The movement of goods via truck, rail, and air is essential to the economy of North Carolina. As the greater Charlotte region has grown, its economy has become more diverse, and a growing population consumes an even wider range of goods and services. The movement of goods continues to be an essential building block of the region’s economic competitiveness. For the Charlotte region, freight mobility planning is critical to help the region’s planning organizations and leaders balance current and future demands for freight mobility, economic growth, and land development.

It is imperative that the Gaston-Cleveland-Lincoln Metropolitan Planning Organization (GCLMPO) take actions to strengthen the region’s freight transportation system to ensure that it provides safe, reliable and efficient freight mobility for our current needs as well as anticipated future needs.

Targeting future opportunities in key locations for developing freight related uses in these areas is important for capturing and accommodating the ongoing expansion needs in the region. By choosing to focus on development strategies that link priority freight assets with strategic land assets, and siting freight-generating industries in locations to reduce and/or mitigate negative impacts, the region will continue to attract quality job opportunities and business investment.

Improving the mobility and efficiency of freight operations will further develop and strengthen the region’s economic base and increase its global competitiveness. With the ongoing events of COVID-19 highlighting just how critical our nation’s supply chain is, it is imperative to increase mobility to developments that serve the United States’ manufacturing and supply chain industries.