Sen. Lowe files bill in North Carolina Senate for Piedmont Triad commuter rail study

A new bill filed by State Sen. Paul A. Lowe, Jr. seeks to direct the Department of Transportation to evaluate the cost and feasibility of a commuter rail service in the Piedmont Triad region, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 243 on March 5 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Commuter Rail Study/Piedmont Triad.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates the North Carolina Department of Transportation to study the cost and feasibility of implementing a commuter rail service connecting dense population centers in the Piedmont Triad. The study will include population and development growth projections through 2050 and will feature a phased construction plan prioritizing routes with projected highest ridership. It will analyze potential routes between Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point, estimate daily ridership, assess annual operational costs, calculate land acquisition costs, and recommend an entity to manage the service. The department must report findings and recommendations by Dec. 29, 2025. The study is funded with $100,000 from the Highway Fund for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The act is effective July 1, 2025, and expires Dec. 29, 2025.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Lowe proposed the most bills (10) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Lowe graduated from Bishop College in 1985 with a BA and again from Drew University School of Theology with a DMIN.

Lowe, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2015 to represent the state’s 32nd Senate district, replacing previous state senator Earline Parmon.