WSTB

Yeah, judging from the map, that area is pretty far outside the city limits. I'd just call that Davidson County, not Lexington. Still part of the Winston MSA, but definitely a further drive from the city.

Not sure exactly where this is located and cannot open the article. It’s near U.S. 64 but is it south or north of I 85 (north of hopefully)? Not sure what is meant by “between I 85 and NC 109” since NC 109 is perpendicular to I 85.

Anyway as an aside since NC 109 is marked for considerable upgrade, this announcement could add impetus for additional upgrade to Interstate standards, but I reckon it would have to be a 3-digit of I 40 since all 3-digit even numbers of I 85 in NC are taken with future I 885 in Durham and the newly announced I 685, which really should be a 3-digit of I 95 (U S. 421 but not slated for W-S; sold short again transportationally speaking). I 640 is available. A 3-digit of I 74 would be better but NC 109 does not interact with I 74.

I really wish the State would extend I-87 from Raleigh to Lexington, passing-through Chatham County, Asheboro, and following U.S. 64 to I-285. They could also create an I-287 from I-485 to I-87 in Asheboro, which would be good for the zoo and economic development in Randolph County. This would also create shortcuts not only to the zoo from the big cities, but also between Charlotte and Raleigh and between Asheville/Hickory/Statesville and Raleigh (the other way around for trips from Raleigh to Asheville). It can remove passing-through traffic from the Triad's big cities, too, helping with rush hour traffic and moving freight by truck. This would open a large amount of land, including in Davidson and Randolph counties, to development (without negative impacts on the Triad's big cities) and maybe the creation of future mega sites that are easily accessible by Interstate to all three consolidated statistical areas. It also makes use of I-87 (follows U.S. 64 in a small part of suburban Raleigh) which is short and doesn't seem to go much of anywhere. It could connect I-40, I-73, I-74, I-85, I-95, I-285, I-440, I-485, and I-685 (a major connecting Interstate). I would recommend running I-87 from I-40 in Mocksville to I-95 near Rocky Mount, with long-term plans to extend it to the coast.

All great ideas F&M. I 87 is scheduled to be extended to Norfolk eventually. I repeat this Interstate route should have been given a different signing because I 87 already exists in New York. The reasoning for this number here is noble but violates (NC is good at that) AASHTO rules - NC wanted I 87 since it will pass very close to Roanoke Island site of the famed Lost Colony established in 1587 (the first attempted colony there was 1585 but also failed).

Some great news! "Lexington lands 506-worker, $220-million rail car plant by Siemens Mobility" https://www.railwayage.com/news/for-sie ... annel=news

Wow! A $1.6 billion boost to Winston-Salem's GMP (Gross Metropolitan Product) from this. It is big news! There is talk of expansion space at 200 acres and this being the east coast version of their 65 acre Sacramento operations. I would like to know if this Lexington facility "could" expand to 2,500 jobs (they have 2,500 jobs at Sacramento) at some point, depending on east coast demand?

Lexington and Davidson County were bypassed by industrial development, because they didn't have ready-to-go sites. Now they have sites and are attracting big names in wood products, steel, and now passenger rail. The next Fortune 500 list could include a Davidson County company, which is something to watch this spring (when the list is released). I'm very excited for Lexington and Davidson County. They are on an upward trajectory. It will be interesting to see if it begins to moderate politically (turn from red to purple) in the next ten-to-fifteen years. Passenger rail and clean energy vehicles are "blue" (politically) industries and supporting your job can mean voting in the direction that grows your employer. If they can reach the same employment levels seen in Sacramento (wasn't guaranteed in the speeches), it could have a big impact on local politics. These projects will also increase the average wage for Davidson County and can bring more retail, restaurants, and development, in addition to raising the percentage of workers with 2-year and 4-year degrees.

Maybe, if these are made in the Triad, it could lead to more people supporting passenger rail locally? It's supporting local products the local community proudly makes. And this brings vehicle manufacturing to Winston-Salem's MSA. Rail vehicles used for passenger service. It's finally starting to feel like the Triad is waking-up again and actually competing with Charlotte and the Triangle. I heard someone, maybe it was Robin Team, saying something like this recently? With another big announcement on Monday at the Innovation Quarter, I do think we could see a big announcement there in the near future. Winston-Salem is solidifying itself as the world's leading center for regenerative medicine, as that industry begins to see growth.

Is this a scheduled announcement (3/13?), or was there an announcement this past Monday that I missed?

A senior-level Department of Defense scientist is moving to Winston-Salem to be a part of WFIRM. This person is very impressive and I'm surprised it didn't appear in any local news sources. I think I'm finally starting to believe regenerative medicine will be what many are saying and can bring something big to Winston-Salem. There seem to be noteworthy announcements every week or two, now. The only announcements we aren't seeing are regenerative medicine employers with 50+ or maybe 100+ jobs, which I think we will see in the very near future.

It does appear as if the Siemens Mobility facility "WILL" likely be expanded to over 1,000 workers in the next seven years, in other articles released today. Lexington will likely be their site to fill future expansion needs, since their other site is out-of-land for expansions and they bring-up the size of this site for future expansion. From what is being said, it wouldn't surprise me if the Lexington facility employed nearly 2,000 people in a few years and maybe became their main facility for this division. That isn't guaranteed to happen, but it appears to be a very real possibility. Even at the State-level this is being compared with the Boom and Toyota announcements. A very big win for Lexington, Davidson County, and the Winston-Salem MSA.

Great news for the Winston-Salem MSA. I am wondering if this could help revive use of the Winston-Salem Southbound line?

I've been reading some today about this announcement and it seems Ziehl-Abegg and Caterpillar both have divisions in the "rolling stock" segment. There may be some synergy with the Siemens move. I haven't uncovered anything specific, but it's interesting that they all participate in this business.