Charlotte's Light Rail: Lynx Blue Line

[dubone]

One thing about the complaints of auto center uses near transit, I just selected a collision center for my car based on access to transit. It's not an ideal use, but many people are without their car most in relation to repairs and service. So transit access is a benefit.

(Written while waiting for a train after dropping my car off )

[dcharlotte]

No car, no need for anybody to hit you, no need for an autocenter near transit. 

[DMann]

No car, no need for anybody to hit you, no need for an autocenter near transit.

Yep!

[dubone]

Yeah.  I do miss my carfree days.    But then when drivers hit you, it is you and not your rear quarter panel. 

[tozmervo]

That's why there's a hospital by JW Clay station

[archiham04]

VW on South Blvd. for me.

One thing about the complaints of auto center uses near transit, I just selected a collision center for my car based on access to transit. It's not an ideal use, but many people are without their car most in relation to repairs and service. So transit access is a benefit.

(Written while waiting for a train after dropping my car off )

[videtur quam contuor]

A few years ago I went to a service center on South Boulevard. My options were to take the courtesy vehicle downtown, making stops on the way for the other passengers/clients, or they could take me to the nearest light rail station and provide me with tickets round trip for the return. I took the Light rail

[uptownliving]

City Council is set to approve the contract for the new Ticket Vending Machines needed for the BLE. Good News: it is a different vendor than the current ones!

 

The other good news is that the new machines will work with the planned conversion to Smartcard/Contactless technology as well as mobile apps.

 

And finallly they plan to replace the old machines currently in use within the next 5 years. Yay!

[ah59396]

When you say mobile apps, do you mean; I can buy a ticket on my phone and just show that screen to the rent-a-cops? Because that would be amazing.

[dubone]

 

And finallly they plan to replace the old machines currently in use within the next 5 years. Yay!

 

Finally!   The screen was already faded and busted at the one I used yesterday.   They did improve them immensely from when they first went in, and I got my ticket quite fast, but apple+pay and paperless mobile ticket would be really nice.   

 

 

Here is the agenda for Monday:

http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/CityClerk/Documents/Agendas/2014/12.08.14.pdf

 

This is the vendor being negotiated with:

http://www.spx.com/en/genfare/products-services/

 

 

Here is the mobile payment detail which will definitely be what I will use if it's available.   One factor is I wonder if people will quickly buy a ticket on the mobile app when they see the conductor rather than buy always.   That would break the proof-of-payment system with random ticket checks.

[HopHead]

Mobile payment will be quite awesome for the light rail. I've used that for parking in the past and it's waaaay easier than having to wait in line for the payment machine. 

[birky]

They've been doing a bunch of work at N Tryon and Reagan Dr/Sandy Ave. They were driving support beams into the median this morning and putting up fencing.

[KulBC]

Picture from N. Tyron and the 85 connector/ Sandy Ave. 

Edited December 12, 2014 by KulBC

[birky]

Looks like they're setting up to do the same thing a few hundred yards further up Tryon.  Anyone know what these are for?

 

Edit: Nevermind. I think they're for the flyover at the 85 connector.

Edited December 11, 2014 by birky

[tozmervo]

Yup. Those are basically giant steel columns that'll hold up the tracks as they bridge across. In short order you'll probably see concrete panels showing up that will wrap around them and create what looks like retaining walls along each side of the median, kinda like this: https://www.google.com/maps/@35.1780558,-80.8797646,3a,26y,25.39h,91.22t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sbUH4pY-8BNvHUaNP8LRE7A!2e0

[archiham04]

Actually, I don't think those are technically columns and don't technically hold up the tracks.  I think those are piles which form a retaining wall on either side of the track.  Stone is placed in between the walls and the tracks are supported by the stone.  The piles keep the stone from pushing out horizontally.  The precast concrete is probably mostly cosmetic. The piles are "driven" down into place and as you can see from the photo don't usually go down exactly plumb.  The panels make for an economical way of making everything look straight.

Edited December 12, 2014 by archiham04

[ah59396]

Looks like they've added small advertisements to the opposite side of the tracks a la every other transit system in the US, haha!

[dfwjoel]

 

Here is the mobile payment detail which will definitely be what I will use if it's available.   One factor is I wonder if people will quickly buy a ticket on the mobile app when they see the conductor rather than buy always.   That would break the proof-of-payment system with random ticket checks.

 

Dallas has had a mobile app for over a year now and it works great.  When you buy a ticket using the mobile app, you have to "activate" the ticket for it to be able to be used.  During the first few minutes of activation, the ticket flashes "recently activated" and is yellow rather than "activated" and green.  I've never seen anyone busted for having "recently activated" so I'm not sure how it works in practice.  I use the monthly pass.

[Spartan]

Looks like they've added small advertisements to the opposite side of the tracks a la every other transit system in the US, haha!

image.jpg

 

While I hate the "wrapped" stuff, this is the kind of no-brainer advertising that CATS should have been using since day one.

[ArtieP]

Construction is beginning on the bridge over the 85 Connector/N Tryon intersection.  Work has also started on the University City Station deck and JW Clay Station deck.

 

[Matthew.Brendan]

Is there anything publicly available showing the final plans? I am in particular curious about the Sugar Creek interchange / station. Thanks!

[dubone]

I spoke extensively on the Sugar Creek area a few pages back. 

 

There are no consolidated renderings for it because it is two separate projects that seem to be integrated as little as possible.

 

Here is the Sugar Creek bridge over the railroad:

http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/sugarcreekroad/

 

Ironically, we saw more renderings of the CATS plans that are NOT going to be built as they were in the phase when they were trying to sell the public and the FTC on the project.     So now, we only have our imagination now that they have made the decision to add a pedestrian bridge and a parking deck.    So far, all I have seen on the deck is the footprint and siteplan, but no detail on where or what style the new pedestrian bridge will be, or the façade of the deck.  

 

I am presuming the specs for the deck façade will be similar to those of the long planned decks in University City shown in the newsletter:

http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/cats/planning/BLE/Documents/Trans-BLE-Fall14.pdf

 

 

 

It is completely beyond my comprehension how a newsletter does not mention the changes to the Sugar Creek Station, which seems fairly substantive over what has been shown and mentioned before.  

When they changed to a deck, they did mention it in the newsletter showing the siteplan, but no further detail has emerged so far to embellish on that.  

http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/cats/planning/BLE/involvement/Documents/BLEnewslttrSpring14v5.pdf

 

 

We also haven't seen whether the pedestrian bridge is a from the deck directly across the tracks toward North Davidson street, or whether it will be the ramp up to Sugar Creek Road bridge like shown a few years ago:

http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/cats/planning/BLE/involvement/meetings/Documents/January_2011_Public_Meeting_Exhibits_-_65%20Station_Concepts-Sugar%20Creek.pdf

[Guest]

I was tweeted @ by ColeJenest & Stone that Cats is evaluating adding a stop at Atherton mill to help ease connectivity problems in the area. This would be a huge win for the area.

 

The inability to cross the Light rail in this area has long been something that bothered me, and I've been trying to figure out the best urban idea. Adding a stop would add a crossing, how exciting!

[CLTProductions]

I was tweeted @ by ColeJenest & Stone that Cats is evaluating adding a stop at Atherton mill to help ease connectivity problems in the area. This would be a huge win for the area.

 

The inability to cross the Light rail in this area has long been something that bothered me, and I've been trying to figure out the best urban idea. Adding a stop would add a crossing, how exciting!

Where would you envision the stop going? Can't you just cross it at Tremont? I would say a desired spot is somewhere in the middle between Tremont and Remount, in between the mill and Publix perhaps.

Edited January 13, 2015 by Jayvee

[Guest]

Where would you envision the stop going? Can't you just cross it at Tremont? I would say a desired spot is somewhere in the middle between Tremont and Remount, in between the mill and Publix perhaps.

To go to publix on foot from Spectrum for instance, you would have to walk nearly 3/4 of a mile. when you can see Publix only 150 feet away.