CHARLOTTE | Public Transport

[krnboy1009]

Originally Posted by diablo234

..

Is this going to be an actual commuter rail or going to be like the Red Line in Austin Texas (light rail identifying itself as a commuter rail).

[diablo234]

Originally Posted by krnboy1009

Is this going to be an actual commuter rail or going to be like the Red Line in Austin Texas (light rail identifying itself as a commuter rail).

I think the latter although I won't know for sure, since the line is still in planning stages and no rolling stock designs have been revealed.

[diablo234]

Originally Posted by nostyle

Feds back $70 million for Charlotte light-rail line extension
Top transit official expects Charlotte to get approval for entire 9.4-mile line extension.

The Obama administration gave a strong endorsement for Charlotte's $1 billion light-rail extension Tuesday, by budgeting $70 million for construction and engineering for the upcoming year and predicting that it will give the project its full approval in the fall.

"We don't expect anything to derail it," said Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff Tuesday. "We are very supportive of this project. We don't see any show-stoppers."

Rogoff said he expects the final paperwork - known as a Full Funding Grant Agreement - to be signed later this year. That would commit the federal government to roughly $530 million in construction money, about half of the line's $1.07 billion cost.

The extension would link uptown with UNC Charlotte, which has long been a dream of campus and city officials.

The FTA and CATS were confident Tuesday, though there will probably be a difficult fight ahead between the White House and Congressional Republicans over the scope of spending cuts for the fiscal 2013 budget.

But it appears that the Lynx Blue Line extension is a favorite of the FTA, perhaps in part due to North Carolina's status as a swing state in the November election.

During a conference call with reporters Tuesday, the Blue Line extension was the first project Rogoff mentioned, and he praised its possibilities for economic development.

"It was a very good day for us," said CATS chief executive Carolyn Flowers.

Flowers said she was pleased the FTA considers the line essentially ready for formal approval.

Rogoff said Tuesday that the FTA's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year has $70 million for the extension, which could be seen as a down payment on the larger grant.

"It's a very positive indicator," Flowers said. "We always have to look at funding. But we don't see anything that would derail the project."

The original plan for the Blue Line Extension was to end the line at a large park-and-ride lot at Interstate 485 in northeast Charlotte.

But a lack of money forced CATS to scale back the project by 1.2 miles. The new ending will be on the UNC Charlotte campus.

Along the way, the line will have new 11 stations, including stops in NoDa, Sugar Creek and along North Tryon Street.

Flowers said construction could start in 2013. The line could open in 2017.

CATS and the N.C. Department of Transportation are expected to each pay 25 percent of construction costs.

Once the Lynx extension opens, one of CATS' main tasks will be finding enough money to keep its regular bus service, along with its new 20-mile train.

A consultant has told the transit system that it probably won't have much money to expand bus service, and CATS may be in a period of waiting for the half-cent sales tax to grow before it embarks on any significant projects.

That may make it extremely difficult to build rapid transit on Independence Boulevard - either a busway or a train - as well as a planned streetcar to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

The city of Charlotte, however, is moving forward on a streetcar through uptown, and last year received a $25 million federal grant to help pay for the first 1.5-mile segment. CATS is trying to build a commuter rail line to Lake Norman, but that project will probably need additional revenue, possibly from special taxing districts near train stations.

The original light-rail line, which opened in 2007, is carrying between 15,000 and 15,500 passenger trips a day.

CATS projects that line to carry 18,300 passengers by 2025. The Lynx extension is projected to open with 19,000 passengers. By 2030, ridership is expected to grow to 25,000 daily trips.

The $70 million grant, along with the approval of the Full Funding Grant Agreement, is contingent on the approval of a 2013 budget. Congressional Republicans are likely to push President Barack Obama for more spending cuts.

North Carolina leaders are concerned that a controversial House proposal led by Republicans could jeopardize progress on the Charlotte light rail.

But some members saw the administration's announcement as a positive sign.

"I am pleased the Administration is recommending the Charlotte light rail project for funding," said U.S. Rep. David Price, a Chapel Hill Democrat. "The President is right to make infrastructure investments a priority in his budget because they create jobs immediately and strengthen our economy in the long run."


http://www.charlotteobserver.com/201...k=omni_popular

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[Dcarnys]

I really don't understand why Mooresville and Iredell County want nothing to do with the Red Line. Although I love the excuse they give "We don't want to become a bedroom community to Charlotte". NEWSFLASH! You have been a bedroom community to Charlotte for the past 15 years.

[krnboy1009]

Probably feel they are too rich for public transit, ad think everyone should take cars.

[diablo234]

The Federal DOT and NCDOT announced that they will be funding 50% of the Blue Line Extension. This grant was necessary in order for the future construction of the 9.2 mile line to UNC-Charlotte.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/201...l-funding.html

[Woonsocket54]

http://fastlane.dot.gov/2012/12/char...n-transit.html

December 12, 2012

Charlotte Streetcar another step forward in modern transit

This morning, I wrote that, for transportation, there is no time like the present to invest in the future. One city that understands that quite clearly is Charlotte, NC. And today I was delighted to be back in the Queen's City to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Charlotte Streetcar Starter Line.

This streetcar is the first phase of a planned 10-mile line that will expand transit options, spur economic development and improve access to jobs, education and medical facilities in the heart of one of the nation’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas.



The initial 1.5-mile section of the streetcar line will feature six stops--including a hospital--along a transit corridor that will make it easy for passengers to catch a local transit bus or LYNX light rail. It will also propel Charlotte yet another step forward in its vision of an inter-connected, modern transit system that gets people into, around, and out of the city without needing a car.

Increasing transportation options for residents, students, and commuters means less reliance on oil; it means spending less money; and it means less time stuck in traffic. It also means more jobs and additional investments in business, housing, and retail.



And in Charlotte, with its thriving LYNX light rail network, you don't have to look too far to see the proof.
In addition to being a very popular way to get around, LYNX is also making Charlotte more economically competitive. This year alone, more than $200 million worth of new construction has been invested in the South End neighborhood near LYNX.



The starter streetcar line we broke ground on today will also add to Charlotte's livability. It's helping us deliver more of what people are demanding--more efficient and affordable transportation choices, more housing near public transportation, and reliable ways to get people where they need to go.

Across America, President Obama has invested in sustainable transportation choices like this to help communities like Charlotte grow. And across America we've been putting people back to work as we build a modern transportation network that continues to be the envy of the world.

[Woonsocket54]

WIS TV
http://www.wistv.com/story/20326506/...streetcar-line

Posted: Dec 12, 2012 11:55 AM EST
Updated: Jan 11, 2013 11:57 AM EST



Construction resumes on first segment of Charlotte's streetcar line

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) -
The city of Charlotte broke ground to resume construction on the first 1.5 mile segment of its first streetcar line in nearly 75 years.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood joined Mayor Anthony Foxx and other local officials to break ground on the Charlotte Streetcar Starter Project, the first phase of a planned 10-mile streetcar line Wednesday morning.

"The streetcar project moves Charlotte a step closer to building a truly connected transit system that will enable commuters, students and visitors to travel seamlessly in and out of downtown," said Secretary LaHood. "The Obama Administration will continue to invest in sustainable transportation choices that keep cities like Charlotte vibrant and growing."

The initial 1.5-mile section of the Charlotte Streetcar line will include six stops along an east-west transit corridor that will make it easy for passengers to catch either a local transit bus or board the LYNX light rail service heading north and south from the Charlotte Transportation Center, where all these services intersect. Today's groundbreaking was held at Presbyterian Hospital, one of the stops on the route.

The project is funded with $25 million from the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Urban Circulator Grant Program. The total project cost is $37 million, with the City of Charlotte contributing $12 million.


Charlotte has benefited significantly from federal investments in local transit.

Since 2007, the U.S. Department of Transportation has committed $797 million for the LYNX Blue Line light rail construction.

This investment includes $580 million announced in October 2012 to effectively double the length of the Blue Line from uptown Charlotte to the city's UNC Charlotte campus and an $18 million grant through the department's TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) program announced in December 2011 to expand capacity on the existing Blue Line to accommodate more riders during peak hours and special events.

Copyright 2012 WBTV. All rights reserved.

[Woonsocket54]

just a small 1.5-mile portion of the crosstown streetcar line is now under construction