Charlotte Center City Streetcar Network

[ajfunder]

They have also strung the support wires for the catenary wire on all the existing poles on Elizabeth Avenue. I am curious when McDowell and Kings intersections will be closed for track installation because they seem to be nearly ready. The city wants to start testing in November, I can't wait.

[DEnd]

Sadly, it also explains why the Airport is a poor candidate for LYNX. BLE largely follows the busiest bus route. Gold Line follows the second and third busiest routes. Even Silver Line falls between the second and fourth busiest routes.

I thought the 9 was the most ridden route? I know it was 10ish years ago. The Social Security office decided to locate in the Charlotte East office park originally because of that, and stayed there 10 years ago because of it.

[southslider]

9-Central is second only to 11-N Tryon. The 9 will likely become the busiest bus line after BLE opens.

[tozmervo]

I do recall 9 taking the cake not that long ago, but very notably Central Avenue is served by multiple routes (39 from Eastway to Hawthorne and 17 between Sharon Amity and Eastway and again from the Plaza to Uptown) meaning there are different buses people can catch to the same end. The 11 has no such overlapping routes, so anyone along that corridor going Uptown is using that route. As of two years ago, the airport corridor fell within the top third of routes by ridership. (source: http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/cats/planning/ctsp/Documents/Countywide%20Transit%20Serivices%20Plan%20FY2012%20-%20FY2017.pdf)

[orulz]

They have also strung the support wires for the catenary wire on all the existing poles on Elizabeth Avenue. I am curious when McDowell and Kings intersections will be closed for track installation because they seem to be nearly ready. The city wants to start testing in November, I can't wait.

Is the Charlotte streetcar going to use catenary and pantographs, or trolley wires and trolley poles? Also, what voltage? I suppose catenary/pantographs are likely, for the sake of compatibility with the blue line; however, simple trolley wires and trolley poles are cheaper and less visually obtrusive, and work just fine given the low speeds. 600v is more common for streetcars but again 750v would afford compatibility with the Blue Line.

[ajfunder]

The streetcar will be whatever the Blue Line is voltage wise (I believe it is 750v). The replica streetcars were originally delivered with trolley poles but they were replaced with pantographs when the blue line opened. A pantograph can (to my knowledge) run on both a catenary system and modern trolley wire. The city refers to the wiring as the overhead contact system and renderings seem to show the streetcar will use wires more like trolley wire. The replica streetcars and any modern streetcars the city purchases will most likely be equipped with pantographs for reliability reasons.

[Miesian Corners]

Sooooo--what kind of damage has our disgraced former mayor done to the streetcar line?

[southslider]

Clay Grubb has done more damage to streetcar by not developing Elizabeth Village. Looks like there are no development benefits to streetcar, when every other in-town is seeing infill.

[tozmervo]

I guess you could argue that, if he develops it after the streetcar opens, it was development generated by the streetcar. 

[CLTProductions]

With south end and plaza well on their way, Elizabeth could definitely be the next "area of opportunity" right outside of uptown

[southslider]

And Midtown. And Wesley Heights. And even Belmont. Makes you wonder if Grubb is waiting to make it look like streetcar catalyzed his Elizabeth projects. If not, it will be an all too obvious gap in an otherwise booming first-ring about Uptown.

[Spartan]

I personally hope that he's waiting for market conditions to return to the point of doing something closer to the original project, as opposed to the pared down version.

[ajfunder]

McDowell Street and the Trade street intersection will be closed starting tomorrow and running until May 19. Track installation is coming along nicely and most of the OCS poles are up along the route.

[kermit]

The Meck Times has an article "Streetcar Plan Rolls On." today.

 

http://mecktimes.com/news/2014/04/14/streetcar-plan-rolls-on/?utm_source=WhatCounts+Publicaster+Edition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Streetcar+plan+rolls+on&utm_content=Streetcar+plan+rolls+on

 

Very little new information in it, but I'll regurgitate some key points:

• Starter project: Construction complete January, revenue service begins in March 2015.
• Small Starts submission will occur in September. City expects to hear a decision on the proposal in February or March
• $12 million of the City's $63 million (the money that Ron Carlee found in Patrick Cannon's couch cushions) has been spent on design for the small starts grant submission. City hopes to have 65% of design complete before small starts submission
• No planning or design has been done beyond the second stage of the project (Five Points to Sunnyside)
• If the Small Starts submission is successful then construction would likely start in 'early 2016' and not be finished until 'at least 2019'
• If Small Starts app is declined the city will 'reapply for further grants in 2015'
• The article never mentions Patrick Cannon or implies that the project was weakened by the scandal

[abttown]

4/27/2014 Update

Looking toward Kings Drive.  Work has yet to begin at Trade and Kings Dr.

First layer of asphalt is paved all the way up to McDowell 

McDowell intersection is closed with track now installed

Outside of the district attorney's office

 

[tozmervo]

Via @railtrailclt http://instagram.com/p/qmroH5lAtS/

[15895]

Holy Cow is that sexy

[Urbanity]

It just makes me wish that much more this line was in current construction to at least JCSU to the west and plaza to the east

[jednc]

I'm sure I just didn't realize this was part of the street car project but what's up with the tracks and catenary polls along E 5th St beside the arena? I thought the street car project went down Trade and ended in front of the CTC?

[ajfunder]

It is the non revenue connection so the streetcar can access the LYNX Blue line at 5th street and the maintenance facility on South Blvd. Eventually the streetcar will have a separate facility for general work (part of phase 2) but heavy work will still take place at the existing LYNX shops.

[jednc]

Thanks

[Matthew.Brendan]

Street Car and Light Rail can utilize the same tracks? Interesting.

[kermit]

Street Car and Light Rail can utilize the same tracks? Interesting.

 

while streetcars can generally use LRT tracks, LRT units can not always use streetcar tracks. LRT vehicles are heavier than streetcars have a wider turning radius. Streetcar tracks are not usually built to LRT specifications.

 

I am not an engineer but my glances at our streetcar track construction suggest that they could not support the weight of our LRT equipment. (the streetcar rails are not supported by multiple concrete ties per foot like the blue line, instead the streetcar tracks have steel supports for the rails every 5 feet or so)

 

EDIT: In theory the streetcar starter project could run from Presby to the arena loop, up to the LRT tracks and then down to 9th st station. In practice I think the loop around the arena is only built to accommodate infrequent traffic due to at grade crossings and pedestrian conflict.

Edited July 22, 2014 by kermit

[Spartan]

I'm not sure if the tracks can handle LRT vehicles or not, but the width of the LRT trains may be wider than streetcar and the tracks (and stop platforms) may not be designed for that width. It would be interesting if someone in the know could clarify this...

[ChessieCat]

Thankfully the FRA has no prohibitions on LRT's running on streetcar lines or vice-versa!  (Please correct if wrong)