         Regional bus systems.

3.         Roadway expansion and congestion mitigation projects.

b.         Direct the Department to determine the most effective mix of modes based on cost, ridership, and feasibility.

(3)        Funding and Financing.

a.         Include analysis of funding options across all modes, including local, State, and federal sources.

b.         Evaluate potential regional funding mechanisms and cost‑sharing approaches.

(4)        Economic and Land Use Considerations

a.         Include study of land and right‑of‑way needs for roadway expansion and bus infrastructure.

b.         Provide cost estimates for acquiring necessary property and access rights across all modes.

SECTION 2.  No later than December 29, 2026, the Department shall report to the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Senate Appropriations Committee on the Department of Transportation, Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee (JLTOC), and the Fiscal Research Division on the results of the study and any recommendations for implementation.

SECTION 3.  There is appropriated from the Highway Fund to the Department of Transportation the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2026‑2027 fiscal year to be used by the Department for this study.

SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2026, and expires on December 29, 2026.