Lynx Blue Line (South Corridor)

[A2]

It is now June, 2006. If memory serves, this month was the original planned completion date for the LRT project. It jumped to October, 2006 for much of the engineering process, and then to Spring, 2007 by the time it was funded by the fed. When it started bids, it was Summer, 2007. Now it is Fall, 2007 as a result of the high bids for the uptown section. Let's hope it doesn't get any more delays!

So this means I will not ride on this puppy until LATE next year, dubone?

I thought the line was to be completed by the end of the year and and the trains running 1stQ 2007. I have really not followed the LRT as much as other topics, but it is a pure shame that we will be waiting till nearly 2008 to take a train ride.

A2

[MZT]

With a year to go before the currently planned opening (late 2007) I would not be surprised to see some last minute snags push it into early 2008.

Keith Larson and Jason Lewis and the Rhino will bag on it as usual.

And when it opens, ridership will exceed projections. Charlotte will take great pride in its new transit service, and doubts will be laid to rest just as they were in San Diego and Dallas and other "auto dominated" cities where the naysayers said it would "never" appeal to the locals.

[monsoon]

Actually the opening date had earlier slipped into 2008 due to the delays the city faced in getting the full funding agreement letter from the FTA. Remember there were many questions on the ridership projections that CATS originally submitted. The current date reflects an improvement of that schedule.

[dubone]

Do you mean 2007? I have not heard any information pushing it to 2008, and the CATS website still says Fall of 2007, which reflects the most recent reported change.

[monsoon]

Do you mean 2007? I have not heard any information pushing it to 2008, and the CATS website still says Fall of 2007, which reflects the most recent reported change.

No I mean 2008. When the FTA delayed the FFGA, CATS said that completion would be pushed into 2008. Then subsequent to that announcement, they announced they had improved the schedule back into 2007 which is were we are now.

[dubone]

I've followed this very closely, and the way I remember it, it had been 2006 up until the the FFGA, when it went to 2007 for the first time. But there might have been a microdecision that was never reported in the papers where they started thinking it would take much longer to get built.

The final date is just a few months shy of 2008, so if they had started to say 2008 around the FFGA, they were pretty close to being right.

[MZT]

My recollection is the same as dubone's - Maybe metro was really following this inch-by-inch.

[monsoon]

It's mentioned here several times in past discussions on UP but there is no definitive proof as no sources were posted. However if you go and look at the FFGA for the South LRT, it specifically states an opening date of December 2007. And I believe there was a 4 mouth slip announced (materials costs and shortages) sometime last year that would have pushed it into spring 2008. Since then they have managed to pull it back down to sometime in Aug 2007, but I don't think they have committed to this firmly. There is a newpaper article that was posted in August 2005 where a CATS engineer said it could take 18 months finish, which would push the date into 2008.

The other interesting thing about that FFGA was that it only predicts a ridership of 9700 upon opening. That is just 4850 trips/day.

[nmcheese]

Is there a site that lists ridership statistics for the existing South Blvd bus routes? From the high ridership at the times I've ridden it they're probably most of the way to the 4850 round trips/day just from existing riders that will transfer to the light rail as it replaces those bus lines.

[revitalize]

I was reading Rhino Times at lunch today and kind of lost my appetite when I read the article/editorial inside the front cover bashing the LYNX blue line and City planning. Anyone else read this? It kind of irks me that some people are so negative about rail transit in Charlotte.

[vammirato]

I was reading Rhino Times at lunch today and kind of lost my appetite when I read the article/editorial inside the front cover bashing the LYNX blue line and City planning. Anyone else read this? It kind of irks me that some people are so negative about rail transit in Charlotte.

The Rhino is prone to articles like the LYNX article. If it wasn't controversial, people wouldn't discuss it and we would only use it to obtain free crossword puzzles or look at all the pictures of the editor's friends.

[monsoon]

I read that article. It is interesting they are implying that Atlanta and Minneapolis are failures and Charlotte is following the same path. One wonders why they didn't bring up Dallas, Portland, DC, San Diego and other modern systems that have transformed those cities.

I also find it interesting they start their article by taking pot shots at the Observer. I am one of the first to say that some of the reporting in the Observer is pretty lightweight, but they are miles better than anything that is shown on the local TV news. And of course anything that I have read in the Rhino Times as this poorly written article demonstrates. It would seem that John Locke has more than one mouthpiece in Charlotte.

[49er]

according to a mention in a planning article in the Observer today, the signature canopy at the main station was approved last night. Now at least the station will appear to be special and not just another stop on the line.

[ScottCLT]

I read that article. It is interesting they are implying that Atlanta and Minneapolis are failures and Charlotte is following the same path. One wonders why they didn't bring up Dallas, Portland, DC, San Diego and other modern systems that have transformed those cities.

I also find it interesting they start their article by taking pot shots at the Observer. I am one of the first to say that some of the reporting in the Observer is pretty lightweight, but they are miles better than anything that is shown on the local TV news. And of course anything that I have read in the Rhino Times as this poorly written article demonstrates. It would seem that John Locke has more than one mouthpiece in Charlotte.

I didn't catch this article...why did it call the Atlanta and Minneapolis systems failures? I've ridden on both before, and both were heavily used from what I can tell. Houston is another place where the light rail was considered a failure. However, when I travel to Houston, I always get a hotel along the light rail line because it's so cheap and gets me everywhere I need to go. It's usually pretty crowded as well. Houston does have only one line, so I think much of the arguments come from people that just don't live near that line. However, for the people that do, it seems far from a failure.

[nyxmike]

I didn't catch this article...why did it call the Atlanta and Minneapolis systems failures? I've ridden on both before, and both were heavily used from what I can tell. Houston is another place where the light rail was considered a failure. However, when I travel to Houston, I always get a hotel along the light rail line because it's so cheap and gets me everywhere I need to go. It's usually pretty crowded as well. Houston does have only one line, so I think much of the arguments come from people that just don't live near that line. However, for the people that do, it seems far from a failure.

Probably because transit in those cities hasn't solved the traffic woes in the area, and thats why they think it's a waste of money. However, everyone knows that transit will not eliminate current traffic problems, but it will help shape the way a place is built (hopefully making it more pedestrian friendly and less car-oriented) which should help decrease future traffic congestion.

[Jerseyman4]

I took a drive along South Blvd today and took some photos of the project. Expect a photo trail from I-485 near Pineville to East Blvd next weekend (6/24 timeframe area). Ill try to be as accurate as possible with the photography comments so fair warning if something comes up erronous.

For what i know checking out the southern terminous and what ive read on other threads, it is unfortunate Pineville did not accept the project to extend over into the city limits because it would really benefit their downtown. Pineville residents would of had a real public transportation alternative to head into uptown rather than take South Blvd or I-77 but i guess the bus lines are good enough for them (i did drive around Pineville too)? Maybe residents opposed this because their property values would skyrocket and would force the natives to move out? If im wrong, please tell me because id like to know since i am making observational guesses. Im also guessing Pineville (i know its part of Meck) is seperate from Charlotte-Mecklenburg, kinda like the independant city situation in Virginia where the IC's are in complete control of transportation-city projects where the state and county cant intrude into their town for transportation planning.

Btw, great photos from everybody and if there are any duplications from the photos that I took that other people already uploaded, its because im providing an updated progress report so by any means, im not competeting with anyone but rather contributing to this page. I hope nobody minds that i do that

Before i forget, if anyone uses my photos for any reason outside of Urbanplanet, you have permission to do so but please credit me

[MZT]

Those intersections at Tyvola and Woodlawn have been really slow going. But it looks like the last wires on the old poles have been relocated this week and the new curbing is in. Things are shaping up.

[sax184]

I read that article. It is interesting they are implying that Atlanta and Minneapolis are failures and Charlotte is following the same path. One wonders why they didn't bring up Dallas, Portland, DC, San Diego and other modern systems that have transformed those cities.

Anybody who thinks the Hiawatha LRT in Minneapolis is a failure has not been to MN. I was there in the dead of winter in 2004- miserable conditions for getting off the train and walking anywhere, and the train was used at all times of day, by all types of people, with cars full most of the time. I rode as early as 5:45 AM and as late as 11:15 PM.

[dubone]

Well, they spent tax money on a choo choo, so that makes it a failure in the eyes of John Locke Foundation, and their ilk.

[A2]

Well, they spent tax money on a choo choo, so that makes it a failure in the eyes of John Locke Foundation, and their ilk.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Anybody who thinks the Hiawatha LRT in Minneapolis is a failure has not been to MN. I was there in the dead of winter in 2004- miserable conditions for getting off the train and walking anywhere, and the train was used at all times of day, by all types of people, with cars full most of the time. I rode as early as 5:45 AM and as late as 11:15 PM.

That reminds me... Do we have any idea how late this thing will run? From 5:00 AM to 1:00AM maybe?

[dubone]

I'm sure you could find it on CATS website, but for an off-the-top-of-my-head answer, I'm pretty sure you're right, 5a-1a.

[fulcrumsf]

A picture from Charlotte Observer of the first Light Rail Car to arrive.

Article here

[revitalize]

niiiice, verrrrrrrrry nice.

[dubone]

I'm so happy CATS chose this LRT design. It really looks sleek and contemporary.

It is exciting that they are starting to arrive, but it is also a little sad to remember that the train delivery schedule was now in time for a winter 2006/07 completion of the line. Now it won't be completed for a year.