— A plan to bring light rail to Durham and Orange counties appears stalled because Duke University and North Carolina Railroad said Wednesday that they will not meet a Feb. 28 deadline to sign agreements with GoTriangle to work together on the multi-billion dollar mass transit project.

The move by Duke could mean the project is dead — for now — because it has to donate land where the light rail train would cross its campus.

The decisions from NCRR and Duke were both disappointing to GoTriangle administrators, but Ellen Reckhow, chair of the GoTriangle Board of Trustees, said the Duke decision to reject the cooperative agreement was particularly devastating.

In a letter delivered to GoTriangle and signed by Duke University President Vincent Price, Executive Vice President Tallman Trask and Chancellor for Health Affairs Eugene Washington wrote in part that, "it has unfortunately not been possible to complete the extensive and detailed due diligence, by the deadlines imposed by the federal and state governments, that is required to satisfy Duke University’s, legal, ethical and fiduciary responsibilities to ensure the safety of patients, the integrity of research, and continuity of our operations and activities. "

Another letter delivered Wednesday to GoTriangle from NCRR Chairman Michael Walters and President Scott Saylor said before the agency can sign a lease agreement for the project, GoTriangle has to resolve other issues, including, " (1) the lease fee; (2) the performance guaranty payment provisions; (3) indemnification; and (4) engineering plans."

Reckhow called Duke's decision a major setback, but not the end of the line for the project.

"We're assessing whether we have the time. The problem we have is time constraints to meet the FTA application, get it in on time and get it processed," she said.

The light rail line proposal calls for erecting 18 miles of light rail tracks from UNC Hospitals in the west to the campus of North Carolina Central University in the east, with 12 proposed stops along the way. But for the line to become reality, Duke University would need to donate land where the line would cross its campus.

GoTriangle officials suggested in a written statement that the project's future could be in doubt.

"This is a major setback for the Durham and Orange county communities and the entire Triangle region," the statement said. "GoTriangle will work with the elected officials in Durham and Orange counties and the Federal Transit Administration to assess all available options and decide upon a course of action."

In an email to WRAL News, Durham Mayor Stevel Schewel called Duke's decision a "body blow to the light rail and to our community."

Duke officials said they have previously expressed concerns about the project's impact, including road closures that were needed to accommodate the project.

But GoTriangle officials told WRAL News earlier this week that university officials did not express their current concerns until last November.

And a report released Tuesday by GoTriangle appears to place a large part of the blame on Duke for project delays.

Sen. Floyd McKissick Jr. represents Durham and wondered Wednesday night why Duke waited until now, after more than a year of intense planning and negotiations, go raise concerns.

"It's certainly a reason to be not so optimistic at this time," he said. "I think there's still an opportunity to salvage the project. I'm hoping that Duke, and of course the Transit Authority, can continue working together aggressively to see if things can be addressed in a timely way."

The light rail project, estimated to cost at least $2.5 billion, is on a tight schedule and officials have a goal to identify all local and federal funds by next fall in order to accommodate a ground breaking that would occur sometime in 2020.

GoTriangle and several Durham city leaders believe the light rail project, if it becomes a reality, could help transport the city's neediest residents to areas where they could find jobs and other economic opportunities.

"If anything is going to help people get around more easily and parking is better, situations are better, I think it should be supported," Durham resident Lionel Nelson said.

On Monday, officials from North Carolina Central University, Durham Tech President Bill Ingram and Durham Housing Authority CEO Anthony Scott held a press conference to express support for the light rail plan.