Charlotte's Light Rail: Lynx Blue Line

[Andyc545]

I am just relieved that CATS didn't keep that ridiculous shading on the CATS logo when they put it on the LYNX stuff. The logo on the buses actually appears like the paint is wearing off!

Ahh... I have always thought that same thing. In fact from when I moved here until recently like only maybe 2 years ago, did I realize that it was actaully suppose to be part of the logo. I always wondered why they just didn't keep it solid, it would have looked much better.

[Spartan]

[*]I had hoped there might be more local activity, but that was non-existent on this particular train. Maybe that will improve over time. No one got on the train on the Dilworth/South end stations. (basically all stations between Woodlawn and the convention center)

I think this will improve when there are more places to live and more places to go adjacent to the tracks.

One thing I wanted to point out is that I have noticed a lot more foot traffic the last 3 or 4 weeks... especially coming from the East Blvd station. I drive up and down and around South Blvd and East Blvd quite a bit throughout the week. Especially around lunch time and then around dinner time. Lots of people from work and families are making their way to the restaurants in that area. And I know for a fact that they are all coming from LYNX. So that's actually a good thing to see, since this exactly one of the things light rail was intended to bring.

The train has to be making the SouthEnd lunch rush explode with uptown workers exploring places outside of Overstreet Mall. I occasionally go down there for lunch, and its a nice change of pace. It seems like when I get off at East/West, everyone goes to Pikes

For the time being it will, but the new Wachovia headquarters and that entire block really, are closer to Stonewall station then the 3rd/Conv. station. I say that because they can cut through the Green instead of walking around the convention center. Trump if it ever happens plus the 277 interchange parcels will help too.

Exactly. There is nothing at that station except the Westin, and the perception is that its more convenient to go to 3rd St because it usually is.

[clt2025]

I rode the light rail system (LRT) for the first time this week. I put it to the ultimate test. I traveled with an infant, toddler, and my mother. The LRT gets an A+. It's awesome, fast, and spurring development.

The ticket machines get an F-. Most of this has been said here. They don't take debit/credit cards (joke). The slot for the debit/credit cards has duct tape over it (nice touch). There is only one ticket machine per side of the track (stupid).

The signage throughout the LRT system is weak. If I wasn't from Charlotte and familiar with LRT and all its locations, I wouldn't be able to find it.

It's called Operations Management 101. I hope CATS can work it out

.

Edited January 21, 2008 by monsoon

[kermit]

It's called Operations Management 101. I hope CATS can work it out

.

Speaking of which I noticed today that the line is running only a single track from the VMF down past Archdale (I assume the single tracking goes all the way to 485 but didn't go all the way down). It appeared that they were working on the SB track near Tyvola. This is the third time I have seen this setup since xmas. It appears (to me) to be a very inefficient way to run the system, (if I had been in charge (and had an unlimited budget) I would have built enough crossovers to allow single tracking around a single station if necessary). Anyone know if this setup part of the original design or was this another cost saving measure like the two car platforms? I am getting worrie that the cost cutting on the line is already comming back to bite us in the .....

[uptownliving]

Speaking of which I noticed today that the line is running only a single track from the VMF down past Archdale (I assume the single tracking goes all the way to 485 but didn't go all the way down). It appeared that they were working on the SB track near Tyvola. This is the third time I have seen this setup since xmas. It appears (to me) to be a very inefficient way to run the system, (if I had been in charge (and had an unlimited budget) I would have built enough crossovers to allow single tracking around a single station if necessary). Anyone know if this setup part of the original design or was this another cost saving measure like the two car platforms? I am getting worrie that the cost cutting on the line is already comming back to bite us in the .....

They are working on the Archdale station today making some modifications. That is why the line is single tracked from Scaleybark to Archdale. CATS is pretty good about puting up alerts on their website (www.ridetransit.org) letting you know about these planned construction items on the Blue Line.

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/CATS/alertdetail

[monsoon]

.....

The signage throughout the LRT system is weak. ....

Indeed. They really need to drop the cute signs and replace them with something that is more standard amongst transit stations and more informative. It's as if the people who set up these stations never rode on a transit line before. As a minimum they should have taken some design clues from Houston as their implementation of this train system is much stronger in many ways than what was done here in Charlotte.

[Nostyle]

Is there a link to current ridership numbers?

[SCOTTER]

FYI: The next scheduled meetings for the NE Light Rail Corridor are March 3rd at Sugaw Creek Presbyterian Church, and March 4th at the University Hilton. Both meetings are at 6p, and will contain the same information.

[staffer]

FYI: The next scheduled meetings for the NE Light Rail Corridor are March 3rd at Sugaw Creek Presbyterian Church, and March 4th at the University Hilton. Both meetings are at 6p, and will contain the same information.

according to an email I got from the City of Charlotte, this week's City Source on Cable Channel 16 and online, new 7 pm Thursday 1/24 will cover "a look ahead at plans to extend the LYNX Blue Line to the Northeast Corridor."

Also, while giving this presentation last week, CATS CEO Keith Parker told the audience that Charlotte is discussing with Cabarrus County an eventual extension of the Northeast Corridor to the Speedway.

[Nostyle]

So I guess there is no online resource to keep track of ridership?

[monsoon]

So I guess there is no online resource to keep track of ridership?

Not really. I believe they release ridership numbers once/month. You can always call them and ask for the numbers and I believe they will give you what they have.

[Spartan]

^ On an annual basis there is the National Transit Database. You can get information on all operations for almost any transit system in the nation. They update their figures every year, but its sometimes a year or two behind. CATS's latest figures are from 2006.

But for current figures, I have not seen anything.

[uptownliving]

So I guess there is no online resource to keep track of ridership?

CATS puts out a monthly ridership report as part of the MTC meeting agenda. They have been a little slack in updating these online lately. The most recent one they have is from October 2007. In today's (Wednesday) MTC meeting they released their December Ridership report.

You can contact CATS and they can e-mail you the MTC agenda that contains the December Ridership Report or you can wait for them to update the MTC Agenda Webpage

MTC Agendas

October 2007 Ridership Report (page 35/36)

[uptownliving]

The Observer put in some ridership numbers for the Lynx Blue Line for this story.

December Stats

-12,457 for weekday ridership

-12,871 for Saturday

-7,460 for Sunday

[staffer]

The Observer put in some ridership numbers for the Lynx Blue Line for this story.

The article also noted a deferral of the expected completion date for the NE Corridor from 2013 to 2015.

[monsoon]

^Interesting. I said this on News Years Day. These dates were based on their original published dated for opening the line in 2012. Now all of a sudden they are saying it's 2013 which isn't correct. However if you assume that now, what I said holds as you would have to add 1 year to this estimate. I don't see how CATS can blame all the delays on the transit vote, since the funding was never halted.

CATS published timeline is...

• Engineering, Tweaking, Final Federal Approval - 3.5 years
  
• Construction - 2.5 years
  

If they are holding to this timing then the NE line would open in January 2014 assuming no delays in the process.

[tozmervo]

I don't see how CATS can blame all the delays on the transit vote, since the funding was never halted.

Agreed. A two year delay because of the referrendum seems ridiculous. But that also seems excessive for "built in delay" for problems that inevitably crop up along the way.

[uptownliving]

Could the added time also be required if they are indeed going to extend the line into Cabarrus County?

[Mobuchu]

God I hope not. If it is, I hope that jump over 485 is a second phase, and doesn't delay the opening of the line to UNCC. I still think going to Concord or Lowes is a mistake.

[monsoon]

What gets me about the Observer is they never dig into these things anymore. They just take whatever is told to them today, report it as news, without taking anything into consideration that has been published in the past. On the Cabarrus thing, I would not put too much stock in that considering that we are getting this from the Observer and there is 0 action on this by either the MTC or the Cabarrus/Concord councils. (different subject but it is one of the reasons this paper is in trouble)

The simple mathematics using CATS schedules for engineering and construction means the current design won't be finished until 2015 especially since they have all of a sudden added in a 1 year slip to all dates.

[staffer]

^Interesting. I said this on News Years Day. These dates were based on their original published dated for opening the line in 2012. Now all of a sudden they are saying it's 2013 which isn't correct. However if you assume that now, what I said holds as you would have to add 1 year to this estimate. I don't see how CATS can blame all the delays on the transit vote, since the funding was never halted.

the 2030 plan adopted in 2006 calls for the NE line to be completed in 2013. It called for North Corridor completion in 2012. So the 2013 date is correct.

[staffer]

What gets me about the Observer is they never dig into these things anymore. They just take whatever is told to them today, report it as news, without taking anything into consideration that has been published in the past. On the Cabarrus thing, I would not put too much stock in that considering that we are getting this from the Observer and there is 0 action on this by either the MTC or the Cabarrus/Concord councils. (different subject but it is one of the reasons this paper is in trouble)

The simple mathematics using CATS schedules for engineering and construction means the current design won't be finished until 2015 especially since they have all of a sudden added in a 1 year slip to all dates.

First of all, we don't really know exactly what Keith Parker said, just what the reporter noted. Maybe in tonight's Channel 16 cable show (7 pm) we'll find out more (it should be online in a day or two) since the focus will be on the Northeast Line.

If indeed the completion date is 2015, maybe the stage is being set for a earlier phased opening to 36th Street or Sugar Creek, where the issues are far different than from Sugar Creek out to wherever the line is to end.

The state and federal funding are the biggest hurdles. It may not be until the new Congress convenes in 2009 that there is some serious decisionmaking about the level of major urban transit grants.

[monsoon]

the 2030 plan adopted in 2006 calls for the NE line to be completed in 2013. It called for North Corridor completion in 2012. So the 2013 date is correct.

I checked our notes and here is a copy of that plan If you notice it shows the NE line being finished at the end of 2012. Obviously they are not going to meet the timelines shown in that plan.

[uptownliving]

On the Council Agenda for Monday is a $30M contract with STV/Ralph Whitehead Assoc. to do the Preliminary Engineering for the Blue Line extention. It is estimated that Preliminary Engineering will take until summer of 2010 to be completed. At the end of Preliminary Engineering the project will be at 65% Design and will have a Final Environmental Impact Statement. STV/Ralph Whitehead is the company that replaced Parsons Transportation Group on the South Line and corrected all of their engineering mistakes. It seems to me that STV did a pretty good job with the South Line...so selecting them for the NE Line makes sense.

Also on the Council's Monday agenda is a briefing about putting in a crossing on the current Blue Line at Poindexter. The current plan is to use $800K of city money from SCIP funds to help pay for the crossing. The developers (Citiline/Resortline and Colonial Properties) will pay the remaining $5M cost to extend Poindexter from South Blvd. to Youngblood. Making this crossing will increase connectivity in the area and allow development of about $164M worth of condos/office/retail.

[staffer]

On the Council Agenda for Monday is a $30M contract with STV/Ralph Whitehead Assoc. to do the Preliminary Engineering for the Blue Line extention. It is estimated that Preliminary Engineering will take until summer of 2010 to be completed. At the end of Preliminary Engineering the project will be at 65% Design and will have a Final Environmental Impact Statement. STV/Ralph Whitehead is the company that replaced Parsons Transportation Group on the South Line and corrected all of their engineering mistakes. It seems to me that STV did a pretty good job with the South Line...so selecting them for the NE Line makes sense.

Also on the Council's Monday agenda is a briefing about putting in a crossing on the current Blue Line at Poindexter. The current plan is to use $800K of city money from SCIP funds to help pay for the crossing. The developers (Citiline/Resortline and Colonial Properties) will pay the remaining $5M cost to extend Poindexter from South Blvd. to Youngblood. Making this crossing will increase connectivity in the area and allow development of about $164M worth of condos/office/retail.

financial details from the 1/28 council agenda