Red Line Will Stall Without Iredell

Iredell County Commissioners are expected to vote "no" on a proposed commuter rail line that would connect the southern part of that county with downtown Charlotte. Iredell is one of seven governments that would be involved in the Red Line Regional Rail project. If the commission votes against it, then the project could fail. Commission chair Steve Johnson says that he feels like the proposal is seriously flawed from a business standpoint. "If we just hold the vote, and we vote 'no'-which I believe we will-then from what I understand, that kills the project," he says. "And then maybe they'll wake up and smell the bacon and start answering some tough questions." Davidson mayor John Woods, who also serves as chairman of the Red Line Task Force, says that if Iredell votes "no" now, then they are faced with a real dilemma as to how to proceed. "Well, it's certainly a major roadblock to what would be a major effort in regional cooperation," says Woods. "And it would push us back significantly in the sense that we would have to rethink the entire plan." The Iredell County Commission board will meet Tuesday night at 7 to vote on the matter.