LYNX Rapid Transit Services
Encyclopedia
Lynx Rapid Transit Services (styled corporately as LYNX Rapid Transit Services) comprises a 9.6 miles (15.45 km) light rail
line serviced by the Charlotte Area Transit System
(CATS) in Charlotte
, North Carolina
, United States
. It commenced service on November 24, 2007, and runs through Uptown
and South End
, before paralleling South Boulevard to its southern terminus just north of Interstate 485
at the Pineville
city limits. There are 15 stations in the system, which carries an average of over 15,400 passenger trips every day. Despite the name, LYNX is a light rail, not a rapid transit
service.
A Charlotte light rail system was initially proposed in the mid-1980s, with Mecklenburg voters approving a one-half cent sales tax to finance its construction in 1998. The construction of Lynx resulted in controversy regarding its costs and benefits with an unsuccessful 2007 referendum to repeal the transit tax. Presently, future expansion includes plans for light rail
, commuter rail, streetcars and bus rapid transit
along the five corridors in the 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan adopted in 2006 by Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC). Build-out of the entire system is presently estimated for completion by 2034.
. One strategy was the construction of light rail to encourage new businesses and housing along its corridor. In 1984, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission made its first recommendation for a light rail line connecting Uptown Charlotte with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
(UNCC) as part of the community's 2005 Vision Plan. In response to this recommendation, mayor Harvey Gantt
sought $50,000 from the city council for a feasibility study only to drop the request due to a lack of council support.
After remaining dormant for nearly three years, the light rail debate once again emerged as a light rail/mass transit task force was established by then-mayor Sue Myrick in early 1988. The task force received $185,000 from a combination of local, state and federal funds for the initial study of a system consisting of three lines radiating out from Uptown Charlotte. One line was to connect with the UNCC to the northeast; a second was to connect to Pineville
, with future expansion envisioned to both Fort Mill
and Rock Hill
to the south; and a third was to connect with Matthews
, with future expansion anticipated to Monroe
to the southeast.
By September 1988, the results of the initial study carried out by Barton-Aschman Associates visualized a 77 miles (123.9 km) system encompassing a loop around Uptown Charlotte and eight separate corridors radiating out from the city center to cost $467 million. The corridors envisioned included a route along Albemarle Road to the east, connecting with both SouthPark and Matthews to the southeast, Pineville to the south, the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
to the west, UNCC to the northeast, along Brookshire Boulevard to the northwest, and Davidson
to the north. The cost of the plan was significantly more than the $101 million in bonds issued by city council which was to be used to initiate the project. The cost factor, combined with inability to obtain the necessary right-of-way for the lines, led to the project's deferral.
In March 1990, CATS allotted only $14 million for light rail development for the duration of the 1990s. Again, construction costs were cited in postponing development of the system. Additionally, the Charlotte proposal at the time did not anticipate sufficient ridership of the system to acquire Federal Transit Administration
(FTA) grant money to develop the system. The $14 million would be used for both the purchasing of abandoned right-of-way as it became available for future light rail development as well as monies for studying a proposed line connecting the Wilgrove area in east Mecklenburg County with Tyvola Road south of Uptown Charlotte. After nearly fifteen years of debate, in 1998 Mecklenburg County voters approved a one-half cent sales tax to be utilized in the implementation of the 2025 Integrated Transit/Land-Use Plan, which include development of a light rail network. Once the tax was approved, the ability for Charlotte to have matching funds
for FTA grants became a reality to finance construction, and planning for the South Corridor to Pineville commenced.
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Although light rail had been envisioned connecting Charlotte to Rock Hill in previous years, official planning for the corridor, later to become the Blue Line, did not commence until 1999. The line was to have initially been a 13.5 miles (21.73 km) route serving as a connection between Uptown Charlotte and Pineville along the Norfolk Southern rail line paralleling South Boulevard at a cost of $225 million. In February 2000, the Metropolitan Transit Commission unanimously approved the corridor for the region's first light rail line, and by April, $8.2 million was allocated for the initial purchase of materials for its construction. In September Parsons Transportation Group
was hired by CATS to complete engineering and environmental studies for the corridor, and at this time costs estimates for the completed line increased to $331 million.
The overall costs for completing the line escalated to $371 million by July 2002 as a result of increasing land and construction costs. Additionally, the southern terminus for the line was moved from downtown Pineville approximately 1.5 miles (2.41 km) to the north. The station was eliminated after Mayor George Fowler, and the Pineville Town Council voted to not receive the line. Also, low projected ridership figures indicated its construction was not warranted at the time. By March 2004, estimates of costs had increased to $398.7 million and were again revised to $427 million in January 2005. The increased estimates were again attributed to rising costs of land and construction. After numerous delays caused by increasing cost estimates, the official groundbreaking for the line occurred on February 26, 2005.
With construction in progress for a year, in February 2006 CATS unveiled "Lynx" as the official name of its light rail network. Lynx was selected from a list of over 250 possibilities including City Lynx and Xcel, and was chosen so as to adhere to the big cat
theme in the names of the local professional sports teams (the Carolina Panthers
and the Charlotte Bobcats
), and also since it was homophonous
with "links" (suggesting connectivity). By September 2006, estimated completion costs for the Blue Line once again were increased. This time the increase was attributed to faulty planning and design of the line from consultants hired by CATS to design the line, Parsons Transportation Group. Revised estimates by early 2007 called for the project to be completed at a final cost of $462.7 million, more than double the original estimate of $227 million.
Nearly three years after construction commenced, the Lynx Blue Line opened for passenger service on November 24, 2007. On its opening weekend of November 24–25, 2007 all trips were free, resulting in 24,000 rider trips in the first four hours and 60,000 trips in the first day. This was well above maximum rated capacity for Lynx service. Revenue service commenced with the first train on November 26, 2007. Lynx is the first major rapid rail service of any kind in North Carolina
, and serves as a revival of rail transit within the city since the original streetcar
network was disbanded in 1938 in favor of motorized bus transit.
. Daily ridership continued to climb through the fall of 2008 due to increasing gasoline prices
, peaking at 22,300 in the third quarter, only to see a drop to 21,700 by the end of 2008.
By summer 2009, a CATS survey indicated that 72 percent of Lynx riders did not use public transportation prior to its completion. On December 11, 2009, Lynx celebrated its 10 millionth passenger trip since its opening in November 2007. For 2009, Lynx saw a decrease in daily ridership from 19,700 to 19,500 passengers per day. As of the second quarter of 2011, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has Lynx daily ridership at 15,400, making Lynx the 23rd largest light rail system in the United States in terms of ridership.
With construction under way, development of light rail and cost overruns associated with it became a major issue between incumbent Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory and Democratic opponent Craig Madans in the 2005 mayoral race. In 2006, following a report by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, the project was cited as inefficient use of federal taxpayer dollars, and opponents claimed most of the $8.9 billion slated for transit out of a total of $12.7 billion for all transportation projects in the Charlotte Region's Long Range Plan was attributed to rail. In response to these concerns, a coalition labeling itself Stop the Train launched a petition drive to put a repeal of the 1998 transit tax on the November 2007 ballot, citing cost-overruns and concerns over CATS management. Mecklenburg County elections officials announced in June 2007 the required number of signatures had been gathered and validated, guaranteeing a referendum on the transit tax.
According to David Hartgen, professor of Transportation Policy Studies at UNCC, transit would provide a viable means of transportation for just 2–3% of the Charlotte region's travel needs, and 1% of regional travel. Road transportation advocate Wendell Cox
also cited similar concerns of a low cost/benefit ratio of both the south corridor line and other urban rail projects proposed for Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Additionally, Sam Staley, Director of Urban and Land Use Policy for the Reason Foundation, stated Lynx struggled to capture riders in a sprawling city like Charlotte, where the majority of trips are not made to the central city. A contrary report on the impact of light rail in Sacramento, Baltimore, and St. Louis, implicated that light rail systems had resulted in traffic congestion growing more slowly than before the system was built(from 2.8% annual congestion growth to 1.5%, from 4.5% to 2.2%, and to 0.89% from 0.86% respectively). Further pro-rail arguments emphasize that rail lines were built to areas before development takes place, as is done with superhighway construction. When ignoring the usable life of improvements the construction of roads is less costly than building light rail or subways, excluding land costs, but may contribute to increased sprawl.
A campaign to retain the transit tax garnered more than $650,000, with at least one third coming from local corporations including Duke Energy
, Wachovia
, Bank of America
, McDonald Transit Associates, Parsons Brinckerhoff
, and Siemens
. An additional twenty major businesses contributed, all of whom profit from CATS operations according to former city council member Don Reid. The group working to repeal the transit tax saw far less support (under $13,000) mostly from individuals. Mecklenburg County voters overwhelmingly rejected the repeal of the tax, 70 percent to 30 percent, on November 6, 2007.
, and it doesn't seem we do."
In August 2008, the John Locke Foundation
's Carolina Journal reported that taxpayers were subsidizing more than 90% of a rider's trip on what the Journal calls "a lightly used line," and that low ridership estimates did not take into account increasing gasoline costs resulting in higher transit ridership. The analysis of subsidies was flawed by the report's reliance on a 7% discount rate for capital expenditures on the project, since no money was borrowed for the project (at the local and state level) no interest is paid on its capital costs, thus the report overstated costs by a substantial margin. Criticisms of transit on the grounds of subsidies also overlook the fact that all other modes of transportation are subsidized by non-user fees. For example, the Pew Charitable Trust found that highway construction and maintenance requires a 49% subsidy in 2007. UNCC transportation studies professor David Hartgen states that the line does not displace car traffic significantly as about half the ridership consists of prior bus riders. Also, Hartgen dismisses a city report's claims concerning increased land use as a result, stating: "In short, the big winners are about 4,000 prior bus riders, 4,000 commuters living close to the line, and 400 South Carolina drivers." Hartgen's claims of limited benefits are contradicted by the March 2011 report from the Center for Transit Oriented Development which found that the Blue Line generated nearly 10000000 square feet (929,030.4 m²) of new commercial and residential development along its route, more than comparable lines in Denver and Minneapolis.
In January 2004, CATS began the process of accepting bids for construction of the system's vehicles. Original estimates for the vehicles was $3.5 million per car with the firms Bombardier
, Siemens
and Kinki Sharyo
bidding for the final contract. The $52 million contract for 16 S70 Avanto vehicles was awarded to Siemens on February 25, 2004. The original order was delivered between 2006–07, and these cars are numbered 101–116. Car 101 arrived via flatbed truck on Friday, June 23, 2006, from the Siemens facility in Florin
, California
. Testing of the vehicles began in August 2006 along a 1.3 miles (2.1 km) stretch of track between Tremont Avenue and the light rail maintenance facility off South Boulevard. During the testing phase, each car logged 1000 miles (1,609.3 km) to test the acceleration, braking and overall performance for each vehicle. With an option in place to purchase up to an additional 25 vehicles, and better than expected ridership, in May 2008 CATS announced the purchase of four additional Avanto vehicles to add capacity to the existing 16 vehicles in operation. The trams cost $3.8 million each and were delivered by Siemens between January–March 2010.
Lynx's fleet initially consisted of sixteen, 91.3 feet (27.8 m), 97470 pounds (44,211.6 kg) Siemens
-built S70 Avanto vehicles, similar to those currently in operation for the METRORail
in Houston, Texas
. Each vehicle contains 68 seats and has a maximum capacity of 236 passengers complete with four bike racks. Each car has a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour (29.1 m/s), but top speed is restricted to 55 miles per hour (24.6 m/s). Power comes from a 750-volt overhead wire.
In addition to the modern light rail vehicles, two vintage trolleys operate along the route between the 7th Street
and East/West stations
as the Charlotte Trolley
. Since it operated along the same tracks, trolley service was temporarily halted on February 5, 2006, when construction began on the Lynx system. Scheduled to reopen in late 2006, in November 2006 CATS determined it would be unfeasible to have trolley service while the corridor still under construction. Thus trolley service resumed on April 20, 2008, and the heritage streetcar
s operate on weekends only in tandem with the modern light rail vehicles.
When not in use, the vehicles are stored at the South Boulevard Light Rail Facility, located along South Boulevard, between the New Bern
and Scaleybark
stations in the Sedgefield neighborhood
. The facility is approximately 92000 square feet (8,547.1 m²), and houses the Lynx rail maintenance staff, operations staff and the Rail Operations Control Center. Officially dedicated on June 23, 2007, the facility contains 2.5 miles (4 km) of track and 5,200 ties.
Tickets are purchased on the platform of all stations from self-serve ticket vending machine
s that accept cash, coins, debit, and credit cards. Transfers from buses, weekly and monthly passes are also accepted. Fares, which are equal to those of the existing bus network, are $1.75 for a one-way trip, $3.50 for a round-trip ticket, $5.25 for a one-day pass with unlimited rides, $17 for a weekly pass, and $70 for a monthly pass.
Lynx's fare system is organized on the proof-of-payment
system as there are no turnstiles at the entrances to train platforms. Instead, fares are enforced by random sweeps through trains and occasional checks for fares as passengers enter and leave the train by CATS Fare Inspectors. If a passenger is caught without evidence of proper fare, a citation of $50 is issued in addition to potentially facing a Class 3 misdemeanor
charge. CATS estimates between 4 and 5 percent of total fare revenue is lost from passengers who ride without paying.
Following an initial "grace period" between its November 2007 opening and February 2008, CATS took more action with regards to issuing citations for fare jumpers. This was the case as many of the ticket vending machines were not working properly at all stations. As part of Lynx's initial "fare enforcement blitz" during the first week of February 2008, 41 citations were issued with one arrest in the first day of enhanced enforcement. Due to its success, CATS officials announced that future "blitzes" would target individual stations and not be publicized. As of June 2010, CATS estimates 0.5 percent of daily riders are fare jumpers at a daily loss of $300 in revenue.
trees present throughout the city, and are either side
or island platform
ed. All stations between I-485/South Boulevard
and Scaleybark
have parking available adjacent to the station, with the I-485/South Boulevard station having the line's lone parking garage. Additionally, as part of the budget for the Lynx system, a percentage of the overall cost was reserved for both the purchase and display of public art
along the route. Through the utilization of approximately one percent of the overall design and construction budget, 13 artists were selected to design displays for each of the Blue Line's fifteen stations.
At present, the only completed portion of the Lynx network is the Blue Line. Future expansion includes plans for light rail
, commuter rail, streetcars and bus rapid transit
along the five corridors in the 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan adopted in 2006 by Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC). Build-out of the entire system is presently estimated for completion by 2034.
. UNC Charlotte Chancellor Phillip Dubois has mentioned in the past the name of this segment could be changed to the Green Line in reference to UNC Charlotte's team color. In July 2010, CATS announced that funding is being sought to extend the existing line to 9th Street
to serve the UNC Charlotte Uptown Campus. Originally, completion of the extension was estimated to cost $1.12 billion, including an additional 1.2 miles (1.9 km) of track and 2 stations north of UNC Charlotte, ending at I-485 just south of Cabarrus County. However, due to the effects of the late 2000s – early 2010s recession, CATS voted to shorten the line and reduce the cost to $977 million, in order to preserve the 2016 opening date. The revised Blue Line Extension (not including the current Blue Line to the south) would carry an estimated 24,500 weekday boardings by 2035 and serve 4 park and ride
stations.
, Cornelius
and Davidson
in northern Mecklenburg County
. The line will be serviced by Diesel Multiple Unit
trains, and the southern terminus will be the proposed Gateway Station
in Uptown Charlotte. Presently, completion of the line will cost an estimated $456 million ; however, there is currently no clear funding source for the completion of this line. CATS is currently investigating a public–private partnership with NCDOT
and Norfolk Southern Railway
to secure the estimated $225 million shortfall needed to start construction.
corridor to be operated as either bus rapid transit
(BRT) or light rail
between the CPCC Levine Campus
in Matthews
and the proposed Gateway Station in Uptown Charlotte. Proposals call for it to be complete through Idlewild Road by 2022, Sardis Road North by 2024 and finally to CPCC Levine by 2026. As currently aligned, the completed line will have 16 stations and be completed at an estimated cost of $582 million. In September 2006, the MTC voted to delay on determining whether BRT or light rail should be built along the corridor until 2011.
in east Charlotte by way of Uptown Charlotte, in a primarily east-west direction. Proposals call for its completion by 2018. However, in May 2008 the Charlotte City Council approved $500,000 to study the corridor in terms of an updated cost estimate, economic benefits and the eligibility of the corridor for federal funding in an effort to potentially expedite its construction. In July 2010, a $25 million Federal Urban Circulator Grant was awarded to the city, allowing construction of the initial 1.5 miles (2.4 km) starter segment between the Charlotte Transportation Center in Uptown Charlotte and Presbyterian Hospital on Elizabeth Avenue, serving the Elizabeth Avenue Business Corridor and Central Piedmont Community College. Current plans call for the starter segment to open by 2015.
in west Charlotte with Uptown Charlotte. Proposals call for completion by 2034. With a completion date over two decades away, in 2008 CATS announced enhanced bus service along this corridor to serve as a placeholder until the line can be constructed. Called Sprinter, the service began in September 2009 and features fewer stops and timing similar to that of the future streetcar route.
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
line serviced by the Charlotte Area Transit System
Charlotte Area Transit System
The Charlotte Area Transit System, commonly referred to as CATS, is the public transit system in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It operates bus service around the Metrolina area and a historical trolley in Uptown Charlotte, and operates a light rail system, called LYNX which opened on November 24,...
(CATS) in Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It commenced service on November 24, 2007, and runs through Uptown
Charlotte center city
Charlotte center city is the central area of Charlotte, North Carolina. The headquarters for the Fortune 500 companies Bank of America and Duke Energy are located here, as well as the headquarters for East Coast operations for Wells Fargo.Museums, sporting venues, shops, hotels, restaurants, and...
and South End
Historic South End
Historic South End, often referred to as The South End, is a neighborhood immediately south of Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. It is also one of three Municipal Service Districts in Charlotte....
, before paralleling South Boulevard to its southern terminus just north of Interstate 485
Interstate 485
Interstate 485 is an Interstate Highway and a nearly completed beltway around Charlotte, North Carolina.-Route description:The western, southern and eastern segments of the beltway are complete and open to traffic...
at the Pineville
Pineville, North Carolina
Pineville is a suburban town in the southernmost portion of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina situated in the Waxhaws district between Charlotte, North Carolina and Rock Hill, South Carolina....
city limits. There are 15 stations in the system, which carries an average of over 15,400 passenger trips every day. Despite the name, LYNX is a light rail, not a rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
service.
A Charlotte light rail system was initially proposed in the mid-1980s, with Mecklenburg voters approving a one-half cent sales tax to finance its construction in 1998. The construction of Lynx resulted in controversy regarding its costs and benefits with an unsuccessful 2007 referendum to repeal the transit tax. Presently, future expansion includes plans for light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
, commuter rail, streetcars and bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
along the five corridors in the 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan adopted in 2006 by Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC). Build-out of the entire system is presently estimated for completion by 2034.
History
By the mid-1980s, strategies by which both control and focus the region's growing population and expanding development were evaluated by city and county plannersUrban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
. One strategy was the construction of light rail to encourage new businesses and housing along its corridor. In 1984, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission made its first recommendation for a light rail line connecting Uptown Charlotte with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte , also known as UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte, is a public research university located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States...
(UNCC) as part of the community's 2005 Vision Plan. In response to this recommendation, mayor Harvey Gantt
Harvey Gantt
Harvey Bernard Gantt is an American architect and Democratic politician active in North Carolina. He was Mayor of Charlotte from 1983 to 1987, and ran twice for the United States Senate....
sought $50,000 from the city council for a feasibility study only to drop the request due to a lack of council support.
After remaining dormant for nearly three years, the light rail debate once again emerged as a light rail/mass transit task force was established by then-mayor Sue Myrick in early 1988. The task force received $185,000 from a combination of local, state and federal funds for the initial study of a system consisting of three lines radiating out from Uptown Charlotte. One line was to connect with the UNCC to the northeast; a second was to connect to Pineville
Pineville, North Carolina
Pineville is a suburban town in the southernmost portion of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina situated in the Waxhaws district between Charlotte, North Carolina and Rock Hill, South Carolina....
, with future expansion envisioned to both Fort Mill
Fort Mill, South Carolina
Fort Mill is a fast-growing suburban town in both York and Lancaster counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina, and a suburb of the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Rock Hill...
and Rock Hill
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Rock Hill is the largest city in York County, South Carolina and the fourth-largest city in the state. It is also the third-largest city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, behind Charlotte and Concord, North Carolina. The population was 71,459 as of . Rock Hill has undergone rapid growth between...
to the south; and a third was to connect with Matthews
Matthews, North Carolina
Matthews is a large suburban town of Charlotte located in southeastern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The population was 27,198 according to the 2010 Census.- Geography :Matthews is located at ....
, with future expansion anticipated to Monroe
Monroe, North Carolina
Monroe is a city in Union County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 36,397 as of the 2010 census. It is the seat of government of Union County and is also part of the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC Metropolitan area.-Geography:...
to the southeast.
By September 1988, the results of the initial study carried out by Barton-Aschman Associates visualized a 77 miles (123.9 km) system encompassing a loop around Uptown Charlotte and eight separate corridors radiating out from the city center to cost $467 million. The corridors envisioned included a route along Albemarle Road to the east, connecting with both SouthPark and Matthews to the southeast, Pineville to the south, the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a joint civil-military public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr...
to the west, UNCC to the northeast, along Brookshire Boulevard to the northwest, and Davidson
Davidson, North Carolina
Davidson is a town in Mecklenburg County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 7,139 at the 2000 census. It is home to Davidson College...
to the north. The cost of the plan was significantly more than the $101 million in bonds issued by city council which was to be used to initiate the project. The cost factor, combined with inability to obtain the necessary right-of-way for the lines, led to the project's deferral.
In March 1990, CATS allotted only $14 million for light rail development for the duration of the 1990s. Again, construction costs were cited in postponing development of the system. Additionally, the Charlotte proposal at the time did not anticipate sufficient ridership of the system to acquire Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
(FTA) grant money to develop the system. The $14 million would be used for both the purchasing of abandoned right-of-way as it became available for future light rail development as well as monies for studying a proposed line connecting the Wilgrove area in east Mecklenburg County with Tyvola Road south of Uptown Charlotte. After nearly fifteen years of debate, in 1998 Mecklenburg County voters approved a one-half cent sales tax to be utilized in the implementation of the 2025 Integrated Transit/Land-Use Plan, which include development of a light rail network. Once the tax was approved, the ability for Charlotte to have matching funds
Matching funds
Matching funds, a term used to describe the requirement or condition that a generally minimal amount of money or services-in-kind originate from the beneficiaries of financial amounts, usually for a purpose of charitable or public good.-Charitable causes:...
for FTA grants became a reality to finance construction, and planning for the South Corridor to Pineville commenced.
Corridor planning and construction
Parsons Corporation
Parsons Corporation is an engineering, construction, and technical and management services firm headquartered in Pasadena, California. Founded in 1944 by engineer Ralph M. Parsons, Parsons Corporation is currently one of the largest such companies in the United States, with revenues exceeding...
was hired by CATS to complete engineering and environmental studies for the corridor, and at this time costs estimates for the completed line increased to $331 million.
The overall costs for completing the line escalated to $371 million by July 2002 as a result of increasing land and construction costs. Additionally, the southern terminus for the line was moved from downtown Pineville approximately 1.5 miles (2.41 km) to the north. The station was eliminated after Mayor George Fowler, and the Pineville Town Council voted to not receive the line. Also, low projected ridership figures indicated its construction was not warranted at the time. By March 2004, estimates of costs had increased to $398.7 million and were again revised to $427 million in January 2005. The increased estimates were again attributed to rising costs of land and construction. After numerous delays caused by increasing cost estimates, the official groundbreaking for the line occurred on February 26, 2005.
With construction in progress for a year, in February 2006 CATS unveiled "Lynx" as the official name of its light rail network. Lynx was selected from a list of over 250 possibilities including City Lynx and Xcel, and was chosen so as to adhere to the big cat
Big cat
The term big cat – which is not a biological classification – is used informally to distinguish the larger felid species from smaller ones. One definition of "big cat" includes the four members of the genus Panthera: the tiger, lion, jaguar, and leopard. Members of this genus are the only cats able...
theme in the names of the local professional sports teams (the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
and the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
), and also since it was homophonous
Homophone
A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning. The words may be spelled the same, such as rose and rose , or differently, such as carat, caret, and carrot, or to, two, and too. Homophones that are spelled the same are also both homographs and homonyms...
with "links" (suggesting connectivity). By September 2006, estimated completion costs for the Blue Line once again were increased. This time the increase was attributed to faulty planning and design of the line from consultants hired by CATS to design the line, Parsons Transportation Group. Revised estimates by early 2007 called for the project to be completed at a final cost of $462.7 million, more than double the original estimate of $227 million.
Nearly three years after construction commenced, the Lynx Blue Line opened for passenger service on November 24, 2007. On its opening weekend of November 24–25, 2007 all trips were free, resulting in 24,000 rider trips in the first four hours and 60,000 trips in the first day. This was well above maximum rated capacity for Lynx service. Revenue service commenced with the first train on November 26, 2007. Lynx is the first major rapid rail service of any kind in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and serves as a revival of rail transit within the city since the original streetcar
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
network was disbanded in 1938 in favor of motorized bus transit.
Ridership
Prior to the opening of the line in November 2007, CATS projected ridership for the completed Blue Line to be 9,100 on an average weekday in its first year of operation, gradually increasing to 18,100 by 2025. In its first few months of operation, the Blue Line saw an average daily weekday ridership of 8,700 passengers. By the end of the first quarter of 2008, weekday ridership had increased to 18,600, double first-year projections and ahead of the 2025 projections. In March 2008, the single light rail line accounted for 19.5% of total system ridership – 402,600 of the 2,061,700 monthly passenger-trips of all lines including bus, dial-a-ride, and vanpoolVanpool
Vanpools are an element of the transit system that allow groups of people to share the ride similar to a carpool, but on a larger scale with concurrent savings in fuel and vehicle operating costs...
. Daily ridership continued to climb through the fall of 2008 due to increasing gasoline prices
2003 to 2008 world oil market chronology
From the mid-1980s to September 2003, the inflation adjusted price of a barrel of crude oil on NYMEX was generally under $25/barrel. Then, during 2004, the price rose above $40, and then $50. A series of events led the price to exceed $60 by August 11, 2005, and then briefly exceed $75 in the...
, peaking at 22,300 in the third quarter, only to see a drop to 21,700 by the end of 2008.
By summer 2009, a CATS survey indicated that 72 percent of Lynx riders did not use public transportation prior to its completion. On December 11, 2009, Lynx celebrated its 10 millionth passenger trip since its opening in November 2007. For 2009, Lynx saw a decrease in daily ridership from 19,700 to 19,500 passengers per day. As of the second quarter of 2011, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has Lynx daily ridership at 15,400, making Lynx the 23rd largest light rail system in the United States in terms of ridership.
Controversy
According to David Hartgen, professor of Transportation Policy Studies at UNCC, transit would provide a viable means of transportation for just 2–3% of the Charlotte region's travel needs, and 1% of regional travel. Road transportation advocate Wendell Cox
Wendell Cox
Wendell Cox is an international public policy consultant. He is the principal and sole owner of Wendell Cox Consultancy/Demographia, based in the St. Louis metropolitan region and editor of three web sites, Demographia, The Public Purpose and Urban Tours by Rental Car...
also cited similar concerns of a low cost/benefit ratio of both the south corridor line and other urban rail projects proposed for Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Additionally, Sam Staley, Director of Urban and Land Use Policy for the Reason Foundation, stated Lynx struggled to capture riders in a sprawling city like Charlotte, where the majority of trips are not made to the central city. A contrary report on the impact of light rail in Sacramento, Baltimore, and St. Louis, implicated that light rail systems had resulted in traffic congestion growing more slowly than before the system was built(from 2.8% annual congestion growth to 1.5%, from 4.5% to 2.2%, and to 0.89% from 0.86% respectively). Further pro-rail arguments emphasize that rail lines were built to areas before development takes place, as is done with superhighway construction. When ignoring the usable life of improvements the construction of roads is less costly than building light rail or subways, excluding land costs, but may contribute to increased sprawl.
A campaign to retain the transit tax garnered more than $650,000, with at least one third coming from local corporations including Duke Energy
Duke Energy
Duke Energy , headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an energy company with assets in the United States, Canada and Latin America.-Overview:...
, Wachovia
Wachovia
Wachovia was a diversified financial services company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before its acquisition by Wells Fargo in 2008, Wachovia was the fourth-largest bank holding company in the United States based on total assets...
, Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, McDonald Transit Associates, Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff is a professional services firm with 14,000 employees in 150 offices providing construction and operation management, planning, design, engineering, program management, strategic consulting, environmental and sustainability services for clients and communities in the Americas,...
, and Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
. An additional twenty major businesses contributed, all of whom profit from CATS operations according to former city council member Don Reid. The group working to repeal the transit tax saw far less support (under $13,000) mostly from individuals. Mecklenburg County voters overwhelmingly rejected the repeal of the tax, 70 percent to 30 percent, on November 6, 2007.
After opening
In the months following opening, the line was averaging 80% over initial ridership projections, leading Light Rail Now to proclaim the line a "huge success". Jim Puckett, former Mecklenburg County Commissioner and a leader of the campaign to repeal the transit tax, said in the Charlotte Observer: "I have to admit, they are doing better than I expected... Our concern was whether we would have a white elephantWhite elephant
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...
, and it doesn't seem we do."
In August 2008, the John Locke Foundation
John Locke Foundation
The John Locke Foundation is a free market think tank in North Carolina started in 1990. Its mission statement says the "John Locke Foundation employs research, journalism, and outreach programs to transform government through competition, innovation, personal freedom, and personal responsibility...
's Carolina Journal reported that taxpayers were subsidizing more than 90% of a rider's trip on what the Journal calls "a lightly used line," and that low ridership estimates did not take into account increasing gasoline costs resulting in higher transit ridership. The analysis of subsidies was flawed by the report's reliance on a 7% discount rate for capital expenditures on the project, since no money was borrowed for the project (at the local and state level) no interest is paid on its capital costs, thus the report overstated costs by a substantial margin. Criticisms of transit on the grounds of subsidies also overlook the fact that all other modes of transportation are subsidized by non-user fees. For example, the Pew Charitable Trust found that highway construction and maintenance requires a 49% subsidy in 2007. UNCC transportation studies professor David Hartgen states that the line does not displace car traffic significantly as about half the ridership consists of prior bus riders. Also, Hartgen dismisses a city report's claims concerning increased land use as a result, stating: "In short, the big winners are about 4,000 prior bus riders, 4,000 commuters living close to the line, and 400 South Carolina drivers." Hartgen's claims of limited benefits are contradicted by the March 2011 report from the Center for Transit Oriented Development which found that the Blue Line generated nearly 10000000 square feet (929,030.4 m²) of new commercial and residential development along its route, more than comparable lines in Denver and Minneapolis.
Rolling stock
In January 2004, CATS began the process of accepting bids for construction of the system's vehicles. Original estimates for the vehicles was $3.5 million per car with the firms Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
, Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
and Kinki Sharyo
Kinki Sharyo
is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...
bidding for the final contract. The $52 million contract for 16 S70 Avanto vehicles was awarded to Siemens on February 25, 2004. The original order was delivered between 2006–07, and these cars are numbered 101–116. Car 101 arrived via flatbed truck on Friday, June 23, 2006, from the Siemens facility in Florin
Florin, California
Florin is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Testing of the vehicles began in August 2006 along a 1.3 miles (2.1 km) stretch of track between Tremont Avenue and the light rail maintenance facility off South Boulevard. During the testing phase, each car logged 1000 miles (1,609.3 km) to test the acceleration, braking and overall performance for each vehicle. With an option in place to purchase up to an additional 25 vehicles, and better than expected ridership, in May 2008 CATS announced the purchase of four additional Avanto vehicles to add capacity to the existing 16 vehicles in operation. The trams cost $3.8 million each and were delivered by Siemens between January–March 2010.
Lynx's fleet initially consisted of sixteen, 91.3 feet (27.8 m), 97470 pounds (44,211.6 kg) Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
-built S70 Avanto vehicles, similar to those currently in operation for the METRORail
METRORail
METRORail is the light rail line in Houston . It is the second major light rail service in Texas following the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. With an approximate daily ridership of 34,155, the METRORail ranks as the fourteenth most-traveled light rail system in the United States, with the...
in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Each vehicle contains 68 seats and has a maximum capacity of 236 passengers complete with four bike racks. Each car has a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour (29.1 m/s), but top speed is restricted to 55 miles per hour (24.6 m/s). Power comes from a 750-volt overhead wire.
In addition to the modern light rail vehicles, two vintage trolleys operate along the route between the 7th Street
7th Street (LYNX station)
The 7th Street station is a light rail station for both the LYNX Blue Line and the historic Charlotte Trolley in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A.. It is the northern terminus of the Blue Line. The station officially opened for service on Saturday, November 24, 2007, and as part of its...
and East/West stations
East/West (LYNX station)
The East/West Boulevard station is a rail station on the LYNX Blue Line in the South End of Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A.. The station officially opened for service on Saturday, November 24, 2007, and as part of its opening celebration fares were not collected...
as the Charlotte Trolley
Charlotte Trolley
The Charlotte Trolley is a heritage streetcar which operates in Charlotte in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The line runs along the former Norfolk Southern right of way between Tremont Avenue in the Historic South End in a northerly direction to its terminus at 9th Street Uptown...
. Since it operated along the same tracks, trolley service was temporarily halted on February 5, 2006, when construction began on the Lynx system. Scheduled to reopen in late 2006, in November 2006 CATS determined it would be unfeasible to have trolley service while the corridor still under construction. Thus trolley service resumed on April 20, 2008, and the heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcars or heritage trams are a development of the heritage railways that are becoming popular across the world. As with modern streetcar systems, the vehicles are referred to as trams or tramcars in the United Kingdom, Australasia and certain other places , but as streetcars or...
s operate on weekends only in tandem with the modern light rail vehicles.
When not in use, the vehicles are stored at the South Boulevard Light Rail Facility, located along South Boulevard, between the New Bern
New Bern (LYNX station)
The New Bern station is a light rail station on the LYNX Blue Line at the southern edge of the South End of Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A.. The station officially opened for service on Saturday, November 24, 2007, and as part of its opening celebration fares were not collected...
and Scaleybark
Scaleybark (LYNX station)
Scaleybark is a light rail station on the LYNX Blue Line in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A.. The station officially opened for service on Saturday, November 24, 2007, and as part of its opening celebration fares were not collected...
stations in the Sedgefield neighborhood
Sedgefield (neighborhood)
Sedgefield is a neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, just south of Dilworth. Many of the homes there have been renovated, and it is a popular area for young professionals. It is located between Park Rd and South Blvd. Property values have been increasing faster than average due to the...
. The facility is approximately 92000 square feet (8,547.1 m²), and houses the Lynx rail maintenance staff, operations staff and the Rail Operations Control Center. Officially dedicated on June 23, 2007, the facility contains 2.5 miles (4 km) of track and 5,200 ties.
Fares
Ticket machine
A ticket machine, also known as a ticket vending machine , is a vending machine that produces tickets. For instance, ticket machines dispense train tickets at railway stations and tram tickets at some tram stops and in some trams...
s that accept cash, coins, debit, and credit cards. Transfers from buses, weekly and monthly passes are also accepted. Fares, which are equal to those of the existing bus network, are $1.75 for a one-way trip, $3.50 for a round-trip ticket, $5.25 for a one-day pass with unlimited rides, $17 for a weekly pass, and $70 for a monthly pass.
Lynx's fare system is organized on the proof-of-payment
Proof-of-payment
Proof-of-payment or POP is an honor-based fare collection approach used on many public transportation systems. Instead of checking each passenger as they enter a fare control zone, proof-of-payment requires that each passenger carry a ticket or pass proving that they have paid the fare. Ticket...
system as there are no turnstiles at the entrances to train platforms. Instead, fares are enforced by random sweeps through trains and occasional checks for fares as passengers enter and leave the train by CATS Fare Inspectors. If a passenger is caught without evidence of proper fare, a citation of $50 is issued in addition to potentially facing a Class 3 misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
charge. CATS estimates between 4 and 5 percent of total fare revenue is lost from passengers who ride without paying.
Following an initial "grace period" between its November 2007 opening and February 2008, CATS took more action with regards to issuing citations for fare jumpers. This was the case as many of the ticket vending machines were not working properly at all stations. As part of Lynx's initial "fare enforcement blitz" during the first week of February 2008, 41 citations were issued with one arrest in the first day of enhanced enforcement. Due to its success, CATS officials announced that future "blitzes" would target individual stations and not be publicized. As of June 2010, CATS estimates 0.5 percent of daily riders are fare jumpers at a daily loss of $300 in revenue.
Stations
The 9.6 miles (15.45 km) Blue Line provides service to fifteen stations located within the Charlotte city limits. The stations are all open-air structures featuring passenger canopies for protection from adverse weather conditions. Although originally to have been 300 feet (91.4 m) long, all platforms were reduced to 200 feet (61 m) in length in order to save $6 million in construction costs. The overall design of the stations takes their inspiration from the many oakOak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
trees present throughout the city, and are either side
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
or island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
ed. All stations between I-485/South Boulevard
I-485/South Boulevard (LYNX station)
I-485/South Boulevard is an island platformed LYNX Rapid Transit Services light rail station in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The station was opened on November 24, 2007, and is operated by the Charlotte Area Transit System. Serving as the southern terminus of the Blue Line, it has...
and Scaleybark
Scaleybark (LYNX station)
Scaleybark is a light rail station on the LYNX Blue Line in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A.. The station officially opened for service on Saturday, November 24, 2007, and as part of its opening celebration fares were not collected...
have parking available adjacent to the station, with the I-485/South Boulevard station having the line's lone parking garage. Additionally, as part of the budget for the Lynx system, a percentage of the overall cost was reserved for both the purchase and display of public art
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
along the route. Through the utilization of approximately one percent of the overall design and construction budget, 13 artists were selected to design displays for each of the Blue Line's fifteen stations.
Future expansion
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
, commuter rail, streetcars and bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
along the five corridors in the 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan adopted in 2006 by Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC). Build-out of the entire system is presently estimated for completion by 2034.
Blue Line
A 9.4 miles (15.1 km) extension of the present 9.6 miles (15.4 km) segment is presently in the planning stages. Referred to as the "Northeast Corridor", upon completion it would add an additional 11 stations between Uptown and the University of North Carolina at CharlotteUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte , also known as UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte, is a public research university located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States...
. UNC Charlotte Chancellor Phillip Dubois has mentioned in the past the name of this segment could be changed to the Green Line in reference to UNC Charlotte's team color. In July 2010, CATS announced that funding is being sought to extend the existing line to 9th Street
9th Street (Charlotte Trolley station)
The 9th Street station is a station on the Charlotte Trolley heritage streetcar line in in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A.. Serving as the northern terminus of the line, this has side platforms, which sit on western side of the tracks. The station will be incorporated as a station as part...
to serve the UNC Charlotte Uptown Campus. Originally, completion of the extension was estimated to cost $1.12 billion, including an additional 1.2 miles (1.9 km) of track and 2 stations north of UNC Charlotte, ending at I-485 just south of Cabarrus County. However, due to the effects of the late 2000s – early 2010s recession, CATS voted to shorten the line and reduce the cost to $977 million, in order to preserve the 2016 opening date. The revised Blue Line Extension (not including the current Blue Line to the south) would carry an estimated 24,500 weekday boardings by 2035 and serve 4 park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
stations.
Red Line
The Red Line is a proposed 25 miles (40.2 km) commuter rail line to be constructed along existing Norfolk Southern tracks and provide service to the towns of HuntersvilleHuntersville, North Carolina
Huntersville is a large town in Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 46,773 at the 2010 census, which makes Huntersville the 19th largest city in North Carolina. It is located about 12 miles north of uptown Charlotte. It is thought that the town...
, Cornelius
Cornelius, North Carolina
Cornelius is a town located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 11,969 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cornelius is located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County...
and Davidson
Davidson, North Carolina
Davidson is a town in Mecklenburg County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 7,139 at the 2000 census. It is home to Davidson College...
in northern Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
-Air:The county's primary commercial aviation airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte.- Intercity rail :With twenty-five freight trains a day, Mecklenburg is a freight railroad transportation center, largely due to its place on the NS main line between Washington and Atlanta...
. The line will be serviced by Diesel Multiple Unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
trains, and the southern terminus will be the proposed Gateway Station
Gateway Station (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Gateway Station is a proposed multimodal transit center in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.A.. It will serve the LYNX Red Line commuter rail, Silver Line BRT or light rail and both the West Corridor and Center City Corridor streetcar service, as well as Amtrak, Greyhound inter-city buses and...
in Uptown Charlotte. Presently, completion of the line will cost an estimated $456 million ; however, there is currently no clear funding source for the completion of this line. CATS is currently investigating a public–private partnership with NCDOT
North Carolina Department of Transportation
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is responsible for building, repairing, and operating highways, bridges, and other modes of transportation, including ferries in the U.S. state of North Carolina.-History:...
and Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
to secure the estimated $225 million shortfall needed to start construction.
Silver Line
The Silver Line is a proposed 13.5 miles (21.7 km) rapid transitRapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
corridor to be operated as either bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
(BRT) or light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
between the CPCC Levine Campus
Central Piedmont Community College
Central Piedmont Community College is a large community college in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The school was founded in 1963; it is the result of a merger between Mecklenburg College and the Central Industrial Education Center....
in Matthews
Matthews, North Carolina
Matthews is a large suburban town of Charlotte located in southeastern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The population was 27,198 according to the 2010 Census.- Geography :Matthews is located at ....
and the proposed Gateway Station in Uptown Charlotte. Proposals call for it to be complete through Idlewild Road by 2022, Sardis Road North by 2024 and finally to CPCC Levine by 2026. As currently aligned, the completed line will have 16 stations and be completed at an estimated cost of $582 million. In September 2006, the MTC voted to delay on determining whether BRT or light rail should be built along the corridor until 2011.
Center City Corridor
The Center City Corridor is a proposed 9.9 miles (15.9 km) streetcar line, connecting the University Park area of west Charlotte with Eastland MallEastland Mall (Charlotte, North Carolina)
Eastland Mall was a shopping mall in Charlotte, North Carolina. The center opened in 1975 as the then-largest mall in North Carolina with three anchor department stores, Belk, J.C. Penney and Ivey's, and a Sears store joined four years later. Burlington Coat Factory, the mall's final anchor, has...
in east Charlotte by way of Uptown Charlotte, in a primarily east-west direction. Proposals call for its completion by 2018. However, in May 2008 the Charlotte City Council approved $500,000 to study the corridor in terms of an updated cost estimate, economic benefits and the eligibility of the corridor for federal funding in an effort to potentially expedite its construction. In July 2010, a $25 million Federal Urban Circulator Grant was awarded to the city, allowing construction of the initial 1.5 miles (2.4 km) starter segment between the Charlotte Transportation Center in Uptown Charlotte and Presbyterian Hospital on Elizabeth Avenue, serving the Elizabeth Avenue Business Corridor and Central Piedmont Community College. Current plans call for the starter segment to open by 2015.
West Corridor
The West Corridor is a proposed 6.4 miles (10.3 km) streetcar line, connecting Charlotte/Douglas International AirportCharlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a joint civil-military public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr...
in west Charlotte with Uptown Charlotte. Proposals call for completion by 2034. With a completion date over two decades away, in 2008 CATS announced enhanced bus service along this corridor to serve as a placeholder until the line can be constructed. Called Sprinter, the service began in September 2009 and features fewer stops and timing similar to that of the future streetcar route.