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CATS Long Term Transit Plan - Silver, Red Lines


monsoon

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LRT buildout elsewhere continues. The FTA announces nearly $1 billion in federal funding (on a $2 billion project) for the 14.5 mile SW LRT project in Minneapolis. Expected to open in 2023.

https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/article/21149212/fta-give-congress-30day-heads-up-on-9288million-funding-grant-to-met-councils-southwest-lrt-project
 

Edited by kermit
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On 8/7/2020 at 2:04 PM, LKN704 said:

Is it just me or does the $2 billion dollar price tag seem high for a 14.5 mile project?

The FTA funding amount seems about right given that they are usually willing to fork over 50% of funding costs on projects that they ultimately bless. 

I am not sure, I don’t know much about the route. I do know it needs to pass adjacent to a couple of large lakes in the tony Kenwood neighborhood and preliminary engineering found more soggy soil than anticipated In that area — wikipedia says that discovery added about $300 million to the price tag.

State will pay for 10%. Given that MSP is nearly 70% of Minnesota’s economy this seems like an awfully skimpy contribution to the sustainability of the only economic engine in the state.

(Charlotte is roughly 29% of the NC economy as measured by GDP/output)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwest_LRT

Edited by kermit
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from UNC Charlotte Urban Institute about future transit plans for Charlotte.

https://ui.uncc.edu/story/coronavirus-reshapes-charlotte-transit

I do think Rapid Bus Transit needs to be more thoroughly considered than rail everywhere and in a fast growing city like Charlotte I don't buy that development will only go near rail sites.  Look to Raleigh and their plans with dedicated bus lanes and limited interaction with streets.  Problem is money with so much of the local funding way off this year and it could be years before it is back to peak levels. 

 

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10 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

from UNC Charlotte Urban Institute about future transit plans for Charlotte.

https://ui.uncc.edu/story/coronavirus-reshapes-charlotte-transit

I do think Rapid Bus Transit needs to be more thoroughly considered than rail everywhere and in a fast growing city like Charlotte I don't buy that development will only go near rail sites.  Look to Raleigh and their plans with dedicated bus lanes and limited interaction with streets.  Problem is money with so much of the local funding way off this year and it could be years before it is back to peak levels. 

 

BRT is definitely the quickest/cheapest way to expand our transit plans. Would be huge for a few major thoroughfares like Freedom, Plaza, Central, or Park

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Not sure I understand the main point of the story.

Is Lewis suggesting an entirely new transit plan? Perhaps that might make sense in the reactionary world of assuming COVID never ends and WFH is here to stay but...   Lewis is quoted suggesting that the Silver Line still gets built as LRT, this gets us close to full rail build out. The other pieces of rail expansion currently on the books are: 

  • Pineville / Btyne Blue Line extension
  • Red Line (which is dead)
  • Gold Line Phase 3 (which is completely dormant, this article is the first time I have head phase 3 mentioned by anyone on the council).

Lewis provided the example of making phase 3 of the Gold Line BRT -- but all that does is further slow the route by requiring riders to transfer between vehicles. Same applies for the Btyne extension.  So where is this BRT that is being discussed going to go? Is Lewis choosing the present moment to propose entirely new high-volume transit routes? If so then he is really failing to read the room. Or is he trying to 'officially' kill off the Red Line in favor of the already planned BRT? This seems more likely, but, given the present and past situation, pretty trivial.

Maybe I just read it wrong.

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Lewis is a guy that truly doesn't care about providing better service. As he does't want Buses to get in the way of cars. I'm not sure how we could ever increase transit in the community  with this attitude.  

Quote

“It seems like it will work during this downturn in commuting,” said Lewis. But he’s also wary of doing something that commuters will object to once they pour back onto the roads post-pandemic. “Once the new normal happens, we wouldn’t want to implement something that works today and cripples CDOT’s [Charlotte Department of Transportation] endeavors to provide their (road) service.”

 

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I would be happy if we got just a few things in the next decade:

Blue line extension to ballantyne and Pineville.

The silver line from Mathews to Belmont.

And a BRT (would prefer the red line but trying to be realistic) to north meck and lake Norman. 

And hopefully they can figure out SOMETHING for better transit in and around south park. It's sorely needed now and is going to get so much more congested.

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Pineville was against LRT. I'd say skip their asses. I live near there and people are all worried about  ”them urban people” (we know that code word) coming and raping their daughters and pillaging their homes. Up go the MAGA yard signs.

Also in my neighborhood some don't want greenway access either I believe for the same reason. They don't even realize how bigoted they sound. I swear this is the land time forgot outside the few hip neighborhoods.:tw_wink:

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56 minutes ago, elrodvt said:

Pineville was against LRT. I'd say skip their asses. I live near there and people are all worried about  ”them urban people” (we know that code word) coming and raping their daughters and pillaging their homes. Up go the MAGA yard signs.

Also in my neighborhood some don't want greenway access either I believe for the same reason. They don't even realize how bigoted they sound. I swear this is the land time forgot outside the few hip neighborhoods.:tw_wink:

Only reason I support it is because that’s the only way the BlueLine can get to Ballantyne which is a major employment center.

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11 minutes ago, elrodvt said:

There doesn't need to be a stop though right? If they want one they can pay for it themselves. 

Ummm...they already pay for it.  It’s called the .5 cent sales (transit) tax and it applies to all of Mecklenburg County which includes Pineville.  Unless, of course,  the entirety of the Pineville population does all their shopping outside of Mecklenburg County...in that case then your argument might have merit.

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2 minutes ago, elrodvt said:

Why stop where an abandoned mall used to be says Carnac the great swami.

I'd say for two reasons:

  1. There is a big parking lot there that could become transit-oriented development
  2. We are really hurting for retail along our light rail anyways. When I lived uptown, it would have been great to be able to take the rail to a mall or anywhere to shop. South end has come a ways since then
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On 8/14/2020 at 9:06 AM, elrodvt said:

Pineville was against LRT. I'd say skip their asses. I live near there and people are all worried about  ”them urban people” (we know that code word) coming and raping their daughters and pillaging their homes. Up go the MAGA yard signs.

Also in my neighborhood some don't want greenway access either I believe for the same reason. They don't even realize how bigoted they sound. I swear this is the land time forgot outside the few hip neighborhoods.:tw_wink:

The reason Pineville was against being the terminus of the LYNX line was traffic as 51 was 2 lane coming from SC and they did not want all those Charlotte bound commuters to crowd their little town's downtown.  I think it was better it ended at I-485 and South Blvd. 

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