Charlotte's Light Rail: Lynx Blue Line

[kermit]

Latest on ridership.

aint good (about 10k short of daily projections):

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article211774269.html

Amusingly Steve Harrison interviews local transit gadfly David Hartgen (a noted flat-earther who long ago retied from UNCC) and he fairly says "we need 5 more months of data before drawing any conclusions"

CATS says it has no plans to end the parking fee at JW Clay and U City blvd decks (mmmm K....)

The article does mention that Parkwood and 25th are two of the worst stations at the moment. Both of those will certainly improve substantially with the new apartments, a 25th street LSC crossing and Tompkins hall opening up. Opening 36th and Sugar Creek should also result in some substantial bumps to ridership there. I would also bet that the new academic year should bring a rash of student commuters, although probably not as many as projected. 

 

Edited May 25, 2018 by kermit

[CLT2014]

The numbers aren't going to get better the next couple months with UNCC on summer break. Fall will probably be the better time to judge how the extension is going. 

Regarding regular workday commuting, the extension just doesn't go through neighborhoods that have many Uptown workers. I think this will change over time just like South End got more apartments, but it will lag the extension a good amount. For the suburban Uptown workers in the northern end of the metro, it is going to take congestion getting a good amount worse on I-85 to consider the switching time from vehicle to train a better alternative to just driving right into work. I-77 is just so congested it makes sense to switch from car to train if you live in Fort Mill, Pineville, or Ballantyne areas. That recipe doesn't exist yet in Concord, Mallard Creek, Harrisburg, etc... as I-85 often maintains speeds above 25mph even at rush hour.

Edited May 25, 2018 by CLT2014

[jtmonk]

While I'm not surprised by the low ridership right now, I also am not too concerned about it.   As has been stated before, it didn't help that the BLE opened near the end of the semester, students already had their parking passes paid for and were not going to change their commuting habits with a month or so of classes left for the year.   Also take into account all the new construction along the BLE that hasn't opened yet.  Once these new developments open up ridership should gradually increase, similar to how the original blue line started out, look how well it is doing now. Slow and steady wins the race.   

[Desert Power]

After being in London for over a week, it is really the jerkiness of the ride that gets me....even though it is at such a slow speed.  It came to 4 dead stops yesterday just going between 36th and 25th 

[Matthew.Brendan]

Anyone notice that the southbound train announcements (in train) are buggered?

”Next stop Stonewall street” as it’s pulling into CTC. “Next stop Caldwell” as it’s pulling into 3rd. 

How are these announcements triggered? It’s been like this for several weeks at least now since I first noticed. 

Not sure who/when it was but I’ve caught a train where the driver must have been ex-MTA, cheerfully calling out the stops himself. Was great. 

[nakers2]

28 minutes ago, Matthew.Brendan said:

Anyone notice that the southbound train announcements (in train) are buggered?

”Next stop Stonewall street” as it’s pulling into CTC. “Next stop Caldwell” as it’s pulling into 3rd. 

How are these announcements triggered? It’s been like this for several weeks at least now since I first noticed. 

Not sure who/when it was but I’ve caught a train where the driver must have been ex-MTA, cheerfully calling out the stops himself. Was great. 

I've had that happen before, and they were easy to understand, unlike the mumbled mess of the DC Metro. But to my understanding the driver can reset the system themselves if it gets messed up, I assume some drivers simply don't notice it when it gets out of sync. I remember sitting behind the driver's cab on a train where the announcements were messed up and halfway through an incorrect announcement, I think it was something to the effect of "next stop is JW Clay when it was actually University, or Tom Hunter, she cut it off, hit a button a couple times and it was back on track. 

 

2 hours ago, jtmonk said:

While I'm not surprised by the low ridership right now, I also am not too concerned about it.   As has been stated before, it didn't help that the BLE opened near the end of the semester, students already had their parking passes paid for and were not going to change their commuting habits with a month or so of classes left for the year.   Also take into account all the new construction along the BLE that hasn't opened yet.  Once these new developments open up ridership should gradually increase, similar to how the original blue line started out, look how well it is doing now. Slow and steady wins the race.   

I'm wondering, for anyone that knows, how do they count riders who don't pay? Because as of now, there is no counting system that I'm aware of for students, enforcement is simply based on an honor system where if asked a student must produce their ID card. And obviously there are fare jumpers, and it wouldn't surprise me if the number of fare jumpers is higher on the north line than on the south line, not to mention large crowds during events, I don't doubt for a second that the majority of the people crowding the train to go to events uptown, especially "train packers" like sporting events, the St Patrick's day bar crawl. Speed Street this week, Independence Day, and eventually Panther's games are not paying. As much as it sucks to lose revenue to this, they still count as riders in my eye, and are a gauge of the line's success and should be counted as riders. Riding home yesterday around rush hour, I did certainly notice a considerable difference between the southbound and northbound platforms at CTC, but to be 10K short seems excessive. 

[kermit]

20 minutes ago, nakers2 said:

I'm wondering, for anyone that knows, how do they count riders who don't pay? Because as of now, there is no counting system that I'm aware of for students, enforcement is simply based on an honor system where if asked a student must produce their ID card.

Turnstyle jumpers still get counted as riders. The rider counts come from sensors at each door of the train so the count is independent of fare purchases.

[nakers2]

 In other news, there is a “ Road closed to through traffic“ sign just around the corner out of sight of the Sugar Creek parking deck, to anyone who is not from the area, or is going there for the first time, this could be very confusing. 

[southslider]

And charging for parking during the big race weekend is a such brilliant PR move!

[CLT2014]

43 minutes ago, southslider said:

And charging for parking during the big race weekend is a such brilliant PR move!

Are they charging for parking at all of the park and ride stations or just JW Clay and UC Blvd?

Edited May 26, 2018 by CLT2014

[KJHburg]

11 minutes ago, CLT2014 said:

Are they charging for parking at all of the park and ride stations or just JW Clay and UC Blvd?

Just those 2 stations because they say to discourage UNCC students however what it is doing is discouraging Cabarrus county and University city residents.  Something else needs to be done with this and technology exists.  I noticed a lot of cars at the park and ride at the Regal movie theaters at N Tryon and Pavillion Blvd where the CK Rider the Cabarrus county bus systems picks up.  You can park for free and ride the bus with free transfer to the LYNX.  

[15895]

14 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

Just those 2 stations because they say to discourage UNCC students however what it is doing is discouraging Cabarrus county and University city residents.  Something else needs to be done with this and technology exists.  I noticed a lot of cars at the park and ride at the Regal movie theaters at N Tryon and Pavillion Blvd where the CK Rider the Cabarrus county bus systems picks up.  You can park for free and ride the bus with free transfer to the LYNX.  

 

I just think the times they charge punishes everyone but students. I think commuters are the ones punished. I know students are the reason for the charge but I’m just trying to understand how they picked those times...

Edited May 26, 2018 by AirNostrumMAD

[CLT2014]

So I guess I don't see how the parking charges impact people riding the train to the race. The shuttle bus picks race riders up at JW Clay.... so if somebody drove and parked at JW Clay they wouldn't really be riding the light rail... they would just be catching the shuttle and getting a free parking spot. It looks like the shuttle requires a light rail ticket for boarding so I guess you could park at JW Clay, buy a ticket but not get on, and use that as proof for the shuttle. 

[CLT704]

Finally got a reply for CATS on why the BLE trains are so slow and tend to stop between stations:

Edited May 29, 2018 by CLT704

[Crucial_Infra]

NC budget provision would sabotage future light rail projects | Charlotte Observer (link)

>>> Tucked deep inside a revised state budget released Monday is a one-sentence paragraph that could effectively kill future light rail projects in Charlotte and across the state. 

Section 34.7(a) - on page 179 of the 267-page budget - reads: "Additional Requirement for High-Cost Projects. – A light rail project is ineligible for scoring, prioritization, and State funding until a written agreement is provided to the Department establishing that all non-State funding necessary to construct the project has been secured."

Edited May 29, 2018 by Crucial_Infra

[dylansukkert]

I just recently moved in Solis Southline right on the light rail in South End. Does anyone know if there’s any proper protical on train conductors ringing the horns as they cross road ways? It’s really not a problem but I’ve noticed some times they just hold the horn down and others seem to not ring it as much at all. 

[kermit]

51 minutes ago, dylansukkert said:

I just recently moved in Solis Southline right on the light rail in South End. Does anyone know if there’s any proper protical on train conductors ringing the horns as they cross road ways? It’s really not a problem but I’ve noticed some times they just hold the horn down and others seem to not ring it as much at all. 

idiots in tracks = more horn

[southslider]

^Horns south of Tremont.  Bells in Uptown and South End.

[Matthew.Brendan]

Should be horn everywhere. It’s a train. Cutesy bell doesn’t cut it when there’s some dumbass on the tracks. 

[Hunted]

1 hour ago, Matthew.Brendan said:

Should be horn everywhere. It’s a train. Cutesy bell doesn’t cut it when there’s some dumbass on the tracks. 

Pfft, I'm the complete opposite. I don't think potentially annoying residents is worth saving a stupid person AT ALL. Let natural selection take its course. We should quit trying to save everyone.

[11 HouseBZ]

I think it's worth it, at minimum and lives lost aside, that some don't have to see the leftovers of what happens when a train hits someone. I'm sure you're joking, I get it, but I find the smell of carnage more annoying than a horn. It's the city so there will be noise.

Edited May 30, 2018 by 11 HouseBZ
Less descriptive

[nakers2]

6 hours ago, 11 HouseBZ said:

I think it's worth it, at minimum and lives lost aside, that some don't have to see the leftovers of what happens when a train hits someone. I'm sure you're joking, I get it, but I find the smell of carnage more annoying than a horn. It's the city so there will be noise.

True that, I've seen the aftermath of a freight train hitting someone, I imagine a light rail could still cause some spillage, if you know what I mean. 

[videtur quam contuor]

When the light rail began operation 11 years ago there was little residential development alongside the track. One exception to that was Park Avenue condos at Park/Camden and the rail line. The rail  operators sounded the horn at their start across the crossings and continued through the crossings at all grade street interactions and the Park Condo residents complained about the 5:40 AM to 12:15 AM disturbance. The agreement reached was that closer to center city the bell would be used and further out horns similar to existing protocol would continue.  Sightlines and speed have something to do with this and crossings are closer together with lower speeds in the near in stations.

[dylansukkert]

2 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

When the light rail began operation 11 years ago there was little residential development alongside the track. One exception to that was Park Avenue condos at Park/Camden and the rail line. The rail  operators sounded the horn at their start across the crossings and continued through the crossings at all grade street interactions and the Park Condo residents complained about the 5:40 AM to 12:15 AM disturbance. The agreement reached was that closer to center city the bell would be used and further out horns similar to existing protocol would continue.  Sightlines and speed have something to do with this and crossings are closer together with lower speeds in the near in stations.

So what are they going to do as further down South Blvrd there are more and more residents same with the extension on the north side?

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

20 minutes ago, dylansukkert said:

So what are they going to do as further down South Blvrd there are more and more residents same with the extension on the north side?

Tarhoosier basically already answered this with "Sightlines and speed have something to do with this and crossings are closer together with lower speeds in the near in stations."  A train going through Uptown is basically traveling at a crawling speed (also allows the train to make emergency stops a lot easier)...To me, a bell is sufficient bc of previously stated comments (speed & proximity of each station within 277).  If there is a dummy in the road or crossing, they, of course, can use the horn...but with how fast and frequent the train stops within the loop...horn would seem excessive.  Further out like you mentioned, S. Blvd and N. side...travel speeds are dramatically faster as is the distance between stations (horn=further reach/need of warning).